ᐅ Initial Floor Plan Draft – Backyard Development – 1.5 Stories

Hello everyone,

we would like to present our first floor plan draft and kindly ask for your honest feedback.
The house is designed for 2 adults plus potentially 2 children in the future and will be built on a rural plot of land. We are currently in the design phase and welcome all constructive comments and suggestions for improvement.
The plot is a backyard development, which means there are some restrictions. For example, we are not allowed to exceed a length of 7.0 m (23 feet) and an eave height of 3.7 m (12 feet). In addition, the assigned plots are not yet developed, so we will need to build a road access here.
On the site plan we were allocated plot number 4.
More details are included in the notes..

Building Plan / Restrictions

• Plot size: approximately 27.5 m (90 feet) wide × 41 m (135 feet) deep (~1,100 m² (12,000 sq ft))
• Terrain: flat, no slope
• Site coverage ratio (floor area ratio): 0.4
• Floor space index (floor area ratio): 0.4
• Building envelope / setbacks: 3 m (10 feet) boundary setback, house positioned on the right side, garage may be built on the boundary
• Number of floors: 1.5 stories (maximum ridge height 7 m (23 feet), eave height approx. 3.7 m (12 feet))
• Roof type: gable roof, minimum 25° pitch
• Architectural style: modern country house style
• Orientation: south is at the top of the plan
• Maximum heights: 7 m (23 feet) ridge, 3.7 m (12 feet) eave
• Additional requirements: the plot must be accessed via a new road. The style must blend with the neighborhood.

Homeowner Requirements

• Building type: single-family home, 1.5 stories, no basement
• Occupants: 2 adults, later 2 children
• Ground floor needs: parents’ area fully on the ground floor (bedroom, dressing room, bathroom), living/dining/kitchen area (living area preferably separate), utility room with access to the garage, guest toilet
• Upper floor needs: 2 children’s bedrooms, 1 office, 1 bathroom, storage room
• Office: for home office and flexible use
• Guest accommodation: rare (max. 2–3 times per year)
• Architecture: open, welcoming, with clear sightlines
• Construction method: rather conservative-modern (no flat roof, but light materials, clean lines)
• Kitchen: open kitchen with island
• Dining area: spacious, table for 6–8 people
• Fireplace: optional, mainly for design/coziness, probably no
• Music/stereo: no specific plans yet
• Balcony/roof terrace: no
• Garage/carport: double garage, direct access to utility room, cars might be parked under a covered entrance to keep the garage space free since there will be no attic
• Garden: usable garden area, south-facing terrace → I would like to plan a conservatory here for the future or optionally build it right away. Since we will have a south-facing garden with farmland behind, a conservatory is desired as a separated area to be used all year round.
• Special features:
• Smart home planned
• Parents’ area deliberately on the ground floor
• Conservatory desired either in the future or built-in from the start

House Design

• Designed by: architect
• What we particularly like:
• South orientation with bright rooms
• Functional floor plan and parents’ area
• What we don’t like (yet):
• Children’s bathroom upstairs might be too large
• Bedroom too small
• Pantry/storage room has a door to the utility room; maybe reduce utility room size to enlarge pantry
• Children’s bedroom closets block windows and might reduce lighting
• Driveway to garage is not ideal. The garage may need to be moved further back

• Price estimate from architect: not available yet
• Personal price limit (house + fittings): around 500,000 € (approximately), completely self-built, land already purchased
• Heating system: ground source heat pump with borehole, underfloor heating, technical room probably in the garage equipment room

Why the design looks like this

We wanted a home that is family-friendly, functional, and suitable for aging in place, while complying with the building plan.
The basic idea: parents live fully on the ground floor, children live upstairs.

We are still optimizing and would appreciate feedback on:

• Room layout on the ground floor (hallway, sleeping area)
• Living/dining/kitchen area: solution with an adjacent conservatory. Living area preferably separate, so children or adults can use different paths when guests visit.
• Garage size
• Children’s bathroom: size and whether the storage room could be bigger and the bathroom smaller. Possibly separate the toilet from the children’s bathroom?

We look forward to your honest feedback!
What would you improve or arrange differently?
Thank you very much in advance for your time and suggestions.

The children's bathroom is no longer too large if the toilet is moved forward into the area with sufficient headroom. I would omit the wall between the utility room and the pantry.

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At first glance, I quite like it.
The site plan doesn’t provide me with any information right now.

Steiger schrieb:

Children’s bathroom: size and possibly, can the utility room be made larger here and the bathroom smaller? Maybe separate the toilet from the children’s bathroom?

The bathroom is fine as it is. Give the children a bathtub that you can also use (not necessarily for bathing, but for various tasks that everyday life and daily chores bring).
Place the toilet between the window and the washbasin.

Steiger schrieb:

The basic idea: parents live entirely on the ground floor, the children live on the upper floor.

Nice idea. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work as long as the children are of preschool age.

I would change the door swing and install nice cabinets along the long wall. The pantry is practically ineffective because it’s too narrow; whatever fits there can be accommodated in two tall cabinets with a depth of 60cm (24 inches).

Second observation: the open plan living room/kitchen will be dark. The reason is the roof cover. There are no compensating windows. Even with a glass roof, light is lost. I wouldn’t do it that way.

Unfortunately, I cannot see how the house is supposed to be positioned on the plot. None of the site plans show a north arrow, and apparently, everything seems to be oriented differently.

Steiger schrieb:

Living/dining/kitchen area: solution with an adjacent conservatory.

Where is the conservatory supposed to be? And what do you expect to gain from having one?

A pantry strip with a depth of 100 cm (40 inches) would actually be better allocated to the utility room. Regarding the windows in the kitchen area, I agree with @ypg.

The ground floor hallway is very large but of little use. I would move the main entrance and the entrance to the living area about 70 cm (28 inches) to the left in the plan. (This means the currently planned cloakroom would also become correspondingly narrower.) This would create space on the right side of the vestibule and hallway to install a built-in wardrobe row, providing enough storage space for all jackets, coats, shoes, bags, etc. — basically, hallway storage needs.

Please add a north arrow to the site plan. Where is the street located?

Thank you all in advance for your ideas. Increasing or changing the storage space has already been taken into account. I have now planned the conservatory where the terrace area is. I expect that this will provide a bright room to relax in throughout the year, with views of the garden and beyond. I have spoken with many people who would never want to be without their conservatory and who spend much more time there than in their living room.

I am attaching the site plan. I hope my amateur drawing helps a little.