ᐅ Feedback on Single-Family Home Floor Plan – 200 m² Urban Villa with Hipped Roof

Hello everyone,

I am currently deep in the planning phase for our single-family home, a townhouse villa type, with construction scheduled to start next spring/summer. To avoid any blind spots in the planning process—if not already the case—I would really appreciate your opinions on the current status and any suggestions you might have. I have attached the floor plan along with a visualization and want to thank you in advance for your feedback!

Zoning Plan / Restrictions

- Plot size: 660 m² (7,104 sq ft)
- Slope: No
- Floor area ratio (FAR) / Site occupancy index: 0.35 / 0.7
- Building envelope, building line, and boundary: See plan
- Edge development: Allowed (border garage)
- Number of parking spaces: Minimum 2
- Number of floors: Maximum 2
- Roof pitch: 0 – 45°
- Architectural style: No specifications
- Orientation: No specifications
- Maximum height / limits: 7 m (23 ft)
- Other requirements: None

Homeowners’ Requirements

- Style, roof shape, building type: Townhouse villa with hipped roof (18°)
- Basement, number of floors: No basement, two full floors
- Number of occupants, age: 2 (33/30)
- Required living space on ground floor and upper floor: About 100 m² (1,076 sq ft)
- Office use: Family use and partial home office, hence the size
- Overnight guests per year: 1 - 4
- Open or closed layout: Open
- Conservative or modern style: Modern
- Open kitchen, kitchen island: Open kitchen with cooking or half kitchen island
- Number of dining seats: 2 - 6
- Fireplace: Yes
- Music/stereo wall: No
- Balcony, roof terrace: No
- Garage, carport: Double garage
- Utility garden, greenhouse: No

House Design

- Planning by: Own design
- What do you particularly like? Why? See below
- What do you not like? Why? See below
- Cost estimate according to architect/designer: €415,000 excluding land
- Preferred heating system: Heat pump with ventilation system

If you have to compromise, on which details/expansions

- You can compromise on: Various room sizes/arrangements
- You cannot compromise on: Almost everything listed under “what I like”

Why does the design look like it does now?

Personal taste (townhouse villa, open design), plot requirements (orientation and positioning), and external advice (planning for closets, etc.).

What I like:

• General placement of all rooms on the plot: Bedroom away from the street on the east side (sunrise); living area set back from the street; office with a large window facing west (sunset side)
• Clear, uninterrupted view from the entrance area all the way to the garden
• Exterior design of the house
• Garage roof covering with space for trash bins near the street
• Integration of the kitchen unit and tall kitchen cabinets in the floor plan
• Extra room on the ground floor for guests, utility, and due to its size, potential as a full bedroom on the ground floor later
• Garage access from inside via the entrance area (“dirty zone” vs. “clean zone”)
• Central placement of the fireplace
• Pre-planned integration of household cupboards/closets into niches on both floors (space under the stairs should also be accessible)
• Laundry chute access from both the dressing room and bathroom
• Bright, open, spacious corridor on the upper floor with a window
• Central staircase location

What I do not like as much:

• Offset dining table relative to the kitchen island due to walkway width near the fireplace; it’s “okay” but requires walking around. Having the table directly opposite would be nicer.
• The bathroom is generally fine, but I am not happy with the door position and the corner, even though the corner probably won't be very visible as the door won’t fully open 90°, and the walkway is wide enough. However, I don’t see where I could take space from without negatively affecting the position of the stairs or chimney and thus compromising the generally good room and circulation sizes in the entrance, living room, dressing room, or bedroom.
• “Tunnel” effect in the doorway area of children’s room 1

The most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters

I am primarily looking for your assessment/feedback on the floor plan and welcome constructive points, suggestions, or ideas I might have missed due to “planning bias,” including your thoughts on what I don’t like.