ᐅ Floor plan design for a new build modern semi-detached house with 6-meter ceiling height and 239 square meters of living space

lucaskilam schrieb:

There is another room behind this window

Oops... now it’s getting confusing. A room with a window opening into the living area? In some cases that can be quite interesting, but here it seems like you’re trying to force something that no longer works.
What does your architect gain from a picture of a gallery that isn’t even feasible? He surely knows what a gallery is. I wouldn’t try to influence him like this, but rather trust his—hopefully present—creativity and expertise to effectively meet my needs.
My urgent advice: Step away from the computer for a moment and figure out exactly how you want to live as a family. Where are the nice views from the windows? What kind of spatial atmosphere do you want?
Yes—and I also want a gallery... I think our gallery is great, but it needs to be integrated into a spatial concept that suits my requirements.
You want a unique house; I really like that approach. So let a professional take charge, someone who is fully informed about your needs. You can’t just remove things here and there.
I already mentioned the entrance at the gable, which in my opinion looks rather unimpressive, along with that utterly unnecessary ramp. That unnecessary step then creates the current step down into the open-plan space. You can also see in the picture where two staircases meet, and the stairs look more like a planning mistake rather than an elegant, deliberately separated living area. I understand the individual elements you want to include, but so far the given spatial structure prevents a tasteful design.
I would consider having a nice staircase leading up to the gallery (have it designed) so that I can really spend time up there and not just use it as a hallway outside the rooms. Maybe the price for that is relocating a room downstairs, but in the end, every one of these wishes comes with its “cost.”
We definitely wanted a generous gallery with a stylish staircase, and that does come with “downsides” like heat distribution and sound issues. But it’s worth it to us.
I hope your architect doesn’t let you overly influence him at this stage.

lucaskilam schrieb:

I’m not yet sure what this room will become; it might be my wife’s and my bedroom. For now, it’s important for me to see how it looks visually if the room is divided and a gallery is installed.

Haha... actually, we also had all sorts of crazy ideas, including installing a glass element in the wall of our bedroom facing the open gallery. We really “dwelled” on everything quite a bit, and that’s fun, but you also have to be careful to filter it well. Right now, you seem to be jumping back and forth a lot—I hope your architect will help you sort this out. I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes.

For a distinctive house, it’s worth looking back to earlier times. For example, during the Art Deco/Art Nouveau period, buildings were not only beautiful but also practical.

I grew up in an old house that wasn’t particularly special except for a few windows that were uniquely shaped and protruded outward like small bay windows. The windows were not large, certainly not floor-to-ceiling, yet they were positioned to capture plenty of natural sunlight.

These small details truly make a house special. You don’t need a small gallery or extra space or anything like that. In my opinion, the uniqueness lies in clever design features and a personal touch in the interior.

I can’t even count how many useless, uninspired galleries I have seen. Nowadays, every busy, slightly larger terraced house has one. Instagram is full of them.

lucaskilam schrieb:

it might become the bedroom for my wife and me.

Make sure that the room is actually allowed to be used as living space – key point: sufficient natural light through windows (as required by building codes). I’m not sure if a "window" into another room meets this requirement.

Don’t try to force a poor or unsuitable floor plan to fit your needs at all costs. If it’s going to be the bedroom, you will have to redesign the entire floor plan (if it’s even possible due to lighting requirements). You’ll need a room width of about 3m (10 feet). Add the gallery area and you’ll have nearly half of the living room space built over. Then you might as well give up on the open space concept and you’ll basically lose the two-story effect.
It’s better to simply start over.

Arauki11 schrieb:

We really wanted a spacious gallery with a stylish staircase, which naturally comes with some "downsides" like heat distribution and sound issues. But for us, it's worth it.

How did you address or reduce these issues? This is one of our concerns, especially regarding acoustics. For that reason, I wanted to slightly reduce the open space. Currently, it measures about 4 × 11 m (13 × 36 ft) with a height of 6 m (20 ft). I am considering shortening the length to around 5–6 m (16–20 ft) and adding a ceiling there. This would create an additional room upstairs, increasing the living area. However, I’m not sure if this is feasible or how my architect will view and solve it. Thanks in any case for your valuable advice.

nordanney schrieb:

Make sure that the space is actually allowed to be used as a living area — key point: sufficient natural light through windows (as required by building codes or planning regulations). I’m not sure if a "window" facing another room will be enough.

Don’t try to force a poor or unsuitable floor plan to work at all costs. If this is going to be the bedroom, you will need to redesign the entire layout (if it’s even possible to meet lighting requirements). You’ll need a room width of at least 3 meters (10 feet). Add the gallery area on top of that, and you’ll end up covering almost half of the living room. At that point, you might as well give up the open void and end up with a two-story space.
Better to just start from scratch.

We will probably do exactly that with the architect and start over with the planning. Thanks.

Arauki11 schrieb:

Oops... now it’s getting confusing. A room with a window into the living area? That can be interesting in some cases, but here it seems like you’re trying to forcibly hold on to something that no longer works.
What does your architect gain from a picture of a gallery that isn’t really feasible anyway? He surely knows what a gallery is. I wouldn’t try to influence him like that, but would trust his—hopefully existing—imagination and expertise to adapt to my needs well.
My urgent advice: put the computer aside for a moment and figure out exactly how you want to live as a family. Where are good views from the windows, what kind of spatial feeling do you want, etc.
Yes—and I also want a gallery... I think our gallery is great, but it has to be integrated into a room concept that fits my needs.
You want a special house, and I absolutely like that approach. So involve a professional who is fully informed about your needs. You can’t just remove or change something here and there.
I already mentioned what I consider a rather unimpressive entrance on the gable end and that utterly unnecessary ramp leading to it. This unnecessary step then creates the current step down into the open-plan area. The photo also shows how two staircases meet there, making the stairs seem more like a design mistake than an elegant, deliberately separated living area. I understand the elements you want to integrate, but so far the given spatial layout prevents a stylish design.
I might consider (or have someone consider) a stylish staircase up to the gallery so that you can actually spend time up there, not just use it as a hallway in front of rooms. Maybe the price for that is relocating a room downstairs, but ultimately every one of these wishes has a “cost.”
We definitely wanted a generous gallery with an elegant staircase, and yes, that comes with “disadvantages” like heat distribution and sound issues. But for us, it’s worth it.
I hope your architect isn’t influenced by you too much at this stage.

Haha… we actually had all kinds of crazy ideas too, including putting a glass element in the wall of our bedroom looking out onto the open gallery. We really brainstormed a lot, and that’s fun, but you also have to be careful to filter well. Right now, you seem to be jumping around a lot—I hope your architect will sort that out for you—I’m looking forward to seeing it.

🙂 Exactly like that. We have so many things on our minds right now, so we’re grateful for any advice. I’ll keep you updated. Thanks