ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a Single-Family House with Basement and Double Garage on a 540 sqm Plot
Created on: 13 Sep 2019 22:44
M
MakeNBreak
Hello everyone,
we need help planning our house. We have purchased a 540 sqm (5810 sq ft) plot and want to build a single-family home with a basement, two full floors, and a double garage. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attach PDFs, but I hope the quality of the mysweethome snapshot is sufficient.
Details on the floor plan below...
Development plan/restrictions:
Plot size: 540 sqm (5810 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building line, building boundary, and building zone: see plan
Edge development: detached housing
Number of floors: no restriction
Maximum height: 8.5 m (natural ground to ridge)
A 5 m (16 ft) wide protected buffer zone along the water must be planted and cannot be built on.
Client requirements:
Building type: single-family house with double garage
Roof shape: gable roof
Basement ceiling height: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in), ground floor ceiling height: 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in), upper floor ceiling height: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Number and age of occupants: 2 adults (mid-30s), 2 children (<3 years)
Living area: 160-180 sqm (1720-1940 sq ft)
Basement with waterproofing “black tank” system
We want to combine the following:
- No kitchen-dining-living room corridor; instead, an L-shaped layout with the living room somewhat separated
- Office/guest room on the ground floor (double bed and desk); home office once a week, guests about ten times a year; also usable as a bedroom later in life (space for double bed and wardrobe)
- Ground floor toilet with shower
- Direct access from the garage to the house or at least a dry path from the garage to the house
- Half-landing staircase
- Gable roof
- House oriented lengthwise (gable side) towards the street to preserve as much garden space as possible on the west side
- Pantry would be nice but can be omitted if the kitchen is large; a storage room for food is planned in the basement
- Open kitchen
- Seating for 6 people
- No balcony
House design:
The current design is our own. After visiting many show homes and working through various planning drafts, we gradually became clear about what we want. The current design incorporates the above wishes.
What do we not like? Why?
If you had to give up some details/extensions, which ones would they be?
What we cannot do without:
- Living/dining area should be spacious and feel open
- We do not want a kitchen-dining-living corridor; the living room should be somewhat separated/offset.
Why did the design turn out this way?
Optimal use of the plot, placing the double garage and house towards the street to have enough garden space at the back. Kitchen faces the street, living and dining area face the garden/terrace. Simple house shape (no bay window because of the waterproof basement “black tank,” cost savings, etc.). After much trial and error, this layout made the most sense.
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Are there other options to meet our requirements? What are the main criticisms or improvement suggestions for the current design?
we need help planning our house. We have purchased a 540 sqm (5810 sq ft) plot and want to build a single-family home with a basement, two full floors, and a double garage. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attach PDFs, but I hope the quality of the mysweethome snapshot is sufficient.
Details on the floor plan below...
Development plan/restrictions:
Plot size: 540 sqm (5810 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Building line, building boundary, and building zone: see plan
Edge development: detached housing
Number of floors: no restriction
Maximum height: 8.5 m (natural ground to ridge)
A 5 m (16 ft) wide protected buffer zone along the water must be planted and cannot be built on.
Client requirements:
Building type: single-family house with double garage
Roof shape: gable roof
Basement ceiling height: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in), ground floor ceiling height: 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in), upper floor ceiling height: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Number and age of occupants: 2 adults (mid-30s), 2 children (<3 years)
Living area: 160-180 sqm (1720-1940 sq ft)
Basement with waterproofing “black tank” system
We want to combine the following:
- No kitchen-dining-living room corridor; instead, an L-shaped layout with the living room somewhat separated
- Office/guest room on the ground floor (double bed and desk); home office once a week, guests about ten times a year; also usable as a bedroom later in life (space for double bed and wardrobe)
- Ground floor toilet with shower
- Direct access from the garage to the house or at least a dry path from the garage to the house
- Half-landing staircase
- Gable roof
- House oriented lengthwise (gable side) towards the street to preserve as much garden space as possible on the west side
- Pantry would be nice but can be omitted if the kitchen is large; a storage room for food is planned in the basement
- Open kitchen
- Seating for 6 people
- No balcony
House design:
The current design is our own. After visiting many show homes and working through various planning drafts, we gradually became clear about what we want. The current design incorporates the above wishes.
