Hello dear forum,
we are planning to start building our house in 2018 and already have a first draft of our floor plan.
We want a single-story house of about 160 square meters (approximately 1,722 square feet) with a pitched roof and a glazed gable front in the living area. The plot is 2000 square meters (approximately 21,528 square feet).
There will be 4 people living in the house, with both parents working full time. The house is surrounded by fields on the north and west sides. To the south, there is a street with fields beyond it, and only to the east does the plot border a neighboring property. For this reason, the living room gable faces northwest.
I look forward to constructive criticism and hope for possible suggestions for improvement, as we have had little experience so far.
Best regards
we are planning to start building our house in 2018 and already have a first draft of our floor plan.
We want a single-story house of about 160 square meters (approximately 1,722 square feet) with a pitched roof and a glazed gable front in the living area. The plot is 2000 square meters (approximately 21,528 square feet).
There will be 4 people living in the house, with both parents working full time. The house is surrounded by fields on the north and west sides. To the south, there is a street with fields beyond it, and only to the east does the plot border a neighboring property. For this reason, the living room gable faces northwest.
I look forward to constructive criticism and hope for possible suggestions for improvement, as we have had little experience so far.
Best regards
In our family, the bathroom is never locked internally.
It is also important to consider that in an apartment, the apartment door is usually not the main entrance. This means the dirt zone is outside the apartment door. That should not be forgotten. Taking off shoes is a good idea, but where would that happen in your case so that the area in front of the guest toilet is not used with outdoor shoes? You need to walk a few steps inside the house to have space to take off shoes.
It is also important to consider that in an apartment, the apartment door is usually not the main entrance. This means the dirt zone is outside the apartment door. That should not be forgotten. Taking off shoes is a good idea, but where would that happen in your case so that the area in front of the guest toilet is not used with outdoor shoes? You need to walk a few steps inside the house to have space to take off shoes.
I understand that you want to create something a bit unusual.
However, if you are asking
you should also read the answers carefully and try to understand them.
I have asked you some questions, which already point out some critical aspects that you can consider yourself.
My questions are basically a direct indication that this design has not been thought through properly.
For example:
As the fourth forum member, I can explain that a) it is not exactly “nice” for children to have to hurry past the main doors to get to the bathroom, and b) teenagers will block the bathroom or shower at the latest. But I’m not making a big deal about that.
I only want to point out that you can see directly from the dining table into the toilet if the double door happens to be open, pardon the expression.
That question was asked by me 🙂 It is not peaceful if every morning one partner is disturbed by the light and movement of the other. Now you will probably say that this has always worked so far and you consciously chose it .... 😉
Washing and drying laundry? Children’s toys/kart/sports equipment? The heating system nowadays already takes up several square meters….
With 500,000 you can build a respectable house. Congratulations. However, at the moment I don’t see how the Y-shape really comes into its own from the inside.
I think that when living in 3D, this very long corridor wall, which is also visible in the open-plan area, is unpleasant to look at and affects the spatial effect. It is not attractive. Also, the small living area feels awkward and does not fit with the rest of the room. The proportions are off here as well as in this room.
Although there is a field to the north, I miss more sunlight in the individual rooms. The Y-shape will hardly be energy efficient, especially with the lack of south-facing windows and too much north-facing surface area… that could be borderline.
The subtle skill needed to balance energy, sun, and views is not evident here.
I have also seen this Y design from a well-known general contractor, though I can’t recall who built it.
You should be aware that the terrace is a rather open terrace since the main living area faces outwards on three sides rather than the other way around. You should note that any possible roof covering will break the symmetry again.
If you go with a Y, then you should carefully examine every detail mentioned here, whether it makes sense – not just now but also in ten years when the children are grown. The interior planning is not really a plan because it lacks too much: a proper coat rack/entryway, a cozy seating area, a kitchen island near the dining table, storage and work surfaces, a laundry area, and natural light. Seeing only fields from all rooms will eventually become boring.
What sounds very promising is the open living area with the window wall reaching up to the ceiling. I would prefer to orient that toward the garden rather than angled away, because the slanted roof already emphasizes the shape of the house strongly – sharp or obtuse angles in the building’s massing are already a bit too much!
Gable ends with large glass surfaces in a pitched roof offer many examples where the glass wall really stands out.
However, if you are asking
Kusmar schrieb:
Is there perhaps anything else that is a design mistake or has been forgotten?
you should also read the answers carefully and try to understand them.
