ᐅ Plan the layout of the living area

We are currently in the process of buying a former farmstead in Schleswig-Holstein (the notary is preparing the purchase contract) to combine living and working (self-employed with animals) under one roof. We, a family of four, will move in together with my mother-in-law on the property. The main residential part is basically ready to move in and is not a topic for discussion here. The part of the building previously used as a barn will be partially converted for my mother-in-law.

About 80m² (860 sq ft) will be used for the apartment, the section facing the courtyard is intended for my wife’s business use or as a guest WC for visitors to the farm. In the middle of the building, between the old residential unit and the barn, there is an unheated, continuous threshing floor. Access to the apartment can be via this area, which can also serve as a corridor for coats and shoes.

I sketched a draft for a possible layout, but somehow it doesn’t feel quite right. I have prepared a questionnaire, shortened for practical purposes:

Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: Building structure is fixed, listed building, the facade must not be significantly altered
Slope: no
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see above
Number of storeys: Conversion on the ground floor, upper floor is only a hayloft
Roof type: Gable roof
Architectural style: Desired – farmhouse / country house / built around 1880
Orientation: West and North
Other requirements: Facade is protected by historic preservation. Window and door openings are predetermined. In the center, there is a beam with two supporting pillars (circled in red on the floor plan). These cannot be moved. At the lower right is the old milk room. The walls between the milk room and the rest of the barn could be removed. The door shown at the lower left on the plan can be bricked up or equipped with a window / terrace door.

Client Requirements
Number of people, age: 1, newly retired, dog
Space needs on ground and upper floors: open-plan kitchen and living room, bedroom, utility room corner, bathroom
Office: family use
Guests per year: almost none, as there is an additional holiday apartment available
Open or closed layout: open plan
Traditional or modern construction style: traditional (not fully clear what is meant)
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes, island optional
Number of dining seats: 5
Fireplace: no
Music/media wall: small media corner
Balcony, roof terrace: terrace and garden facing north and west, as shown in the pictures, 3D view shows 4 pm in summer
Garage, carport: separate, no need to consider
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: only terrace and secure dog run

Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for preferences or rejections

The outdoor area faces north and west, and towards the west there is the road as well as two large (listed) chestnut trees in the garden. My biggest concerns are 1. enough natural light entering the house and 2. some sunlight in the garden as well. For the latter, there is a shared backyard with a southern exposure.

Behind the western wall is the road, outside the built-up area but with little traffic. The wall has not yet been built, but according to the new state building code in Schleswig-Holstein, a height of 2m (6.5 ft) is allowed.

House Design
Who designed the plans:
- Do-it-Yourself

What do you like most? Why?
Low finishing effort, walls use existing posts.

What do you not like? Why?
I would like to keep the door at the lower left on the plan as a second exit open, but I haven’t found a space for a media / sofa area.

Price estimate by architect/planner: N/A
Personal price limit for the house including equipment:
Much will be done by ourselves: drywall, floor construction and insulation, electrical work up to the connection box.

Preferred heating system:
Most likely a multi-split air conditioning system (4 indoor units, 1 outdoor unit in the hayloft) and wall-mounted air-to-water heat pump, not connected to the existing central heating system of the house.

If you had to give up, which details/finishes could you skip:
- could skip: everything else is negotiable
- can’t skip: daylight bathroom, open kitchen and dining area

Why is the design as it is now? e.g.:
Requirements of the building structure, historic preservation, and client needs.

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?

How can the living area be planned and divided efficiently without ending up with one big hall and inefficient space use?

Thanks in advance 🙂

How high is the ceiling?
Where are the connections for electricity, water, and wastewater located?

Is the property situated in a rural area?

Has the rezoning from agricultural land to residential use been legally approved in terms of building regulations (building permit / planning permission)?

Is the brick-built milk room structurally significant?

Photos of the current condition could be helpful.

hanghaus2023 schrieb:

What is the ceiling height?
Where are the connections for electricity, water, and wastewater located?

Is the property situated in a rural or non-urban area?

Has the change of land use from agricultural to residential been approved in terms of building regulations?

Is the masonry of the milk room structurally significant?

Photos of the current condition might be helpful.

