ᐅ Split-Level Single-Family House Floor Plan – Architect’s Design
Created on: 19 Oct 2025 21:49
D
dbertig
Hello dear forum members,
We are very excited to renovate a settlement house from the 1960s. Many thanks for this forum and the great opportunity to share our plan and receive your feedback:
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 519 m2 (5583 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 1
Floor area ratio: 2.5
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: 3 m (10 ft) setback from the property line
Edge development: see pictures
Number of parking spaces: 2 or 3
Number of floors: 2.5
Roof type: gable roof (original building) and flat roof (extension)
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: south
Maximum heights/limits: see pictures
Additional requirements: The house needs a complete renovation. It is a single-family home with split levels. We wanted direct access to the garden at ground level, so our architect recommended an extension for a cloakroom, hallway, kitchen, and dining room. This extension is planned as a wooden construction (vertical spruce cladding painted black). The living room (accessed from the dining room by 7 steps), toilet, and office are located on the first split level, then one half level up is currently planned as the master bedroom. This floor contains only this one room. One more half level up / on the top floor, there are two equally sized children’s rooms plus a toilet and bathroom planned.
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: renovation of existing building and extension
Basement, floors: 1 basement and 2.5 floors
Number of people, ages: 2 adults and 2 children (3 and 6 years old)
Space requirement on ground floor and upper floors: 150 m2 (1615 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office? Home office
Overnight guests per year: 1-2
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen, kitchen island yes
Number of dining seats: 8–12
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: not planned
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: 1 carport, former garage repurposed as storage for bicycles, etc.
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons for why this or that should or should not be included:
House Design
Designer: architect
What do you particularly like? Why?
- Single-family house can be preserved (inherited from grandmother)
- Ground-level garden access very well solved
- Good floor plan concept and a unique idea – not a standard layout
- Open space combining kitchen/dining and living room with 7 steps – maybe the entrance could be raised to reduce this to 5 steps to the living room. Do we need fall protection, and if so, what kind?
- Spacious areas, especially in the living space
- Children’s rooms orientation and size
- Generally generous spaces in the basement, WC, and office
What do you not like? Why?
- Unsure whether the open kitchen/dining/living layout is community-friendly enough and if steps will be inconvenient in daily life
- Unsure about the size of the kitchen/dining area and the window/glass front in the dining/kitchen area
- Terrace planning: dining area on the west side planned by the architect, but rather narrow. Unsure about the 2 m (6.5 ft) terrace on the south side — what would really fit here? Will everything be covered?
- Still unsure how the extension will look visually (original house facade white, wooden-aluminum windows in black, extension in modern timber construction with vertical spruce cladding in black)
- Unsure about the hallway between cloakroom and kitchen – no door (according to architect there should be no door for visual reasons, as the view and movement direction should be toward the dining room, not the upper floor)
- Bathroom and toilet planning in upper floor – maybe combine toilet into bathroom and convert the room (which has no window) into a wardrobe – master bedroom on split level does not allow a very large wardrobe
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 600–800k
Personal maximum budget for house including fixtures: 800k
Preferred heating system: ground source heat pump
Why is the design the way it is now?
This is the second design. In the first design, there was no glass front on the south side, only windows and a comfortable bench instead. Since the view and activity focus on the main garden, we wanted access there as well, so it was changed into a full glass front. Due to heat buildup, the architect recommended a roof overhang of 1.20 m (4 ft), which we extended to 2 m (6.5 ft).
Many thanks from my side for your input! Feel free to ask any questions at any time!
