ᐅ Floor Plan & House Positioning Single-Family Home with a Curved Layout
Created on: 6 Mar 2020 23:33
H
hausnrplus25
Hello dear forum members,
we have tried to prepare the questionnaire and the attachments carefully and thoroughly.
If there are still any open questions – please feel free to ask.
We appreciate your time in considering our building project and welcome constructive criticism, ideas, and suggestions =)
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 610m² (6565 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: 0.3 (exceeding this is possible through fully greened roof surfaces)
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3m (10 ft) building boundary on west and east sides, detached building
Number of storeys: 1 full storey
Additional requirements: soundproofing (noise level category II)
Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: classic detached house / somewhat country house style; preferably with a third gable; timber frame construction; gable roof
Basement, storeys: no basement; 1.5 storeys (currently ground floor approx. 95m² (1023 sq ft) + utility room); current knee wall height 1.00m (3 ft 3 in) → would like to increase to 1.10–1.15m (3 ft 7 in – 3 ft 9 in) actual height
Number and age of inhabitants: currently 2 adults, 0 children; planning for 1–2 children
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
Ground floor: cloakroom, utility room (also a “craft corner”), office (see below), kitchen (see below) with small pantry, guest WC with shower (size/possibility for a closet → should later be a children’s bathroom), living room and dining room (family focal point for meals and e.g. game nights with friends)
Upper floor: bedroom, walk-in closet (separate room), 2 children’s rooms (approximately equal size), bathroom with shower and bathtub and toilet behind sliding door, storage room with washer/dryer
Office: family use or home office?: desk, PC, files etc.
Number of overnight guests per year: very rare (1–2 times a year)
Open or closed architecture: rather closed, but without feeling cramped
Open kitchen, cooking island: closed kitchen → preferably short routes to dining room and terrace; preferably U- or G-shaped kitchen, or L-shaped with island
Number of dining seats: fixed 4 seats, extendable to 6–8 desired (also space for a larger table for occasional special gatherings)
Fireplace: desired, but uncertain if space and budget will allow; if yes, then a classic fireplace on a wall, preferably not as a room divider
Garage, carport: double carport desired
Utility garden, greenhouse: classic low-maintenance family garden
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why something should or should not be: we want a closed staircase with a landing;
we prefer a slightly more complex layout, sometimes an angled wall, as it feels cozier (we don’t like everything square, open, and white);
we want a house for our future family with plenty of storage space and practicality; it should naturally look good inside and out, but it is primarily for use, not a design piece;
covered house entrance;
optimize plot area for house and garden, minimize front garden;
use cardinal directions/sun positions sensibly
House design
Who created the design: combination of DIY (room plan / partial room arrangement / staircase preference) and design by preferred house company (house exterior dimensions / staircase location / partial room arrangement)
What do you particularly like? Why?: rooms, orientation of rooms, staircase / use of stairwell
What do you not like? Why?: unsure about the route from kitchen to dining room/terrace; size of some rooms
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: €370,000 (approx. $400,000) including carport, turnkey (excluding extra costs for site work, exterior landscaping, plastering and flooring (tiles included))
Preferred heating system: currently air-to-water heat pump (monobloc with outdoor unit) with underfloor heating and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery; photovoltaics undecided
If you had to give up details / expansions:
- What could you live without? potentially an internal staircase
- What can you not give up? we would not be open to suggestions on this point and would not participate in the project otherwise; but basically the design mostly meets all our must-have wishes; bedroom access via a walk-in closet is not acceptable for us → so two separate accesses
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
House positioning? (allow only 0.5m (1 ft 8 in) space to neighbor to the north with utility room? House would be about 3.5m (11 ft 6 in) away, so office windows under carport? Or carport offset from house? Or angled placement but then cardinal directions regarding floor plan change? Any other ideas?)
Knee wall height?
Room sizes? → we feel everything is a little tight, or does it just look like that in drawings? We want a cozy, homely house without huge entrance or open gallery, but it should not feel cramped...
Price estimate?
PS: arrows indicate that plot boundaries are slightly angled, no slope; blue = building boundaries; all plans are oriented north
we have tried to prepare the questionnaire and the attachments carefully and thoroughly.
If there are still any open questions – please feel free to ask.
We appreciate your time in considering our building project and welcome constructive criticism, ideas, and suggestions =)
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 610m² (6565 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio: 0.3 (exceeding this is possible through fully greened roof surfaces)
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3m (10 ft) building boundary on west and east sides, detached building
Number of storeys: 1 full storey
Additional requirements: soundproofing (noise level category II)
Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: classic detached house / somewhat country house style; preferably with a third gable; timber frame construction; gable roof
Basement, storeys: no basement; 1.5 storeys (currently ground floor approx. 95m² (1023 sq ft) + utility room); current knee wall height 1.00m (3 ft 3 in) → would like to increase to 1.10–1.15m (3 ft 7 in – 3 ft 9 in) actual height
Number and age of inhabitants: currently 2 adults, 0 children; planning for 1–2 children
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
Ground floor: cloakroom, utility room (also a “craft corner”), office (see below), kitchen (see below) with small pantry, guest WC with shower (size/possibility for a closet → should later be a children’s bathroom), living room and dining room (family focal point for meals and e.g. game nights with friends)
Upper floor: bedroom, walk-in closet (separate room), 2 children’s rooms (approximately equal size), bathroom with shower and bathtub and toilet behind sliding door, storage room with washer/dryer
Office: family use or home office?: desk, PC, files etc.