What do we not like? Why?
- Where could shelves be integrated in the living area?
- Is the size of the dining and living area proportionate to the house?
- The hallway on the ground floor is quite wide – seems like wasted space
- It would be nice if the living room felt a bit more separated
If you had to give up some details/extensions, which ones would they be?
- Pantry (we haven’t managed to integrate it yet)
- Half-landing staircase is practical and attractive but takes up a lot of space (alternative: straight staircase or two-flight angled staircase)
- Kitchen orientation facing the street
What we cannot do without:
- Direct access from the garage
- Living/dining area should be spacious and feel open
- We do not want a kitchen-dining-living corridor; the living room should be somewhat separated/offset.
Why did the design turn out this way?
Optimal use of the plot, placing the double garage and house towards the street to have enough garden space at the back. Kitchen faces the street, living and dining area face the garden/terrace. Simple house shape (no bay window because of the waterproof basement “black tank,” cost savings, etc.). After much trial and error, this layout made the most sense.
What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Are there other options to meet our requirements? What are the main criticisms or improvement suggestions for the current design?
MakeNBreak schrieb:
Do you find the coat storage area in the entrance insufficient? How large would you make it?
Regarding the garage access... Opinions seem to be divided on its usefulness. Homeowners who have one don’t want to do without it anymore (at least those we have spoken to).
- Getting children in and out of the car while staying dry (there were over 200 rainy days in 2018—I was surprised when I looked it up...)
- Bringing trash/diapers into the garage
- Quickly grabbing something from the car without having to open the garage door
Of course, the question is whether it’s worth it, especially if it doesn’t fit well with other aspects.
I see the following problem: If I place the entrance near the garage (north side) and keep the kitchen/dining/living areas on the south/west side, it inevitably creates a corridor-like layout... :-/
We have also considered replacing the landing stairs with a straight flight and swapping the living room with the kitchen. Coat Storage
You have shoes, jackets, and hats for 4 people hanging there.
The door opens and you trip over shoes and bags.
Everyone uses more than one pair of shoes regularly.
Stairs with a different shape, not straight, would take even more space.
Rearranging the rooms so that the Tetris-like layout upstairs disappears.
The door from the garage to the house is overrated. It’s nice but not necessary.
I have one. Your garage is too narrow for 2 cars anyway. You have to fully open the door for Maxi-Cosi and similar items.
New floor plan with a different house shape, different stairs, independent of the garage.
G
Grantlhaua18 Sep 2019 11:53MakeNBreak schrieb:
- Office/guest room on the ground floor (double bed and desk); home office use once a week, guests staying overnight about 10 times a year; usable as a bedroom in old age (space for double bed and wardrobe).The topics of pantry and separate living room could be solved if you give up this huge guest area. You have a basement planned, so what’s supposed to go down there?
G
Grantlhaua30 Sep 2019 12:37Apparently, nothing is coming through here anymore?
M
MakeNBreak5 Oct 2019 21:52Hello everyone,
hopefully this isn’t the end yet. We were on vacation and didn’t get a chance to reply until now. Thanks again for all the suggestions.
A brief summary:
- I agree with you that the house needs to be narrower; otherwise, we’ll be right next to the neighbor’s garage.
- The office will be made smaller!
- I’ve had many discussions with my wife about the direct access to the garage. I can do without it, but she would like it. Giving it up gives us more flexibility, so we’ll continue planning without it.
- It’s hard to give up the landing staircase. We just don’t like half-turn or quarter-turn staircases aesthetically and can’t get used to them.
