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 🙂
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 🙂
If it were mine...
... I would let go of the requirement for a window in the bathroom.
This immediately creates a tremendous gain in space and living quality, comparable to that of a detached house. All rooms have a generous and comfortable size. I would equip the bathroom with a large skylight to capture at least some natural light. Nevertheless, a well-designed lighting concept is still necessary here.
In the kitchen/dining area, I would place the kitchen on the north side, since the non-windowed wall is located at the top of the plan. In return, practically the entire front consists of doors and windows. The separation from the living area is again fitted with glass doors and windows to allow maximum light penetration.
All doors could also be 1m (3.3 ft) wide to allow for accessible living arrangements.
Technical rooms are located at the top of the plan (not shown).
... I would let go of the requirement for a window in the bathroom.
This immediately creates a tremendous gain in space and living quality, comparable to that of a detached house. All rooms have a generous and comfortable size. I would equip the bathroom with a large skylight to capture at least some natural light. Nevertheless, a well-designed lighting concept is still necessary here.
In the kitchen/dining area, I would place the kitchen on the north side, since the non-windowed wall is located at the top of the plan. In return, practically the entire front consists of doors and windows. The separation from the living area is again fitted with glass doors and windows to allow maximum light penetration.
All doors could also be 1m (3.3 ft) wide to allow for accessible living arrangements.
Technical rooms are located at the top of the plan (not shown).
H
hanghaus202312 Dec 2022 10:15@K a t j a I really like your idea. To bring natural light into the bathroom, you could create a full-width clerestory window above the kitchen at a height between 2 and 2.5 meters (6.6 and 8.2 feet). In my opinion, a skylight is hardly feasible here.
You have probably already read that the window facades are protected as historic monuments.
You have probably already read that the window facades are protected as historic monuments.
M
Myrna_Loy12 Dec 2022 10:57You can also install a window in the bathroom facing the utility room, which is a) ventilated and b) not completely dark. I think Katja’s floor plan is great!
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Daylight for the bathroom could be provided by a continuous high-level window strip, spanning the full width towards the kitchen, between 2 and 2.5 m (6.5 and 8 feet). In my opinion, a skylight is hardly feasible here. What you called a window strip, I consider a skylight. It is also marked in the plans.
Similarly, I would add a window next to the bedroom door for the walk-in closet. However, this is not yet shown in the plans.
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
You have already read that the window facades are under historic preservation. Sorry, I saw the mention of historic preservation but didn’t fully understand its individual implications. I would definitely take a proactive approach and have sketches created by an architect that look appealing visually, aiming to get approval for large glass facades.
K a t j a schrieb:
If it were mine... that would already be a significant increase in living quality. It looks very modern and inviting, and it makes sense that way.
For the bathroom, ventilation matters more than the view; the future user is only familiar with older buildings without ventilation, so some convincing is still needed there. The light strip is definitely a good selling point, though.
My mother-in-law is not fixed on that either, and nice pictures and treats like the walk-in closet / bedroom antechamber help as well. @ypg The elongated layout failed when trying to move the kitchen inward, because that definitely doesn’t work.
@hanghaus2023 has already addressed the facades; that won’t work as planned.
The windows are old wrought-iron windows intended to be preserved, with secondary glazing on the inside. The doors currently are wooden gates opening outward. They don’t have to remain, but as a compromise for a window front, maybe they could be kept. An on-site discussion is scheduled for January. Perhaps we’ll manage to widen or combine two windows at the kitchen. Definitely not on the street side (lower side of the plan).
H
hanghaus202312 Dec 2022 14:08The bathroom ventilation could also be directed toward the barn.
As @K a t j a already mentioned, with maximum requirements and good architectural drawings, it is best to consult the building authority / planning permission office and heritage conservation.
This way, they have something to remove from the requirements.
As @K a t j a already mentioned, with maximum requirements and good architectural drawings, it is best to consult the building authority / planning permission office and heritage conservation.
This way, they have something to remove from the requirements.
Similar topics