Number of overnight guests per year: very rare (1–2 times a year)
Open or closed architecture: rather closed, but without feeling cramped
Open kitchen, cooking island: closed kitchen → preferably short routes to dining room and terrace; preferably U- or G-shaped kitchen, or L-shaped with island
Number of dining seats: fixed 4 seats, extendable to 6–8 desired (also space for a larger table for occasional special gatherings)
Fireplace: desired, but uncertain if space and budget will allow; if yes, then a classic fireplace on a wall, preferably not as a room divider
Garage, carport: double carport desired
Utility garden, greenhouse: classic low-maintenance family garden
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why something should or should not be: we want a closed staircase with a landing;
we prefer a slightly more complex layout, sometimes an angled wall, as it feels cozier (we don’t like everything square, open, and white);
we want a house for our future family with plenty of storage space and practicality; it should naturally look good inside and out, but it is primarily for use, not a design piece;
covered house entrance;
optimize plot area for house and garden, minimize front garden;
use cardinal directions/sun positions sensibly
House design
Who created the design: combination of DIY (room plan / partial room arrangement / staircase preference) and design by preferred house company (house exterior dimensions / staircase location / partial room arrangement)
What do you particularly like? Why?: rooms, orientation of rooms, staircase / use of stairwell
What do you not like? Why?: unsure about the route from kitchen to dining room/terrace; size of some rooms
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: €370,000 (approx. $400,000) including carport, turnkey (excluding extra costs for site work, exterior landscaping, plastering and flooring (tiles included))
Preferred heating system: currently air-to-water heat pump (monobloc with outdoor unit) with underfloor heating and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery; photovoltaics undecided
If you had to give up details / expansions:
- What could you live without? potentially an internal staircase
- What can you not give up? we would not be open to suggestions on this point and would not participate in the project otherwise; but basically the design mostly meets all our must-have wishes; bedroom access via a walk-in closet is not acceptable for us → so two separate accesses
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
House positioning? (allow only 0.5m (1 ft 8 in) space to neighbor to the north with utility room? House would be about 3.5m (11 ft 6 in) away, so office windows under carport? Or carport offset from house? Or angled placement but then cardinal directions regarding floor plan change? Any other ideas?)
Knee wall height?
Room sizes? → we feel everything is a little tight, or does it just look like that in drawings? We want a cozy, homely house without huge entrance or open gallery, but it should not feel cramped...
Price estimate?
PS: arrows indicate that plot boundaries are slightly angled, no slope; blue = building boundaries; all plans are oriented north
hausnrplus258 Mar 2020 00:38haydee schrieb:
Why does the main entrance have to be centered?
The staircase can be placed elsewhere.
Why does the bedroom have to be exactly in that spot? Since the main entrance is currently covered due to the bay window above, placing it centered beneath that visually makes sense.
We find the bedroom location optimal in the northeast and it should be next to the walk-in closet and ideally not next to the bathroom or children's rooms.
Moving the staircase, potentially placing it internally, and bringing the kitchen closer to the dining area is now on the list.
hausnrplus258 Mar 2020 01:20ypg schrieb:
The only walking route that really matters is the one from the kitchen to the dining area and back. And with this floor plan, it’s really poor because it’s way too long, and when you call your kids to come eat and you still have to grab something from the kitchen, they run into you in that space.As I said, it’s on the list.
Still, I don’t know how your daily life looks, but ours definitely isn’t just walking back and forth between kitchen and dining room.
We will definitely include the stairway access in this walking route!
ypg schrieb:
You’re designing the heart of the house outside the house with long pipe runs and worry about a toilet drain being close to a kitchen faucet? ... Touché
ypg schrieb:
Yes, the stairs... aren’t they trendy now? Your trend?
Your dream of a landing staircase can’t really be seen. You totally missed the mark there.We currently have a 180-degree spiral staircase and find it unpleasant every day to walk on those narrowing steps. Hence the desire for a landing staircase. The look is one thing, but with a closed room underneath, it’s less a visual feature than an open staircase would be.
ypg schrieb:
I overlooked that you have a house building company. Why not pick a standard house model from them? You want a captain’s gable or Frisian house... and that orientation fits the plot perfectly!Okay. Standard house model = a standard floor plan? It’s not like we haven’t researched some. We’re open to being shown an example that meets our wishes.
ypg schrieb:
Definitely, I would position the third gable so it’s visible when approaching the property.We think that’s a good idea. Depending on which street you come from, it’s always either a side or a front view, but we’ll keep that in mind. That’s also why we want it in the front and not the back.
ypg schrieb:
Your pantry is right at the start of the stairs, so it’s basically useless except maybe for hiding cheese in a mouse’s nest.That’s a big misconception! We actually noticed that tonight already. You got us there. The living room/dining room door is of course in front of the stairway. The wall obviously has to be aligned with the living room TV wall.
ypg schrieb:
Two windows can’t be placed because of the roof.Which ones?
ypg schrieb:
Please show the draft from the house builder.Post #7
hausnrplus25 schrieb:
Post #7In that case, it’s worth considering switching your home provider! Reputable home builders usually have planners as well. One might be less committed than another, but a simple line drawing doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Honestly, I almost skipped over this post with the sketch because it seemed too childish to me (especially the original drawing).