- A pantry is not essential if the kitchen has enough storage space.
- Regarding the garage… 5.5m (18 feet) internal width is not generous but sufficient for two Golfs. That’s the current width we have at our parking space. The wider the garage, the less space is left towards the south. Alternatively, I’d prefer a spacious single garage and then build the house a bit wider.
- The basement will include a music room (drums), laundry room, utility room, storage room, and possibly a guest room for larger family visits.
- We are currently considering swapping the kitchen and living room so the kitchen is closer to the terrace on the west side.
We will continue working on drafts with SweetHome 3D and also look through prefabricated house floor plans and visit show homes. We will first discuss the next draft with an architect and then share it here.
If you know of any floor plans that would fit our concept, we would be very grateful.
One more comment on the orientation of the house:
- The neighbor’s garage will be built on the south side.
- The west side is the quiet area of the house (towards the stream). On the other side of the stream there are no houses nearby.
- Please consider that the riparian buffer zone (west - 5m (16 feet)) is planted and must not be altered. We want to keep enough lawn space between the terrace and the buffer zone. That’s why the house has been oriented north-south so far. What’s the point of a large area facing south if all you see is the neighbor’s garage? However, the distance to the neighbor should not be too small (at least 4-5m (13-16 feet)).
hopefully this isn’t the end yet. We were on vacation and didn’t get a chance to reply until now. Thanks again for all the suggestions.
A brief summary:
- I agree with you that the house needs to be narrower; otherwise, we’ll be right next to the neighbor’s garage.
- The office will be made smaller!
- I’ve had many discussions with my wife about the direct access to the garage. I can do without it, but she would like it. Giving it up gives us more flexibility, so we’ll continue planning without it.
- It’s hard to give up the landing staircase. We just don’t like half-turn or quarter-turn staircases aesthetically and can’t get used to them.
- A pantry is not essential if the kitchen has enough storage space.
- Regarding the garage… 5.5m (18 feet) internal width is not generous but sufficient for two Golfs. That’s the current width we have at our parking space. The wider the garage, the less space is left towards the south. Alternatively, I’d prefer a spacious single garage and then build the house a bit wider.
- The basement will include a music room (drums), laundry room, utility room, storage room, and possibly a guest room for larger family visits.
- We are currently considering swapping the kitchen and living room so the kitchen is closer to the terrace on the west side.
We will continue working on drafts with SweetHome 3D and also look through prefabricated house floor plans and visit show homes. We will first discuss the next draft with an architect and then share it here.
If you know of any floor plans that would fit our concept, we would be very grateful.
One more comment on the orientation of the house:
- The neighbor’s garage will be built on the south side.
- The west side is the quiet area of the house (towards the stream). On the other side of the stream there are no houses nearby.
- Please consider that the riparian buffer zone (west - 5m (16 feet)) is planted and must not be altered. We want to keep enough lawn space between the terrace and the buffer zone. That’s why the house has been oriented north-south so far. What’s the point of a large area facing south if all you see is the neighbor’s garage? However, the distance to the neighbor should not be too small (at least 4-5m (13-16 feet)).
MakeNBreak schrieb:
Hopefully, this is not the end yet. We were on holiday and therefore haven’t been able to respond until now. Thanks again for the suggestions.One should consider whether asking questions in a forum makes sense if, for whatever reasons, one cannot engage in a dialogue!
G
Grantlhaua7 Oct 2019 07:19MakeNBreak schrieb:
Possibly guests during larger family gatherings.Why then the huge office? Plan the living space so that the living room can be separated in old age (which is already possible with the current layout).
MakeNBreak schrieb:
Our current idea is to swap the kitchen and living room so that the kitchen is closer to the west-facing terrace.I think that’s a good idea! That was also a priority for me. The only potential issue could be the exterior appearance. If the office is made smaller and the living room larger, the dining table and kitchen could be moved further down, which might create space for a pantry behind the kitchen?
Similar topics