ᐅ Single-Family Home Floor Plans Around 160 sqm – What Are Your Experiences?
Created on: 22 Oct 2022 21:01
M
markusla
Hello,
My wife and I purchased a plot last year (garden development according to amended zoning plan) marked with number 2018 on the plan, and we now want to move the planning forward. We’re not sure if we will start the construction immediately, but we would at least like to complete the planning phase. The plan is oriented north, meaning the house would be almost aligned north/south.
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
612 sqm (about 6,570 sq ft) + driveway (approx. 85 sqm (915 sq ft))
Slope -> no
Floor area ratio -> 0.3
Site occupancy index -> 0.6
Building envelope, building line, and boundaries -> see drawing (3 m (10 ft) setback, garage allowed on the boundary, max. 15 m (49 ft), of which 9 m (30 ft) continuous) Location of the house on the plot is flexible.
Edge development -> no
Number of parking spaces -> no specification
Number of floors -> 2
Roof type -> minimum pitch 15°, no specific style, but no flat roof
Architectural style -> not specified
Orientation -> no requirement
Maximum height/limits -> max. ridge height 9 m (30 ft)
Special noise protection requirements due to nearby highway and local road
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof shape, building type -> classic detached house, gable roof, solid brick construction
Basement, floors -> basement desired but probably not realistic, 1.5 floors
Number and age of occupants -> currently 3 (ages 32, 28, 1); planning for 3 children’s bedrooms
Room requirements, ground floor and upper floor ->
Ground floor: utility room, kitchen, dining, living, guest toilet with shower, guest room/playroom
Upper floor: master bedroom, 3 children’s rooms, storage room, bathroom
Office: family use or home office? -> both (both adults work from home partly but not full-time)
Overnight guests per year -> negligible
Open or closed layout -> kitchen/dining open and spacious, living room smaller and separate
Conservative or modern style -> conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island -> open kitchen yes, kitchen island if it fits
Number of dining seats -> 6-8 (extendable table)
Fireplace -> no
Music/sound system wall -> yes if possible
Balcony, roof terrace -> not required
Garage, carport -> combination of both -> car does not need covered parking, but we want a closed space for bikes, workshop, etc.
Garden, greenhouse -> lawn
Other wishes/particulars/daily routine, including reasons why certain things should or should not be ->
- For us, the kitchen/dining area is the central hub, also with guests present. The living room should be a relatively private area.
- Children’s rooms do not need to be very large. The master bedroom is the least important room for us.
- No bathtub required in the bathroom.
- We definitely want a second entrance where the kids (and we) can leave dirty shoes, etc.
- The main entrance is intended for guests.
- The utility/technical room should preferably be outside the main house to save “valuable” living space and expensive square meters. Is this sensible?
- The staircase should not be directly next to the front door. In our current semi-detached house it is, and dirt gets dragged upstairs all the time.
- The floor plan can be designed so that it’s theoretically possible to create two apartments (ground floor and upper floor) in the future.
House Design
Who prepared the plan:
- Architect (2nd round)
What do you particularly like? Why? -> We really like the room layout, especially the upper floor is used very efficiently and rooms are evenly distributed
What do you dislike? Why? -> The area around the utility room/side entrance/carport/garage is not ideal yet
Price estimate according to architect/planner: -> rough estimate about $400,000
Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings: $500,000 due to interest rate increase
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump and controlled residential ventilation
If you had to give up anything, which features or fittings
- could you do without: so far nothing, the plan is not very detailed yet
- cannot live without: -
Why is the design as it is now? For example
-> After discussions with the architect about our wishes, the current design emerged. Since securing the plot over a year ago, we have reviewed numerous floor plans online and evaluated their pros and cons.
What is the key question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Do you have any concrete suggestions for improvement? How wide should the gap between the house and north boundary be, to comfortably park a car and still access the garage?
Thank you very much for your ideas
Best regards
My wife and I purchased a plot last year (garden development according to amended zoning plan) marked with number 2018 on the plan, and we now want to move the planning forward. We’re not sure if we will start the construction immediately, but we would at least like to complete the planning phase. The plan is oriented north, meaning the house would be almost aligned north/south.
