Hello everyone,
The planning for our construction project is gradually becoming more concrete, so we would really appreciate your feedback on our floor plan ideas. I have attached our first floor plan concept below. Windows, doors, etc., are not yet finalized; at this stage, we are focusing mainly on the general room layout. The square meterage is probably not yet exact, as after subtracting the sloped ceilings (I believe!), it comes to about 150 m2 (1,615 sq ft), which is likely beyond our budget, but the overall shape and layout of the house roughly match our vision.
Our given conditions are:
Building plot 10x10 m (33x33 ft), one-and-a-half storey construction. The plot is approximately 575 m2 (6,190 sq ft), about 30 m (98 ft) east-west and about 20 m (66 ft) north-south. The house is planned to be positioned in the northeast corner, with the roof ridge running east-west (not sure if this is mandatory, but it seems logical, right?).
We are a family of five with grandparents living far outside our city (Berlin), and therefore we would like:
At minimum: open-plan living-dining-kitchen area, large utility/storage room, one shower bathroom, one family bathroom, four bedrooms
Ideally: an additional room (office/guest) and/or usable extra space in the attic
All this as cost-effectively as possible, since our budget for the house alone is 190,000 EUR.
Based on the previous recommendations, we would like to include a staircase to the attic right from the start, even if we may not finish the attic immediately.
After visiting a 134 m2 (1,442 sq ft) sample house of a well-known manufacturer over the weekend, we found that the six rooms we want are technically accommodated there with some charm, but it felt a bit cramped.
So, we tried creating a floor plan that makes the house somewhat larger overall, allowing space on the ground floor for a shower bathroom and a slightly bigger extra room, as follows:
The middle bedroom in the attic works because it is fully located in a dormer. We actually really like this layout, and a house with such a dormer also looks attractive from the outside. Our concern, however, is that the dormer might be too expensive, and/or that even with somewhat more square meters than the sample house, the rooms might still feel a bit tight.
The alternatives we are considering are as follows:
First, to forgo the fourth bedroom on the upper floor and instead have three equally sized bedrooms plus a bathroom there. In that case, a resident would have to temporarily relocate to another room when grandparents visit or the attic would need to be clearly designated as overflow space. It would then be important that the extra room on the ground floor is large enough to serve as a fully functional private room (which we have tried to plan accordingly on the ground floor).
Second, if we cannot afford the dormer, we attempted to maximize the attic space by moving the bathroom to the center, so that all four bedrooms still have proper windows. This resulted in the following layout:
Aside from the fact that the feeling of cramped space remains here as well, what bothers me about this variant is that, unlike the version with the dormer, it would later be difficult to create 2-3 well-shaped rooms from this space, which would actually be an attractive option for when the children move out.
This is where we are so far! Tomorrow we have an appointment with the architect’s office, into which we would like to go with as clear ideas as possible. Therefore, we would really appreciate any feedback today that could help us to refine and improve the ideas presented here. Thank you in advance for your suggestions!
Best regards,
Kazazi
The planning for our construction project is gradually becoming more concrete, so we would really appreciate your feedback on our floor plan ideas. I have attached our first floor plan concept below. Windows, doors, etc., are not yet finalized; at this stage, we are focusing mainly on the general room layout. The square meterage is probably not yet exact, as after subtracting the sloped ceilings (I believe!), it comes to about 150 m2 (1,615 sq ft), which is likely beyond our budget, but the overall shape and layout of the house roughly match our vision.
Our given conditions are:
Building plot 10x10 m (33x33 ft), one-and-a-half storey construction. The plot is approximately 575 m2 (6,190 sq ft), about 30 m (98 ft) east-west and about 20 m (66 ft) north-south. The house is planned to be positioned in the northeast corner, with the roof ridge running east-west (not sure if this is mandatory, but it seems logical, right?).
