ᐅ Single-Family Home Floor Plan Nearly Ready for Detailed Design – Requesting Tips and Advice
Created on: 12 Aug 2022 00:10
X
xanthippa
Hello dear forum members,
We are about to start the detailed planning phase for our new house.
When we planned the house last year, we were unable to focus much on the floor plan due to our two small children.
Now that the detailed planning is approaching, we are wondering if and what improvements we could still make to the floor plan.
Therefore, we would like to share our house floor plan for discussion and ask for tips and advice.
The building permit / planning permission has been applied for. Fortunately, we still received confirmation for KFW funding. However, this means we should not change the dimensions of the exterior walls anymore, as otherwise there is a risk of losing the funding.
The ground floor is planned to include a second residential unit, but this will not be built initially (possibly later for our parents).
Since the storage room does not have a window, we want to omit it to create a more spacious feel at the stairway leading to the upper floor. Instead, tall cabinets with pull-out drawers will be placed on the wall between the kitchen and dining area. We might also separate the kitchen with double sliding glass doors.
The kitchen is planned in the upper left area because that is where the main access to the terrace is intended (west/north around the corner of the house).
Thank you very much in advance!
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 1000 sqm (approx. 0.25 acres)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: aligned with neighboring buildings
Building line: aligned with neighboring buildings
Number of parking spaces: 4
Number of floors: 2 full stories
Roof type: gable roof
Orientation:
Maximum heights/limits: no requirements (no development plan)
Owners’ requirements
Style: simple and straightforward
Basement, floors: basement yes, 2 full stories
Number of occupants, ages: 4 people (2 adults + 2 toddlers)
Space requirements on ground floor: office, shower, large living/dining area
Space requirements on upper floor: small office/storage room, 2 normally sized children’s rooms, large bathroom, bedroom
Office: as we both work from home, we need 2 offices
Guest stays per year: regularly 1 person
Open or closed architecture: ideally the kitchen should be separable by a (sliding) door; the hallway should be separable from the living/dining area
Traditional or modern construction: rather traditional
Open kitchen, kitchen island: no kitchen island, one work island with 2 small seating places
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: planned
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double garage (prefabricated garage), possibly a third prefabricated garage as a tool/bike room
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why something is or isn’t desired: -
House design
Planned by:
- designer from a construction company
What do you like most? Why?
- large living/dining area, large office with garden access, size of the children’s rooms
What do you not like? Why?
- kitchen layout is difficult despite its size of 16 sqm (172 sq ft)
- layout of the bathroom on the upper floor
- small entrance area
Price estimate according to architect/designer:
- about 600k
Personal budget for house including fittings:
- about 650k
Preferred heating system:
- air source heat pump
If you had to give up something, which details/features
- could give up: smaller bedroom, smaller living/dining area
- cannot give up: 2 offices, size of the children’s rooms
Why did the design turn out this way? E.g.
Standard design from the planner?
- no
Which wishes were implemented by the architect?
- office, 2 residential units, 2 bathrooms, size of the children’s rooms
What is the main question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
We would appreciate tips, suggestions for improvement, and general feedback. Thank you very much!
We are about to start the detailed planning phase for our new house.
When we planned the house last year, we were unable to focus much on the floor plan due to our two small children.
Now that the detailed planning is approaching, we are wondering if and what improvements we could still make to the floor plan.
Therefore, we would like to share our house floor plan for discussion and ask for tips and advice.
The building permit / planning permission has been applied for. Fortunately, we still received confirmation for KFW funding. However, this means we should not change the dimensions of the exterior walls anymore, as otherwise there is a risk of losing the funding.
The ground floor is planned to include a second residential unit, but this will not be built initially (possibly later for our parents).
Since the storage room does not have a window, we want to omit it to create a more spacious feel at the stairway leading to the upper floor. Instead, tall cabinets with pull-out drawers will be placed on the wall between the kitchen and dining area. We might also separate the kitchen with double sliding glass doors.
The kitchen is planned in the upper left area because that is where the main access to the terrace is intended (west/north around the corner of the house).
