ᐅ Final stage floor plan: Is there still potential for improvement?
Created on: 16 Apr 2018 22:14
M
modder
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 606m² (6519 sq ft)
Slope: slight north-facing slope (3m (10 ft) over 34m (112 ft) length)
House: south-north = 1m (3 ft) height difference
Site occupancy index: 0.35 (212m² (2282 sq ft))
Floor area ratio: 0.40 (242m² (2605 sq ft))
Building envelope: marked in blue (approx. 11.8 x 14.5m (39 x 48 ft))
Boundary construction allowed: no
Parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: two full stories: ground floor + upper floor
Roof type: 38–42° (degrees) gable roof
Architectural style: traditional
Ridge orientation: south-north
Maximum heights / limits: northern eave-side wall height above natural ground level: 3.80m (12 ft 6 in)
Additional requirements: knee wall height from top of raw floor slab to bottom of wall plate 0.50m (70cm / 1 ft 8 in approx. inside)
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: all according to development plan
Basement, floors: basement + ground floor + upper floor
Number of occupants, ages: 28 (female), 30 (male), plus at least 1 planned child
Space needs in basement: hobby room, utility room, pantry/storage, sauna planned later
Space needs on ground floor: living room, dining + kitchen, WC, hallway
Space needs on upper floor: master bedroom, dressing room, child 1 + child 2, hallway, bathroom
Office: home office!
Overnight guests per year: 3 guests at Easter and Christmas
Closed architecture
Conservative construction style
Open kitchen connected to dining room
Number of dining seats: 5
Living room fireplace: wall-mounted ethanol fireplace
Music / stereo wall: yes
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage or carport: single or double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other: hallway large enough to bring in and temporarily park a stroller, e.g., when it’s raining outside; staircase with 1m (3 ft 3 in) wide steps and easy to walk on (hence double landings); living room at least 4.5m (15 ft) wide; no direct connection between parents’ and children’s bedrooms; stairway not located in entryway dirt area; all interior doors with 985mm (39 in) clear opening; dining room: lift-and-slide door with 3m (10 ft) width
House Design
- Designer: do-it-yourself
- What do you particularly like about it? Why?
Double-landing staircase, kitchen and dining area facing south, circulation area on the north-east side; large glass window in dining room facing garden, G-shaped kitchen, enlargement of children’s rooms with dormer windows; hallway hopefully spacious-looking even though it could be a little wider
- What do you dislike? Why?
No room for a urinal in the ground floor bathroom
Basement not yet well planned, unsure how to properly separate a future sauna room
Personal budget limit for house including equipment: €425,000
- Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump / ground loop collector + mechanical ventilation with heat recovery + underfloor heating
If You Have to Give Up Anything, on which details / features
- Could give up: exposed roof structure
- Cannot give up: shower in ground floor WC; staircase with straight steps; stairway outside the dirt zone; wardrobe
Why is the Design Like It Is?
Lots of reading layout reviews here, input from builder friends; about 100 hours of drawing floor plans
- What makes it especially good or bad in your view?
In our opinion, very efficient use of space in a relatively small house, pleasant hallway layout
What Is the Most Important / Basic Question About the Floor Plan Summarized in 130 Characters?
Is this floor plan practical?
Are there any major issues or deal-breakers we might have overlooked?
Attached are our own drawings from SketchUp / site plan from the development plan
Our plot is number [9]
Note: Unfortunately, windows are missing on the upper floor. There are planned windows on the gable ends sized 150 x 138cm (59 x 54 in), dormer windows each approx. 200 x 138cm (79 x 54 in), and in the stairwell, master bedroom, and bathroom an additional double casement window sized 78 x 160cm (31 x 63 in)
Plot size: 606m² (6519 sq ft)
Slope: slight north-facing slope (3m (10 ft) over 34m (112 ft) length)
House: south-north = 1m (3 ft) height difference
Site occupancy index: 0.35 (212m² (2282 sq ft))
Floor area ratio: 0.40 (242m² (2605 sq ft))
Building envelope: marked in blue (approx. 11.8 x 14.5m (39 x 48 ft))
Boundary construction allowed: no
Parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: two full stories: ground floor + upper floor
Roof type: 38–42° (degrees) gable roof
Architectural style: traditional
Ridge orientation: south-north
Maximum heights / limits: northern eave-side wall height above natural ground level: 3.80m (12 ft 6 in)
Additional requirements: knee wall height from top of raw floor slab to bottom of wall plate 0.50m (70cm / 1 ft 8 in approx. inside)
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: all according to development plan
Basement, floors: basement + ground floor + upper floor
Number of occupants, ages: 28 (female), 30 (male), plus at least 1 planned child
Space needs in basement: hobby room, utility room, pantry/storage, sauna planned later
Space needs on ground floor: living room, dining + kitchen, WC, hallway
Space needs on upper floor: master bedroom, dressing room, child 1 + child 2, hallway, bathroom
Office: home office!