1st design:
Revised design:
We are very excited to renovate a settlement house from the 1960s. Many thanks for this forum and the great opportunity to share our plan and receive your feedback:
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 519 m2 (5583 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 1
Floor area ratio: 2.5
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: 3 m (10 ft) setback from the property line
Edge development: see pictures
Number of parking spaces: 2 or 3
Number of floors: 2.5
Roof type: gable roof (original building) and flat roof (extension)
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: south
Maximum heights/limits: see pictures
Additional requirements: The house needs a complete renovation. It is a single-family home with split levels. We wanted direct access to the garden at ground level, so our architect recommended an extension for a cloakroom, hallway, kitchen, and dining room. This extension is planned as a wooden construction (vertical spruce cladding painted black). The living room (accessed from the dining room by 7 steps), toilet, and office are located on the first split level, then one half level up is currently planned as the master bedroom. This floor contains only this one room. One more half level up / on the top floor, there are two equally sized children’s rooms plus a toilet and bathroom planned.
Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: renovation of existing building and extension
Basement, floors: 1 basement and 2.5 floors
Number of people, ages: 2 adults and 2 children (3 and 6 years old)
Space requirement on ground floor and upper floors: 150 m2 (1615 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office? Home office
Overnight guests per year: 1-2
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen, kitchen island yes
Number of dining seats: 8–12
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: not planned
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: 1 carport, former garage repurposed as storage for bicycles, etc.
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons for why this or that should or should not be included:
House Design
Designer: architect
What do you particularly like? Why?
- Single-family house can be preserved (inherited from grandmother)
- Ground-level garden access very well solved
- Good floor plan concept and a unique idea – not a standard layout
- Open space combining kitchen/dining and living room with 7 steps – maybe the entrance could be raised to reduce this to 5 steps to the living room. Do we need fall protection, and if so, what kind?
- Spacious areas, especially in the living space
- Children’s rooms orientation and size
- Generally generous spaces in the basement, WC, and office
What do you not like? Why?
- Unsure whether the open kitchen/dining/living layout is community-friendly enough and if steps will be inconvenient in daily life
- Unsure about the size of the kitchen/dining area and the window/glass front in the dining/kitchen area
- Terrace planning: dining area on the west side planned by the architect, but rather narrow. Unsure about the 2 m (6.5 ft) terrace on the south side — what would really fit here? Will everything be covered?
- Still unsure how the extension will look visually (original house facade white, wooden-aluminum windows in black, extension in modern timber construction with vertical spruce cladding in black)
- Unsure about the hallway between cloakroom and kitchen – no door (according to architect there should be no door for visual reasons, as the view and movement direction should be toward the dining room, not the upper floor)
- Bathroom and toilet planning in upper floor – maybe combine toilet into bathroom and convert the room (which has no window) into a wardrobe – master bedroom on split level does not allow a very large wardrobe
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 600–800k
Personal maximum budget for house including fixtures: 800k
Preferred heating system: ground source heat pump
Why is the design the way it is now?
This is the second design. In the first design, there was no glass front on the south side, only windows and a comfortable bench instead. Since the view and activity focus on the main garden, we wanted access there as well, so it was changed into a full glass front. Due to heat buildup, the architect recommended a roof overhang of 1.20 m (4 ft), which we extended to 2 m (6.5 ft).
Many thanks from my side for your input! Feel free to ask any questions at any time!
1st design:
Revised design:
N
nordanney27 Oct 2025 14:20dbertig schrieb:
what do you think?You can’t smell mess; you can only see it. But it can be tackled with furniture. I have never really noticed shoe odor (now with three kids...), so I agree with the architect to leave it open.
By now, you should precisely plan your individual layout according to your needs. This includes the exact dimensions of the sink, the type of shower, and the wardrobe elements you require, so that everything can truly fit inside.
Especially because this is a special floor plan, it needs more careful attention in my opinion, including for sockets, lighting, and much more. People’s habits vary so much that I wouldn’t rely on general recommendations alone.
For example, our open-plan living area extends all the way to the roof, and the house entrance/wardrobe area is practically part of this open space. That’s why we also thought carefully about the appearance of the front door, since it is directly visible; luckily, there is no smell.
We also like large glass fronts, although I’m not very fond of lift-and-slide elements—I prefer more fixed glazing. In the kitchen, for example, I could imagine a “normal” door that can be opened up to 2m (6.5 feet) wide when needed. We often just step outside briefly, and in those cases, a regular door is much easier to operate.
