ᐅ Floor Plan Discussion / Single-Family Home on a Narrow Lot with Northeast Orientation

Hello everyone,

I came across this forum while working on our floor plan and looking for experience reports from potentially suitable home builders.

Since there are already detailed and technically knowledgeable discussions here, I would like to present our proposed floor plan for discussion. The plot is located in a new development area, with neighboring buildings from the older stock to the southwest.

Overall, we are quite satisfied with the design in terms of maximizing the use of the plot. However, we are somewhat uncertain about the orientation and size of the windows in the living-dining area (is the glazing sufficient, or will it be too dark in winter?), as well as the location of the main terrace (will it be shaded in the mornings during summer and extremely hot in the evenings?).

We welcome your opinions on the floor plan/layout, especially regarding our “pain points” or anything else you notice (both positive and negative).

Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 500 sqm (5,382 sq ft)
Slope: none
Site occupancy index (floor area ratio): 0.4
Gross floor area ratio: 2
Building envelope, building line, and boundaries
Edge development: none
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2 full stories
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style: classic/modern
Orientation: SW/NE
Maximum heights/restrictions: see cross-sections
Additional requirements: roof overhang 0.5 m (20 inches)

Client Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: classic/modern, gable roof with minimal pitch preferred, single-family house
Basement, floors: basement, 2 full stories
Number of residents, ages: 5 (37, 37, 5, 3, 0)
Room requirements on ground and upper floors: 3 children’s bedrooms
Office: family use on the ground floor, home office in the basement
Guest overnight stays per year: approximately 10
Open or closed layout: open
Conservative or modern construction: conservative-modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: kitchen island
Fireplace: no
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes/particulars/day schedule, and reasons for any inclusions or exclusions: none to mention

House Design
Who planned the design: architect, fine-tuning by us
What do you particularly like? Why?:
Short and direct routes (e.g., kitchen to dining, kitchen to terrace, garage to entrance). Efficient use of space and plot. Clear separation between living and entrance/mudroom areas. All bedrooms on one level with the option to create a simple gallery for the children later.

What do you dislike? Why?:
Uncertainty about the orientation of the living corner with the TV and the wall by the staircase. Does this block off the living-dining area too much from the south? Unfortunately, I have no idea how to change this without drastically disrupting the entire floor plan.

Price estimate according to architect/planner: approximately €700,000 (house including ancillary costs, excluding garage)
Personal budget limit for the house, including fittings: (€700,000)
Preferred heating technology: heat pump/underfloor heating

If you had to omit something, which details/extensions
-can you do without:
-cannot do without:

Why did the design turn out this way? For example:
Which wishes were fulfilled by the architect? Large living-dining area with lift-and-slide door, as much garden space as possible, double garage or carport

This is a great opening post. North arrow, site plan including the position of the house. Thank you.

Overall, I like the floor plan, but I have 2 or 3 comments:

Ground Floor

• The guest room is really quite narrow. Perhaps by narrowing the bathroom and rearranging it (shower at the bottom of the plan, then a small sink and toilet on the right, with a door opening outwards), the guest room could be slightly widened at least in the area of the bed.
• For the pantry, definitely have the door open outwards and only about 71-76 cm (28-30 inches) wide. Then the walls on the right or left can be used for a vacuum cleaner, mop, 20 cm (8 inches) deep shelves, etc., and access will be easier.
• For the stairs, it might be possible to reduce the length by one step, adding one more step at the upper stair section on the plan.
• In terms of the kitchen, I would try to place the tall cabinets inside the stairwell and keep both the main kitchen run and the island as flat surfaces only.
• Regarding the living room and the stairwell wall, I have no concerns.

Upper Floor

• For all doors with cupboards behind them, make sure there is at least 70 cm (28 inches) of rough space during the shell construction. Therefore, consider moving the door of Room 1 slightly upward on the plan, and check this for the bedroom as well.
• For the bedroom, I would place the window at the bottom of the plan and position the bed with the headboard to the right. As it is now, the free space is not really usable. Rotating it leaves room, for example, for a shallow dresser along the wall to the bathroom or something similar.
• Bathroom: I find the T-shaped layout with the shower by the window unsuitable. Therefore, perhaps use a layout like in the attached drawing. The red mark also shows the wall depth for the bedroom wardrobe.