I have asked you some questions, which already point out some critical aspects that you can consider yourself.
My questions are basically a direct indication that this design has not been thought through properly.
For example:
Kusmar schrieb:
We have consciously decided against a second shower,
As the fourth forum member, I can explain that a) it is not exactly “nice” for children to have to hurry past the main doors to get to the bathroom, and b) teenagers will block the bathroom or shower at the latest. But I’m not making a big deal about that.
I only want to point out that you can see directly from the dining table into the toilet if the double door happens to be open, pardon the expression.
Kusmar schrieb:
Why is the bedroom a walk-through room?
That question was asked by me 🙂 It is not peaceful if every morning one partner is disturbed by the light and movement of the other. Now you will probably say that this has always worked so far and you consciously chose it .... 😉
Kusmar schrieb:
We also considered storage space but decided that the attic and an outbuilding would be sufficient.
Washing and drying laundry? Children’s toys/kart/sports equipment? The heating system nowadays already takes up several square meters….
Kusmar schrieb:Don’t you need something like that? Maybe later?
Office: family use
With 500,000 you can build a respectable house. Congratulations. However, at the moment I don’t see how the Y-shape really comes into its own from the inside.
I think that when living in 3D, this very long corridor wall, which is also visible in the open-plan area, is unpleasant to look at and affects the spatial effect. It is not attractive. Also, the small living area feels awkward and does not fit with the rest of the room. The proportions are off here as well as in this room.
Although there is a field to the north, I miss more sunlight in the individual rooms. The Y-shape will hardly be energy efficient, especially with the lack of south-facing windows and too much north-facing surface area… that could be borderline.
The subtle skill needed to balance energy, sun, and views is not evident here.
I have also seen this Y design from a well-known general contractor, though I can’t recall who built it.
You should be aware that the terrace is a rather open terrace since the main living area faces outwards on three sides rather than the other way around. You should note that any possible roof covering will break the symmetry again.
If you go with a Y, then you should carefully examine every detail mentioned here, whether it makes sense – not just now but also in ten years when the children are grown. The interior planning is not really a plan because it lacks too much: a proper coat rack/entryway, a cozy seating area, a kitchen island near the dining table, storage and work surfaces, a laundry area, and natural light. Seeing only fields from all rooms will eventually become boring.
What sounds very promising is the open living area with the window wall reaching up to the ceiling. I would prefer to orient that toward the garden rather than angled away, because the slanted roof already emphasizes the shape of the house strongly – sharp or obtuse angles in the building’s massing are already a bit too much!
Gable ends with large glass surfaces in a pitched roof offer many examples where the glass wall really stands out.
@ypg: I read through all the answers and I understand them, you can be sure of that 😉
The walk-in closet is certainly not ideal in the bedroom, but it’s not unusual either. Designing a separate room for it is not easy, especially in a bungalow.
I will also consider your other points, and the Y shape is not fixed yet—it could still shift towards an L or T shape. 🙂
The walk-in closet is certainly not ideal in the bedroom, but it’s not unusual either. Designing a separate room for it is not easy, especially in a bungalow.
I will also consider your other points, and the Y shape is not fixed yet—it could still shift towards an L or T shape. 🙂
J
j.bautsch19 Jan 2017 09:35We can only tell you what we think is not good about the current design. It is then up to you whether you want to change the existing floor plan or start over. However, we won’t do that for you 😉 you’ll have to do it yourself 😎
Yes, I can only point out what I find missing or noticeable here:
What are those gray building parts on the right edge of the property?
I think a good architect should analyze the site here. I could also rather imagine an L-shaped bungalow. There are nice concepts like those Scandinavian models that offer a lot of privacy with relatively little hallway space.
- Where is the terrace area supposed to be, and what should the access be like, especially from the kitchen?
- The sofa is given a good viewing spot according to the description, but it is positioned as if it could just stand anywhere in the room.
- Children’s area... by the time they are teenagers, the route to the bathroom does not exactly promote privacy. What speaks against having a second bathroom?
- Dining table and passage by the fireplace
- In winter, the kitchen/dining/living area hardly gets any sunlight.
- Site plan... the plot is marked in pink... where should the garage and driveway be located?
What are those gray building parts on the right edge of the property?
I think a good architect should analyze the site here. I could also rather imagine an L-shaped bungalow. There are nice concepts like those Scandinavian models that offer a lot of privacy with relatively little hallway space.
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