ᐅ Floor plan design for a single-family house, 165 sqm, without a basement, on a 400 sqm plot

Created on: 10 Aug 2023 09:33
M
Maulwurfbau
At the request of 11ant, here is a post with the completed list ;-) Unfortunately, he still doesn’t have a crystal ball.
Providing all information possible/available at this point in time.

Development Plan / Restrictions

Plot size: 400 sqm (4300 sq ft)
Slope: No, and no means no!
Floor space index (FSI): 0.4
Floor area ratio (FAR): ?
Building envelope, building line and boundary: Yes, available.
Edge development: Possible with garage.
Number of parking spaces: at least 1, preferably 2
Number of storeys: 1-2
Roof type: Gable roof (pitch minimum 31°, maximum 45°)
Architectural style: ??
Orientation: Gable end facing
Maximum heights / limits: Roof ridge 6-7 m (20-23 ft), eaves 9-12 m (30-39 ft)
Other requirements: No brick facades allowed. Driveway or space in front of garage at least 6 m (20 ft). Red roof tiles mandatory, light facade.

Homeowners’ Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: Gable roof, fixed
Basement, storeys: 2 full storeys without basement
Number of occupants, age: 4 people (2 toddlers)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
Office: Family use or home office? Office of approx. 12 sqm (130 sq ft) is a must.
Guest bedrooms per year: Few
Open or closed architecture: ? Whatever that means.
Conservative or modern construction style: rather modern construction.
Open kitchen, cooking island: Open kitchen, possibly with cooking island
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: NO
Music / stereo wall: Not planned, TV location is quite important.
Balcony, roof terrace: NO
Garage, carport: Garage desired. Carport with storage box also conceivable.
Utility garden, greenhouse: NO
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, preferably with reasons for choices:
Laundry room on the upper floor. They want to do laundry where it is generated and where it must be returned clean. Anything else is a hassle, at least for us.

House Design
Who designed the plan: Architect

What do you particularly like? Why?
Everything we provided as basic information and what our daily life requires has been implemented.
We like the clear lines/structure.
The open space in the hallway.
The connection/proximity of all rooms on ground and upper floors that need water/sewage. So no funny business with the bathroom upstairs in one corner and the utility room diagonally opposite on the ground floor. Personally, I like that.
No bay windows or other awkward extensions.
Laundry room upstairs where the washer and dryer are planned.

What don’t you like? Why?
The living room might be a bit too exposed for us. It could also be a cozy nook with TV without direct view of the kitchen. Cooking and eating together openly is liked; the living room could be a bit more separate. Currently, the floor plan shows it like a narrow, rather shadowy corner.
The somewhat narrow bedroom upstairs is not a dealbreaker but not 100% pleasing.

Price estimate according to architect/planner:
-
Personal price limit for the house, including fixtures and fittings:
500-575k
Preferred heating system:
Predefined, ground source heat pump with collector. Cold local heating network.

If you have to give up, which details/extras
-can you do without:
The small additional room for the father upstairs.
Garage, as mentioned carport also conceivable.

-can you not do without:
Office.
Storage box at garage or carport.
Children’s rooms.

Why is the design the way it is now? e.g.
The design turned out this way because the architect implemented our wishes and requirements almost 1:1. This preliminary layout resulted in this first version.

What do you consider particularly good or bad?
See what we like and what not. We don’t find anything particularly bad. Rather, not entirely optimal.

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

Position garage flush with house or set back?

43.5 sqm (468 sq ft) + 4 sqm (43 sq ft) pantry sufficient as “all-purpose room”?

Same floor plan possibly mirrored? Then office on south side, sun all day, blinds always down. Same issue upstairs with bedroom in summer at least. Entrance farther from parking space.

The building method will be timber frame construction with a local timber builder.

This is a first sketch after clarifying needs/wishes with the architect.
Floor plan of a house with living, dining, kitchen, office, hallway, terrace, and garage.

Floor plan of a storey with hallway, bedroom, children’s room, dressing room, bathroom.

Site plan of house with red property boundary, building footprint, north arrow, street names.
Y
ypg
11 Aug 2023 19:35
Maulwurfbau schrieb:

Sounds a bit like if you want to keep the straight staircase, then keep it, but arrange the rest differently.

Not necessarily. I would plan whatever fits best! The “might tolerate it” attitude can change over time. Besides, you don’t build everything you like into your house. Otherwise, you’d need to plan for 500 sqm (5,382 sq ft) or more, since so many things look nice.
But what can I say against windmills when you are stuck on this? I’m not here to provoke but to give constructive criticism. As I said before: theory is one thing, in practice you have to make compromises.
Y
ypg
11 Aug 2023 20:33
Maulwurfbau schrieb:

One thing I'm curious about.
What would be considered modern then?
That is quite subjective.
Modern does not mean wanting mainstream things or more of them being more modern.
Modern, in terms of expression here, means contemporary.
The overall concept has to work. For me personally, a modern house definitely includes sight lines, which should be reflected in the design.
For example, the house has one—the path down from the staircase with a view through a window.
H
hanghaus2023
12 Aug 2023 13:36
Here is my slightly optimized suggestion. The upper floor can still be adjusted according to your specifications, which I didn’t have back then.

Site plan of a house with terrace, red property boundary, and internal room layout.


If the staircase is reversed, you could also use the space underneath as a pantry. Or will there be a cellar access there?
Ibdk1412 Aug 2023 13:45
This is similar to my first attempt yesterday, which I originally didn’t want to share because even as a "sketch," some details are still missing or inconsistent. It’s also somewhat longer than desired.

Floor plan of a house with living-dining area, kitchen, guest room, utility room, toilet, and garage

Floor plan of a house with children’s room, master bedroom, office, bathroom, and hallways.
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hanghaus2023
12 Aug 2023 14:08
Here is a slightly optimized version.

Floor plan of an apartment: living room, dining area, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, staircase; blue areas as hallway
11ant12 Aug 2023 14:17
hanghaus2023 schrieb:

Here is my slightly optimized suggestion. The upper floor can still be adjusted to your specifications. I didn’t have those back then.
However, that also includes a straight staircase.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/