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.
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.
klabauter8614 schrieb:
Exactly, I don’t want that either; the house has already grown by 25m² (269 sq ft) since the first draft.The problem is that you can’t let go of the original design and instead keep adjusting the walls until it somehow fits. This automatically leads to the house getting bigger and bigger. A clear cut is much more effective, allowing you to start fresh with a sense of freedom.Unfortunately, we don’t know the development process, so we can’t fully understand everything. My first question regarding this design would be: Does the living room really need to be that large, and couldn’t it be aligned so that there’s a clear separation between the lounge area and the dining area?
K
klabauter861425 Jul 2024 09:27It feels a bit like I constantly have to make corrections because important aspects are wrong in every design. Issues are addressed in the next draft, but the consequences are not sufficiently considered, and now the overall concept no longer works.
K
klabauter861425 Jul 2024 09:28The starting points, as described earlier, are the typical daily routines and two main wishes.
- Parents stay overnight weekly, so a guest room on the ground floor and a WC with shower are needed. The WC should be right next to the entrance, as it is usually the first stop after a long drive. The guest room should remain flexibly furnished with a sofa bed and will likely be partially used as a play area again.
- Short distances for carrying groceries, so access to the kitchen via the garage (for example through the utility room). It is assumed the kitchen is not located next to the entrance. 🙂
- A lot of cooking with strong smells, so the kitchen should be separated from the rest of the living area, for example with a transparent sliding door, so that the whole house does not smell, but we can still keep an eye on the kids. The cooking direction should face the living room.
- In the mornings, usually two people need to leave early and eat quickly. Therefore, the first wish is for an island with seating to avoid carrying everything back and forth.
- 2-3 days of home office, often two PCs in use, so a separate office is needed. Currently, we have 5 m² (54 sq ft), but it doesn’t need to be much larger. About 8-9 m² (86-97 sq ft) is sufficient.
- Continued use of current furniture is desired. The most important items are the wardrobe with five doors, about 3 m wide (10 ft), and the 2x2 m (6.5x6.5 ft) bed. There must be a place for these in the bedroom or a separate dressing room.
- Children's rooms are likely to be used more as playrooms later, so plenty of daylight is required—about 20% window-to-floor ratio.
- Because of the sun on the southwest-facing terrace, the garage should be on the left (east side), along with the kitchen and utility room. The office should be on the north side, and bathrooms should be stacked above and below.
- The second wish is for floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room on both sides for a children’s table area / relaxing / fun / decorative space, almost like a conservatory (see SW and NW elevations). We currently have this in front of the fixed part of a patio door, so the seating area for TV must be located elsewhere in the living room. In the draft, the dining table is placed there, but that was not the idea; it should be closer to the kitchen. We know the elongated L-shape from friends and find it very appealing. Typically, we move between the garden, kitchen, and living room for playing, painting, and reading. Watching TV is rare, so the TV can be further away from the center.
- Technology includes an air-source heat pump, photovoltaic system, and possibly controlled mechanical ventilation (since the known ventilation behavior is already poor in the less airtight current house). Air conditioning is desired for the bedrooms upstairs.
- The plot is 23 m deep (75 ft) and 20 m wide (65 ft); for roughly a 6-7 m (20-23 ft) garden, the house should be wide and at most 10 m (33 ft) deep.
All of this resulted in a version like the one posted yesterday, and the rest was clarified in the dialogue, for example entrance on the left, technology in the garage, a narrow staircase to the upper floor, etc.
- Parents stay overnight weekly, so a guest room on the ground floor and a WC with shower are needed. The WC should be right next to the entrance, as it is usually the first stop after a long drive. The guest room should remain flexibly furnished with a sofa bed and will likely be partially used as a play area again.
- Short distances for carrying groceries, so access to the kitchen via the garage (for example through the utility room). It is assumed the kitchen is not located next to the entrance. 🙂
- A lot of cooking with strong smells, so the kitchen should be separated from the rest of the living area, for example with a transparent sliding door, so that the whole house does not smell, but we can still keep an eye on the kids. The cooking direction should face the living room.
- In the mornings, usually two people need to leave early and eat quickly. Therefore, the first wish is for an island with seating to avoid carrying everything back and forth.
- 2-3 days of home office, often two PCs in use, so a separate office is needed. Currently, we have 5 m² (54 sq ft), but it doesn’t need to be much larger. About 8-9 m² (86-97 sq ft) is sufficient.
- Continued use of current furniture is desired. The most important items are the wardrobe with five doors, about 3 m wide (10 ft), and the 2x2 m (6.5x6.5 ft) bed. There must be a place for these in the bedroom or a separate dressing room.
- Children's rooms are likely to be used more as playrooms later, so plenty of daylight is required—about 20% window-to-floor ratio.
