ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a 140-160 sqm Single-Family Home – Is the Draft Acceptable?

Created on: 13 Nov 2018 08:56
H
häusle2019
Development Plan / Restrictions

Plot size: 1004 sqm (10,804 sq ft)

Slope: no

Orientation: see attachment

Edge development etc.: no issues

Number of parking spaces: 2 (double garage)

Number of floors: 2 full stories

Roof type: gable roof

Architectural style: modern, clean lines, design

Maximum height / limits: none

Other requirements: no development plan


Clients’ Requirements

Architectural style, roof type, etc.: see above

Basement: fully basemented

Number of floors: 2 full stories

Number of occupants: currently 2 adults; planned with 2 children

Space requirements ground floor / upper floor: large living/dining area; children’s rooms minimum 15 sqm (160 sq ft); total approx. 140 sqm (1,507 sq ft)

Office: home office – planned in basement

Guest room: irrelevant

Open architecture

Modern construction

Open kitchen with island

Dining spaces: minimum 6 seats

Fireplace: yes

Balcony: generally facing west; subject to budget/design considerations

Garage: double garage


House Design:

Architectural design (3rd attempt)

What is not liked: layout on upper floor – requirement for separate walk-in closet not fulfilled; basement layout: kitchen should be separable by large sliding door; balcony access apparently only through children’s room (was not desired!)

What is liked: large windows in the extension, extension itself, upper floor layout: children’s rooms not next to master bedroom

Cost estimate: none yet

Personal budget limit including fittings: €500,000 (approx. $540,000)

Heating system: ground source heat pump with surface collectors


If you have to give up on details, which ones:

  • Can give up on: balcony, corner window in extension
  • Cannot give up on: separate walk-in closet, kitchen separability from rest of the house, passage from garage and front door to garden; if balcony, then access via hallway

Why is the design as it is now?


Own sketches regarding floor plan

Similar layout of a visited show house


What are the most important questions about the floor plan:

How would you implement the requested points (walk-in closet, separability of the kitchen)? Do you think the floor plan is feasible at all?

How do you assess the quality and accuracy of the floor plan – is this normal at this stage?

WARNING: The elevations in the plan are incorrect!! North is actually East; East = North; South = West; West = South (architect’s error)
Y
ypg
13 Nov 2018 10:37
Please upload JPG files. Many people cannot open PDFs on tablets or mobile phones.
Y
ypg
13 Nov 2018 10:49
häusle2019 schrieb:
Space requirements ground floor/upper floor: large living/dining area; children's rooms at least 15 sqm (161 sq ft); total about 140 sqm (1507 sq ft)
häusle2019 schrieb:
What is not liked: layout on upper floor – requirement for separate walk-in closet not met; layout in basement: kitchen should be separable by a large sliding door;
häusle2019 schrieb:
Passage between garage and front door to garden; W

In addition, space is needed for the fireplace, access to the balcony...

I don’t see your requirements fitting into 140 sqm (1507 sq ft).

For deciding whether the design is appealing or not, the plans alone are sufficient. The architect can provide dimensions later. What do you expect? That they produce detailed construction drawings for "I don’t like it, topic missed"?
It is enough that you are not satisfied with the design (missing walk-in closet, kitchen). Doing more work on a draft would be like casting pearls before swine.
I would just show up with my pencil sketches: a lot of thoughtful work goes into them as well.
11ant13 Nov 2018 20:04
häusle2019 schrieb:
Architect’s design (3rd attempt)

What I don’t like: layout on the upper floor – requirement for a separate dressing room not fulfilled; basement layout: kitchen should be separable by a large sliding door; balcony access apparently only through the children's room (which was not intended!)

[...] How do you rate the quality and accuracy of the floor plan – is this normal at this stage?

They say practice makes perfect – but here you wonder, if this is already the third attempt, how poorly must the "architect" have listened before the first two tries?

Normally, in the preliminary design phase, you only see room arrangement and the building volume, and dimensions (and locations of various details) are not final yet.

What is not normal – and I wouldn’t call it “quality” – is when the staircase coming from the basement isn’t even drawn in but just copied & pasted from the one going to the upper floor; when the sliding door of the TV room runs right into a window; and of course, clearly: when the client’s room program is not implemented.

It seems like two worlds have clashed here: clients who fell in love with a house design from manufacturer X, but then went to manufacturer Y. The result doesn’t look like an architect’s work at all, but rather like the work of an employed or freelance building permit drawing specialist from a manufacturer.

Was a single show home even the inspiration? – It vaguely reminds me of a wild mix of Baufritz and Bien-Zenker...
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
M
Mottenhausen
13 Nov 2018 20:41
Bien-Zenker! That was also my first thought when looking at the elevations. The corner bay window and the overall character of the house clearly stand out.

The drawing is really poor and contains errors. For example, take a look at the railing, which runs along the entire length of the eaves side even though there is no bay window underneath from halfway along. And many more issues, but I’ll leave it at that... after all, this is not a picture puzzle.
kaho67413 Nov 2018 22:00
I would be interested to see the original sketches from the OP.

The defining feature of this design is clearly the large open kitchen/dining area. In my opinion, it’s hardly suitable for a separable kitchen. So I wonder, what does the OP actually want? Both?
11ant14 Nov 2018 00:54
kaho674 schrieb:
I would be interested in seeing the original sketches from the OP.

I agree with that – also because...
kaho674 schrieb:
The distinctive feature of this design is the large open kitchen/dining area.

... you put it in a very positive way – I would have rather called it an unusual ratio between the open-plan kitchen and the sofa corner, and I wonder how much of that is the client’s wish and how much is an “architect’s” misunderstanding.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/