Hello, we are currently planning the construction of our future home. We have a fairly clear idea of how the house should look and have already presented our plans to four construction companies. They all basically accepted our ideas without much criticism, gave a few minor suggestions here and there, and provided initial cost estimates. Since the companies all took our ideas quite quietly, we assume we are on the right track 🙂
We would like to hear your opinions on the floor plan before we hand over the fine-tuned plans to the construction companies for detailed pricing.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1,150 sqm (12,379 sq ft) - Parcels 19 + 19a - (plot contractually reserved, buildability likely from Jan 22)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: at least 3 m (10 ft) must be left free for landscaping along the street
Edge development: I found nothing further about edge development in the development plan, so I assume 3 meters (10 ft)
Number of parking spaces: parking spaces must be created for our own cars
Number of storeys: max 2 full storeys
Roof style
Architectural style
Orientation
Maximum height/limitations: max ridge height 9.5 m (31 ft)
Further regulations: garages must be at least 3 m (10 ft) away from public traffic areas
Requirements from the Homeowners
Architectural style, roof style, building type: urban villa with flat gable roof (KfW55 standard)
Basement, storeys: no basement, 2 storeys
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults, 1 child (29, 29, 2 years), another child planned
Space requirements on ground and upper floors:
Ground floor: guest room/office + shower bathroom
Upper floor: 2 children’s rooms, master bedroom, dressing room, children’s bathroom, master bathroom
Office: family use or home office? Home office possibility + overnight guests
Guest stays per year: at least 10 times a year for 2 guests, possibly more
Open or closed architecture
Conservative or modern design: rather modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with island
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: we plan a carport
Utility garden, greenhouse: some use planned
Additional wishes/particulars/daily routine, including reasons for choices: We definitely wanted a storage room, which one company then added upstairs. The last company we spoke with suggested this: concrete stairs with a separate storage room under the stairs behind a door (unfortunately not included in the floor plan as my "Sweet Home 3D" skills ended there). The stairwell would then face the entrance door rather than the living room. We like this idea but wonder if we could give up the second storage room upstairs in favor of more space for the children’s rooms.
House Design
Who designed the plan: mainly our ideas, digitalized by the construction company
What do you like? Why?:
1. The living room-kitchen area was taken 1:1 from a model home where we liked the feeling of space very much.
2. Bedroom and master bathroom are accessed via the dressing room.
3. The master bathroom is also taken almost exactly from a model home.
What do you not like? Why?: We wonder if the hallway is sufficient. It will definitely not be spacious, just functional, but is there enough space?
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings:
Preferred heating technology: heat pump, possibly photovoltaic with battery storage (consultation still needed)
If you had to give up details or expansions
- what could you give up: a storage room?
- what couldn’t you give up:
Why did the design turn out as it is now?
A mix of house catalogs, model home visits, and ideas from the construction companies
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Due to my limited "Sweet Home 3D" skills, the ground floor plan looks a bit odd. I superimposed an earlier floor plan as a reference under the new one. Please only pay attention to the stronger outlines for the sofa and dining table. Sorry about that, but it’s the best I could do.
Let me know if we forgot any relevant information. Sorry in advance if my responses are not immediate; I will try to reply as soon as possible.
So, we look forward to your feedback.