- Because of the sun on the southwest-facing terrace, the garage should be on the left (east side), along with the kitchen and utility room. The office should be on the north side, and bathrooms should be stacked above and below.
- The second wish is for floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room on both sides for a children’s table area / relaxing / fun / decorative space, almost like a conservatory (see SW and NW elevations). We currently have this in front of the fixed part of a patio door, so the seating area for TV must be located elsewhere in the living room. In the draft, the dining table is placed there, but that was not the idea; it should be closer to the kitchen. We know the elongated L-shape from friends and find it very appealing. Typically, we move between the garden, kitchen, and living room for playing, painting, and reading. Watching TV is rare, so the TV can be further away from the center.
- Technology includes an air-source heat pump, photovoltaic system, and possibly controlled mechanical ventilation (since the known ventilation behavior is already poor in the less airtight current house). Air conditioning is desired for the bedrooms upstairs.
- The plot is 23 m deep (75 ft) and 20 m wide (65 ft); for roughly a 6-7 m (20-23 ft) garden, the house should be wide and at most 10 m (33 ft) deep.
All of this resulted in a version like the one posted yesterday, and the rest was clarified in the dialogue, for example entrance on the left, technology in the garage, a narrow staircase to the upper floor, etc.
Three remarks on this:
An internal staircase is usually dark, especially if it is also enclosed by walls. You have to compensate with short corridors and openness; otherwise, it won’t be inviting. The break in the design can then be a highlight. And then there’s the fact that upstairs there are only solid walls.
klabauter8614 schrieb:A sliding door lets quite a bit through.
please separate the kitchen from the rest, e.g. with a transparent sliding door,
klabauter8614 schrieb:How do you imagine that? You intervene briefly while cooking, open the sliding door, and just like that, the smells spread throughout the room. You do this three times on busy or everyday days and then leave the door open. For me, sliding doors are always somewhat illusory: you have to have one, it’s mainstream, but whether it’s functional and practical is rarely considered. I would either enjoy the scent when cooking something spicy or invest in a good extractor hood.
but we can keep an eye on the kids. So cooking facing the living room.
klabauter8614 schrieb:Yes, a chill lounge where you can relax without everyone bothering you is important. However, you also need to consider short routes when you have to go to the toilet or the door. Such a hidden dead-end room can also feel “confining.” Joking aside: it can be annoying if there is no exit. Why run through the whole house when, with good planning, you can reach the hallway in 2 seconds? For that reason, a storage room ends up with two doors because every day you want to walk through such a passage with two bags full of groceries, although it is also located as far away as possible from the cloakroom.
TV is rarely watched, so the TV can be further away from the center.
klabauter8614 schrieb:
It feels a bit like I constantly have to revise things because important points are wrong with every design.
klabauter8614 schrieb:Maybe the issue is that with your constant “revisions” (whether these are real improvements, we cannot judge) you yourself don’t consider the consequences—that a small change can trigger a domino effect. Usually, you can’t say: everything is good, but “I’d like this or that here.” If you already have a rather confused floor plan, it just gets more tangled. Usually, you really have to change a whole element (a section of the plan) or the entire layout. I, for example, did this by changing the entire block. Anything less would have been insufficient for me. Whether that creates another flaw for you... Often you also have to leave the shoe in the box instead of constantly searching for mistakes.
Things get corrected in the next draft, but the consequences are not sufficiently considered, and now the concept no longer fits.
An internal staircase is usually dark, especially if it is also enclosed by walls. You have to compensate with short corridors and openness; otherwise, it won’t be inviting. The break in the design can then be a highlight. And then there’s the fact that upstairs there are only solid walls.
ypg schrieb:
A sliding door lets quite a bit through.
How do you imagine that working? Briefly interrupt your cooking, open the sliding door, and voilà, the smells spread throughout the room. Doing that three times on busy or everyday days and then just leaving the door open. For me, sliding doors are always a bit unrealistic: they’re considered a must-have, mainstream, but whether they are really functional and practical is rarely thought about.
When cooking with strong spices, I would enjoy the aroma or invest in good ventilation.
I have to slightly disagree. We have a sliding door between the living room and kitchen that is used regularly. It’s not made of glass, which would annoy me since it would require constant cleaning. But of course, you could plan for a window panel in the door. Otherwise, it blocks quite a bit — both noise and odors. It is just somewhat less effective than full doors.@klabauter8614 I haven’t read your list completely, but here’s a question right away: Why does the utility room need to be on the east side, and the kitchen as well?
C
chand198625 Jul 2024 12:29I find that the issue of cooking odors in the living area is minor and temporary. We have a completely open space, but with an extractor hood here. It removes so much that a partition is basically unnecessary.
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