ᐅ Floor Plan Feedback: Semi-Detached House for a Family of Four, Self-Designed
Created on: 4 Sep 2021 00:22
P
pho3nixx
Hi everyone,
We have been working on the floor plan of our house for quite some time and would appreciate your feedback. It is a semi-detached house from the 1950s that will be demolished and replaced with a new build. Since the designs from two construction companies did not really appeal to us and architects in our area are declining due to workload, we took matters into our own hands and tried to combine our inspirations into a coherent overall concept. We like the current version, but we are unsure if the floor plan really works. The positioning, number, and size of the windows are also giving us headaches—perhaps wider windows instead of floor-to-ceiling ones would be better on the upper floor and facing the street?
Thank you in advance for your ideas and comments! :-)
P.S. Please note, in the attached floor plans, “top” is south (garden side) and “bottom” is north (street side).
Building Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 887m² (2134 sq ft) – 19m (62 ft) wide on the north side, 17m (56 ft) wide on the south side, 49m (161 ft) long
Slope: approx. 50cm (20 inches) gradient from north to south
Site coverage ratio: 0.4, max. 140m² (1507 sq ft)
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: building envelope 13.5m (44 ft) wide, 12.5m (41 ft) long, 4m (13 ft) building line
Edge development: attached to neighboring semi-detached house
Number of parking spaces: at least 1, preferably 2
Number of storeys: 2 full storeys
Roof type: 30° gable roof
Architectural style: modern, minimalist, simple
Orientation: street to the north, garden to the south
Maximum heights / limits: base up to 1m (3 ft), knee wall for 2 full storeys max. 0.5m (20 inches)
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: modern, 2 full storeys with a 30° gable roof, semi-detached house
Basement, floors: basement desired, 2 full storeys
Number of occupants, ages: 4 people (40, 40, 10, 6)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor: Ground floor: open living/dining/kitchen and guest/office room, toilet; Upper floor: bedrooms, 2 children’s rooms, bathrooms
Office: Family use or home office? home office, possibly guest room
Number of overnight guests per year: few
Open or closed architecture: open plan
Conservative or modern building method: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes to both
Number of dining seats: at least 8
Fireplace: desired
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: yes, also for parking bicycles and driving through with the caravan (min. 2.70m (8 ft 10 in) clearance height)
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why certain things should or should not be included: washer & dryer on the upper floor because laundry accumulates there; possible later attic conversion; possibly small rental apartment in the basement
House Design
Designer: Do-it-Yourself
What do you like most? Why?: open living-dining-kitchen area facing the garden, large children’s rooms, air space at the entrance
What do you like least? Why?: window design, bathroom layout, overall uncertainty
Estimated price according to architect/planner: none yet
Personal price limit for the house including fixtures: €650,000
Preferred heating system: geothermal, alternatively air-to-water heat pump
Why is the design as it is now? a mix of many examples from various magazines
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion? living and sleeping rooms on the south/garden side with large window areas
What is the most important / basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters? Is the floor plan coherent? Do you see potential for improvement, especially regarding window design and furniture/bathroom layout?
We have been working on the floor plan of our house for quite some time and would appreciate your feedback. It is a semi-detached house from the 1950s that will be demolished and replaced with a new build. Since the designs from two construction companies did not really appeal to us and architects in our area are declining due to workload, we took matters into our own hands and tried to combine our inspirations into a coherent overall concept. We like the current version, but we are unsure if the floor plan really works. The positioning, number, and size of the windows are also giving us headaches—perhaps wider windows instead of floor-to-ceiling ones would be better on the upper floor and facing the street?
Thank you in advance for your ideas and comments! :-)
P.S. Please note, in the attached floor plans, “top” is south (garden side) and “bottom” is north (street side).
Building Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 887m² (2134 sq ft) – 19m (62 ft) wide on the north side, 17m (56 ft) wide on the south side, 49m (161 ft) long
Slope: approx. 50cm (20 inches) gradient from north to south
Site coverage ratio: 0.4, max. 140m² (1507 sq ft)
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: building envelope 13.5m (44 ft) wide, 12.5m (41 ft) long, 4m (13 ft) building line
Edge development: attached to neighboring semi-detached house
Number of parking spaces: at least 1, preferably 2
Number of storeys: 2 full storeys
Roof type: 30° gable roof
Architectural style: modern, minimalist, simple
Orientation: street to the north, garden to the south
Maximum heights / limits: base up to 1m (3 ft), knee wall for 2 full storeys max. 0.5m (20 inches)
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: modern, 2 full storeys with a 30° gable roof, semi-detached house
Basement, floors: basement desired, 2 full storeys
Number of occupants, ages: 4 people (40, 40, 10, 6)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor: Ground floor: open living/dining/kitchen and guest/office room, toilet; Upper floor: bedrooms, 2 children’s rooms, bathrooms
Office: Family use or home office? home office, possibly guest room
Number of overnight guests per year: few
Open or closed architecture: open plan
Conservative or modern building method: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes to both
Number of dining seats: at least 8
Fireplace: desired
Music/sound wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: yes, also for parking bicycles and driving through with the caravan (min. 2.70m (8 ft 10 in) clearance height)
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why certain things should or should not be included: washer & dryer on the upper floor because laundry accumulates there; possible later attic conversion; possibly small rental apartment in the basement
House Design
Designer: Do-it-Yourself
What do you like most? Why?: open living-dining-kitchen area facing the garden, large children’s rooms, air space at the entrance
What do you like least? Why?: window design, bathroom layout, overall uncertainty
Estimated price according to architect/planner: none yet
Personal price limit for the house including fixtures: €650,000
Preferred heating system: geothermal, alternatively air-to-water heat pump
Why is the design as it is now? a mix of many examples from various magazines
What makes it particularly good or bad in your opinion? living and sleeping rooms on the south/garden side with large window areas
What is the most important / basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters? Is the floor plan coherent? Do you see potential for improvement, especially regarding window design and furniture/bathroom layout?