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
612 sqm (about 6,570 sq ft) + driveway (approx. 85 sqm (915 sq ft))
Slope -> no
Floor area ratio -> 0.3
Site occupancy index -> 0.6
Building envelope, building line, and boundaries -> see drawing (3 m (10 ft) setback, garage allowed on the boundary, max. 15 m (49 ft), of which 9 m (30 ft) continuous) Location of the house on the plot is flexible.
Edge development -> no
Number of parking spaces -> no specification
Number of floors -> 2
Roof type -> minimum pitch 15°, no specific style, but no flat roof
Architectural style -> not specified
Orientation -> no requirement
Maximum height/limits -> max. ridge height 9 m (30 ft)
Special noise protection requirements due to nearby highway and local road
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof shape, building type -> classic detached house, gable roof, solid brick construction
Basement, floors -> basement desired but probably not realistic, 1.5 floors
Number and age of occupants -> currently 3 (ages 32, 28, 1); planning for 3 children’s bedrooms
Room requirements, ground floor and upper floor ->
Ground floor: utility room, kitchen, dining, living, guest toilet with shower, guest room/playroom
Upper floor: master bedroom, 3 children’s rooms, storage room, bathroom
Office: family use or home office? -> both (both adults work from home partly but not full-time)
Overnight guests per year -> negligible
Open or closed layout -> kitchen/dining open and spacious, living room smaller and separate
Conservative or modern style -> conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island -> open kitchen yes, kitchen island if it fits
Number of dining seats -> 6-8 (extendable table)
Fireplace -> no
Music/sound system wall -> yes if possible
Balcony, roof terrace -> not required
Garage, carport -> combination of both -> car does not need covered parking, but we want a closed space for bikes, workshop, etc.
Garden, greenhouse -> lawn
Other wishes/particulars/daily routine, including reasons why certain things should or should not be ->
- For us, the kitchen/dining area is the central hub, also with guests present. The living room should be a relatively private area.
- Children’s rooms do not need to be very large. The master bedroom is the least important room for us.
- No bathtub required in the bathroom.
- We definitely want a second entrance where the kids (and we) can leave dirty shoes, etc.
- The main entrance is intended for guests.
- The utility/technical room should preferably be outside the main house to save “valuable” living space and expensive square meters. Is this sensible?
- The staircase should not be directly next to the front door. In our current semi-detached house it is, and dirt gets dragged upstairs all the time.
- The floor plan can be designed so that it’s theoretically possible to create two apartments (ground floor and upper floor) in the future.
House Design
Who prepared the plan:
- Architect (2nd round)
What do you particularly like? Why? -> We really like the room layout, especially the upper floor is used very efficiently and rooms are evenly distributed
What do you dislike? Why? -> The area around the utility room/side entrance/carport/garage is not ideal yet
Price estimate according to architect/planner: -> rough estimate about $400,000
Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings: $500,000 due to interest rate increase
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump and controlled residential ventilation
If you had to give up anything, which features or fittings
- could you do without: so far nothing, the plan is not very detailed yet
- cannot live without: -
Why is the design as it is now? For example
-> After discussions with the architect about our wishes, the current design emerged. Since securing the plot over a year ago, we have reviewed numerous floor plans online and evaluated their pros and cons.
What is the key question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Do you have any concrete suggestions for improvement? How wide should the gap between the house and north boundary be, to comfortably park a car and still access the garage?
Thank you very much for your ideas
Best regards
K
Kreisrund23 Oct 2022 10:01We have a secondary entrance, but not because we specifically planned it that way; it just developed naturally over time. The secondary entrance to the utility room is closer to the street and located under the carport. The advantage is that it really functions as a dirt barrier. We keep all our shoes there, including running shoes. The jackets are then stored in the main hallway, which we only use barefoot or in slippers for everyday use. The utility room has tiled flooring, while the hallway features wood flooring. Considering how often the utility room tends to get dirty or sandy, I’m glad this isn’t the case for the hallway. However, this arrangement means that, for me, the utility room is not really suitable as a laundry area. It just doesn’t work well together. Our washing machine and dryer are located upstairs in the bathroom, and we find that works perfectly.