We would like to hear your opinions on the floor plan before we hand over the fine-tuned plans to the construction companies for detailed pricing.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 1,150 sqm (12,379 sq ft) - Parcels 19 + 19a - (plot contractually reserved, buildability likely from Jan 22)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: at least 3 m (10 ft) must be left free for landscaping along the street
Edge development: I found nothing further about edge development in the development plan, so I assume 3 meters (10 ft)
Number of parking spaces: parking spaces must be created for our own cars
Number of storeys: max 2 full storeys
Roof style
Architectural style
Orientation
Maximum height/limitations: max ridge height 9.5 m (31 ft)
Further regulations: garages must be at least 3 m (10 ft) away from public traffic areas
Requirements from the Homeowners
Architectural style, roof style, building type: urban villa with flat gable roof (KfW55 standard)
Basement, storeys: no basement, 2 storeys
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults, 1 child (29, 29, 2 years), another child planned
Space requirements on ground and upper floors:
Ground floor: guest room/office + shower bathroom
Upper floor: 2 children’s rooms, master bedroom, dressing room, children’s bathroom, master bathroom
Office: family use or home office? Home office possibility + overnight guests
Guest stays per year: at least 10 times a year for 2 guests, possibly more
Open or closed architecture
Conservative or modern design: rather modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen with island
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: we plan a carport
Utility garden, greenhouse: some use planned
Additional wishes/particulars/daily routine, including reasons for choices: We definitely wanted a storage room, which one company then added upstairs. The last company we spoke with suggested this: concrete stairs with a separate storage room under the stairs behind a door (unfortunately not included in the floor plan as my "Sweet Home 3D" skills ended there). The stairwell would then face the entrance door rather than the living room. We like this idea but wonder if we could give up the second storage room upstairs in favor of more space for the children’s rooms.
House Design
Who designed the plan: mainly our ideas, digitalized by the construction company
What do you like? Why?:
1. The living room-kitchen area was taken 1:1 from a model home where we liked the feeling of space very much.
2. Bedroom and master bathroom are accessed via the dressing room.
3. The master bathroom is also taken almost exactly from a model home.
What do you not like? Why?: We wonder if the hallway is sufficient. It will definitely not be spacious, just functional, but is there enough space?
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings:
Preferred heating technology: heat pump, possibly photovoltaic with battery storage (consultation still needed)
If you had to give up details or expansions
- what could you give up: a storage room?
- what couldn’t you give up:
Why did the design turn out as it is now?
A mix of house catalogs, model home visits, and ideas from the construction companies
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
- Positioning/orientation on the plot: we are still unsure about what looks good or unusual and how the room orientation toward cardinal directions makes sense. We also have photovoltaic with a corresponding south-facing roof in mind. (I attached 2 orientation ideas)
- Does an additional window near the couch in the living room make sense?
- Can the stairwell/gallery window be smaller, will the light be sufficient?
- What are your general thoughts on the floor plan?
Due to my limited "Sweet Home 3D" skills, the ground floor plan looks a bit odd. I superimposed an earlier floor plan as a reference under the new one. Please only pay attention to the stronger outlines for the sofa and dining table. Sorry about that, but it’s the best I could do.
Let me know if we forgot any relevant information. Sorry in advance if my responses are not immediate; I will try to reply as soon as possible.
So, we look forward to your feedback.
In the site plan, I can almost see nothing of the access road.
It seems to me that not much more than the cow Elsa was saved from this show home.
But I assume from a different one.
Shaken, not stirred.
Not driving away the customer as long as their concept is legally buildable and giving a rough price estimate right away is common practice, and should not be confused with praise for planning skills. I would already put those who just agree without question on the hit list. The saying that you build your first house for an enemy is not meant as a guide to action ;-)
Do the drawings truthfully represent the flatness of the site?
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
RiQu2020 schrieb:
the living room-kitchen area is taken 1:1 from a show home where we really liked the sense of space.
It seems to me that not much more than the cow Elsa was saved from this show home.
RiQu2020 schrieb:
The master bathroom is also taken almost exactly from a show home.
But I assume from a different one.
RiQu2020 schrieb:
A mix of house building catalogs, show home visits, and ideas from construction companies
Shaken, not stirred.
RiQu2020 schrieb:
They basically accepted all our ideas without criticism, sometimes gave a few minor suggestions, and presented initial cost estimates. [...] We would like to hear your opinions on the floor plan before we hand over the fine-tuned plan to the builders for a detailed quote.
Not driving away the customer as long as their concept is legally buildable and giving a rough price estimate right away is common practice, and should not be confused with praise for planning skills. I would already put those who just agree without question on the hit list. The saying that you build your first house for an enemy is not meant as a guide to action ;-)
Do the drawings truthfully represent the flatness of the site?
