ᐅ Floor plan of a semi-detached house, 2.5 stories plus usable basement

Created on: 28 Mar 2022 11:37

Hello everyone,

we are planning to build a semi-detached house with 2.5 stories plus a basement. We have received a first draft from the general contractor and would like to discuss it with you.

The floors are divided as follows:
Basement = utility cellar
Ground floor = living/dining + kitchen + WC + storage
Upper floor = 2 large children's rooms + family bathroom
Attic = bedroom + office + WC/bathroom

Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 420 sqm (4521 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: not specified
Parking spaces: carport + 1 parking space
Number of floors: 2.5
Roof type: gable roof, 35 degrees
Style: semi-detached house
Orientation: southeast
Maximum heights/limits: ridge height = 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in), overall height = 10 m (32 ft 10 in), max width = 9 m (29 ft 6 in). Due to the overall height limit and the 35-degree roof pitch, the max depth = 10 m (32 ft 10 in).

Homeowners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type
Utility basement, 2.5 stories
Number of occupants: 2 adults + 2 children (5 and 7 years old)
Guests per year: negligible
Large kitchen, open but can be closed off with sliding doors; kitchen island for prep work (cooktop not planned on island for now)
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: ethanol fireplace integrated into the living room wall
Carport
Separate floor for the children with large bedrooms
Sauna in the attic
Dormer on the north side
Ceiling height on ground and upper floors: 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in) each
Office/guest room in the attic

House design
Design by: general contractor (redrawn by me in Sweet Home 3D with furniture added)
What do we like most and why?: large living room with big windows, spacious kitchen, large children’s rooms
Preferred heating system: air-source heat pump

What is the main/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
- Living room: are the windows chosen too large?
- Children’s rooms: how do you find the layout, especially child 2’s room?
- Family bathroom: is the passage to the toilet and shower too narrow?
- Office: 2 m (6 ft 7 in) depth is reached quickly after the entrance; the dormer exists but I’m unsure how the room will feel. What do you think?

2D floor plan of a house with sauna, shower/WC, bedroom, staircase, and living area

Floor plan of a house with carport, terrace, garden, kitchen, living/dining, shed, storage, foyer.

Floor plan: technical room 11.5 m² (124 sq ft), storage room 18.5 m² (199 sq ft), hobby room 32.0 m² (345 sq ft), corridor 5.0 m² (54 sq ft), staircase

Floor plan: bathroom, corridor, stairs, two children’s bedrooms with beds, living room with sofa and desk.

ypg28 Mar 2022 18:31

#19

I find almost everything unsatisfactory.
The entrance area narrows, making it uninviting. The “niche” for the tall kitchen cabinets can be arranged differently. The angled slanted wall feels outdated and isn’t necessary here.
The kitchen is too far from the terrace (the terrace should be next to the kitchen, unlike older apartments with the living room on the balcony).
The bathroom upstairs is too small. Essentially, it could use 2-3 sqm (21-32 sq ft) more. Otherwise, the layout won’t work well with these dimensions. Forget about the T shape and consider where visual or water protection and space are really needed. The toilet should have at least more than 70cm (28 inches) width to be comfortable.
In relation, I find the children’s rooms too large. Ideally, both would have south exposure and garden views. The attic layout wasn’t done nicely either. The entrance to the bedroom is poorly handled as a cramped space – and yet you still bump into a too-small wardrobe.
The first thing I would do is enlarge the hallway or eliminate it entirely and, if necessary, create closet space under the sloped ceilings as walk-in units.
Overall, I get the impression that the planner just randomly placed 1, 2, or 3 corners and slanted walls, and puzzling isn’t their strength.
There is enough space, but it’s neither well designed nor functional.
If money is available, I would consider an external staircase or a more comfortable internal staircase for bikes etc. The current one with 1.73m (5 ft 8 in) clear width is quite steep…

corby_81 schrieb:

Pretty cool function of the program, not much can really go wrong.

Yes, on the contrary, for example not adjusting the measurements.

WilderSueden schrieb:

All together, the passage should actually be sufficient,

But you have to realize they are fixated on something that is almost a luxury with 4.50m (14 ft 9 in) or so. Yes, you can’t park 1.77m (5 ft 10 in) in a 1.80m (5 ft 11 in) space without folding the side mirrors, but that fits better than many other things. Just my opinion.

corby_8128 Mar 2022 20:00

#20

ypg schrieb:

I find almost everything unsatisfactory.
The entrance area narrows, making it uninviting. The “niche” for the tall kitchen cabinets can be arranged differently. The angled, slanted wall looks outdated and is unnecessary here.
The kitchen is very far from the terrace (the terrace should be adjacent to the kitchen // as is common in older apartments with living rooms on the balcony...).
The upstairs bathroom is too small. Ideally, it could be 2-3 square meters (22-32 square feet) larger. Otherwise, the layout cannot be sensibly arranged given the dimensions. Consider removing the T-shape and think about where visual or water privacy as well as space might be needed. The toilet needs at least more than 70cm (28 inches) width to be comfortable.
The children’s rooms seem disproportionately large. It would be nice for both to have a south-facing garden view. The attic floor hasn’t been well laid out either. The entrance to the bedroom feels inadequate, more like a cramped leftover space—and yet you still bump into a closet that’s too small.
The first thing I would do is enlarge the hallway or even remove it and possibly create closet space under the roof slopes as walk-in units.
Overall, I get the feeling the planner had one or two angled walls leftover and fitting them in is not their strength.
There is enough space available, but it is not used well or functionally.
If budget allows, I would consider an external staircase or a more comfortable internal stair for bicycles etc. The current one is 1.73m (5 ft 8 in) in rise/run, which is quite steep…

By the way, don’t adjust the dimensions here.