In the cross-section, an additional level is shown for Room 1. How wide is this supposed to be and what is planned there? This might become a challenge.

kbt09 schrieb:

That’s a nice opening post.

I agree — as clear as the design!

kbt09 schrieb:

From a kitchen perspective, I would try to place the tall cabinets inside the stairwell area and keep both the run and the island as flat surfaces only.

At first, I thought: remove the pantry or put it under the stairs to definitely enlarge the kitchen. Unfortunately, there is a basement. The kitchen would be too small for two people. Some appliances are left out in the open, so the countertop run is occupied. With five people, the island’s workspace would be too small. Handling a baking tray does not seem practical.

Zitronenwalter schrieb:

Does this heavily block the living and dining area on the south side?

No. However, I would add another window like the one next to the stair window in the living area.

Zitronenwalter schrieb:

All bedrooms on one floor with the option to easily create a gallery for the children later.

I wouldn’t do that. A staircase leading to a railing where you can only move bent over upstairs is suboptimal. Bunk beds or a gallery might work lengthwise or from the ridge side, but not as shown. It’s not practical either.

What I can also mention:
The entrance to the house will be drafty, and the terrace uncomfortable. I would close off the path between the garage and the house. Then place the trash containers there as well. The garage space will probably also be needed for the children’s vehicles and bicycles.

The floor plan looks very tidy and gives the impression that everything fits well.
Starting from the top, I agree with @kbt09 and would definitely favor this suggestion. The T-shaped solution sometimes seen looks nice at first glance, but the longer I look at it, the less I like it and the more I fail to see any advantage. I wouldn’t like having the door right behind me while brushing my teeth. For the shower in the new plan, I would build a half-height wall and place a simple glass panel on top of it, which I find practical. You can also attach or place items on the half wall next to the toilet, for example.
For room 2, I would consider whether it really needs two large windows and whether that doesn’t reduce usable wall space for furniture, decorations, pictures, etc. Having a window area above the bed is questionable anyway.

I don’t know the key parameters for your plan, but compared to the very generous basement with a 14sqm (150 sq ft) hobby room, almost 16sqm (172 sq ft) storage room, 9sqm (97 sq ft) hallway, and over 12sqm (129 sq ft) technical room, I find the 12sqm (129 sq ft) office rather small—especially considering that working in the basement means relying on light shafts.
It seems to me that you want to make maximum use of your 500sqm (5380 sq ft) plot for leisure and therefore want to “save” as much as possible on the living space, since a basement wouldn’t necessarily be required given your plot’s topography, right? I personally like compact layouts, so my first impression is positive, but for the basement I have to draw the line. It costs as much as above-ground living space but is far less comfortable due to stairs, lack of natural light, and significant earthworks.
I don’t want to question your obviously mature decision, but as long as nothing is built yet, I think criticism is allowed. I don’t criticize finished projects anymore because then it feels more like mockery, as nothing can be changed.
So why did you decide on a basement instead of expanding above ground in a reasonable way to make your daily life more comfortable?
Honestly, at first glance the main living area appears to be more spacious than it actually is, at least to me. I’m also not sure if the drawn-in furniture (sofa, dining table, chairs, etc.) really corresponds to the real dimensions you plan to use; are these measurements correct?
Approximately 41sqm (441 sq ft) of living area for five people is not much at all, and almost 18sqm (194 sq ft) of that for the kitchen, which in the end does not really offer much storage space, strikes me as somewhat unbalanced. Maybe it would make sense to remove the pantry altogether and use the larger kitchen area with practical furniture; the current pantry costs money and its door reduces usable space. The extra exit from the kitchen also takes additional wall space and is not necessary. If TV is important to you, the current furniture arrangement is not suitable for multiple people.
I’m generally a fan of large window areas, but right now you really can’t place anything anywhere—there is no wall space left.

The garage driveway, as drawn, is too narrow near the entrance; scratches will happen soon. Try drawing a line showing how a vehicle would enter and exit, and you’ll see the problem.
Your everyday living space is really tight, which wouldn’t be an issue if more space was not possible. But given the basement, the huge—and costly—terrace, and the oversized garage, it seems you do have financial flexibility that I would definitely use more for the living areas (ground and upper floors); as I said, it’s a matter of proportions.
I hope this doesn’t come across the wrong way, but I sense an imbalance between the small living spaces (main area, children’s rooms), the large glass surfaces, and the even larger terrace with resulting costs for shading, etc.—so far too much basement and terrace, and too little above-ground living space.