Overnight guests per year: 3 guests at Easter and Christmas
Closed architecture
Conservative construction style
Open kitchen connected to dining room
Number of dining seats: 5
Living room fireplace: wall-mounted ethanol fireplace
Music / stereo wall: yes
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage or carport: single or double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other: hallway large enough to bring in and temporarily park a stroller, e.g., when it’s raining outside; staircase with 1m (3 ft 3 in) wide steps and easy to walk on (hence double landings); living room at least 4.5m (15 ft) wide; no direct connection between parents’ and children’s bedrooms; stairway not located in entryway dirt area; all interior doors with 985mm (39 in) clear opening; dining room: lift-and-slide door with 3m (10 ft) width
House Design
- Designer: do-it-yourself
- What do you particularly like about it? Why?
Double-landing staircase, kitchen and dining area facing south, circulation area on the north-east side; large glass window in dining room facing garden, G-shaped kitchen, enlargement of children’s rooms with dormer windows; hallway hopefully spacious-looking even though it could be a little wider
- What do you dislike? Why?
No room for a urinal in the ground floor bathroom
Basement not yet well planned, unsure how to properly separate a future sauna room
Personal budget limit for house including equipment: €425,000
- Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump / ground loop collector + mechanical ventilation with heat recovery + underfloor heating
If You Have to Give Up Anything, on which details / features
- Could give up: exposed roof structure
- Cannot give up: shower in ground floor WC; staircase with straight steps; stairway outside the dirt zone; wardrobe
Why is the Design Like It Is?
Lots of reading layout reviews here, input from builder friends; about 100 hours of drawing floor plans
- What makes it especially good or bad in your view?
In our opinion, very efficient use of space in a relatively small house, pleasant hallway layout
What Is the Most Important / Basic Question About the Floor Plan Summarized in 130 Characters?
Is this floor plan practical?
Are there any major issues or deal-breakers we might have overlooked?
Attached are our own drawings from SketchUp / site plan from the development plan
Our plot is number [9]
Note: Unfortunately, windows are missing on the upper floor. There are planned windows on the gable ends sized 150 x 138cm (59 x 54 in), dormer windows each approx. 200 x 138cm (79 x 54 in), and in the stairwell, master bedroom, and bathroom an additional double casement window sized 78 x 160cm (31 x 63 in)
modder schrieb:
According to the current DIN 277 (2016?), sloped ceilings are not included in the calculation of the floor area.
....You do realize what that means, right? It means anything under 2.50 meters (8.2 ft) in height doesn’t count. That makes the kids’ room even smaller, at least according to official measurements. Sure, you have the floor area, but a) you can hardly furnish it, and b) you can’t even stand comfortably. Making a bed for a small child doesn’t work either... bringing them to bed is tricky if you keep bumping your head, and so on. You can only use around 6 or 8 square meters (65 or 86 square feet) standing up. Our bathroom is bigger, and yours too.
modder schrieb:
My parents told me the following a few weeks ago:
When our house was built, a 25m² (270 sq ft) kids’ room on the upper floor was planned for me. When I was finally old enough to have my own room, I moved in but wanted to leave after less than four weeks because the room felt too big. (I don’t really remember that.)
Later, around 14 years old, I moved down to the basement with two southeast-facing windows – the best room for me, because I could be as loud as I wanted, and my parents slept upstairs.It happened to me too: moving out of a 24m² (260 sq ft) space and into a storage room—which was even smaller than your kids’ rooms. But it was just a phase. Later, I made myself comfortable again in my multipurpose room.
