ᐅ Floor plan of a single-family house, feedback requested

@wiltshire with

kbt09 schrieb:

Also, a movable partition wall that separates the entire kitchen area, running along the intended line from the upper terrace door downwards according to the plan.

I meant a movable wall along the green line... just as information from the kitchen planning.

kbt09 schrieb:

@wiltshire by

I meant a movable wall at the green line... just some info from the kitchen planning.
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I think that is far too tight and small. Sorry, but even the dining table, with a bench instead of chairs, is insufficient. Who would want to slide back there? What if guests come? There might often be parents or visitors who can no longer comfortably sit so close together. I’m usually against building for others, but with families that have children, the situation is a bit different.

Hello.

Wow, there’s still so much to consider. First of all, thank you to everyone, including those I haven’t quoted here—I’ve definitely read your input and taken your thoughts on board! This morning I also sat down with my wife and kids, and we went over everything and discussed it. Lots of food for thought. I’ll sit down later today (the family is out and about, so it’s a good time) and do some sketches. Or, someone else suggested making a roughly to-scale paper model including potential furniture to see how everything fits. That’s what I plan to focus on today.

If I come up with something reasonably useful (at least in my opinion), I’ll get back here and share it to see what you think.

And—I have no idea yet how much all the backfill work at the finished ground level (BHL) will cost. I’ll find out at the beginning of the week. I need to know anyway, but the exact dimensions for what I need where only became clear this week. If the total cost is high enough that, instead of just a slab foundation, a basement would make sense (with little “extra cost”), that could be an option. If not—well, I still need to know the cost for the retaining work anyway, that has to go into the budget (under the item “There will surely be more costs”), and whether the extra cost for a basement is still feasible, we’ll see.

ypg schrieb:

No talking, drawing I said. Personally, if the terrace is legitimately allowed outside the building boundary, I would use the full 11 or 12 meters (foot) depth and orient somewhat—albeit narrowly—towards the west. The south is the main garden, but west is important for daylight and room orientation. Just my humble opinion. Entrance from the driveway side saves a porch roof. Plan a two-quarter turn staircase and two “inward/outward” setbacks to make the house more attractive. In short: rotate the house.

The driveway side is north, that’s where the entrance currently is. We have a corner plot, and the street runs parallel to our building boundary. West faces the neighbors, who I know are planning something quite large. So at the moment, we’re less interested in that direction.

Terrace—I’m not sure right now and can’t quickly find out. I THINK it’s allowed, but I’d have to ask. For today, I’m planning without considering it further.

kbt09 schrieb:

I don’t understand the conservatory with a flat roof.

What about it? The overall idea, or just the flat roof part?

Regarding the earthworks you mentioned earlier, see above—I will inquire at the beginning of the week. Yes, they are about 110cm (43 inches).

kbt09 schrieb:

As far as I understand, an internal heat pump is planned… so it might be that the distances have to be like this.

That’s correct. The development plan requires in §1.3.2 that “Technical systems for energy generation and heat conversion [] must be integrated into the building.” Only photovoltaics are allowed outside. I already raised the space issue; the answer was that it cannot be moved any further and that the required distances must be kept as is.

wiltshire schrieb:

At first glance, I like the design with the L-shaped hallway, the room under the stairs, and the secluded guest room. That’s purely my personal impression.

Here’s what I noticed and some of which has already been discussed:

Kids’ rooms: By today's standards, they are quite small. That said, I agree that they are absolutely sufficient. It’s not like you’re giving yourself a huge spa and cramming the kids in—the room proportions feel balanced to me. The upper kids’ room has an awkward shape due to the closet in the study. I’d solve that space conflict in favor of the kids’ room. The kids’ rooms would gain space if you also made the guest room accessible to them, for activities like desk work. Saving a desk in the kids’ rooms would free up space for playing. When the kids are older, you could move the sleeping area one floor up and make the space under the bed usable as well.