Welcome! I really like the design. I can imagine that this house would work excellently for an active family with an open attitude toward guests both indoors and outdoors. Some aspects require a relaxed approach to improvisation, but that’s actually what makes the design so good, as it does not try to cover every possible eventuality in life completely.

Zitronenwalter schrieb:

All bedrooms on one level with the option for the children to later create a simple loft area.

We have fitted lofts with difficult access and an uncomfortably steep staircase in the children’s apartments – and it’s definitely worth it. This feature not only adds living space but also brings character to the rooms. The poor day-to-day ergonomics are less noticeable to young people, and the “cave-like” space is a great asset.

Zitronenwalter schrieb:

Uncertainty about the orientation of the living corner with TV and the wall by the stairs.

I would share that uncertainty as little as the previous commenters. Your house isn’t quiet – so concerns like these don’t really matter.

Zitronenwalter schrieb:

Does this overly block the living and dining area from the south?

No, not excessively. The position is appropriate and not too hot in summer either.

kbt09 schrieb:

The guest room is really quite narrow.

That’s true. If I had a home office, I would regularly use that room for work and only move to the room labeled “office” when guests arrive. Files and archives can be neatly stored in the basement room. So to speak, a kind of “hot desking” within your own home. If you think along these lines, you can save on construction costs, because with about 10 overnight stays per year you’d be in the basement “office” for at most 10 days — and you wouldn’t need an expensive light well for that. (Keyword: improvisation)

kbt09 schrieb:

Pantry – definitely have the door open outwards and be only about 71–76 cm (28–30 inches) wide.

Yes, definitely.

kbt09 schrieb:

Bathroom – I find the T-layout with the shower by the window unfavorable.

We have been living with a T-layout (without a bathtub) for almost 6 years, and it works perfectly. In a five-person household there will be occasional scheduling needs for bathroom use, but that’s not a question about the “T.” Potentially, teenagers will want to spend long periods of time in this room. As parents, I would keep a backup toothbrush on the ground floor but see no fundamental problem here (keyword: improvisation).

ypg schrieb:

The kitchen would be too small for me with two people. Some appliances are left out in the open, so the counter is occupied. An island would overwhelm the work surface for five people. Handling baking sheets seems impossible.

Yes, the working area is tight. Again: improvisation. Simply use the dining table occasionally. Put down a mat, roll out dough, cut cookies, or whatever, while another person is busy elsewhere in the kitchen.

Arauki11 schrieb:

About 41 sqm (440 sq ft) open-plan space for five people is by no means much, and almost 18 sqm (195 sq ft) of that is kitchen, which doesn’t actually offer much storage — I see this as a slight disadvantage.

Yes, this room can become hectic. It’s a matter of lifestyle. And again: improvisation. When a large table is set up for, for example, a celebration, it just gets a bit tight and segmented.

Arauki11 schrieb:

The garage driveway as drawn is too narrow at the entrance; there will soon be scratches. Draw a line showing how the vehicle would enter and exit, and you’ll see the problem.

Yes, that is tight, and scratches are likely. I would plan for an oversized gate or a wider and a narrower gate. The car in the middle position will be the “sacrificial” vehicle regarding scratches in the current gate setup, as the children’s cars will pass by there. You could finance the extra expense by eliminating the light well.

ypg schrieb:

The house entrance will be drafty, and the terrace will be uncomfortable. I would close off the path between garage and house.

A door here works very well to prevent drafts and to close off the private terrace area from the street when needed. Especially with children, this access option is a feature I would not want to miss in everyday life. The children can go in and out without someone having to open the front door every time or carry house keys. Sure, this increases dirt in the kitchen-dining area, but it can also be seen this way: “Good parents have dirty floors and happy kids.” (And please don’t come with any illogical reverse conclusion thinking that parents with clean floors can’t have happy kids.)

I join in congratulating you on the house design and in thanking you for the pleasant introductory post. The architect seems to be a bit stuck in the 1980s, which makes the disregard for the standard modular building grid in the room dimensions and wall positions all the more surprising to me. Something I would never do again (although I did back then) are window openings without reveal jambs on one side, not only because they look "off."

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