ᐅ Feedback on Single-Family Home Floor Plan Welcome (~175 m² / 0.9 m knee wall / Basement)
Created on: 25 Aug 2020 14:48
J
jj-siegen
Hello everyone,
we have made significant progress with our house planning and are getting closer to a potential contract signing. We will be building with a local timber construction company where we feel very well supported.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1032m2 (11106 sq ft)
Slope: yes, but the house will be built on the flat part of the plot
Building coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 1.0
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: II
Roof type: gable roof (25-45 degrees)
Orientation
Maximum height / limits: maximum building height 8m (26 ft)
Additional requirements: knee wall height 70cm (27.5 inches) (measured from top of ground floor ceiling to underside of collar beam)
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: classic single-family house, gable roof
Basement, floors: basement, ground floor + attic floor
Number and age of occupants: 2 adults + 2 children
Space requirements on ground floor, upper floor
Office: combined study and guest room
Number of guest stays per year: around 12 times per year
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: somewhere in between
Open kitchen, cooking island: yes, both
Number of dining seats: 8-10
Fireplace: no, possibly an ethanol fireplace
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: yes, balcony
Garage, carport: double carport (still in planning, not directly attached to the house)
House Design
Who designed it:
- planner from a construction company in collaboration with us
What do you like particularly? Why?
- all our wishes have been fulfilled (parents’ area, balcony, children’s bathroom, spacious study/guest room, bright and generous entrance area)
What do you dislike? Why?
- nothing specific. I think some uncertainty is gradually coming up as the contract signing approaches. Therefore, we hope for some tips, suggestions, etc. I am still a bit unsure about the roof slopes in the attic floor (knee wall 90cm (35 inches)). Do you think the rooms will work well despite the roof slopes?
Price estimate according to architect/planner: ~500,000 (exact offer still pending)
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 600,000€
Preferred heating technology: geothermal heat pump
Why was the design made this way? For example:
individually planned and refined according to our wishes
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
As mentioned above, we are simply looking for additional input, suggestions, and criticism, since after spending a long time with a floor plan, one may become somewhat “blind” to its flaws.
Many thanks in advance for plenty of suggestions, ideas, and of course constructive criticism.
we have made significant progress with our house planning and are getting closer to a potential contract signing. We will be building with a local timber construction company where we feel very well supported.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1032m2 (11106 sq ft)
Slope: yes, but the house will be built on the flat part of the plot
Building coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 1.0
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: II
Roof type: gable roof (25-45 degrees)
Orientation
Maximum height / limits: maximum building height 8m (26 ft)
Additional requirements: knee wall height 70cm (27.5 inches) (measured from top of ground floor ceiling to underside of collar beam)
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: classic single-family house, gable roof
Basement, floors: basement, ground floor + attic floor
Number and age of occupants: 2 adults + 2 children
Space requirements on ground floor, upper floor
Office: combined study and guest room
Number of guest stays per year: around 12 times per year
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: somewhere in between
Open kitchen, cooking island: yes, both
Number of dining seats: 8-10
Fireplace: no, possibly an ethanol fireplace
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: yes, balcony
Garage, carport: double carport (still in planning, not directly attached to the house)
House Design
Who designed it:
- planner from a construction company in collaboration with us
What do you like particularly? Why?
- all our wishes have been fulfilled (parents’ area, balcony, children’s bathroom, spacious study/guest room, bright and generous entrance area)
What do you dislike? Why?
- nothing specific. I think some uncertainty is gradually coming up as the contract signing approaches. Therefore, we hope for some tips, suggestions, etc. I am still a bit unsure about the roof slopes in the attic floor (knee wall 90cm (35 inches)). Do you think the rooms will work well despite the roof slopes?
Price estimate according to architect/planner: ~500,000 (exact offer still pending)
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 600,000€
Preferred heating technology: geothermal heat pump
Why was the design made this way? For example:
individually planned and refined according to our wishes
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
As mentioned above, we are simply looking for additional input, suggestions, and criticism, since after spending a long time with a floor plan, one may become somewhat “blind” to its flaws.
Many thanks in advance for plenty of suggestions, ideas, and of course constructive criticism.
N
Nice-Nofret25 Aug 2020 16:45Seriously? Did you decide the layout by rolling dice?
The entrance hallway is too small, lacking storage space and a bench for putting on shoes; the kitchen is located in a dark corner, even though there is a bright kitchen bay window that remains unused – above it is a tiny balcony that is practically useless. Meanwhile, the walk-in closet is unnecessarily wide, and the bathrooms are just narrow corridors...
What’s the purpose of the windows in the storage room? And so on...
The entrance hallway is too small, lacking storage space and a bench for putting on shoes; the kitchen is located in a dark corner, even though there is a bright kitchen bay window that remains unused – above it is a tiny balcony that is practically useless. Meanwhile, the walk-in closet is unnecessarily wide, and the bathrooms are just narrow corridors...