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
M
Myrna_Loy28 Aug 2021 15:12driver55 schrieb:
And then I bring up “Living area > 4 m (13 feet)” again.
There are still quite a few inconsistencies. I agree with the previous posters.
Dining doesn’t work and there’s wasted space in front of the stairs.
Why are there two different size figures? With/without stairs? Where are the 52 m² (560 sq ft)?
Upstairs: Remove the storage room so the hallway leading to the children’s rooms can be eliminated.
Swap the bathtub with the sink and move it into the corner. I would rather remove the kids’ bathroom, since storage space will be desperately needed without a basement.
Kids’ bathrooms are a “nice to have” if you have plenty of space. Three showers for currently three, and later four people, is not practical in 150 m² (1,615 sq ft) without a basement.
M
Myrna_Loy28 Aug 2021 15:16@hampshire An 80cm (31.5 inches) wide shower plus another 80cm (31.5 inches) for the toilet is a makeshift solution; calling it compact would be a generous description.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the orientation, whether one way or the other. A few degrees here or there don’t really make a difference.
But in my opinion: it’s the wrong house on the right plot! Aside from the too few or too small windows, almost all rooms have the wrong orientation when it comes to sunlight/daylight, comfort, and effective use of solar gains in living areas.
Instead, utility rooms like the bathroom and storage/laundry room are positioned in the best southwest location, the kids’ rooms are in the dark north, and the parents’ area overheats at night in the south.
Instead of playing Tetris, they seem to have played hide and seek here.
Regarding the design in general:
it leans more toward the conservative side, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Then opinions or criticism don’t really make sense, do they?
Of course. What exactly are they supposed to check if you haven’t signed any contract yet? An architect’s time costs money, and invested time is money. They look at how many square meters, how many cubic meters, the roof construction, whether many window areas will make the house expensive, or whether many beams need to be installed.
Then they calculate their flat rate multiplied by the square meters, and that’s it.
My opinion and observations:
In the foyer, the wardrobe and possibly a dresser or sideboard will face each other and thus narrow the hallway.
The same applies to the shower bathroom: you basically press your private parts into the corner when using the sink, or you could rest your head on the sink while using the toilet. Haha...
The kitchen bay window looks randomly placed from the outside. Inside, it turns out to be too tight for a kitchen, and the bay window had to be added to create enough space.
Still, a) the kitchen, b) the dining area, and c) the living area are arranged quite tightly and appear “small.”
The staircase
Concrete may be useful in the foyer, but it does nothing for coziness nor for the storage space underneath. Rather, it looks somewhat lost there because the central area is quite free and really not usable for any of the three areas.
Since you plan for two children, when the family gets older, there will be virtually no privacy in the evenings, with guests, or when the teenager comes home with friends and scares the parents on the sofa.
The work/study room upstairs takes up more space than it offers.
I find the kids’ bathroom acceptable, but the master bathroom is too narrow at three meters (about 10 feet) to furnish it properly.
The walk-in closet, with three doors, is more like a hallway. With just one wardrobe about 2.5 meters (8 feet) wide and some dressers, it’s not really a spacious wonder. In a standard bedroom of an apartment, you could fit more closet space.
But in my opinion: it’s the wrong house on the right plot! Aside from the too few or too small windows, almost all rooms have the wrong orientation when it comes to sunlight/daylight, comfort, and effective use of solar gains in living areas.
Instead, utility rooms like the bathroom and storage/laundry room are positioned in the best southwest location, the kids’ rooms are in the dark north, and the parents’ area overheats at night in the south.
Instead of playing Tetris, they seem to have played hide and seek here.
Regarding the design in general:
RiQu2020 schrieb:
conservative or modern construction: rather modern
it leans more toward the conservative side, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
RiQu2020 schrieb:
We have a fairly clear idea of what the house should look like
Then opinions or criticism don’t really make sense, do they?
