ᐅ Single-family house floor plan, 1 full story, utilities and natural lighting

Created on: 22 Jul 2024 08:21
K
klabauter8614
Hello, I would like to gather feedback on the floor plan in order to finalize the design. We don’t have sections or elevations yet, but all other drawings are attached (house shown schematically on the site plan). Thanks.

Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 473m² (5,089 ft²)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio
Building envelope, building line and boundary
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: maximum 2 without garage
Number of floors: 1 full floor
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style
Orientation: Roof facing NNE - SSW
Maximum heights / limits: eave height 4.2m (13.8 ft), ridge height 9.5m (31.2 ft)
Further requirements: only renewable energy sources, infiltration trench for stormwater

Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type
Basement, floors: no basement (groundwater level at 1m (3.3 ft) depth), 1 full floor
Number of occupants, ages: 4, aged 40-40-7-2 years
Space needs on ground floor and upper floor: Guesst room on the ground floor, office upstairs
Office use: family use or home office? Home office
Number of guest stays per year: 2 nights per week by one parent (also for coming years), parents-in-law stay several weeks annually
Open or closed layout
Traditional or modern construction
Open kitchen, kitchen island: semi-open (sliding door), kitchen island
Number of fixed dining seats: 6 fixed, expandable
Fireplace: no
Music/speaker wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: herb garden
Additional wishes/special points/daily routine, including reasons for preferences or exclusions

House Design
Planner: synergy between architect and client, now 4th draft
What do you particularly like? Why? Guest room and WC + shower, similar existing layout already working (although a bed is drawn, it is actually a sofa bed), office on the north side, guest room size more than sufficient, wardrobe by the entrance, living room bright, washing machine + dryer upstairs.
What don’t you like? Why?
- Utility room is half unusable due to wardrobe protrusion (which is actually sensible) so it is too small. Attic storage needs to be moved from the garage into the thermal envelope inside the utility room, indoor unit could stay there. The mechanical ventilation system would also need to be installed in the utility room. Possible solution: enlarge kitchen to the rear and expand utility room accordingly. This would make the house larger though. No other solutions discussed yet.
- Stairs are too steep; architect now proposes a rise/run of 17.2cm/26cm (6.8"/10.2"), which may be borderline regarding comfortable step depth.
- Daylight in children’s rooms might be low due to west-facing windows and roughly 12.5% window-to-floor area ratio; simulation might be needed. Skylights wouldn’t significantly improve this; only a dormer and smaller gable windows would.
- As drawn, the kitchen island layout is not suitable for me; passage from utility room too narrow, should be moved to the opposite side, with sink and window to the left.
- Air conditioning would still be needed in the bedroom and children’s rooms, but with the current window and furniture arrangement this looks impractical.
- Shower upstairs located under sloped ceiling, not necessary but a minor point.
- Skylight in guest WC is not at head height, should be slightly higher, also a minor detail.
- Bathroom door upstairs should open outwards.
- Storage under the stairs is still missing.
- Partition wall in garage is unnecessary.

Cost estimate from architect/planner: unknown
Personal price limit for house including fixtures: 650,000
Preferred heating technology: air-source heat pump

If you must give up something, which features or extensions
- Can you give up: walk-in closet
- Cannot give up: office, guest room

Why is the design like it is now?
Own design developed based on space requirements plus architect’s counter proposal

What do you consider especially good or problematic?
Main issues to resolve are utility room + technical space and daylight.

Floor plan ground floor with kitchen, living/dining, garage, terrace and garden.

Floor plan upper floor: bedroom, bathroom, hallway, dressing room, child 1, child 2, office.

Two house views: northwest with gable roof; northeast with garage and modern facade.

Two house views: southeast and southwest with garden, trees and windows.

Attic: storage 26.92 m² (289 sq ft), stairs, two roof windows, continuous roof edge.

Detailed plan of street layout with red roadway, sidewalks, parking spaces and green areas.
K
klabauter8614
24 Jul 2024 04:24
Thank you for the suggestions.
ypg schrieb:

The more I look at it, the more complicated the access to the open-plan living area seems. At the same time, the sofa feels too far away.
The utility room is much too small for your multifunctional use. And the open-plan living area is too elongated.
Here’s my proposal, though it should be seen only as a sketch. The staircase would need to be enlarged and reversed, and the partition walls adjusted.
The TV corner at the back is intentional and is not meant as a passage.
K a t j a schrieb:

I fully agree with you. What bothers me most about the original design is the uninviting hallway. You enter and face a dark space with the staircase. The exit is tucked away, narrow, and inconspicuous around the corner.
In the sketch, I see an even larger (dark) hallway. The entrance aligns with an existing building and is sufficiently bright. Well, you do end up facing the staircase 🙂
But unless the entire floor plan is changed again, the only real option is to enlarge the utility room by moving the kitchen further back, right?
Any other comments regarding natural light on the upper floor?
K
klabauter8614
24 Jul 2024 05:14
The house is intended to be wide rather than deep. From the street side, the entrance appears more like the deep layout @ypg, but I made a sketch of how I originally envisioned it (and I can’t currently find the better drawing). During the process, the entrance was shifted to the left.
Hand-drawn floor plan of a living and dining area with kitchen, table, and doors.
K a t j a24 Jul 2024 06:48
klabauter8614 schrieb:


In the sketch, I see an even larger (dark) hallway. The entrance aligns with an existing building, which is okay and bright. Well, you naturally head toward the stairs 🙂

Sorry, I can’t follow you. In Yvonne’s sketch, the hallway is bright and leads straight back into the light.
klabauter8614 schrieb:

But besides completely changing the floor plan again, the only option would be to enlarge the utility room by moving the kitchen further back, right?

The living area includes a lot of space that isn’t really used and is just large. Excessively large, I would say. That’s why I’m not keen on enlarging the house further.
Y
ypg
24 Jul 2024 08:09
klabauter8614 schrieb:

The entrance facing the street looks quite low, @ypg,
I just traced over your floor plan. You can see the light when you enter, opposite there is a window. That creates a visual axis.
K
klabauter8614
24 Jul 2024 11:20
K a t j a schrieb:

Therefore, I am not in favor of further enlarging the house.
Exactly, I don’t want that either; the house has already been expanded by 25m2 (270 sqft) since the first design.
K
klabauter8614
24 Jul 2024 11:26
ypg schrieb:

I just traced over your floor plan. You can see the light when you enter; opposite, there’s a window placed. That creates a visual axis.

Ah, okay, sorry.
Room 5 would then be the living area, and the kitchen would be just to the right of the utility room. Wouldn’t the garage need to be moved to the back, since it otherwise blocks the living area? And then scale the whole thing down a bit.