ᐅ Floor plan for a single-family home with two full stories and a recessed/stepped top floor

StephanM schrieb:

What exactly do you mean by “over”? Over as in unnecessary? How do you arrive at that? Because of the room layout?
Regards, Stephan

• The built-in cloak closet was made slightly narrower to align with the width of the staircase. As an alternative solution, we considered a built-in unit surrounding the guest bathroom door, designed as a children’s cloakroom.
• The guest room door was shifted slightly to create space for a closet behind it.

• The second children’s bathroom (previously located directly above the guest bathroom) was removed. This room will now be used as a utility room with washer and dryer, or as storage.
• Doors to the children’s rooms, bathroom, and utility room were slightly shifted to make the layout more appealing and to create space for closets behind the doors.
• The built-in closet opposite the staircase was reduced in size to allow for a more pleasing bathroom layout including a bathtub. The walls are to be constructed as lightweight partitions to conceal the “main service lines” behind them.

• The dressing/sewing/office room is now accessible directly from the hallway, so the bedroom is no longer a walkthrough room.
• The bathtub in the master bathroom has been removed; one on the 1st floor will suffice. The bathroom is now also accessible directly from the hallway. Overall, the layout now seems more logical, especially regarding daily routes (bed → closet → bathroom).
• This also allowed for a better bed positioning with a view outside.
• The lift-and-slide doors in the dressing/sewing/office room and bedroom were removed and replaced by fixed glazing and a glass door.

• For the master suite level, we can basically imagine two versions that result in the same square footage. Version 1 has two offsets (bathroom and bedroom). The advantage here is that the water supply lines (fresh and wastewater) would be located above the drywall partitions of the children’s bathroom and could be hidden within them. Version 2 has no offsets, making it simpler to build; however, the lines would not run above the children’s bathroom lines. We have no idea if this complicates the plumbing significantly. Which option would you prefer and why? Or do you have a completely new idea?
• The stair exit on the 2nd floor is only 1.30 m (4.3 ft). In your experience, is this sufficient?

• Floor construction: We are dealing with height restrictions, so we are negotiating every centimeter. The general contractor plans on 19 cm (7.5 inches) floor buildup per level; the architect says 15–16 cm (6–6.3 inches) should suffice. His calculation is as follows: concrete slab → 50 mm (2 inches) insulation with ventilation ducts (50 mm (2 inches) in height), supply and return pipes for heating, fresh water, electrical wiring → backfilling with perlite beads → 20–30 mm (0.8–1.2 inches) insulation → 20 mm (0.8 inches) underfloor heating → 45 mm (1.8 inches) screed → 15 mm (0.6 inches) floor covering, totaling 150–160 mm (6–6.3 inches). Does this align with your experience, or is it overly optimistic? The bathroom drainage runs behind cladding boxes and will not be routed through the floor.
• Roof drainage: The architect recommended internal flat roof drainage and has planned it accordingly behind drywall partitions for media supply. We like this idea, but have no experience with durability or watertightness. Can any roofer handle this, or is a specialist required, whom the general contractor might not have or want to hire? Additional question: Is it possible or allowed to embed rainwater downpipes within external insulation (we have 140 mm (5.5 inches))? Is this common practice, difficult, or unwise? For your information, the house aims to meet KfW55 standards.
• Rainwater drainage: Our development does not allow surface water to be discharged into the sewer system. Instead, it must be directed to an open channel in the street. Our finished floor level will be 20 cm (8 inches) above the street grade/channel. The key question: How on earth can we aesthetically and as simply and cost-effectively as possible lead rainwater from downspouts at all four corners of the house to the street channel? I have no imagination here; maybe you have encountered a similar requirement? The flat roofs are mostly green roofs, so rainwater should be partially retained. This planning task seems even more challenging with internal downpipes routed below the basement ceiling, thus already below street grade, compared to external downpipes where at least some slope can be used. I am grateful for any tips! I have considered a soakaway with overflow to the street channel...

haydee schrieb:

Visually, I would prefer a beam, but with four children this solution has its advantages.

Much better