Especially because this is a special floor plan, it needs more careful attention in my opinion, including for sockets, lighting, and much more. People’s habits vary so much that I wouldn’t rely on general recommendations alone.
For example, our open-plan living area extends all the way to the roof, and the house entrance/wardrobe area is practically part of this open space. That’s why we also thought carefully about the appearance of the front door, since it is directly visible; luckily, there is no smell.
We also like large glass fronts, although I’m not very fond of lift-and-slide elements—I prefer more fixed glazing. In the kitchen, for example, I could imagine a “normal” door that can be opened up to 2m (6.5 feet) wide when needed. We often just step outside briefly, and in those cases, a regular door is much easier to operate.
dbertig schrieb:
what do you think?Exactly. I would run tall cabinets continuously from the wardrobe through the storage area into the kitchen. Visually similar, possibly with a ceiling-high shelving divider between the wardrobe and storage, for example, to hold gloves, scarves, bags. This utility room on the right side would then be suitable for wet shoes.
W
wiltshire28 Oct 2025 09:39dbertig schrieb:
That was great input from you all! I think the steps have something special as well. I agree. In many split-level houses, the steps often serve multiple purposes at different times: as seating, play areas for children (who may be in the way but perfectly in the middle of things). Very fitting for the design and a feature that makes a minor daily inconvenience worthwhile.
dbertig schrieb:
I’m not really a fan of an open coat area; I can already see how "clutter" or shoe odors could spread all the way to the kitchen. Don’t build what you don’t like. Take your time to weigh the pros and cons and make your own decision. A door doesn’t invalidate the design.
dbertig schrieb:
The architect said he wouldn’t put a door here because the path should lead from the front door toward the kitchen. Having a door between the coat area and kitchen would make visitors feel like the "path" goes upstairs... what do you think? I think exactly like the architect. I really like the solution as drawn. The sightlines are great—the lack of a door is, in my opinion, an aesthetic feature. Still: don’t build what you don’t like.
Arauki11 schrieb:
Especially because it’s an unusual floor plan, I believe it requires more attention regarding outlets, lighting, and much more. 100% yes!
Arauki11 schrieb:
By now, you really should precisely plan your individual furnishings according to your needs. 100% yes!
Arauki11 schrieb:
We also like large glass fronts, although I’m not so fond of lift-and-slide elements; I prefer more fixed glazing. I’d bring in folding glass walls again as a possible solution. They can also be installed to open outward, which means you don’t lose any usable interior space.
ypg schrieb:
I would extend tall cabinets from the coat area through to storage and into the kitchen. Very nice idea.
Hello everyone,
Some time ago, I introduced our project, and now we have made significant progress in the planning—thanks also for your input! We have one more topic to discuss, specifically the east side of the extension. There is no window there at all because the street right next to it is very busy. The extension will have a black wooden facade, but my feeling is that the exterior looks somewhat too plain:
Our architect suggested installing a long, narrow window on that wall. It looks cool from the outside and brings light inside; however, it would no longer be possible to run the cabinets continuously from the hallway closet to the kitchen:
Which option do you think is better? And would it bother you to have such a large extension with no window on that side? On the south and west sides, there will be a glass front.
Best regards
Some time ago, I introduced our project, and now we have made significant progress in the planning—thanks also for your input! We have one more topic to discuss, specifically the east side of the extension. There is no window there at all because the street right next to it is very busy. The extension will have a black wooden facade, but my feeling is that the exterior looks somewhat too plain:
Our architect suggested installing a long, narrow window on that wall. It looks cool from the outside and brings light inside; however, it would no longer be possible to run the cabinets continuously from the hallway closet to the kitchen:
Which option do you think is better? And would it bother you to have such a large extension with no window on that side? On the south and west sides, there will be a glass front.
Best regards
H
hanghaus202320 Mar 2026 15:55The version without windows is my favorite. Then rather 2 skylights. Or rather 3 small ones.
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