M
Myrna_Loy4 Sep 2021 11:13200 sqm (2,150 sq ft) plus basement plus demolition plus neighbor protection… 650,000 is definitely not enough for that.
11ant schrieb:
Wow. That suggests significant complications with the demolition and also implies that the semi-detached house was entirely built using timber frame construction. The structural safety certification for the neighboring half won’t be straightforward. Economically, it might be worth considering purchasing the adjacent half. In the 1950s, timber frame prefab houses were still quite basic and even two-story ones were more like temporary shelters. Yes, the demolition definitely won’t be easy; we will probably need a damage documentation procedure. Many similar semi-detached houses in the area have also been partially demolished and replaced with new builds.
Purchasing the neighboring half is financially not feasible for us—and besides, the neighbor probably plans to live there for another 20 to 30 years ;-)
M
Myrna_Loy4 Sep 2021 11:22Before dreaming about floor plans, I would first obtain a clear cost estimate for demolition, documentation procedures, and securing the excavation site. I don't see how it is possible to build a gross floor area of 235 m² (2,530 sq ft) for the full floors plus basement for 650,000.
If you want to keep the room layout as it is, have the construction supervisor (BU) create the final drawings. They should also correct any small planning errors:
For example, leave 70cm (28 inches) of wall space behind doors and next to windows for furniture placement.
This also applies to the wardrobe and kitchen, as well as the window frontage. The beams and lintels need proper support somewhere.
Plaster surfaces should also be taken into account. A planned dimension of 163cm (64 inches) can quickly become 155cm (61 inches).
For windows, the minimum size should be 1/8 of the room’s square meters. The larger the window frontage, the nicer the garden view. But the weather isn’t always nice, and you don’t want to see covered furniture with a tarp on the terrace. You also need space for furniture like a TV with a TV stand. So I wouldn’t overdo the windows. A solid wall segment also provides protection. You will have very limited options for placing furniture!
Upstairs, the window situation cannot be realized as it seems. Parapets (window sills or knee walls) are required, whether with wall or window area.
Personally, I would avoid floor-to-ceiling windows in private rooms and bathrooms. If anyone can look in, even just the feeling of it makes you uncomfortable.
I would plan kitchens wall-to-wall; I doubt a door next to built-in tall cabinets looks good.
Don’t place beds directly against the wall, and don’t have a child sleep on the bedroom wall side. Without windows, the hallway between the children's bathroom and stairs remains unclear.
What will the basement be used for? The house, including the basement, is too large compared to the budget.
The house will become too expensive with the unplanned large rooms!
For example, leave 70cm (28 inches) of wall space behind doors and next to windows for furniture placement.
This also applies to the wardrobe and kitchen, as well as the window frontage. The beams and lintels need proper support somewhere.
Plaster surfaces should also be taken into account. A planned dimension of 163cm (64 inches) can quickly become 155cm (61 inches).
For windows, the minimum size should be 1/8 of the room’s square meters. The larger the window frontage, the nicer the garden view. But the weather isn’t always nice, and you don’t want to see covered furniture with a tarp on the terrace. You also need space for furniture like a TV with a TV stand. So I wouldn’t overdo the windows. A solid wall segment also provides protection. You will have very limited options for placing furniture!
Upstairs, the window situation cannot be realized as it seems. Parapets (window sills or knee walls) are required, whether with wall or window area.
Personally, I would avoid floor-to-ceiling windows in private rooms and bathrooms. If anyone can look in, even just the feeling of it makes you uncomfortable.
I would plan kitchens wall-to-wall; I doubt a door next to built-in tall cabinets looks good.
Don’t place beds directly against the wall, and don’t have a child sleep on the bedroom wall side. Without windows, the hallway between the children's bathroom and stairs remains unclear.
What will the basement be used for? The house, including the basement, is too large compared to the budget.
The house will become too expensive with the unplanned large rooms!
I fully agree with the previous speakers. Before discussing the placement of the sanitary fixtures, a thorough cost planning should be carried out.
We are talking about over 300 sqm (including the basement)!
Floor plan: Large, with a lot of potential for optimization.
Personally, I’m not very keen on a rectangular open-plan area of 60 sqm (645 sq ft)…
We are talking about over 300 sqm (including the basement)!
Floor plan: Large, with a lot of potential for optimization.
Personally, I’m not very keen on a rectangular open-plan area of 60 sqm (645 sq ft)…
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