ᐅ Floor Plan Feedback Single-Family Home 140 sqm Two Full Stories

wiltshire schrieb:

I don’t believe that. Your real problem is that you find it hard to make decisions and neither the planner nor any of us can give you the certainty you need for that.

I can understand that this is overwhelming at first and then frustrating, especially since some arguments are so valid that they seem to set you back in your decision-making. Then you get the feeling: “I ask for help and just get more question marks.”

Ultimately, it’s pointless to resist the complexity of a construction project. The fact that a group on the forum can’t consistently guide you to decision certainty is inherent to the system. I’m grateful to have received some ideas here, but the basics were discussed extensively by my wife and me together with our architect. We took a lot of time doing that. During that process, we talked relatively little about floor plans and much more about how we want to live. We are the experts in our own life. We brought that expertise into the process, and the architect understood it well. The floor plan we now have and like, we would never have achieved on our own.

That was definitely my intention. If everyone had liked it, it would have just been a confirmation. But I also wanted to get some considerations to improve weak points. And I think I am actually trying to address that.

The problem is, points are being raised but no example solutions are suggested. It doesn’t help me much if I don’t see or understand how things could be done.

Take the example of the staircase. I understand the criticism of the straight staircase. And I’m not clueless—I’ve researched further, especially here on the forum. There is a post very similar in a standard floor plan. The poster changed the floor plan from 140m² (1507 sq ft) to 150m² (1615 sq ft) because of a quarter-turn staircase. I’ve attached the images. Posting links is not allowed.

In that post, the original size of 9.5 x 9.5 m (31.2 x 31.2 ft) was increased to 10.10 x 9.5 m (33.1 x 31.2 ft). Why? Because the quarter-turn staircase simply requires a wider hallway. I tried to implement that in my plan, but it creates two narrow corridors on the sides on the ground floor. Even worse.

Additionally, the cloakroom is missing here. With the straight staircase, my ground floor plan is significantly more relaxed, although the upper floor is somewhat different. I actually prefer the upper floor from the image here.

But this clearly shows my problem. The size should stay at 140m² (1507 sq ft). I don’t want to increase to 150m² (1615 sq ft). To have a good ground floor and narrower hallway compared to a quarter-turn staircase, I need a straight staircase. Upstairs I have a narrow bathroom, but I have to live with that.

This is exactly where I want to start. I’m open to being convinced. But I need an example, not just the statement “a quarter turn staircase saves space.” I don’t see that in this example. So it needs to be shown to me.

That was just a symbolic example for the staircase. Otherwise, the floor plans are very similar. Instead of an office, we have a pantry.

Unfortunately, Bayernatlas is no longer helpful here. The free version doesn’t even show property boundaries anymore. It used to be such a useful tool. Now it costs 40 euros per month. 😡

I’ve slightly modified a design I found online. The original includes a bay window, which I consider unnecessary.

Milka0105 schrieb:

There is a post that looks very similar in the typical floor plan.

No, not really, if you leave out the standard elements – kitchen, toilet, open living area, stairs – in a single-family house. The difference in the standard single-family home sector is always in the details. Here, you see a walk-in closet, an open space above, and a fourth room, which enlarges the house. You don’t want that. Also, the plot has a different orientation.

Milka0105 schrieb:

Why? Because the quarter-turn staircase simply requires a wider hallway.

This is a completely different type of turning staircase that takes up more space at the top.

By the way, internal links are allowed here.

Milka0105 schrieb:

I tried to implement it myself, but it creates two narrow corridors on the sides on the ground floor. So even worse.

You already have those two corridors in your original design on page 1, if I may remind you.

Milka0105 schrieb:

The problem is that points are named, but no example solutions are offered.

I posted two design drafts on pages 5 or 6.
Also, all of the rough floor plans of the following gable-roof houses suit you. If the knee wall height is raised accordingly, you get roughly 140 square meters (about 1507 square feet):

- Almost all smaller Viebrockhaus Maxime and V- houses,
- From Scanhaus Marlow, almost all variants of the SH 122, slightly enlarged,
- The SH 116 about one meter (3 feet) wider,
- The SH 142 D.
(With the SH 145 knee wall, you have the same problematic situation as in your design, where two narrow areas result.)

- Weberhaus with its Sunshine series,
- Town & Country with the Landhaus 142 and smaller ones (note, then with higher knee wall),
Heinz von Heiden has declined in quality in their series, so I won’t mention them.
- And many others.

Basically, any standard floor plan will suit you if you adjust the house dimensions accordingly. You can also easily stay around ±140 square meters (about 1507 square feet).
The problem is when you squeeze a pantry into the farthest corner so that the kitchen can no longer be properly furnished and therefore doesn’t work – or add a secondary entrance there. But that has all already been mentioned.

Milka0105 schrieb:

And I’m no fool—I continued researching, especially here in the forum. There’s a thread with a very similar standard floor plan. In that thread, the creator modified the floor plan from 140 m² (1,507 sq ft) to 150 m² (1,615 sq ft) due to a quarter-turn staircase. Attached are the images. Posting links is not allowed, though.