One has to accept that something being ranted about here, like 4.50m (15 ft) width, is almost a luxury. Yes, you can’t park 1.77m (5 ft 10 in) wide cars in 1.80m (5 ft 11 in) spots without folding in the side mirrors, but this is better than a lot of other compromises. That’s my opinion.

Thank you very much for your constructive comments.

- Do you have any suggestions on how we could better position the niche?
- It is important to us that the living room is “closed off” to shield us from the children’s “noise.” Hence, the angled wall. The idea behind not making the wall at a right angle was to minimize the loss of living room space and avoid having walls that feel “dominant.” Unfortunately, we have no experience with how much noise from the upper floor can actually be heard. Is the wall perhaps unnecessary? How would you alternatively design that wall?
- The carport is directly to the right of the kitchen; I don’t see how the terrace could be positioned further south. However, the distance to the terrace does not really bother us.
- I have noticed the bathroom issue, and you have basically confirmed it.
- We would like both children’s rooms to be south-facing. If we place both rooms on the south side, the left child’s room becomes too small due to the layout. From personal experience, we find a youth bedroom of at least 24m² (258 square feet) ideal. I know this is a bit of a luxury concern, but it is important to us.
- What changes would you recommend for the staircase?
- I will take your idea about enlarging the hallway and creating walk-in closets under the roof slope on board.

ypg28 Mar 2022 21:22

#21

corby_81 schrieb:

Do you have any ideas on how we could better incorporate the niche?

Diplomatically speaking, it should be placed where it doesn’t stand out unpleasantly or even become obstructive. Personally, I would avoid a niche in a U-shaped kitchen, as it is very limiting. In my view, it doesn’t add any real value.

corby_81 schrieb:

It’s important to us that the living room can be closed off to block out the “noise” from the kids. That’s why we have the slanted wall.

A door can also be integrated into a straight wall.

corby_81 schrieb:

Unfortunately, we don’t have experience with how much noise from the kids upstairs can actually be heard.

I would be more concerned whether the kids can sleep despite the TV in the ground floor living area.

corby_81 schrieb:

How would you plan the wall differently?

Straight. That way, the staircase could actually be used in practice. Because right now – regardless of where the stair’s starting point is, since you’re building with a basement – the slanted wall either obstructs the path to the basement or the way upstairs.

corby_81 schrieb:

We want to lose as little space as possible in the living room.

Where exactly is the space gain by having a slanted wall? I think it’s an attempt to hide something the planner hasn’t managed well. When you consider this together with the staircase’s position, I find what’s been delivered here quite poor.

corby_81 schrieb:

I wouldn’t know how to position the terrace further south.

? The terrace is already on the south side; the kitchen and living room should swap places.

corby_81 schrieb:

The distance to the terrace doesn’t really bother us either.

You’re not living there yet, after all.

corby_81 schrieb:

If we place both rooms on the south side, the left child’s room will be too small for the group.

As I already mentioned:

corby_81 schrieb:

What changes would you make to the staircase?

There are several issues with the staircase. It’s probably better positioned along the north gable wall. Oh wait, you have a third gable. But I’m questioning everything here anyway – the slanted living room wall, the staircase size…

Floor plan of a building with stair runs, dimensions, and room 1 (131.54 m²).

Minimum dimensions can be seen here:

WilderSueden28 Mar 2022 23:41

#22

ypg schrieb:

However, it must be said that people are focusing too much on something that, at 4.50 meters (15 feet) or so, is almost considered a luxury.

As you could more or less gather from my second post, there was a mistake in my thinking. A single carport is usually well under 4.50 meters (15 feet), so you wouldn’t be able to pass alongside it on a bicycle. We have seen such floor plans several times before.
The amount of space that is left in the end will definitely be sufficient, but it is certainly not as wide as 4.50 meters (15 feet) might suggest.

K a t j a29 Mar 2022 11:30

#23

The first word that comes to mind when I see this plan is "uninspired."
Then I wonder why the width was fixed at 9m (30 feet). Is that part of the building envelope in the development plan? What are the regulations regarding ancillary structures?
As a child, I would have been quite embarrassed if my parents had to squeeze under the sloping roof in the study and bedroom while I lived in a 27sqm (290 sq ft) dance hall. But okay.

corby_8129 Mar 2022 11:37

#24

K a t j a schrieb:

The first word that comes to mind when looking at this plan is "uninspired."
Then I wonder why the width of 9m (30 feet) was fixed. Is that part of the building envelope in the planning permission / building permit? What are the regulations for ancillary structures?
As a child, I would feel quite embarrassed if my parents had to squeeze under the sloping roof in the office and bedroom while I live in a 27sqm (290 sq ft) dance hall. But okay.

Could you please explain more precisely what you mean by "uninspired"? What changes would you suggest?

The maximum width is specified in the planning permission / building permit.

ᐅ Floor plan of a semi-detached house, 2.5 stories plus usable basement

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