ᐅ Floor Plan Evaluation Single-Family Home 147 m² Gable Roof with Extension

ypg schrieb:

1.5 floors do not exist. That counts as 2 stories.

Okay, good to know. Don’t you need at least 75% of the upper floor measured from the bottom to count as 2 stories? That wouldn’t be the case here, or is the extension not included?

ypg schrieb:

You’ve basically maximized almost every last square meter possible. I hope that the floor area ratio II (exceeding the floor area ratio by 50% for ancillary structures) is not excluded for you?!
Otherwise, it would be too much… I just roughly calculated everything.

Good question, FAR II is not mentioned in the development plan. I’ll have to ask the architect again. Generally, the neighbors use significantly more of their plot area. So I would be surprised if it doesn’t fit.

ypg schrieb:

Regarding the design
My first impression: I like it. Basically a nice idea, also the slim silhouette… Living room at the back, I also once planned like that and found that having two entrances to the living room wastes a lot of valuable space.
The wasted space you have could be better used by the kitchen.
With the light switch, your kitchen runs about 2.60 to 2.70 meters (8.5 to 8.9 feet) long. That’s already tight for an oven at eye level and a fridge. You’ll never fit a side-by-side fridge. There is hardly any countertop space on this run for taller items, electrical appliances, or opened beverage bottles. The breadboard for jam will have to be centrally located in the house… which means it will be placed on the island, but that’s then a bit in the way. Especially for small children and distracted parents.

That’s probably the right time to start kitchen planning in more detail. Basically, the plan is to have a kitchen run along one side of the pantry where most of the electrical appliances will be located. The kitchen run in the main room should stay relatively “clean.” I hadn’t yet thought that the kitchen might be too small. I was even considering making the island smaller because I don’t really know what to do with that space. Good wake-up call to look into this more deeply. What’s the problem with placing items on the island from the dining table? That’s how we do it now, and I find it quite practical.

Living room: To avoid the issue with free space in the living room, you’d basically have to completely redesign, or would you just remove one of the openings? That was the first draft plan. But then the living room felt too closed off for us. I must say, having free space is somewhat of a luxury—you don’t have to use every inch (but sure, if space is tight elsewhere, it doesn’t make sense).

ypg schrieb:

If you want to combine the utility room with the foyer, I would put the door into the extension.

I don’t quite understand what you mean here. The current plan is to swap the pantry and utility room and to merge the utility room and foyer into one room without access to the pantry. The utility room’s entrance stays as is. It is currently at the front because the architect says it saves connection costs (close to the street). I actually like that. Do people really use the toilet so often while still wearing their shoes?

ypg schrieb:

The large window faces northwest: that means you have a pitch-dark dining room and kitchen. In the summer you get a few rays of light into the house in the evening.
Only the additional hallway and the living room are on the sunny side of the house. But people spend less time in the living room during summer… so the overall orientation isn’t that great.

Good point. Some light should come in from above via the stairwell (the window size there still needs to be adjusted). I have also considered adding more windows at the stairs. The entrance area definitely needs more light. I’m not really happy with the southeast side anyway.

Recently I saw a documentary about a house that mainly used north-facing windows. Allegedly, the light is very even and not necessarily too dark.

ypg schrieb:

And I noticed regarding the roof orientation: the ridge direction should be parallel to the street according to you. The neighbors have the roof orientation as stipulated by the development plan.

The ridge is parallel to the street as required. The front door faces the street. Is it stated somewhere else? I know the floor plan doesn’t have a north arrow but the elevations indicate the orientation and the aerial photos are north-aligned.

ypg schrieb:

So there is still quite a bit to do.
However, I will add my objections in sketch form.

Why would you place the bedroom on the south side? Usually, people try to avoid that and put children’s rooms there (like before). Together with the ridge direction, I get the feeling I didn’t clearly explain how the house sits on the lot. As I said, the side with the front door runs parallel to the street towards the southeast.

ypg schrieb:

(Toilet quite far from the entrance… that can backfire 😉… and by the way, you’ll knock bottles over on the kitchen island… I don’t want to discourage you, but it’s impractical for everyday use.

It is definitely unusual. I’ll need to pay close attention to how often the bathroom is used before leaving. I actually liked the idea of placing it there and possibly adding a skylight.

ypg schrieb:

Edit? The 63e windows are really too narrow… the window frame is thicker than the glass.

Yes, I agree now. Up front, I could also imagine a large window in the middle to illuminate the stairwell. At the back, I’d like to replace the two garden windows with one large one (similar to the kitchen).

ypg schrieb:

And I noticed regarding the roof alignment: your ridge direction should be parallel to the street. The neighbors have the alignment as specified by the development plan.

Sorry, I was mistaken. Everything is correct!

KED1234 schrieb:

Good question, GRZII is not mentioned in the development plan.

The 50% rule is probably mentioned somewhere 🙂

KED1234 schrieb:

Doesn’t it have to be more than 75% from the bottom to allow for two floors?

It has to be more than 75%… it depends on the federal state… with your roof pitch and knee wall height, the attic is considered a full floor. So, you have two floors.

KED1234 schrieb:

That wouldn’t be the case here, right? Or don’t you count the extension?