What’s the purpose of the windows in the storage room? And so on...
J
jj-siegen3 Sep 2020 22:01Hello everyone!
Thank you very much for the extensive feedback, and apologies for the late response. We were on vacation.
There is clearly still room for improvement.
The entrance area does feel quite cramped. We will need to revisit that.
The bay window in the kitchen is actually unnecessary. It originated from our desire to have a small balcony in the master area. We find a bay window with a balcony on top visually much more appealing than a balcony with supports. We will discuss this further.
Overall, there are now many "protrusions." You are right about that. We will address it.
But our main problem starts on the upper floor. Perhaps we should work our way down from there.
Our requirements for the upper floor are: 2 children’s rooms, 1 children’s bathroom, 1 master area (bedroom, dressing room, master bathroom). The issue is the local development plan requirements: a 70cm (28 inches) knee wall (structural ceiling height to bottom edge of the purlin) and a maximum ridge height of 8 meters (26 feet). With a roof pitch of 38 degrees, this results in a maximum building width of 9.80 meters (32 feet) externally.
Do you think it is feasible to accommodate our room requirements within these constraints? Does anyone perhaps have a floor plan that might fit or any good ideas?
Originally, we also wanted a straight staircase. The planner suggested that, given our roof slope constraints, a half-turn staircase might be more practical. Do you agree with this?
Once we have solved these issues, we will turn to the ground floor.
Just to note: in the floor plans, south is at the top.
Thanks in advance!
Thank you very much for the extensive feedback, and apologies for the late response. We were on vacation.
There is clearly still room for improvement.
The entrance area does feel quite cramped. We will need to revisit that.
The bay window in the kitchen is actually unnecessary. It originated from our desire to have a small balcony in the master area. We find a bay window with a balcony on top visually much more appealing than a balcony with supports. We will discuss this further.
Overall, there are now many "protrusions." You are right about that. We will address it.
But our main problem starts on the upper floor. Perhaps we should work our way down from there.
Our requirements for the upper floor are: 2 children’s rooms, 1 children’s bathroom, 1 master area (bedroom, dressing room, master bathroom). The issue is the local development plan requirements: a 70cm (28 inches) knee wall (structural ceiling height to bottom edge of the purlin) and a maximum ridge height of 8 meters (26 feet). With a roof pitch of 38 degrees, this results in a maximum building width of 9.80 meters (32 feet) externally.
Do you think it is feasible to accommodate our room requirements within these constraints? Does anyone perhaps have a floor plan that might fit or any good ideas?
Originally, we also wanted a straight staircase. The planner suggested that, given our roof slope constraints, a half-turn staircase might be more practical. Do you agree with this?
Once we have solved these issues, we will turn to the ground floor.
Just to note: in the floor plans, south is at the top.
Thanks in advance!
N
Nice-Nofret4 Sep 2020 12:48Nothing against having a balcony in the master bedroom area – but what is its intended purpose? The practical size should be based on that. And why is it connected to the walk-in closet? Is it meant for airing out clothes?
The entire floor plan is really unpleasant – and I’m not someone who prefers a ‘square, practical, good’ approach. I’m all for individual design; however, it should still make sense somewhere.
The ideal layout would be to access the bathroom and master bedroom through the walk-in closet, so that people don’t disturb each other when their schedules differ.
The entire floor plan is really unpleasant – and I’m not someone who prefers a ‘square, practical, good’ approach. I’m all for individual design; however, it should still make sense somewhere.
The ideal layout would be to access the bathroom and master bedroom through the walk-in closet, so that people don’t disturb each other when their schedules differ.
A
Alessandro4 Sep 2020 13:11The floor plan is 10 times better than what you usually see here!
I find the bay window in the kitchen unnecessary, but otherwise, I quite like it.
A balcony at the walk-in closet can definitely make sense.
I find the bay window in the kitchen unnecessary, but otherwise, I quite like it.
A balcony at the walk-in closet can definitely make sense.
W
Wintersonne4 Sep 2020 13:17How much wardrobe space will you fit in the walk-in closet with a knee wall height of 0.9 m (3 feet)? The 2-meter (6 feet 6 inches) height line starts roughly at the middle of the room. (Wardrobes are about 2.10 m (6 feet 11 inches) tall). Is that enough storage for you?
Wintersonne schrieb:
How much wardrobe space will you be able to fit in the walk-in closet with a knee wall height of 0.9 m (3 ft)? The 2-meter (6 ft 6 in) line starts at about the middle of the room. (Wardrobes are approximately 2.10 m (7 ft) tall). Is that enough storage space for you? There is a third bay window. The 2-meter (6 ft 6 in) line is also visible there.
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