ᐅ A first draft of the floor plan from our architect... Please share your opinions.
Created on: 7 Apr 2016 15:43
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Grobi82
Hello dear forum members,
I have been following this forum for a while and have now decided to start my first thread.
A brief background:
We recently purchased an unfinished shell construction, where the partial basement with stairs and the slab foundation are already in place. We were aware that our design options for the interior layout would be limited. The original design did not really meet our expectations, so we hired an architect to design our dream home based on the existing structure. The original plan included a recessed upper floor, which did not meet our space requirements with two children. This is the reason for the redesign.
We are currently in the very early stages of discussion, so I would appreciate any feedback on our first draft. What do you like, what don’t you like? Is something missing? Because the basement stairs are already installed, we are somewhat restricted when it comes to the upper floor. Nevertheless, we have tried to make the best possible use of the available space.
Here are a few notes I’d like to share:
- Two full stories with a hipped roof
- Partial basement (already built)
- Slab foundation poured in the area without a basement
- Double garage
- The living/dining area is designed as a split-level, meaning it is about 50 cm (20 inches) lower than the rest of the house
- The connection from the master bedroom to the walk-in closet is not ideal but likely cannot be changed due to the already built basement stairs
- Outdoor areas (except for the covered terrace) are not yet planned
Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Best regards,
Grobi
I have been following this forum for a while and have now decided to start my first thread.
A brief background:
We recently purchased an unfinished shell construction, where the partial basement with stairs and the slab foundation are already in place. We were aware that our design options for the interior layout would be limited. The original design did not really meet our expectations, so we hired an architect to design our dream home based on the existing structure. The original plan included a recessed upper floor, which did not meet our space requirements with two children. This is the reason for the redesign.
We are currently in the very early stages of discussion, so I would appreciate any feedback on our first draft. What do you like, what don’t you like? Is something missing? Because the basement stairs are already installed, we are somewhat restricted when it comes to the upper floor. Nevertheless, we have tried to make the best possible use of the available space.
Here are a few notes I’d like to share:
- Two full stories with a hipped roof
- Partial basement (already built)
- Slab foundation poured in the area without a basement
- Double garage
- The living/dining area is designed as a split-level, meaning it is about 50 cm (20 inches) lower than the rest of the house
- The connection from the master bedroom to the walk-in closet is not ideal but likely cannot be changed due to the already built basement stairs
- Outdoor areas (except for the covered terrace) are not yet planned
Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Best regards,
Grobi
@Bauexperte
@ypg
I think that’s probably the way it will go... besides the functional benefits mentioned, it would also look stylish.
The storage room behind the railing (former small bathroom) is intended to be slightly expanded toward the open hallway area and will also be equipped with a door leading to the hallway. This door was missing because our planner had originally suggested a small bathroom here. I don’t want to comment on our personality or that of the planner, but we are definitely not resistant to advice nor insisting on the implementation of specific features. Our shared goal is to create a floor plan we like, given the conditions. Draining the bathroom over the living space (office) is certainly not ideal, but we can live with it since the bathroom is supposed to remain in that location. I find the proposal/design from @ypg interesting in any case, but I am concerned that the bathroom will be too narrow and that the upper floor including the staircase will turn into a dark void. After all, the only window would then be on the south side...
The lady of the house is often open to persuasion and change of mind. She has abandoned the dogma of bedroom-dressing room-bathroom.
As mentioned above, I find the bathroom on the north side quite narrow... (we have already discussed this exact design with our planner once). The problematic part is especially where your plan shows the shower. There, the rough construction width is only 1.10 m (3.6 ft).
Nevertheless, I would like to sincerely thank you all for your helpfulness, ideas, and suggestions. It helps us develop a better overall feel for the planning and also sparks new ideas and thoughts.
Regarding the location, size, and arrangement of the windows, I agree with you... so far, I have only presented the floor plan. I will correct that in my next post and include elevations as well.
@ypg
Bauexperte schrieb:
Ground floor:
I would still recommend closing off the hallway area, as well as the kitchen to the lower-level living/dining room, each with a sliding door; glass would be my preferred option. *Personally*, I am not a fan of drafts or odors spreading throughout the entire floor.
I think that’s probably the way it will go... besides the functional benefits mentioned, it would also look stylish.
Bauexperte schrieb:
I wonder what the upper floor is supposed to represent? Is your planner just a simple "yes-man," or are you unwilling to learn and they’ve given up? Planning a storage room on the upper floor is definitely a smart choice; designing it more or less as a trapped space is simply naive. Aside from the fact that the space behind the staircase—boldly labeled as a hallway—makes no sense; a hallway serves as a distributor, not a dead end. Or is communication via railing (staircase) the goal? I also don’t understand why the master bathroom has to drain over a living space again.