K
Kreisrund23 Oct 2022 10:13One more question regarding the bathtub: You already have a one-year-old child. Is the child really not bathed in the tub but instead placed or stood under the shower? I honestly can’t imagine that in practical terms.
Kreisrund schrieb:
We have a secondary entrance like that, but not because we planned it that way—it just happened naturally in everyday use. Our secondary entrance to the utility room is closer to the street and under the carport. The advantage is that it really serves as a mudroom. All our shoes are kept there, including running shoes. The coats are then stored in the main hallway, which we only walk through wearing socks or slippers on a daily basis. The utility room has tile flooring, while the hallway has wooden floors. Looking at how dirty and sandy the utility room often gets, I’m glad that mess isn’t in the hallway. But you have it in the utility room. What’s the difference? I don’t quite understand why the entrance area needs to be a highly clean space where you only walk in socks, while the actual laundry room can be sandy and dirty. It becomes even less logical when the two rooms are right next to each other, as in this example. In my opinion, the key point is to assign each room its intended function rather than trying to fit some idealized concept. An entrance can get dirty at times—that’s what it should be designed to handle.
I would understand this better if you have a large dog who should go through a shower right after a walk before entering the house. For that purpose, an outdoor faucet works much better. Also, for very dirty children, it makes more sense to create a place outside to remove shoes rather than bringing dirt inside at all. In the past, people used a covered porch for that.
Kreisrund schrieb:
We have a side entrance like that, but not because we specifically wanted one, it just happened naturally in daily life. Many people want a side entrance. And there are also houses where it is well designed. But if you plan a passage running parallel to the main entrance that apparently consumes more than 2 square meters (about 21.5 square feet), then it’s a design done just for the sake of having it—regardless of whether the location actually makes sense.
When I consider that I enter the utility room about 4 to 5 times in the evening without turning on the light, then the idea of tracking dirt there simply doesn’t make sense.
Kreisrund schrieb:
One more question about the bathtub: You already have a 1-year-old child, right? Is the child really not bathed but just placed or stood under the shower? I honestly can’t imagine that being practical. Especially when you have three children who will never experience the usual fight over the submarine in the bathtub, while their brother sprays you with shower gel. 😉
Now for the constructive suggestion:
The wardrobe should be placed near the entrance door to keep the dirty zone as small as possible. Also, muddy shoes should not be stored where laundry is washed. Overall, the architect can improve and implement this here.
if you’re not showering at the moment, that’s one thing…
But also consider that a bathtub is not only for bathing (I also find it odd to put children in a bucket in the shower).
In 5 years, you might need sitz baths, want or need to do alkaline baths, soak a wool blanket, keep a fish alive, finally eat fresh kale that needs to be washed there, soak a carpet, and so on.
If there is an open space above (void), it should also have a window. How is that going to be implemented there?
As for the kitchen island, you have to see if it is sufficient for working. Personally, I would find there are too few west-facing windows.
In general, I would probably mirror the entire layout but keep the kitchen in the west. Putting the utility room with the carport on the west side would be like casting pearls before swine.
The wardrobe should be placed near the entrance door to keep the dirty zone as small as possible. Also, muddy shoes should not be stored where laundry is washed. Overall, the architect can improve and implement this here.
markusla schrieb:
We are sure we don’t need a bathtub,
if you’re not showering at the moment, that’s one thing…
But also consider that a bathtub is not only for bathing (I also find it odd to put children in a bucket in the shower).
In 5 years, you might need sitz baths, want or need to do alkaline baths, soak a wool blanket, keep a fish alive, finally eat fresh kale that needs to be washed there, soak a carpet, and so on.
If there is an open space above (void), it should also have a window. How is that going to be implemented there?
As for the kitchen island, you have to see if it is sufficient for working. Personally, I would find there are too few west-facing windows.
In general, I would probably mirror the entire layout but keep the kitchen in the west. Putting the utility room with the carport on the west side would be like casting pearls before swine.
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