Revisit the topic of bedrooms in basements: it has to be useful for something. As a second escape route, a practical sloping exit and/or open window strips that allow ventilation and, in emergencies, exit. With the slope of the land, shouldn’t the basement have an opening on at least one side?
Ahrgs... well, you really gave me a thorough reality check. Tonight, I’ll discuss everything again with my girlfriend.
The upper floor will definitely be much nicer if it only has to accommodate 4 rooms (bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom, child’s room 1).
In the basement room beneath the living room, there will be two double windows with exposed window sills. This space is actually planned as my hobby room, or later partially as a sauna or something similar.
If needed, it could be converted into a living area. Since the bathroom upstairs can then be significantly larger, the sauna fits perfectly there. Killing two birds with one stone. I’m already quite excited about the idea of having only one children’s bedroom upstairs.
Regarding the DIN standard – I am not familiar with this 2.50m (8.2 ft) height restriction. But that would be very strange, as many buildings with ceiling heights of only 2.35m or 2.40m (7.7 or 7.9 ft) would then officially have 0m² (0 sq ft) of living space?
The upper floor will definitely be much nicer if it only has to accommodate 4 rooms (bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom, child’s room 1).
In the basement room beneath the living room, there will be two double windows with exposed window sills. This space is actually planned as my hobby room, or later partially as a sauna or something similar.
If needed, it could be converted into a living area. Since the bathroom upstairs can then be significantly larger, the sauna fits perfectly there. Killing two birds with one stone. I’m already quite excited about the idea of having only one children’s bedroom upstairs.
Regarding the DIN standard – I am not familiar with this 2.50m (8.2 ft) height restriction. But that would be very strange, as many buildings with ceiling heights of only 2.35m or 2.40m (7.7 or 7.9 ft) would then officially have 0m² (0 sq ft) of living space?
I would plan both children's bedrooms on the lower floor and possibly a small office upstairs. In the early years, the office could be used as a bedroom or at least a sleeping room for a child.
Eventually, the kids can move downstairs (with their own bathroom), which they will find great.
Or the other way around: parents’ area in the basement, kids upstairs, and an interim solution for the children when they are small.
One child upstairs, one child downstairs—this will likely cause conflicts. At first, they all want to be upstairs with mom and dad, but during puberty, it will be the opposite...
Eventually, the kids can move downstairs (with their own bathroom), which they will find great.
Or the other way around: parents’ area in the basement, kids upstairs, and an interim solution for the children when they are small.
One child upstairs, one child downstairs—this will likely cause conflicts. At first, they all want to be upstairs with mom and dad, but during puberty, it will be the opposite...
Good morning everyone,
My girlfriend was very skeptical yesterday when I suggested having only one room upstairs instead of two. Having a separate bathroom in the basement wasn’t well received either, and the sauna on the upper floor wasn’t popular either ^^
If the kids are far enough apart in age, there wouldn’t be any arguments if one lived upstairs and the other downstairs.
The ridge direction is specified in the development plan. And if I were one of the neighbors, I would never agree to rotate the building either. Those of us living downhill would never get sunlight in our gardens again.
My girlfriend was very skeptical yesterday when I suggested having only one room upstairs instead of two. Having a separate bathroom in the basement wasn’t well received either, and the sauna on the upper floor wasn’t popular either ^^
If the kids are far enough apart in age, there wouldn’t be any arguments if one lived upstairs and the other downstairs.
The ridge direction is specified in the development plan. And if I were one of the neighbors, I would never agree to rotate the building either. Those of us living downhill would never get sunlight in our gardens again.
modder schrieb:
Good morning everyone [emoji4]
Yesterday, my girlfriend was very skeptical when I suggested having only one room upstairs instead of two. The separate bathroom in the basement wasn’t well received either, and the sauna on the upper floor wasn’t popular either DMy conversation strategy is to let her believe these are her ideas [emoji6]
But seriously: have you also explained the problems?
We didn’t just make suggestions out of nowhere; they come from your issues. These are solutions because the existing situation isn’t good, rather insufficient.
I always find it amusing when I read here about the “better half,” the girlfriend/wife, or the “government” who insist on their ideas without apparently considering whether they actually make sense or fit the budget for the house.
Similar topics