The ceiling is currently about 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) above the top edge of the foundation slab. The floor construction should be around 20 cm (8 inches) thick, and the supporting beam is approximately 20 cm (8 inches) lower.
Water comes from a private well, with the supply line shown in the top right of the plan. Wastewater is also directed in that direction, treated by a private three-chamber septic system. Electricity may get a new service connection, which can be installed almost anywhere; in my design, this would be in the top right area near the utility room/storage chamber.

The state heritage authority says that from a monument protection perspective, this is possible. The barn is not considered worth preserving, only the facade is protected, and there might be requirements regarding the design of the windows there.

The plot is located in a rural zone.

The building regulations of Schleswig-Holstein allow the conversion of buildings to residential use in rural zones with up to five additional dwelling units, provided the existing building structure is not extended, no replacement building is constructed, and there are no overriding public interests against it. Without monument protection, such permission can also be denied on a case-by-case basis.
The Schleswig-Holstein building code also states that conversion to residential use in rural areas cannot be refused if it is necessary or sensible for the preservation of a heritage building. Since economic use is no longer given or reasonable (cow barn with 10 cows), we have confirmation from the heritage office that the conversion serves preservation purposes. The building is well known to them.

The masonry of the milk room can be removed as mentioned. A post must remain or be installed at the corner, as marked by the red circle in the current floor plan.

I only have interior photos of the current state from the realtor, so I won’t upload them here:
The concrete slab is about 10 cm (4 inches) thick, unreinforced. The boxes shown are separated only by wooden walls, with steel posts at the corners and other points marked in the plan. The load-bearing supports are those marked with a red circle, which hold a supporting beam.
The ceiling consists of double-T beams with concrete cast in between. Thermal insulation in the ceiling area is planned from above to avoid reducing ceiling height too much; from below there will be only about 5–6 cm (2–2.5 inches) of insulation to cover pipes and reduce thermal bridging at the wall/ceiling junction. The walls will be insulated on the inside with wood fiber or Multipor boards. The dimensions given are interior measurements, taking insulation thickness into account.

Cool project!
Are you planning to host camper guests overnight and raise alpacas? 😀
Anyway, who is the kitchen in the upper left intended for? Also for external guests?
What will the barn (or threshing floor) be used for? Where do the doors and windows on the barn side lead to?
Could you sketch out what the surroundings look like? We can only see the street front.

dertill schrieb:

Guests sleeping overnight per year: practically none, since a separate holiday apartment is available

But that apartment is supposed to be rented out and generate income, right?

ypg schrieb:

And do you want to host camper guests overnight and raise alpacas? 😀

I was wondering how you came up with that ... they just slipped through clearly on the SketchUp screen 🙂
We already have alpacas, so it’s fine to have a few more here. In Schleswig-Holstein up to 5 camper spots are allowed without needing to comply with camping regulations and are permit-free.
The bathroom in the plan above is intended for potential camper guests.

ypg schrieb:

Anyway: who is the kitchen in the top left for? Also for external guests?

No, it’s for commercial use only (not for cooking meals/catering, no loud noise and not during sleeping hours) with access from outside, not part of the apartment. The holiday apartment will have its own kitchen. A guest lounge, if any, will be located elsewhere.

ypg schrieb:

What will go in the barn? Where do the doors and windows on that side of the barn lead?

The barn will serve more as a “stairwell.” On the other side is access to our residential unit and the heating room for our unit. There’s a wood gasifier stove there, but my mother-in-law will have a separate heating system.
Integrating the barn into the apartment is unfortunately not possible. The large gate facing the street must remain as it is and cannot be replaced by, for example, a glass front. Adding a facade in front isn’t an option either, because it opens inward.

ypg schrieb:

Could you sketch what’s around it? Only the street frontage is visible.

In front is the street, left, right, and behind are pasture land. On the “left” side, meaning the northern view from the apartment, there are a few small trees and bushes and currently a manure pad. However, the garden area for the apartment will be located there, and the manure pad will be reduced to about 1/10 of its current size. Alpacas don’t produce as much waste as the cows used to, and it can be used as fertilizer without increasing nitrate levels in the soil.

ypg schrieb:

But it’s supposed to be rented out and generate income, right?!

Yes, but it will also be available for family and visitors. Income from it is not factored into the financing.

I find it strange to have to go through the kitchen from the bedroom to the bathroom.

Is a daylight bathroom mandatory?

I wouldn’t like the wall around the property either.

Don’t you have any pictures? Especially with heritage protection, the exterior appearance and landscaping of the property are important.

The large front door to the barn should become the main entrance for representatives.