RiQu2020 schrieb:
Since the companies accepted our ideas rather quietly, we first assume we’re on the right track
Of course. What exactly are they supposed to check if you haven’t signed any contract yet? An architect’s time costs money, and invested time is money. They look at how many square meters, how many cubic meters, the roof construction, whether many window areas will make the house expensive, or whether many beams need to be installed.
Then they calculate their flat rate multiplied by the square meters, and that’s it.
My opinion and observations:
In the foyer, the wardrobe and possibly a dresser or sideboard will face each other and thus narrow the hallway.
The same applies to the shower bathroom: you basically press your private parts into the corner when using the sink, or you could rest your head on the sink while using the toilet. Haha...
The kitchen bay window looks randomly placed from the outside. Inside, it turns out to be too tight for a kitchen, and the bay window had to be added to create enough space.
Still, a) the kitchen, b) the dining area, and c) the living area are arranged quite tightly and appear “small.”
The staircase
RiQu2020 schrieb:
Staircase made of concrete
Concrete may be useful in the foyer, but it does nothing for coziness nor for the storage space underneath. Rather, it looks somewhat lost there because the central area is quite free and really not usable for any of the three areas.
Since you plan for two children, when the family gets older, there will be virtually no privacy in the evenings, with guests, or when the teenager comes home with friends and scares the parents on the sofa.
The work/study room upstairs takes up more space than it offers.
I find the kids’ bathroom acceptable, but the master bathroom is too narrow at three meters (about 10 feet) to furnish it properly.
The walk-in closet, with three doors, is more like a hallway. With just one wardrobe about 2.5 meters (8 feet) wide and some dressers, it’s not really a spacious wonder. In a standard bedroom of an apartment, you could fit more closet space.
Thanks in advance for your replies. I’ll try to address as much as possible:
First:
I understand that I shouldn’t expect constructive criticism from the construction companies. But that’s why we’re here 😉
And I’ve realized that there is quite a bit of wasted space in front of the stairs, while the hallway is too small.
The dining area between the kitchen island and the wall is 2.90 m (9.5 feet) wide – is that really too little for a dining area?
On the other side of the kitchen island, there is about 1.40 m (4.6 feet) of space. It’s not generous, but is that also considered too small? (We currently live with a micro kitchen, so maybe we simply lack a reference / feel for what’s normal.)
I deliberately left out the financial part for now. My focus is on the floor plan and room layout at this stage.
I didn’t quite understand what you meant by “Living > 4 m.”
One figure probably refers to the gross floor area and the other to the living area. Gross floor area for this layout is about 160 sqm (1720 sq ft), living area about 150 sqm (1615 sq ft).
The idea of swapping the sink and bathtub sounds good; I’ll try that later.
Thanks! The plot size matches what we wanted, and with the interesting shape, there are definitely exciting design possibilities.
I indeed used “walk-in closet” synonymously with “dressing room.” I guess it works as a wardrobe but is probably too narrow for actual dressing—something we’ll reconsider.
The kids’ bathroom was initially slightly larger (at the expense of the hallway). To create the upper storage room, the bathroom had to give up some space. The idea of a niche for a cabinet is good. That might also allow the kids’ bathroom to be a bit larger again.
What exactly do you mean by a light strip? Narrow windows positioned high on the wall?
Thanks for the feedback on photovoltaic orientation.
That was quietly my initial concern.
I attached the parceling plan for the entire development, so you can also see the new street.
The development is newly serviced, and apparently both the new area and all adjacent plots are level. I haven’t asked the land seller explicitly yet, but I intend to do so.
The kids’ bathroom is quite high on our wish list. A bathroom for regular guests downstairs, one for us, and one for the children. I had my own (even smaller) bathroom in my childhood home at some point and found it much more comfortable than using the larger “family” bathroom.
One reason I’m asking for help here: I have no knowledge about room orientation regarding cardinal directions.
But I think you missed the north arrow at the top right of the plans? The utility room is in the northeast, not southwest. I attached updated plans with the corrected north arrow for position 1.
