ᐅ Suggestions for the floor plan of a single-family house, approximately 175 sqm, with a pitched roof

Created on: 4 Nov 2022 22:51
E
epinephrin
I’m venturing into this part of the forum to share our floor plan for discussion. I’m hoping for constructive feedback and ideas in case improvements would be advisable.

We want a bright house of about 160-170 sqm (1700-1830 sq ft). We would prefer an open staircase design, but it should not interfere with the floor plan. The flat roof dormer is more than just a nice-to-have... 🙂

Overall, we like the current floor plan very much, but since we are building novices, we would like to go over it with you experts to identify any possible issues. As we haven’t signed the contract with the general contractor yet, there are unfortunately no detailed dimensions available. The furnishing in the kitchen, bathroom, and living area is not yet fixed, so please don’t focus too much on those!

Orientation: the street and entrance are on the north side, terrace faces southwest.

Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 854 sqm (9190 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3 m (10 ft) from plot boundary
Edge development: garage approx. 1 m (3 ft) northeast
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of storeys: max. 2 full floors
Roof type: gable roof 30-45°, hipped roof 25-35°, shed roof, flat roof possible
Style: modern
Orientation: southwest
Maximum height/building limits: ridge height 8.50 m (28 ft)
Additional requirements: driveway max. 4 m (13 ft) wide

Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: modern gable roof house (without eaves)
Basement, floors: no basement; 1.5 or 2 storeys; cold roof
Number of people, ages: 4 people (42, 41, 8, 5)
Room requirements on ground floor: kitchen, living, office, shower/WC, utility room; upper floor: sleeping, dressing room, 2 children’s rooms, bathroom, reading corner
Office: used for family or home office? 1 home office
Number of overnight guests per year: max 2
Open or closed architecture: open and bright
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open (but no direct view to living area), kitchen island if possible
Number of dining seats: 6 (preferably extendable to at least 8)
Fireplace: bioethanol / water vapor fireplace
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no, but projecting bay window on upper floor
Garage, carport: garage or carport (6x9 m (20x30 ft) – position and storage room next to or behind garage not fixed yet – orientation on plot either lengthwise or widthwise)
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons for decisions:
  • Seating window on upper floor (bay window) – to hopefully bring plenty of light into the hallway and provide a nice view
  • Open staircase (straight or with landing, no preference)
  • Kitchen without direct line of sight from living area
  • Office preferably with garden access

House design
Origin of the design: original floor plan from Gussek House “Zypressenallee,” adapted to our needs and wishes by a general contractor’s planner

What do you like most and why? We like the layout and orientation of the ground floor, with sightlines from the entrance area

What do you like least and why? Uncertainty whether the kitchen is too tight; arrangement options for living room (sofa, piano!, bioethanol fireplace?) – possibly remove the middle square window in the living area on the ground floor in favor of more space for furniture?

Price estimate from architect/planner: 600,000 EUR (including garage, additional construction costs)
Personal price limit for house including equipment: 600,000 EUR
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump

If you have to give up on certain details or extras:
- Can give up: staircase, 10 sqm (110 sq ft) of living space
- Cannot give up: bay window on upper floor (I just really like this nesting box)

Why is the design as it is now? For example:
The desire for a bay window with reading window and open architecture was implemented, combining examples from various magazines...

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

Floor plan of a house with garage, office, hallway, kitchen and open living area.


Floor plan of the upper floor with hallway, bathroom, dressing room, master bedroom, 2 children’s rooms, office/reading area.


Cross-section through a multi-storey house with staircase, roof structure, and foundation.


Hand sketch of a floor plan: house with kitchen, living room, terrace and double garage.


Site plan of a housing development with yellow streets, red residential areas, and legend on the right.
K
kbt09
17 Feb 2023 01:06
You might want to sketch out the kitchen with the adjoining dining area somewhere outside, then add the table size, etc.

The depth of the dining area is approximately 310 cm (10 feet), which also includes the table and the entrance to the open-plan living/dining/kitchen area.

This space could become quite tight as a central circulation area for the room.
K a t j a17 Feb 2023 06:47
I would have fewer concerns about the kitchen size. A 6-unit run plus a compact island seems fine to me. What’s questionable is the tightness of the dining area. The living room door already swings out into the hallway. Moving the wall back isn’t really possible either, as then the bathroom door wouldn’t fit anymore. By the way, that door is suspiciously small as well.

The bay window above almost floats uselessly in the air, even though downstairs it could almost be a breakthrough. It’s almost ridiculous. But I guess that was just a wishful dream, right?
RomeoZwo17 Feb 2023 08:44
I would reconsider whether the corner window in the living room is really necessary. It makes the window construction more complex and expensive. The external venetian blind around the corner will be guided by a cable instead of a rail, which tends to rattle in the wind.

In that spot, I would create a fixed corner and add the 63cm (25 inches) to the adjacent window. Enlarging that window (to the 2.25m (7 feet 5 inches) height from the children's room above) and possibly designing it as a seating window instead of floor-to-ceiling would be my solution there.
RomeoZwo17 Feb 2023 08:49
Is a garage like this allowed where you live? Here, the rule was always either building on the boundary or maintaining a 3m (10 feet) distance. Anything in between is not permitted.
RomeoZwo17 Feb 2023 08:59
Regarding the garage again, this way you would have more garden space and could still access the outdoors with bicycles independently from the cars.

The path next to the garage tends to always be "dirty." Leaves and various debris accumulate there due to the wind patterns around the garage. It also provides easy access for "outsiders" to the garden and the back of the house. Even with a garden gate, this would be a convenient opportunity for uninvited "visitors."

Grundrissplan eines Hauses: Auto in der Garage, Türen, Küche, HWR, Gartenbereich.
Y
ypg
17 Feb 2023 11:32
RomeoZwo schrieb:

Is the garage allowed like that where you are? Here, it was always either boundary construction or a 3 m (10 feet) distance. Anything in between is not permitted.

“Something like that” is allowed or at least not generally prohibited. A one-meter (3 feet) distance is considered boundary construction.