ᐅ Initial Floor Plan Draft for Semi-Detached House with 90 m² Floor Area

Good evening everyone,

after our development plan was finally completed due to an initial error by the city, I would like to present the first draft from our architectural draftsman. The original purchase of the plot was in 11/2019 (at that time actually with a completed development plan). Due to the error, subsequent changes, public re-exhibition, and the Corona pandemic, it has taken until now to start planning.

I have included the recommended question list and tried to answer it to the best of my knowledge. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions. This is my first thread, so please be patient with me.

Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 355m² (3,820 sq ft)
Slope: No.
Floor area ratio, plot ratio: not known, max. 90m² (970 sq ft) ground floor area, building envelope/boundary 11.5 x 8 m (38 x 26 ft)
Edge development: Semi-detached house, built on one side at the plot boundary.
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2 full stories
Roof type: Shed roof up to max. 11 degrees or flat roof allowed, planned as shed roof with 11 degrees.
Architectural style: "Modern," meaning white, anthracite, possibly wooden elements on the facade, similar to hundreds of new buildings nowadays.
Orientation: Terrace faces south.
Maximum heights/limits: North wall 6.3 m (21 ft), reference point is the filled ground level but max. 10 cm (4 inches) above the nearest manhole cover. This will be used in case of high groundwater levels.
Other requirements: None that I consider relevant for evaluating the floor plan.

Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: as above, shed roof, semi-detached house
Basement, floors: fully basement, 2 full stories
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults, 34 and 35 years old, 2 children, 1 and 3 years old.
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
Ground floor with WC and shower, kitchen, living area, preferably open plan.
Upper floor with 3 bedrooms plus bathroom.
The "attic" is intended mainly as storage, the front part about 17m² (183 sq ft) with a room height over 2 m (6 ft 7 in) possibly for occasional guests or as a playroom, the rear part as crawl space.
In the basement, aside from the technical room and a "cool" storage room (both on the north side), no specific requirements.
Office: none.
Annual guest stays: 7-8
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport
Utility garden, greenhouse: no

House design
Designer: Architectural draftsman
What we particularly like: It basically matches our expectations; there are many play options on the upper and attic floors, and basement options in my opinion are limited. In the basement, one could consider combining the two southern rooms into one.
What we don’t like: On the ground floor, we are somewhat unsure about the layout, especially the "wall" in the middle and the centrally located couch/lounge area, with a large distance to the TV. Everyone would have to walk between the couch and the TV to reach the terrace. Also, the shower/WC on the ground floor lacks a window.
Price estimate from architect/planner: Not yet received; the plot, because an additional 33m² (355 sq ft) of shared driveway had to be acquired (making a total of 388m²/4,176 sq ft), cost around 388,000€.
Personal price limit for the house including fittings: 950,000 €
Preferred heating technology: Gas.

If you had to give up, which details/features
-could you give up: attic
-could not give up: basement

Why is the design as it is now?
I think with the limited space there was little room for manoeuvre except on the ground floor, see concerns above.

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Basically, any tips or comments are welcome. Especially as described above, we are still not quite happy with the ground floor. Is there anyone who can suggest an alternative layout or space arrangement?
We had considered adding a kind of room divider/wall from the central wall to the western wall, moving the couch area to the southwest corner and thereby shifting the TV to the south wall.

Here are the floor plans:
Overview with carport:

Basement:

Ground floor:

Upper floor:

Attic:

We appreciate any input.

Best regards,
Christoph

Is this a semi-detached house planned by a developer, or did you and your neighbors agree on a common general contractor?
I would also be interested to know what the catch was that caused the old development plan to fail.
The wall between the dining table and the sofa looks load-bearing and is unlikely to be negotiable. How involved have you been in the planning process?

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Swap the kitchen and the living room, that would make it really cool. I would also rotate the staircase, if possible.
Where is north and where is the driveway?

11ant schrieb:

Is this a semi-detached house planned by a developer, or have you and your neighbors agreed on a joint general contractor?
I’m also curious about the problem that caused the old development plan to fail.
The wall between the dining table and the sofa looks load-bearing and likely won’t be up for discussion. How involved have you been in the planning process?

So far, only the draftsman has been involved, both for us and the neighbors. The goal is a shared general contractor, which should also work out.

Besides our semi-detached house on the west side, there is also a detached house. Our semi-detached neighbor and the detached house had various issues with the setback distances. That’s why there are now height restrictions on the northern walls, which were not there before. I still don’t understand why this affects us, since we didn’t have any problems with the setbacks, but we’re just glad to be able to move forward.

The wall is load-bearing; alternatively, two columns might be possible.

What do you mean by involvement in planning? We met with the draftsman beforehand, discussed our ideas, and this is now the design.

ypg schrieb:

Swap the kitchen and living room, then it will be really great. I would also rotate the staircase, if possible.
Where is north and where is the driveway?

The terrace faces south. The public road is west of the carport. The road to the north is ours, with our driveway leading from the north to the carport.
The designer suggested placing the kitchen upstairs next to the bathroom for easier plumbing connections.
Which direction should the staircase be rotated?

Endlich1985 schrieb:

Which way should the stairs turn?

Just change the starting direction. That way, bikes and lawn mowers don’t have to be carried through the entire house, just the hallway.
The roof upstairs... well, I just noticed: it doesn’t quite fit.
So, what about storage rooms in the living areas on the ground floor and upper floor? Where will the broom go? Cleaning supplies? Vacuum cleaner?

Endlich1985 schrieb:

The draftsman said the kitchen would be easier to place upstairs next to the bathroom because of the plumbing.

Many say that. But it doesn’t make much difference. For the contractor, it’s just small change. And even if it’s 500€ (about $550), for an optimized design it should be worth it. After all, people also allow themselves a second vanity or a second shower.
One of the kids’ rooms is a bit of a gimmick: the entrance is a bottleneck. The furniture drawn in shows that it would be better to place a shelf somewhere else.

Endlich1985 schrieb:

The “attic” is mostly intended as storage space

You have more than enough storage space in the basement anyway...
The planned storage area up there isn’t really usable since it’s hard to access. We have a similar space under a sloped roof ourselves—you have to go in at an angle.

I would suggest, also because you lack a storage room nearby, to put the master bedroom up there with sliding doors in the 180-degree area, and then a small closet: clothes at normal reach in the front, under the slope in the back with low shelves that can be rolled forward. That way you use the sloped ceiling effectively and also have privacy.

Upstairs relaxes a bit: there you could create a small room for a PC, files, vacuum cleaner, about 8 square meters (about 86 square feet).
Why is there no office planned? Where will the kids print their papers? Or you?

Endlich1985 schrieb:

Missing window in the shower/toilet on the ground floor.

Surely your imagination is enough to add a window there.

Basement: the support structures shouldn’t be where the terrace is. That’s unattractive and leads to planning errors with height, etc.
I would probably undercut or slope the square between the outdoor utility room and the house’s southwest corner and install a nice, livable window there in the basement. Then you could have a proper lounge room downstairs. Is the basement intended to be heated? What ceiling height is planned?

Dimensions everywhere would be very helpful. Right now, it feels like guessing.