ᐅ Floor Plan Discussion: Single-Family House with Separate Living Units
Created on: 20 Nov 2023 14:45
B
burnhard
Dear community,
I would like to share our planning with you and invite discussion. We are open to criticism, as we have been working on this project for some time. A particularly important aspect for us is the potential future division into separate living units. Among our friends, we often see conversions, and we aim to achieve this without major renovations such as adding external staircases or demolishing the existing staircase. Your opinions and suggestions are very welcome.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: ~700m² (8,400 sq ft)
Slope: Height difference street to rear property boundary 50cm (20 inches)
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Building area, building line and boundary:
Building line 5m (16 ft), setback 3/4 of eaves height,
Edge development: garage 1m (3 ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2
Roof type: Gable roof 30°
Orientation: Roof: NW-SE
Maximum heights / limits:
Eaves height max. 6.5m (21 ft), ridge height 9.5m (31 ft)
Client Requirements
Basement, floors: Basement, ground floor (GF), upper floor (UF), attic
Number of people, age: A couple (27 & 30), 2 children planned
Space requirement on GF and UF: ~each 90m² (970 sq ft)
Office: For family use and home office possible
Annual overnight guests: 5–10
Closed architecture
Conservative construction style
Open kitchen
Number of dining seats: 6–10
Fireplace
Balcony
Garage
Utility garden
House Design
Self-designed, with architect consultation
What do you particularly like? Why?
Living room – cozy
Hallway – bright
Entrance area – spacious
Corner windows
What do you not like? Why?
Lighting in the bathrooms on the ground floor
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 600,000€
Preferred heating system:
Geothermal with horizontal trench collector
Controlled mechanical ventilation, later with suspended ceiling in the hallway
Why did the design turn out as it is?
We want to keep the floor plan flexible during planning, to potentially separate it later into 2–3 apartments without major renovation work.
For this reason, the staircase (basement to attic) was positioned at the edge, so it can later be used as a separate entrance.
Our room program:
Basement:
Utility room, technical room, workshop, hobby/party room, possibly sauna & shower
Ground Floor (GF):
Dining kitchen & living room, separable with sliding door.
We gave up on a pantry in this version because, based on our experience, large cabinets suffice, and there is enough storage space for drinks etc. in the basement
Tiled stove, heatable from the hallway
Guest room
Small bathroom and toilet
Upper Floor (UF):
2 children’s rooms
Master bedroom with dressing room
Office
Bathroom & toilet
Attic:
Possible future expansion
Garage:
2 vehicles, storage space
Entrance area:
Glass element outside between garage and canopy
Thank you very much!
I would like to share our planning with you and invite discussion. We are open to criticism, as we have been working on this project for some time. A particularly important aspect for us is the potential future division into separate living units. Among our friends, we often see conversions, and we aim to achieve this without major renovations such as adding external staircases or demolishing the existing staircase. Your opinions and suggestions are very welcome.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: ~700m² (8,400 sq ft)
Slope: Height difference street to rear property boundary 50cm (20 inches)
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Building area, building line and boundary:
Building line 5m (16 ft), setback 3/4 of eaves height,
Edge development: garage 1m (3 ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2
Roof type: Gable roof 30°
Orientation: Roof: NW-SE
Maximum heights / limits:
Eaves height max. 6.5m (21 ft), ridge height 9.5m (31 ft)
Client Requirements
Basement, floors: Basement, ground floor (GF), upper floor (UF), attic
Number of people, age: A couple (27 & 30), 2 children planned
Space requirement on GF and UF: ~each 90m² (970 sq ft)
Office: For family use and home office possible
Annual overnight guests: 5–10
Closed architecture
Conservative construction style
Open kitchen
Number of dining seats: 6–10
Fireplace
Balcony
Garage
Utility garden
House Design
Self-designed, with architect consultation
What do you particularly like? Why?
Living room – cozy
Hallway – bright
Entrance area – spacious
Corner windows
What do you not like? Why?
Lighting in the bathrooms on the ground floor
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 600,000€
Preferred heating system:
Geothermal with horizontal trench collector
Controlled mechanical ventilation, later with suspended ceiling in the hallway
Why did the design turn out as it is?
We want to keep the floor plan flexible during planning, to potentially separate it later into 2–3 apartments without major renovation work.
For this reason, the staircase (basement to attic) was positioned at the edge, so it can later be used as a separate entrance.
Our room program:
Basement:
Utility room, technical room, workshop, hobby/party room, possibly sauna & shower
Ground Floor (GF):
Dining kitchen & living room, separable with sliding door.