The extension is included, yes… oh, I didn’t calculate that now. 🙄 But you already wrote

KED1234 schrieb:

Number of floors: 2 (according to the development plan)

KED1234 schrieb:

Basically, the plan is to have a kitchen line in the pantry where most of the electrical appliances will be installed. The main room kitchen area should look quite “clean.”

Then think about what a kitchen really looks like in everyday life with two kids. Clean is nice, but not very practical.

KED1234 schrieb:

I was already considering making the island smaller because I don’t really know what to do with that space.

You probably don’t spend much time in the kitchen and expect someone else to do the cooking? That’s what it sounded like in your first post, since you said you would tolerate the noise.

KED1234 schrieb:

What’s the problem if things are placed on the island from the table?

I didn’t mean from the table, but things that are always left out in the kitchen because they’re used there all the time. If you want to store everything in the pantry, you’re basically building a show kitchen next to the dining area but have a tiny kitchen in the back room (Honey, I can’t watch you working – please close the door 😉 ). We have about 7.80 meters (25.6 feet) of kitchen length for two people, part of which is a countertop just for preparation and placing the coffee machine, knives, and about 3 meters (10 feet)… In the utility room we have a kitchen line for cleaning supplies, tools, bags, empties, and drinks. So, I think you’re underestimating how much space you need.
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/die-liste-die-jeden-bauherren-zu-interessieren-hat.34418/

KED1234 schrieb:

Living room: To solve the issue with the free space in the living room, would you basically have to redesign everything, or would you just remove one of the passages?

I’d start with a 180-degree stair turn, with a quarter turn at the start. Whether that will satisfactorily solve the problems, I don’t think so. I believe you haven’t fully considered how much space is needed for everyday use and daily tasks – the more space you have for those, the cleaner the rest stays. If you make it too small, laundry and the ironing board will constantly be out, hobbies cannot be put away and piles will remain, etc. If there is no space for cupboards (kitchen, bedroom, living room or living area), things will just stay out somewhere. Maybe you should take a look at lived-in kitchens in the kitchen thread.
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/kuechenbilder-thread-zeigt-her-eure-Küchen.28518/

KED1234 schrieb:

I have to say, free space really is a luxury – I don’t have to use it all (but of course, if it’s missing somewhere else, it makes no sense). That’s just how it is.

About the toilet:

KED1234 schrieb:

It’s definitely unusual.

The idea to put the WC next to the office/guest room generally makes sense. However, now everyone who can’t go upstairs because it’s too tight has to go downstairs through the kitchen. That might not be a problem first thing in the morning, since they can just make coffee right away… 😉

KED1234 schrieb:

Do people really use the toilet that often when wearing shoes?

I use the toilet when I need to! With or without shoes. Preferably without when I have to walk through the whole house. But taking shoes off might get tight sometimes… especially when in a hurry. That’s why having a toilet near the entrance area is convenient. When coming in from gardening, you appreciate the short walk to the toilet. Also, you want to wash your hands first before going further into the house and so on…

KED1234 schrieb:

I recently saw a documentary about a house that mainly had north-facing windows. Supposedly it provides particularly even light and isn’t necessarily too dark.

With your kitchen layout, you can’t avoid the light issue… yes, windows on the southeast would be important here. Still, the kitchen is too far away from any window… strictly speaking, the kitchen is not properly planned here. It looks like a bar for guests or something in a high traffic area.

KED1234 schrieb:

Why would you put the bedroom on the south side?

No, I wouldn’t. But the bathroom only makes sense there combined with two equally sized kids’ rooms. It just kind of ended up like that quickly.

KED1234 schrieb:

That’s something you usually want to avoid.

Yep!

I think the idea for the house – living room location, room alignment, and L-shape – comes from you, and the architect had to take it on. I can’t imagine a real architect would plan the usable spaces this small in proportion or place the kitchen in such a high-traffic area. It might not seem so bad for two people, but a family house looks very different.

Very nice floor plan, I’m familiar with this type of atrium bungalow from the past. It’s refreshing to see something different—no awkward corners, no dark spots, very nice. Don’t let anyone talk you out of this floor plan, be bold.

evelinoz schrieb:

Very nice floor plan,

evelinoz schrieb:

Don’t let anyone talk you out of the floor plan, be brave.

So which is it? Is it nice and good, or do you have to be brave for it to be considered nice and good, or to see it that way?

I don’t think it’s good at all. Many points have already been mentioned.
Entrance area (too small / next to the utility room), bathroom “hidden” (too far away), kids’ rooms (a joke in terms of size), dining area is cramped (wall + kitchen unit)…

This already looks like an architect’s design to me. Someone hoping to at least get featured in a lifestyle magazine. 😉 As evelinoz pointed out, it strongly resembles atrium bungalows and also reminds me of some Case Study House adaptations. It’s a floor plan better suited for about 50 m² (540 sq ft) more space to create built-in wardrobes and other fittings for the desired look.

You really have to be minimalist and disciplined, and this also applies to children (who are naturally maximalist and chaotic), in order to avoid seeing chaos and makeshift solutions everywhere.

For me, it would be better if the entrance were at the office, allowing access to the private area by passing the extension wing, bathroom, and storage. Instead of the current layout, where you enter through the private living hall to get to the office, storage, and bathroom. Having the kitchenette as the main circulation route is not a good idea.