Thank you very much in advance!
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 1000 sqm (approx. 0.25 acres)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: aligned with neighboring buildings
Building line: aligned with neighboring buildings
Number of parking spaces: 4
Number of floors: 2 full stories
Roof type: gable roof
Orientation:
Maximum heights/limits: no requirements (no development plan)
Owners’ requirements
Style: simple and straightforward
Basement, floors: basement yes, 2 full stories
Number of occupants, ages: 4 people (2 adults + 2 toddlers)
Space requirements on ground floor: office, shower, large living/dining area
Space requirements on upper floor: small office/storage room, 2 normally sized children’s rooms, large bathroom, bedroom
Office: as we both work from home, we need 2 offices
Guest stays per year: regularly 1 person
Open or closed architecture: ideally the kitchen should be separable by a (sliding) door; the hallway should be separable from the living/dining area
Traditional or modern construction: rather traditional
Open kitchen, kitchen island: no kitchen island, one work island with 2 small seating places
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: planned
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double garage (prefabricated garage), possibly a third prefabricated garage as a tool/bike room
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why something is or isn’t desired: -
House design
Planned by:
- designer from a construction company
What do you like most? Why?
- large living/dining area, large office with garden access, size of the children’s rooms
What do you not like? Why?
- kitchen layout is difficult despite its size of 16 sqm (172 sq ft)
- layout of the bathroom on the upper floor
- small entrance area
Price estimate according to architect/designer:
- about 600k
Personal budget for house including fittings:
- about 650k
Preferred heating system:
- air source heat pump
If you had to give up something, which details/features
- could give up: smaller bedroom, smaller living/dining area
- cannot give up: 2 offices, size of the children’s rooms
Why did the design turn out this way? E.g.
Standard design from the planner?
- no
Which wishes were implemented by the architect?
- office, 2 residential units, 2 bathrooms, size of the children’s rooms
What is the main question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
We would appreciate tips, suggestions for improvement, and general feedback. Thank you very much!
X
xanthippa18 Aug 2022 09:40ypg schrieb:
No. We have windows that are 2 meters (6.5 feet) wide everywhere with a height of 2.15 meters (7 feet). This works well for wide houses. For narrower ones, slimmer windows look better, especially with narrow exterior walls or if a more traditional style is desired (conservative city villas). Okay, thanks, we’ll stick with that then. My husband really wants a lot of natural light in the rooms.
ypg schrieb:
I just checked again a moment ago: I had suggested removing the pantry/cupboards in front of the stairs entirely. Maybe a double or single door there, but an L-shaped terrace facing northwest… actually, you have a great orientation: sunlight from the south in the rooms, plus from the west and north. A northwest terrace would get sun from 1 p.m. onwards … I wanted to draw something but didn’t manage to. Your kitchen space has a lot of potential. ypg, could you please sketch that out when you have a chance? I’m also working on the kitchen layout and really struggling with it. The problem is that the room is square, and then there’s a door, a 2-meter (6.5-foot) wide window, and a sliding terrace door (which we might replace with a standard terrace door).
X
xanthippa18 Aug 2022 09:41hanse987 schrieb:
Wide windows let more light into the room than narrow floor-to-ceiling windows or doors of the same area. Therefore, they are recommended. Thanks for the input, we will go with the wide windows then.
M
Myrna_Loy18 Aug 2022 09:47xanthippa schrieb:
Thanks for the input, then we’ll skip the wide windows.But don’t forget that some wall space is important for storage or artwork. So it’s a matter of balance.
Sorry, in my opinion the planning of this house seems quite thoughtless, confusing, and rushed. One problem isn’t even solved yet, and you’re already jumping to the next, forgetting the first one again. I would call this completely unplanned and see a lot of money wasted that you will regret later – but by then it will be too late to change anything.
Or has something happened in between that I missed? If so, I apologize.
So, what about the staircase? You have a floor-to-ceiling height of almost 3m (10 ft). A staircase length of 3.5m (11.5 ft) will certainly not be enough – it would basically become a ladder. What exactly does the architect specify for the staircase (number of steps, tread depth, riser height)?