Guest room: Regarding furnishing—if this room is meant to relieve the kids’ rooms, a permanently set-up bed (though the furnishing isn’t finished) could be tight. A typical case for a well-designed sofa bed or a fold-down bed (“Murphy bed”) from the 1970s style. If guests only stay occasionally for a night or two, that’s completely fine.

Dining area: Like @motorradsilke, I feared it might be tight. A bench could solve that, as you wrote.

[ ... Quote shortened ... ]

Kids’ rooms: One absolutely mandatory requirement is that they must be the same size. The difference can be at most one decimal place—preferably none. The corner was actually a suggestion of our child who will use that room—he wants a corner in front for hanging and chilling. So it’s not just taking space but agreed upon.

We’re trying to change the pantry and dining area layout; I’ll come back with some paper sketches later. We know storage space is limited, partly by design and partly dictated by the plan. We’ve added some storage in the garage. My suggestion for more storage inside the house was rejected “from above.”

wiltshire schrieb:

I meant the partition to the hallway where there’s currently a wall. Not to the living room.

Yes, a kitchen island won’t fit adequately with the pantry. A “peninsula” might work.

What @kbt09 marked as the green wall, I actually mentioned elsewhere as a flexible, openable partition wall—but from what I’ve heard and read so far, that will change. I’ll show that later.

I definitely find the input very interesting. It’s really helpful—even if it means more work. Now I have to redraw everything first. I’ll come back later today with my sketches. Thanks!

Here is my quick suggestion for the use of the ground floor: a better laid-out office/guest room (with a multipurpose room above), the restroom is better located, the garage is moved further "back" for coziness and privacy from the terrace, a conservatory for optimized space use, and a clear line of sight from the entrance (although with front doors facing the street, it might be better if the entrance is on the side). Also, a larger utility room.

The windows on the upper floor absolutely need to be revised. Currently, the children's rooms have very small windows, and the office upstairs has only 4 sqm (43 sq ft) of floor-level windows.

P.S. The sofa is 270 cm (106 inches) wide, and the table is 100 x 200 cm (39 x 79 inches).

ypg schrieb:

Here is my quick revised suggestion for the use of the ground floor: a better laid-out office/guest room (with a multipurpose room upstairs), the WC positioned more conveniently, garage moved further “back” to enhance coziness and privacy for the terrace, conservatory to optimize the use of space, visual axis from the entrance (although with front doors facing the street it would be better if the entrance were on the side), and a larger utility/technical room.
Definitely revise the windows on the upper floor. Currently, the children’s rooms have tiny windows, and the office upstairs has only 4 m² (43 sq ft) of floor-to-ceiling window.
P.S. The sofa is 270 cm (106 inches) wide, the table is 100 x 200 cm (39 x 79 inches).

Oh, wow, thanks.

Okay, I CAN’T combine office and guest room because I either have a tax-deductible home office or not. If there’s private use, the tax authorities complicate things — and even if there is a guest, I can’t just stop working there. (Besides, I have specific security requirements for materials I leave in the room, meaning the room can’t be used without me.) But if the room upstairs becomes a multipurpose room, it could certainly also be used as a guest room.
One idea we’ve had for a while (someone else mentioned it earlier in this thread as a possibility) is wall-mounted fold-down beds, so they’re only available when needed. Two of those is the maximum we have ever needed.

I’ll have to ask my wife later whether she likes the straight-line living room/kitchen layout without any divider in between.

Windows: noted. If the conservatory is moved, the window in the corresponding children’s room could be floor-to-ceiling (although I believe he said he doesn’t want that, for the sake of having a desk under the window). But certainly one of the two windows could be made twice as wide, regardless.

How old are the children? Maybe I missed something.

Ganneff schrieb:

One of the absolutely essential requirements is that they are the same height.

Makes sense.
It could of course also be solved with a straight wall. If the corner is something you want: Great that you are making it happen.