... of course it is allowed when it is, like here, a link to another post within the forum:
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/einfamilienhaus-130-140-m-grundriss-planung.32945/page-27#post-370945

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I spent my evening drawing.

Don’t judge me. But I tried to improve the current floor plan. I will draw the others tomorrow and then see which one I like better.

So, about the floor plan I drew:

What did I do? I swapped the kitchen and living room.
The staircase stays the same, attached. The upper floor layout also remains unchanged. Therefore, I’m only showing the ground floor. The staircase could be placed on the other side here, which would make the upper floor like in image 3. This floor plan basically only swaps the kitchen and living room. There is a large wardrobe, a shower with WC, and a nice kitchen with space for the dining table. The living room is a bit narrow and the hallway is quite tight. Otherwise, the utility room is larger and includes a niche for the washing machine.

Now for floor plan 2. Staircase moved to the left. Living room and kitchen have the same layout. WC is behind the living room on the left side. This creates a pantry upstairs, accessible from both kitchen and utility room. A small wardrobe is also included.
The hallway is still narrow and the living room remains a bit narrow.

On the plus side, the upper floor is fully optimized and now includes a small kitchenette (AK) and an office. The kids’ room is almost square, there is one bedroom where direct access to the bathroom could be possible – though I didn’t implement this. The bathroom feels more spacious. I really like the upper floor.

I’m looking forward to your opinions. Tomorrow I’ll draw the other floor plans as well, to get a better overall impression.

[favorited heating technology: air-source heat pump and centralized ventilation system]

This may seem off-topic at first, but it will be relevant shortly: air-to-water heat pump or air-to-air heat pump?

If air-to-water heat pump: split unit or fully indoor unit?

They require different amounts of space, which is important for sizing the utility/technical room. Speaking of which:

If you have to compromise, which features/finishes
-can you do without: if necessary, you could skip the separate door to the utility room or the pantry,

Why was the design made as it is now? For example:
Build as small as possible, but as large as necessary. The plot gets wider towards the back.

The smaller the house is intended to be, the more important the distribution of the following areas becomes:
Storage areas (furniture)
Wall areas (for things mounted on walls)
Circulation space (paths where people move within the house)
Usable floor space (areas not occupied by furniture or paths)

If you want to build as compactly as possible, you should optimize how these areas work together. They partly compete with each other.
For example, a separate door in the utility room increases circulation space but reduces storage and wall areas. This is a trade-off.

In the second design, it seems the kitchen suffered due to the pantry demanding more circulation space at the expense of storage and wall space.

The smaller the house, the more compromises must be made. It is important to find compromises that you feel comfortable with and that work well in daily life.

(Not that I would consider 140 m² (1506 sq ft) small — 140 m² is a nice size.)

Milka0105 schrieb:

As I mentioned, the contractor must do the verification. But at 7.5 m (25 feet), everything should fit. Floor plans in typical production houses are similar in size anyway.

These are often a big pitfall because they tend to be too small.

Depending on the heating technology, space can become very tight. A lot needs to fit inside the room, especially if photovoltaics are to be added.

Maybe this is an idea to review everything again:
The house should be a combination of two different aspects:
1. What does the plot dictate? What are the site conditions? (This affects things like whether there is a basement or not, window placement for views and daylight, main entrance location, as well as external dimensions depending on the plot.)
These questions set many parameters, and I would not underestimate them.
2. What are the family’s needs regarding the interior? What do they want? What is important to them? What is less important?
Based on the plot’s limitations and family needs, you can try to create the best possible combination, always asking, "How well will it work in everyday life?"

Regarding the latest designs, some unordered thoughts:
- The pantry feels like a burden in all versions (because of conflicts between storage and circulation space). Given the house size, I would seriously consider rethinking the staircase, for example, incorporating storage space under the stairs.
- The last two ground floor plans, as shown with the sofa’s position, do not really allow for a good TV placement (TV in front of a window? Alternatively, turn the sofa if there isn’t a floor-to-ceiling window. But then there might be glare on the TV. A 3 m (10 ft) distance is possible but might feel a bit tight).
- Personally, I find the passage next to the stairs too narrow. In the hallway, two people, one possibly carrying groceries, should be able to pass each other comfortably. Otherwise, there could be a "construction site traffic light" situation. You can live with that if you are aware of it beforehand.
- Ground floor redraw 1: unless the exterior design or a north-facing wall really requires it, I would avoid a large window in the wardrobe (the larger the window, the more it needs shading).
- I sense between the lines that the long staircase is desired. If I had to keep it: I don’t like the lack of natural light axes near the entrance area (despite the tight space, compromises must be made). These could be improved by adding: a side window next to the front door, a door to the open living area with glazed elements, internal windows between the living area/hall and the hall/utility room, and a suitable window in the utility room. (But be sure to consider wall and storage spaces carefully! I doubt there’s enough room, but I would at least check.)
- Personally, with these house dimensions, I would place a half-turn staircase along an exterior wall with the pantry underneath. Then add a nice window in the staircase area to bring light into the house (currently, the new ground floor plans show no window on the right side). This change would significantly improve the layout. (Personally, an open or long staircase is not important to me; see above regarding needs.)