But I have to be honest and say that you want to save money on an architect while still expecting to have an architect-designed home. That usually doesn’t work out. You can’t just replace a trained professional. You’re trying to design the all-in-one solution yourself and forgetting the priorities of a home design. You want to spend €370,000 (around $415,000) but won’t hire an expert.
hausnrplus25 schrieb:
Okay. Standard home = a typical floor plan? It’s not like we haven’t done research. We are open to being shown an example that meets our needs.Since captain’s houses and Frisian-style houses are typically designed symmetrically, often featuring a simple single-flight staircase at the entrance, it’s not easy to find combinations with a different type of staircase online. Since I can also imagine the front door on the short side of the plot, or the third gable featuring large windows facing southwest, I’ll suggest the Lichthaus 152 from Town & Country.
Or a Baumeister house, the Haus Denker. Although here I’d see the entrance more on the northwest side, meaning the house would be rotated.
Or the Maxime 700, but mirrored…
Otherwise, I’d recommend looking at the dimensions of typical single-story homes with a 1-meter (3-foot) knee wall. Adding a gable is doable.
ypg schrieb:
Two windows can’t be installed because of the roof.Those would be the two children’s room windows in the usual gables. Those rooms hardly have standing height.
hausnrplus25 schrieb:
Still, I don’t know how your daily routine looks, but ours definitely doesn’t only involve moving between the kitchen and dining room.No, but many other factors (like the ones you mentioned) don’t necessarily need to be considered in a house design. Everyone has to eat. As a second priority, you’d probably want to focus on the nighttime route from the bedroom to the toilet upstairs — it shouldn’t be too complicated.
hausnrplus25 schrieb:
We currently have a 180-degree spiral staircase and find it unpleasant to walk on these narrow, tapering steps every day. Hence the desire for a stair with a landing.Spiral staircases are typically not a good comparison anyway. A stair with a landing is expensive and takes up more space, and you choose it because you want it — for example, because of aesthetics. The landing itself can be a minor tripping hazard because it interrupts the step rhythm… none of this has anything to do with narrow steps, since stairs conform to building codes and step length can be calculated based on the rise.
But anyway… I don’t want to convince you of anything here. You asked and you’re getting answers… what you make of them, whether you sugarcoat everything or reject good advice as if it were unsolicited, is up to you.
P.S. And I don’t understand why an office shouldn’t get any evening sun either.
hausnrplus258 Mar 2020 20:39ypg schrieb:
It’s definitely worth switching the house supplier! Reliable house builders also have planners. One may be less committed than another, but that line drawing doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.A bit simplistic! The line drawings are definitely NOT from the builder. The best drawings from all companies we considered came from the builder. They included dimensions, furniture layout suggestions, and 3D extracts. The line drawing is a quick 2-minute version we made to post online, since we still want to upload the originals including the company name etc.
ypg schrieb:
The landing itself is a small trip hazard because it interrupts the walking rhythm…. From our experience and research, straight stairs with landings are actually the safest type of stairs, since they do NOT have narrowing steps. Especially for children and older people (links are not allowed as reference).
ypg schrieb:
P.S. And I don’t understand why an office shouldn’t get any evening sun either.
P.S.: Because for us it’s a kind of storage room. Storage for books, files, crafting supplies. We prefer to have the sun in another room. Again, that’s a priority based on our lifestyle habits.
Thanks for the input. We’ll take all ideas and your floor plan images into next week’s discussion.
hausnrplus25 schrieb:
Do you have any idea what it would cost to create several design drafts alone? Additionally, we are a bit unsure whether an architect X can create a design for a timber frame house construction method.Regarding question 2: yes, a freelance architect should be able to do that. Regarding question 1: as long as it is about several variants for the purpose of discussion (in terms of weighing options against each other), full designs are not needed; preliminary drafts are sufficient. The HOAI standard includes this idea, and you can compare their fee schedule with your fee expectations. If you then inquire around: "who will do the job for a fee offer of x," you will likely find as many architects as expected, depending on the ratio between the standard fee and your desired fee.
However, I do not understand why you do not simply follow the advice already given here and present your ideas to a provider with a similar base model (in this case, in my estimation most likely Gussek Haus or Viebrockhaus, subject to agreeing on price—the preference for timber frame construction is still unclear to me).
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hausnrplus259 Mar 2020 08:05@11ant
Thank you for the information.
We will probably contact architects at some point, but we will also check with the home builder about meetings with architects/planners.
We select the home builder based on quality and the offer, not based on standard house models.
Thank you for the information.
We will probably contact architects at some point, but we will also check with the home builder about meetings with architects/planners.
We select the home builder based on quality and the offer, not based on standard house models.