We gave up on a pantry in this version because, based on our experience, large cabinets suffice, and there is enough storage space for drinks etc. in the basement
Tiled stove, heatable from the hallway
Guest room
Small bathroom and toilet
Upper Floor (UF):
2 children’s rooms
Master bedroom with dressing room
Office
Bathroom & toilet
Attic:
Possible future expansion
Garage:
2 vehicles, storage space
Entrance area:
Glass element outside between garage and canopy
Thank you very much!
burnhard schrieb:
Regarding the design of a single-family house: sometimes north is at the front, sometimes at the back!
Could you explain that in more detail?Why me? You have north in both directions… explain it to us!burnhard schrieb:
Toilet located outside a washing area is less suitable for elderly or sick people; I do not support such separation.
There are two opinions here; we absolutely want to avoid a separate toilet outside the bathroom.burnhard schrieb:
In which room do you want to sleep if there is a split layout?
In the guest room.Stop! You talk about “thinking ahead,” but it seems you don’t really have much experience with that yet. It can be a major obstacle if you have to go through two doors after leaving the toilet. This isn’t only about age but also physical condition. Illnesses can affect you earlier and stay with you throughout life. In that case, at least make the toilet compartment _inside_ the bathroom… not that you have to walk through the hallway with your bare bottom.
The guest room is too small to accommodate two elderly people.
kbt09 schrieb:
Overall, I think the layout is poor in terms of usability, considering that the dining/kitchen area is 26 m² (280 sq ft).burnhard schrieb:
Storage areas would be tall cabinets in the kitchen-dining area and a 60 cm (24 inch) cabinet near the stairs.Do you want to spread everything throughout the house? Mop bucket, vacuum cleaner, drink crates? burnhard schrieb:
I’m also not a fan of a designer staircase in the middle of the living area.I am 😀 But it’s not my house, after all. burnhard schrieb:
A fireplace does not go through a wall but is attached to it. Ultimately, there is a flue pipe running through.
As far as I know, such a design is possible. It requires a small ceiling opening at wall level; the walls are built around the prefabricated fireplace.Nonsense. Get your architect to explain a chimney through a load-bearing wall. He should also tell you about the unused or poorly arranged spaces in your open-plan kitchen/living area and how the basement fits into the budget.
Why doesn’t the professional planner do the planning?
ypg schrieb:
Stop! You are talking about "planning for later," but it seems you don’t have much experience with the later stages yet. This is common among many young people who try to "plan ahead for later." They usually lack real understanding and only know examples from their own families or friends—older occupants living in single-family homes that were not designed for subdivision. These residents can barely manage stairs anymore but don’t want to bring in outsiders to share their surplus living space and supplement their retirement income. When youthful lack of discernment between clever and seemingly clever concepts combines with the desire to do better, the decision is practically already "settled."
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
but examples of elderly residents in owner-occupied homes originally planned as indivisible can be found among family members, friends, or acquaintances.Yes, but not really 60+. At that age, people are usually still working. Maybe over 80+. My parents, who are around 80, would be furious if I suggested they take on tenants. Very few want strangers living in their house. And children? Children are happy when they can become independent and plan their own lives. Ugh, always this outdated idea that parents need to be constantly pampered by their children.W
WilderSueden22 Nov 2023 08:28ypg schrieb:
The guest room is too small for two elderly people.To explain this a bit more for the original poster, let’s consider a double bed of 2x2 meters (6.6x6.6 feet). Even when you’re young, you’d want about one meter (3.3 feet) of space on the sides and at the foot of the bed, so that’s a room size of 4x3 meters (13x10 feet). Adding wardrobes brings the bedroom size to around 4x3.6 meters (13x12 feet). Keep in mind this is already quite spacious for younger people, and it clearly exceeds the current room size. Now imagine having a walker and needing to maneuver it in that 1-meter (3.3 feet) space, which means moving backwards through the bedroom. For elderly use, a clearance of 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 6.5 feet) alongside the bed would be more appropriate.
If the toilet remains separated (I’m familiar with this from other countries and didn’t find it problematic—so I wouldn’t view it negatively right away), I would make sure that the door opens outward, so you don’t have to squeeze yourself awkwardly just to close it inside the room. In general, this is also the standard recommendation for bathrooms in case of an emergency.
Otherwise, some suggestions mentioned that this layout might not be suitable for users with a walker or rollator. I would reflect on which areas this is really important for and where it might matter less. Perhaps it ultimately comes down to “separability is more important to us, as it might be relevant earlier on.” There usually isn’t a perfect all-in-one solution.
Otherwise, some suggestions mentioned that this layout might not be suitable for users with a walker or rollator. I would reflect on which areas this is really important for and where it might matter less. Perhaps it ultimately comes down to “separability is more important to us, as it might be relevant earlier on.” There usually isn’t a perfect all-in-one solution.
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