ᐅ Single-family house design with garage/carport – request for feedback
Created on: 16 Apr 2015 14:06
E
elVincent
Hello,
I have been following the forum for a while and now want to become active myself. My wife (29) and I (32) have reserved a plot of land for which we have created a first draft to check if our ideas are feasible on this site. We have already gone into great detail, so by now there is an almost finished plan. I would like to present this today and ask for your evaluation/critique. Please feel free to be brutally honest ;-)
First, the list of questions:
Development plan/restrictions: Everything except flat roofs is allowed, max. building height 9.0m (30 feet), two stories, site coverage ratio 0.4, floor area ratio 0.6, 2 parking spaces, no requirement for ridge direction, border development with garage possible, building permit inquiry has already been submitted and approved positively.
Plot size: 830m² (8,930 sq ft), completely flat
Owners’ requirements:
Style, roof type, building type: somewhat modern look, gable roof (15°), single-family house with office (permanent home office)
Basement, floors: usable basement under main building, 2 full floors
Number of people, age: currently 2 people, 29 and 32 years old, two more planned :-)
Space requirements on ground and upper floor: approx. 160-180 m² (1,720-1,940 sq ft)
Office: home office
Overnight guests per year: about 5
Open or closed architecture: open style
Conservative or modern construction:
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen
Number of dining seats: permanently four, option to expand to 10-12
Balcony, roof terrace: no balcony, possibly the flat roof annex could be used as a roof terrace
Garage, carport: double garage
House design:
Who created the plan: self-drawn; the basic requirements were discussed with a friend who is an architect (though she does not have much experience with single-family houses yet!)
What do you like most? Exterior views, bright office with garden view
What do you dislike? Rooms on the upper floor are somewhat oversized
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: –
Personal budget limit for house including features: €330,000
Preferred heating system: wood pellets (condensing technology), underfloor heating
I hope the design is clear in all aspects. I am a mechanical engineer and created the entire design with SolidWorks, which is certainly not the standard software for this purpose. But in return, you get everything in 3D and nicely colored :-)
The main problem I currently see with the design is that because a certain amount of space program is assigned to the ground floor, the footprint becomes so large that the upper floor and basement end up hopelessly oversized. Perhaps the overall length could be slightly reduced by enlarging the annex (the guest room would then shift further into the office cube). But maybe a completely new arrangement would also be sensible.
A quick note on our life situation: I work for a small engineering office where everyone works full-time from home for flexibility reasons. Therefore, the boundary between living and working sometimes blurs for me. So I need a room where I am sufficiently secluded to have peace and quiet, but still close enough to participate in family life.
We want to have two children, but they should only be born after the homebuilding project is completed. The planned construction start is mid-2016.
If anything is unclear or if information is missing, please just ask. I look forward to criticism and hopefully a pleasant discussion. When you create the design yourself, there are certainly things you don’t notice because you can’t see the forest for the trees.
I have been following the forum for a while and now want to become active myself. My wife (29) and I (32) have reserved a plot of land for which we have created a first draft to check if our ideas are feasible on this site. We have already gone into great detail, so by now there is an almost finished plan. I would like to present this today and ask for your evaluation/critique. Please feel free to be brutally honest ;-)
First, the list of questions:
Development plan/restrictions: Everything except flat roofs is allowed, max. building height 9.0m (30 feet), two stories, site coverage ratio 0.4, floor area ratio 0.6, 2 parking spaces, no requirement for ridge direction, border development with garage possible, building permit inquiry has already been submitted and approved positively.
Plot size: 830m² (8,930 sq ft), completely flat
Owners’ requirements:
Style, roof type, building type: somewhat modern look, gable roof (15°), single-family house with office (permanent home office)
Basement, floors: usable basement under main building, 2 full floors
Number of people, age: currently 2 people, 29 and 32 years old, two more planned :-)
Space requirements on ground and upper floor: approx. 160-180 m² (1,720-1,940 sq ft)
Office: home office
Overnight guests per year: about 5
Open or closed architecture: open style
Conservative or modern construction:
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen
Number of dining seats: permanently four, option to expand to 10-12
Balcony, roof terrace: no balcony, possibly the flat roof annex could be used as a roof terrace
Garage, carport: double garage
House design:
Who created the plan: self-drawn; the basic requirements were discussed with a friend who is an architect (though she does not have much experience with single-family houses yet!)
What do you like most? Exterior views, bright office with garden view
What do you dislike? Rooms on the upper floor are somewhat oversized
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: –
Personal budget limit for house including features: €330,000
Preferred heating system: wood pellets (condensing technology), underfloor heating
I hope the design is clear in all aspects. I am a mechanical engineer and created the entire design with SolidWorks, which is certainly not the standard software for this purpose. But in return, you get everything in 3D and nicely colored :-)
The main problem I currently see with the design is that because a certain amount of space program is assigned to the ground floor, the footprint becomes so large that the upper floor and basement end up hopelessly oversized. Perhaps the overall length could be slightly reduced by enlarging the annex (the guest room would then shift further into the office cube). But maybe a completely new arrangement would also be sensible.