Yes, opinions and criticism do help, that’s why I turned to the forum.
About the gap between toilet and sink: you’re right, maybe we can shift them a bit so they’re not directly opposite. Of course, that will only ever be a guest WC with a built-in shower. But since my family lives far away, we’ll regularly have overnight guests (usually in pairs). Guests will sleep downstairs, and we want a shower option there for them.
I would say the bay window is a matter of taste; we quite like it. It probably originated from a functional need but prevents the usual "boxy villa look."
I think a closed concrete staircase with wooden steps can look cozy. I now realize that more thought is required for the living-dining-kitchen space.
Regarding teenagers coming home at night and being seen by the parents: we have discussed that and concluded it will only affect a few years of our lives. We don’t want to adapt the floor plan to every life situation. (How else would you justify empty kids’ bedrooms once they’ve moved out?) So this point is acceptable for us.
So again, thanks for all suggestions so far, we will take another close look at the floor plan.
First:
I understand that I shouldn’t expect constructive criticism from the construction companies. But that’s why we’re here 😉
And I’ve realized that there is quite a bit of wasted space in front of the stairs, while the hallway is too small.
Myrna_Loy schrieb:
Kitchen and dining area at 5.50 m (18 feet) is tight, and the kids’ bathroom is also too small if I’m reading the width of 1.70 m (5.5 feet) correctly. Or you’ll end up with a tiny bathroom that won’t be comfortable to use when the kids grow up. The same goes for the master bathroom, where the distance between the sink and bathtub is quite narrow.
The dining area between the kitchen island and the wall is 2.90 m (9.5 feet) wide – is that really too little for a dining area?
On the other side of the kitchen island, there is about 1.40 m (4.6 feet) of space. It’s not generous, but is that also considered too small? (We currently live with a micro kitchen, so maybe we simply lack a reference / feel for what’s normal.)
K1300S schrieb:
By the way, the questionnaire is not fully completed. 😉
I deliberately left out the financial part for now. My focus is on the floor plan and room layout at this stage.
driver55 schrieb:
And then I come around with “Living > 4 m.”
...
Why are there two area figures? With/without stairs? Where are the 52 sqm?
...
Swap bathtub and sink and move them into the corner.
I didn’t quite understand what you meant by “Living > 4 m.”
One figure probably refers to the gross floor area and the other to the living area. Gross floor area for this layout is about 160 sqm (1720 sq ft), living area about 150 sqm (1615 sq ft).
The idea of swapping the sink and bathtub sounds good; I’ll try that later.
hampshire schrieb:
Congratulations on the lot and its possibilities!
...
- The walk-in closet is more like a wardrobe room since the narrow space between the closets leaves little room for dressing and undressing. Most builders do this nowadays and it’s very trendy. In a few years, you’ll be able to date the building by this—just like houses with particularly tight kitchens. I think it’s an all-or-nothing situation. There isn’t enough space here for “all.”
- ...
- The kids’ bathroom is ultra-compact but should work. Consider using some of the hallway space instead, which might be better suited for the kids’ bathroom.
- The storage room between the kids’ bedrooms is a good idea. There isn’t a significant advantage to be able to enter that small room. A niche instead of a room, where a pre-selected standard-sized cabinet fits, saves cost and might look better. The kids’ bedrooms would also gain some space.
- The living area will be very dark except in midsummer; you won’t be able to read on the couch during the day without artificial light (maybe you can now, but probably not at 50 years old...). Consider a light strip above the TV wall. I’ll answer the window question below.
Don’t worry about photovoltaic panels.
...
Thanks! The plot size matches what we wanted, and with the interesting shape, there are definitely exciting design possibilities.
I indeed used “walk-in closet” synonymously with “dressing room.” I guess it works as a wardrobe but is probably too narrow for actual dressing—something we’ll reconsider.
