Dear house building community,
After much consideration, I have decided to share our preliminary design here. As a longtime passive reader, I would like to give back to the community with this small contribution and perhaps even inspire some readers with our floor plan.
For context: We have completed the preliminary design phase with the architect and are currently gathering quotes. The house will be a prefabricated home with slightly upscale features (KfW-40 standard, Q3 plaster, ventilation system, motorized blinds, etc.) and will cost around 3000 € per square meter (about 280 per square foot). I appreciate any feedback and look forward to many comments. Feel free to critically question the design. One note: we are satisfied with the planning and do not wish to make any changes.
Let’s get started!
Basic data:
Requirements:
I have kept it brief on purpose and do not want to reveal what I like or dislike about the design just yet. Instead, I’m going to relax now and grab some popcorn. If you want to know more, feel free to visit my website (Name + “.de”).
I’m looking forward to your opinions!
After much consideration, I have decided to share our preliminary design here. As a longtime passive reader, I would like to give back to the community with this small contribution and perhaps even inspire some readers with our floor plan.
For context: We have completed the preliminary design phase with the architect and are currently gathering quotes. The house will be a prefabricated home with slightly upscale features (KfW-40 standard, Q3 plaster, ventilation system, motorized blinds, etc.) and will cost around 3000 € per square meter (about 280 per square foot). I appreciate any feedback and look forward to many comments. Feel free to critically question the design. One note: we are satisfied with the planning and do not wish to make any changes.
Let’s get started!
Basic data:
- Plot: approx. 470 m² (about 5050 sq ft) in a new development area with a slight south-facing slope (1 m (3 feet) over plot length, 0.5 m (1.5 feet) over house width)
- Neighboring plot to the north: unattractive, vacant three-story building
- Maximum budget for the construction project excluding land and possibly garden/terrace: 700,000 €
Requirements:
- 3 children’s bedrooms (each 12–14 m² (130–150 sq ft))
- Laundry or utility/laundry room
- Study room with space for double desk and guest bed
- Shower in guest bathroom
- Straight-run staircase
- Living-dining-kitchen area in an L-shape
- Space for hallway furniture
- Double garage
- 2 full stories
- Built on a slab foundation
I have kept it brief on purpose and do not want to reveal what I like or dislike about the design just yet. Instead, I’m going to relax now and grab some popcorn. If you want to know more, feel free to visit my website (Name + “.de”).
I’m looking forward to your opinions!
W
wiltshire3 Feb 2025 09:49roteweste schrieb:
The main argument is the shared workspace for the large family and access to the sink/trash area from the dining room / south-facing terrace.You implemented these points well with the “technology-free” island.Maulwurfbau schrieb:
This is currently our plan or idea for the kitchen, and it will be implemented about 95% as shown.We solved it similarly—also with a door from the kitchen area to the garden. Overall, we are quite satisfied, but the layout has some downsides. The most noticeable is the door that opens inward (I was convinced of this by our window installer and no longer remember the exact reason). When open, the door blocks three drawers and part of the countertop and can, if unlucky, collide with the oven door on the opposite side. Because of this, the door in the kitchen area is almost always kept closed during cooking. That’s a bit unfortunate because there is a nice terrace spot and herbs just outside the door. I would often like to have the door open in summer. This “issue” becomes more problematic if there are no other exits to the garden, as you probably won’t want household traffic passing through while cooking. The island solution without a door is likely to offer more advantages for @roteweste.M
Maulwurfbau3 Feb 2025 10:00Yes, there are always advantages and disadvantages. Everything remains a compromise. The important thing is that the compromise you make for YOUR build is right for YOU. We know the disadvantages and can live with them.
Maulwurfbau schrieb:
As I already mentioned, we have a similar floor plan—identical in the kitchen area—and deliberately created an open-plan space.
We never considered a U-shaped kitchen. Arches like those would also be a nightmare for us. They remind us of 1970s/80s features from affordable apartment blocks or traditional single-family homes with brown bathroom fixtures. But well, to each their own. Enjoy.
This is currently our plan or idea for the kitchen, and it will be implemented about 95% as shown. The galley kitchen layout was also an option for us. For cooking with several people, I find the island better. If you mostly cook solo, in my opinion a galley kitchen with sink/trash - work surface - cooktop is ideal.
I don’t want to convince anyone here, but I do wonder why there is such a strong negative reaction to arches. Attached are two pictures: one of our current arch, and one of a nicely designed hallway, similar to what I could imagine for us.
W
wiltshire3 Feb 2025 10:19roteweste schrieb:
I’m not trying to convince anyone here, but I do wonder why people are so quick to criticize the arches.People tend to frown when something is implemented that’s considered outdated. In the pictures, the arch serves as a design feature, framing the view into another part of the building from the chosen perspective. To me, the images look quite appealing. It’s purely a matter of personal taste.M
Maulwurfbau3 Feb 2025 10:21I agree completely. Purely a matter of personal taste. Not my preference, but a matter of taste nonetheless ;-)
I also believe that everyone can see it differently. My only question is what you want to achieve with it. Will it offer me advantages in terms of functionality or usefulness, or am I creating an aesthetic "advantage," such as a recognizable style? The risk I often see is that when you combine random elements, you run the risk of ending up with a mismatched style often referred to as "Gelsenkirchen Baroque." I think it’s important to consider this carefully. I have traveled to several Arab countries and therefore like rounded arches and ornamental details; however, this style would need to be consistent throughout the house (and probably extend to the exterior as well). Mentally, I can also relate it to our simple 1960s terraced house combined with brutal oak furniture and the orange circular wallpaper in my childhood bedroom hallway.
@roteweste If I were you, I would focus on these two points: functionality and/or living style.
@roteweste If I were you, I would focus on these two points: functionality and/or living style.
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