A quick note on our life situation: I work for a small engineering office where everyone works full-time from home for flexibility reasons. Therefore, the boundary between living and working sometimes blurs for me. So I need a room where I am sufficiently secluded to have peace and quiet, but still close enough to participate in family life.
We want to have two children, but they should only be born after the homebuilding project is completed. The planned construction start is mid-2016.
If anything is unclear or if information is missing, please just ask. I look forward to criticism and hopefully a pleasant discussion. When you create the design yourself, there are certainly things you don’t notice because you can’t see the forest for the trees.
E
elVincent17 Apr 2015 09:23Thank you very much for all the responses! They have been very helpful to us.
I think the hallway and the related circumstances are a consequence of having the entrance located at the corner. Additionally, there needs to be a route to the office that does not pass through living areas. With the current layout, this inevitably results in a hallway. Therefore, further planning should probably start by reconsidering the arrangement of the extension.
Originally, the plan was to move the office into a granny flat in the basement (with a light well, considering the site is level), but I much prefer the idea of spending most of my day “above ground.” This opens up many more possibilities for natural light in the room. Also, the decision about purchasing the plot is connected to this: if we had a plot of 830 square meters (about 8,930 square feet), we could afford to build a bit more floor area than we otherwise would.
I once had a draft (done with pencil and graph paper, which is heavily used here ;-) ) where the extension was placed between the garage and the house, creating a shared entrance area (one main front door leading to a “distributor” space from which you could directly access the garage, the office, and the house). I believe that locating the office on the entrance side is definitely more beneficial and saves circulation space.
The guest room actually serves as a kind of ironing/laundry room (it also stores the vacuum cleaner and other cleaning supplies), but it can also accommodate occasional overnight guests. Therefore, I face strong opposition at home when suggesting moving it upstairs or to the basement. It tends to get completely removed from the plans instead, and is replaced by a storage room.
So, we will go back to the beginning and make a new attempt. Perhaps we’ll meet again with our architect friend and develop some new ideas together.
In the meantime, many thanks again for all the suggestions and critiques. We will certainly return :-)
Oh, and one more thing: I was especially pleased to hear that the exterior design and, in particular, the window arrangement appeal not only to me. It’s great that there was at least something positive to discover :-)
I think the hallway and the related circumstances are a consequence of having the entrance located at the corner. Additionally, there needs to be a route to the office that does not pass through living areas. With the current layout, this inevitably results in a hallway. Therefore, further planning should probably start by reconsidering the arrangement of the extension.
Originally, the plan was to move the office into a granny flat in the basement (with a light well, considering the site is level), but I much prefer the idea of spending most of my day “above ground.” This opens up many more possibilities for natural light in the room. Also, the decision about purchasing the plot is connected to this: if we had a plot of 830 square meters (about 8,930 square feet), we could afford to build a bit more floor area than we otherwise would.
I once had a draft (done with pencil and graph paper, which is heavily used here ;-) ) where the extension was placed between the garage and the house, creating a shared entrance area (one main front door leading to a “distributor” space from which you could directly access the garage, the office, and the house). I believe that locating the office on the entrance side is definitely more beneficial and saves circulation space.
The guest room actually serves as a kind of ironing/laundry room (it also stores the vacuum cleaner and other cleaning supplies), but it can also accommodate occasional overnight guests. Therefore, I face strong opposition at home when suggesting moving it upstairs or to the basement. It tends to get completely removed from the plans instead, and is replaced by a storage room.
So, we will go back to the beginning and make a new attempt. Perhaps we’ll meet again with our architect friend and develop some new ideas together.
In the meantime, many thanks again for all the suggestions and critiques. We will certainly return :-)
Oh, and one more thing: I was especially pleased to hear that the exterior design and, in particular, the window arrangement appeal not only to me. It’s great that there was at least something positive to discover :-)
Hello,
since you have already realized that you will have to "start over," here are a few suggestions for the new planning:
- Consider whether you really need a pantry. If not, that space can be added to the kitchen, which then can have more cabinets and storage. Many people want a pantry because they think it is cooler there, but that is often not the case. Since you are building with a basement, you could always place a shelf there for food items that need cooler storage.
- You originally planned to store the vacuum cleaner, iron, etc., in the home office. Personally, I would recommend including a utility room for these purposes on the ground floor, because what if someone needs the vacuum or cleaning supplies quickly while you are trying to concentrate in the home office? That would just disturb your concentration.
Best regards
since you have already realized that you will have to "start over," here are a few suggestions for the new planning:
- Consider whether you really need a pantry. If not, that space can be added to the kitchen, which then can have more cabinets and storage. Many people want a pantry because they think it is cooler there, but that is often not the case. Since you are building with a basement, you could always place a shelf there for food items that need cooler storage.