Your sense of space will actually get worse if you now plan to enlarge the hallway. In the end, you’ve combined two narrow rooms at a right angle. This results in a living room depth of under 4m (13 ft) despite having 43sqm (463 sq ft) just for the living area! In my opinion, this is totally unacceptable and simply bad planning.
Only a new approach can help here. Is a straight staircase really that essential?
Currently, you have almost 60sqm (645 sq ft) for kitchen and living combined. Even your architect was embarrassed by the many unused areas and, out of desperation, drew a pantry right in the middle of the dining room near the terrace. I find that absurd. You wanted to leave it out too. So, have you now canceled it or not?
The separate apartment is a disaster. I read somewhere that you were still unsure whether you actually want to use it. What about that? Do you really need it? If yes, should that dark kitchenette really be placed in the entrance area? Where are you supposed to hang your coat and put your shoes? Maybe on the wall that you bump into when entering the unit?
I would recommend reviewing again what you are actually getting for your money. First, ask about the staircase to confirm if it can stay as planned at all. If yes, then whether it should stay with all the consequences attached. Once it’s built, there’s no turning back and the money is lost.
Or has something happened in between that I missed? If so, I apologize.
xanthippa schrieb:
@hanse987 Could you please check based on the data if the staircase is okay as it is?
The opening on the upper floor is 3.5m by 1m (11.5 ft by 3.3 ft).
So, what about the staircase? You have a floor-to-ceiling height of almost 3m (10 ft). A staircase length of 3.5m (11.5 ft) will certainly not be enough – it would basically become a ladder. What exactly does the architect specify for the staircase (number of steps, tread depth, riser height)?
xanthippa schrieb:
Another question regarding the entrance area:
I would like to replace the solid stair wall with a glass wall to create a greater sense of space.
Has anyone installed something like this and can share their experience?
How do I solve the issue with the hallway door?
Your sense of space will actually get worse if you now plan to enlarge the hallway. In the end, you’ve combined two narrow rooms at a right angle. This results in a living room depth of under 4m (13 ft) despite having 43sqm (463 sq ft) just for the living area! In my opinion, this is totally unacceptable and simply bad planning.
Only a new approach can help here. Is a straight staircase really that essential?
Currently, you have almost 60sqm (645 sq ft) for kitchen and living combined. Even your architect was embarrassed by the many unused areas and, out of desperation, drew a pantry right in the middle of the dining room near the terrace. I find that absurd. You wanted to leave it out too. So, have you now canceled it or not?
The separate apartment is a disaster. I read somewhere that you were still unsure whether you actually want to use it. What about that? Do you really need it? If yes, should that dark kitchenette really be placed in the entrance area? Where are you supposed to hang your coat and put your shoes? Maybe on the wall that you bump into when entering the unit?
I would recommend reviewing again what you are actually getting for your money. First, ask about the staircase to confirm if it can stay as planned at all. If yes, then whether it should stay with all the consequences attached. Once it’s built, there’s no turning back and the money is lost.