The kids’ bathroom was initially slightly larger (at the expense of the hallway). To create the upper storage room, the bathroom had to give up some space. The idea of a niche for a cabinet is good. That might also allow the kids’ bathroom to be a bit larger again.
What exactly do you mean by a light strip? Narrow windows positioned high on the wall?
Thanks for the feedback on photovoltaic orientation.
driver55 schrieb:
Addition: (too) many rooms for the sqm.
That was quietly my initial concern.
11ant schrieb:
On the site plan, Ialmostdon’t see the access road.
...
Do the drawings truthfully represent the site’s flatness?
I attached the parceling plan for the entire development, so you can also see the new street.
The development is newly serviced, and apparently both the new area and all adjacent plots are level. I haven’t asked the land seller explicitly yet, but I intend to do so.
Myrna_Loy schrieb:
I would rather remove the kids’ bathroom since storage space will be desperately needed without a basement. Kids’ bathrooms are a “nice to have” if you have a lot of space. Three showers for currently three, later maybe four people, doesn’t make sense in 150 sqm (1615 sq ft) without a basement.
The kids’ bathroom is quite high on our wish list. A bathroom for regular guests downstairs, one for us, and one for the children. I had my own (even smaller) bathroom in my childhood home at some point and found it much more comfortable than using the larger “family” bathroom.
ypg schrieb:
...Almost all rooms are oriented incorrectly in terms of sunlight/daylight, comfort, and energy capture in living spaces.
Instead, utility rooms like the bathroom and pantry/laundry are in the best southwest position, the kids’ rooms in the dark north, and the master area overheats at night in the south.
...
Does that mean opinions and criticism are pointless now?
...
The shower bathroom: when using the sink, you’re basically pressing the toilet with your knees, or you can lean your head on the sink while using the toilet. Haha...
The kitchen bay window looks arbitrarily placed from outside, but inside it’s clear it was added for extra kitchen space.
Still, kitchen, dining, and living areas are quite tight and small.
The stairs made of concrete might be useful in the hallway, but they don’t contribute to coziness, nor does the storage underneath. It looks a bit lost there because that central area is pretty open and not really usable for any of the three spaces.
Since you plan for two children, once the family is older, there will be no privacy in the evenings, with visitors, or when the teenager arrives home with friends and startles the parents on the sofa.
The storage room upstairs takes more space than it gives.
Kids’ bathroom is okay in my view. The master bathroom is too narrow at three meters (10 feet) to furnish as shown.
The walk-in closet with three doors is more of a corridor and not really a space miracle compared to a standard apartment bedroom closet with 2.50 m (8.2 feet) wardrobe and dressers.
One reason I’m asking for help here: I have no knowledge about room orientation regarding cardinal directions.
But I think you missed the north arrow at the top right of the plans? The utility room is in the northeast, not southwest. I attached updated plans with the corrected north arrow for position 1.
Yes, opinions and criticism do help, that’s why I turned to the forum.
About the gap between toilet and sink: you’re right, maybe we can shift them a bit so they’re not directly opposite. Of course, that will only ever be a guest WC with a built-in shower. But since my family lives far away, we’ll regularly have overnight guests (usually in pairs). Guests will sleep downstairs, and we want a shower option there for them.
I would say the bay window is a matter of taste; we quite like it. It probably originated from a functional need but prevents the usual "boxy villa look."
I think a closed concrete staircase with wooden steps can look cozy. I now realize that more thought is required for the living-dining-kitchen space.
Regarding teenagers coming home at night and being seen by the parents: we have discussed that and concluded it will only affect a few years of our lives. We don’t want to adapt the floor plan to every life situation. (How else would you justify empty kids’ bedrooms once they’ve moved out?) So this point is acceptable for us.
So again, thanks for all suggestions so far, we will take another close look at the floor plan.
RiQu2020 schrieb:
I have deliberately left out the financial aspect for now. My current focus is on the floor plan and room layout.Your choice, but if the providers you have contacted so far are leading you into trouble with the floor plan, they might do the same with the finances or the fittings.Similar topics