- You originally planned to store the vacuum cleaner, iron, etc., in the home office. Personally, I would recommend including a utility room for these purposes on the ground floor, because what if someone needs the vacuum or cleaning supplies quickly while you are trying to concentrate in the home office? That would just disturb your concentration.
Best regards
D
Doc.Schnaggls17 Apr 2015 11:26Hello,
If I were you, I wouldn’t completely dismiss the idea of having an office in the basement just yet.
Our guest room is also in the basement, but thanks to a large light well and a correspondingly sized window, it gets more than enough natural daylight to work or read there without artificial lighting.
With proper planning, this shouldn’t be a dealbreaker.
Best regards,
Dirk
If I were you, I wouldn’t completely dismiss the idea of having an office in the basement just yet.
Our guest room is also in the basement, but thanks to a large light well and a correspondingly sized window, it gets more than enough natural daylight to work or read there without artificial lighting.
With proper planning, this shouldn’t be a dealbreaker.
Best regards,
Dirk
E
elVincent4 May 2015 16:27We have continued to develop our ideas and, after encountering many dead ends, changed the concept so that the office moves to the basement and will be supplied with natural light through a light well. This eases the situation on the ground floor, making the planning much simpler.
For the attached draft, we took inspiration from the floor plan of a friend’s house, as we have always really liked it there. However, we changed several things so that, as it stands now, it fits our ideas exactly.
Some notes:
- The guest room on the ground floor is definitely planned there because it also serves as an ironing/laundry/storage room. If needed, it could be used for living in later life if we decide not to have or afford a stairlift.
- The pantry is limited towards the kitchen by elements that visually belong to the kitchen and are partly designed as built-in cabinets. This way, the refrigerator disappears in the front corner, next to it is the sliding door for access, and above are the mentioned built-in cabinets for extra kitchen storage. We really liked this solution in our friend’s house.
- The cloakroom is located in the entrance area; no furniture is planned there yet.
- The basement is currently only roughly divided; only the office is fully finalized. So, there is still some work to do here. In particular, the hallway area will likely need to be reduced. There should be direct access from the basement to the light well, as a drying rack can be placed there from time to time.
- On the upper floor, we are still considering adding a small storage room. This would require slightly reducing the bathroom size. We are undecided if this is really necessary.
- We experimented with the roof shape for a while and ultimately decided on the shown staggered shed roof. A gable roof might also be possible, but in my opinion, the guest room/parents’ area would need to be designed as a two-story extension with a flat roof. Visually, we were not really convinced by this option.
Now we look forward to any feedback and hope, of course, that our ideas are not completely off the mark :-)
For the attached draft, we took inspiration from the floor plan of a friend’s house, as we have always really liked it there. However, we changed several things so that, as it stands now, it fits our ideas exactly.
Some notes:
- The guest room on the ground floor is definitely planned there because it also serves as an ironing/laundry/storage room. If needed, it could be used for living in later life if we decide not to have or afford a stairlift.
- The pantry is limited towards the kitchen by elements that visually belong to the kitchen and are partly designed as built-in cabinets. This way, the refrigerator disappears in the front corner, next to it is the sliding door for access, and above are the mentioned built-in cabinets for extra kitchen storage. We really liked this solution in our friend’s house.
- The cloakroom is located in the entrance area; no furniture is planned there yet.
- The basement is currently only roughly divided; only the office is fully finalized. So, there is still some work to do here. In particular, the hallway area will likely need to be reduced. There should be direct access from the basement to the light well, as a drying rack can be placed there from time to time.
- On the upper floor, we are still considering adding a small storage room. This would require slightly reducing the bathroom size. We are undecided if this is really necessary.
- We experimented with the roof shape for a while and ultimately decided on the shown staggered shed roof. A gable roof might also be possible, but in my opinion, the guest room/parents’ area would need to be designed as a two-story extension with a flat roof. Visually, we were not really convinced by this option.
Now we look forward to any feedback and hope, of course, that our ideas are not completely off the mark :-)
Just a quick thought… overall, I quite like the floor plan. What still feels a bit off to me is the hallway on the ground floor, which acts as a narrow corridor leading to the guest room. However, I can’t immediately think of an alternative solution. Despite having a small entrance area, I feel there isn’t enough closet space for coats and shoes, as jackets, hats, and shoes for four people take up quite a bit of room.
Upstairs, I would rotate the bed in the bedroom by 90°, so the headboard isn’t under the window, giving more space around the bed. How wide is the walk-in closet?
Regarding the bathroom, I would consider incorporating more of the hallway space to plan for one slightly larger and one smaller bathroom.
Upstairs, I would rotate the bed in the bedroom by 90°, so the headboard isn’t under the window, giving more space around the bed. How wide is the walk-in closet?
Regarding the bathroom, I would consider incorporating more of the hallway space to plan for one slightly larger and one smaller bathroom.
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