The storage room behind the railing (former small bathroom) is intended to be slightly expanded toward the open hallway area and will also be equipped with a door leading to the hallway. This door was missing because our planner had originally suggested a small bathroom here. I don’t want to comment on our personality or that of the planner, but we are definitely not resistant to advice nor insisting on the implementation of specific features. Our shared goal is to create a floor plan we like, given the conditions. Draining the bathroom over the living space (office) is certainly not ideal, but we can live with it since the bathroom is supposed to remain in that location. I find the proposal/design from @ypg interesting in any case, but I am concerned that the bathroom will be too narrow and that the upper floor including the staircase will turn into a dark void. After all, the only window would then be on the south side...
ypg schrieb:
Since the lady of the house has now also given up on direct access to the bathroom (as I understand it, due to giving up the children’s bathroom, which I can also understand well), there might be a chance that she will come to her senses in the next few weeks and admit there are more functional uses of living space than gallery rooms and open areas. But if there’s space left over anyway, I’m, of course, happy to be a supportive lady.
The lady of the house is often open to persuasion and change of mind. She has abandoned the dogma of bedroom-dressing room-bathroom.
As mentioned above, I find the bathroom on the north side quite narrow... (we have already discussed this exact design with our planner once). The problematic part is especially where your plan shows the shower. There, the rough construction width is only 1.10 m (3.6 ft).
Nevertheless, I would like to sincerely thank you all for your helpfulness, ideas, and suggestions. It helps us develop a better overall feel for the planning and also sparks new ideas and thoughts.
Regarding the location, size, and arrangement of the windows, I agree with you... so far, I have only presented the floor plan. I will correct that in my next post and include elevations as well.
B
Bauexperte28 Apr 2016 10:33Hello,
Yvonne has taken up my thoughts — expanded with a gallery — from post #12. This makes *her* upper floor appear much more coherent; the bathroom is by no means narrow; the space behind the staircase is optimally used with a walk-in shower; the connections are aligned vertically.
Regarding your concern about lighting, I consider it negligible. On one hand, enough light comes through the gallery to the front, and on the other hand, if the roof construction allows, you can additionally install a daylight spot.
Best regards, Bauexperte
Grobi82 schrieb:
I definitely find the proposal/design by @ypg interesting, but I am concerned that the bathroom might be too narrow and that the upper floor including the staircase could become very dark. The only window would be on the south side...
Yvonne has taken up my thoughts — expanded with a gallery — from post #12. This makes *her* upper floor appear much more coherent; the bathroom is by no means narrow; the space behind the staircase is optimally used with a walk-in shower; the connections are aligned vertically.
Regarding your concern about lighting, I consider it negligible. On one hand, enough light comes through the gallery to the front, and on the other hand, if the roof construction allows, you can additionally install a daylight spot.
Best regards, Bauexperte
I specifically included the 3D rendering to show that the bathroom still offers a satisfactory width. The bathroom appears elegant and has a more generous circulation area than many other bathrooms.
Perhaps you could still consider some ideas, such as swapping the storage room with the bathroom. You might also consider extending the walls toward the children's rooms (fireplace) and reopening the window by the staircase to bring light back into the front part of the hallway.
Overall, you have more than enough space on the upper floor, which doesn't necessarily make the planning easier.
Perhaps you could still consider some ideas, such as swapping the storage room with the bathroom. You might also consider extending the walls toward the children's rooms (fireplace) and reopening the window by the staircase to bring light back into the front part of the hallway.
Overall, you have more than enough space on the upper floor, which doesn't necessarily make the planning easier.
Thanks again to all of you for your feedback and tips.
After a few days’ break, I’m back with a new draft that we really like now.
Differences from the previous versions:
- Basement stairs turn 180 degrees, solving the issue with the narrow guest bathroom
- On the upper floor, the hallway has been shortened and Children’s Room 1 has been enlarged. However, the door position is still not ideal
- Light well instead of a narrow passage behind the stairs leading to the upper floor
Please don’t mind the window details. These are not finalized yet and the parapet heights are still incorrect.
I have one more request for the experts:
Do you have any ideas on how we could furnish the living/dining room? Where could the TV be placed? We are considering a pellet stove on the wall along the hallway stairs, downstairs. Would it be possible to design this stove as a room divider from floor to ceiling, and mount the TV on the east-facing side of it? Or is this only possible with traditional wood-burning stoves?
Looking forward to your ideas and feedback.
After a few days’ break, I’m back with a new draft that we really like now.
Differences from the previous versions:
- Basement stairs turn 180 degrees, solving the issue with the narrow guest bathroom
- On the upper floor, the hallway has been shortened and Children’s Room 1 has been enlarged. However, the door position is still not ideal
- Light well instead of a narrow passage behind the stairs leading to the upper floor
Please don’t mind the window details. These are not finalized yet and the parapet heights are still incorrect.
I have one more request for the experts:
Do you have any ideas on how we could furnish the living/dining room? Where could the TV be placed? We are considering a pellet stove on the wall along the hallway stairs, downstairs. Would it be possible to design this stove as a room divider from floor to ceiling, and mount the TV on the east-facing side of it? Or is this only possible with traditional wood-burning stoves?
Looking forward to your ideas and feedback.
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