X
xanthippa18 Aug 2022 11:00K a t j a schrieb:
What about the staircase? You have a floor-to-ceiling height of almost 3m (10 feet). A staircase only 3.5m (11.5 feet) long won’t be enough or it will end up being a steep, ladder-like staircase. What exactly did the architect specify for the stairs (number of steps, tread depth, riser height)?Hello Katja, I can’t say. The architect is on vacation for the next two weeks. There are 15 steps shown in the plan. So far I have relied on the architect, since I’m not familiar with this myself.K a t j a schrieb:
Your sense of space will only get worse if you now plan to enlarge the hallway. In the end, you’ve just combined two narrow rooms at an angle. That results in a living room depth of less than 4m (13 feet) despite having 43sqm (463 sq ft) just for the living area! In my opinion, that’s completely unacceptable and just badly planned.Isn’t a living room depth of 4m (13 feet) sufficient?K a t j a schrieb:
Only a new approach will help. Is the straight staircase that essential?No, but how else should I plan it? I have no ideas in that regard. Do I have to hire a new architect to plan it differently?K a t j a schrieb:
Currently, you have almost 60(!) sqm (645 sq ft) for kitchen and living. Your architect was already embarrassed by all the unused space and out of desperation drew a pantry right in the middle of the dining area facing the terrace. I find that absurd. You wanted to leave it out as well. Have you now removed it or not?The pantry has definitely been removed. Possibly there will be tall cabinets along the wall as a kind of substitute for the pantry.K a t j a schrieb:
The secondary apartment is a disaster. I read somewhere that you were still unsure whether you would actually use it. What’s the situation? Do you really need it? If so, is this dark kitchenette really going in the entrance area? Where are people supposed to hang their coats and take off their shoes? Maybe on the wall you bump into when entering the unit?The secondary apartment will be used as an office; the kitchen area serves as a second coatroom. The coats will hang on the left side of the entrance. A coat rack will be installed there.
xanthippa schrieb:
Hello Katja, I can’t say. The architect is on vacation for the next two weeks. There are 15 steps shown in the plan. So far, I have relied on the architect since I am not knowledgeable about this. Google: "Stair basics!" Here you can test stair dimensions. But please don’t be misled by DIN standards. Your stair has a rise of 20cm (8 inches), and for the tread depth, I don’t see much more than 25cm (10 inches). In my opinion, that’s unacceptable for a project costing 650K! For reference: a typical rise is around 18.5cm (7.3 inches). Anyway, 19cm (7.5 inches) is already poor and, to me, only acceptable for emergency stairs in small houses. The tread depth in my house is at least 26cm (10 inches). This staircase is a main staircase and will be used several times daily. No compromises should be made here, unlike basement or attic stairs where compromises might be more acceptable.
xanthippa schrieb:
Is a living room depth of 4m (13 feet) not sufficient? 4m (13 feet) is the standard depth for a living room. That would be okay, though at this size it’s already the minimum. But you want to move the plank wall further down the plan, I believe there is supposed to be a closet there? Then it would be less than 4m. 4m was already tight at 43sqm (462 sqft). Below that becomes unreasonable. Room dimensions always depend on the overall length and size of the rooms. Even an 8m (26 feet) wide tunnel stays a tunnel if it’s a kilometer long.
xanthippa schrieb:
No, but how else do I plan it? I have no ideas regarding this. Do I need to hire a new architect to plan it differently? Since you’ve already submitted the building permit (or planning permission), you can only redesign within the existing walls. Certainly, there is still some possibility, but not much. Above all, it depends on how flexible you are with the layout of the living spaces.
I don’t know how urgent this all is. In some areas, people have been waiting for approval for over a year; naturally, you don’t want to start over from scratch. On the other hand, 650K is a lifetime investment, so waiting a few months is reasonable. In that case, I would first consider alternatives within the scope of the building permit. If those aren’t sufficient, you could see if small changes are possible. These often don’t take as long to be approved by the authorities, and between us, you could even begin construction and get approval later—if the building office has already given some informal go-ahead.
Besides, it depends on what your architect is willing to do. Changing architects costs money upfront. If you are planning an accessory apartment for subsidies, apparently you don’t have that budget. Maybe your architect could improve the stair design in the current draft—I don’t know. The key question remains: what do you want? You need to engage more intensively with the execution.
xanthippa schrieb:
The accessory apartment is used as an office; the kitchen serves as a second cloakroom.
Coats hang on the left side at the entrance. A coat rack will be placed there. Then why are you planning the accessory apartment if it’s not needed? If this is about subsidies, I’d first check the requirements for building one. Keywords that come to mind include fire protection walls, partition wall thickness, separate heating, separate electrical circuits, parking spaces, etc. The effort can be quite substantial in theory. If you don’t have to prove all that, fine. But do you actually know? I don’t offhand. In the end, you might be bending over backwards pointless here and not receive the subsidy anyway.
Similar topics