We are a family of five with grandparents living far outside our city (Berlin), and therefore we would like:
At minimum: open-plan living-dining-kitchen area, large utility/storage room, one shower bathroom, one family bathroom, four bedrooms
Ideally: an additional room (office/guest) and/or usable extra space in the attic
All this as cost-effectively as possible, since our budget for the house alone is 190,000 EUR.
Based on the previous recommendations, we would like to include a staircase to the attic right from the start, even if we may not finish the attic immediately.
After visiting a 134 m2 (1,442 sq ft) sample house of a well-known manufacturer over the weekend, we found that the six rooms we want are technically accommodated there with some charm, but it felt a bit cramped.
So, we tried creating a floor plan that makes the house somewhat larger overall, allowing space on the ground floor for a shower bathroom and a slightly bigger extra room, as follows:
The middle bedroom in the attic works because it is fully located in a dormer. We actually really like this layout, and a house with such a dormer also looks attractive from the outside. Our concern, however, is that the dormer might be too expensive, and/or that even with somewhat more square meters than the sample house, the rooms might still feel a bit tight.
The alternatives we are considering are as follows:
First, to forgo the fourth bedroom on the upper floor and instead have three equally sized bedrooms plus a bathroom there. In that case, a resident would have to temporarily relocate to another room when grandparents visit or the attic would need to be clearly designated as overflow space. It would then be important that the extra room on the ground floor is large enough to serve as a fully functional private room (which we have tried to plan accordingly on the ground floor).
Second, if we cannot afford the dormer, we attempted to maximize the attic space by moving the bathroom to the center, so that all four bedrooms still have proper windows. This resulted in the following layout:
Aside from the fact that the feeling of cramped space remains here as well, what bothers me about this variant is that, unlike the version with the dormer, it would later be difficult to create 2-3 well-shaped rooms from this space, which would actually be an attractive option for when the children move out.
This is where we are so far! Tomorrow we have an appointment with the architect’s office, into which we would like to go with as clear ideas as possible. Therefore, we would really appreciate any feedback today that could help us to refine and improve the ideas presented here. Thank you in advance for your suggestions!
Best regards,
Kazazi
Hello everyone,
We’re still considering the idea of having the staircase on the gable side – maybe someone here can help us decide which option we should send back to the architect for further development?
I have revised the sketch for the gable staircase option so that the utility room now has a better layout and the shower bathroom is more spacious, with space for a washing machine and dryer. Additionally, there is now plenty of wardrobe and storage space in the hallway, but the lower living area could still be separated as a self-contained apartment if needed.
To save everyone from having to go through the entire long thread: this is about the option below versus the one in post #78 of this thread (with the improvements discussed in the subsequent posts, for those interested).
Many thanks,
Kazazi
We’re still considering the idea of having the staircase on the gable side – maybe someone here can help us decide which option we should send back to the architect for further development?
I have revised the sketch for the gable staircase option so that the utility room now has a better layout and the shower bathroom is more spacious, with space for a washing machine and dryer. Additionally, there is now plenty of wardrobe and storage space in the hallway, but the lower living area could still be separated as a self-contained apartment if needed.
To save everyone from having to go through the entire long thread: this is about the option below versus the one in post #78 of this thread (with the improvements discussed in the subsequent posts, for those interested).
Many thanks,
Kazazi
Personally, I prefer the option with the staircase on the east side. The utility room is also large enough without a washing machine and dryer. I also think the option for future use is very good! This is exactly the problem my in-laws are facing right now... If you can’t really imagine building or buying again, you should definitely take that into account. I’m also familiar with the version that has a cast concrete staircase to the upper floor and a wooden staircase to the attic. It looks good, too! Later today, I’m going to my in-laws and will try to get a decent picture. The cast concrete staircase to the upper floor also has the advantage of better sound insulation, especially with so many kids.
Thank you! The transition looks good; I’m positively surprised. I’m still quite tempted by the greater light and air permeability of an open staircase on the ground floor, though... we’ll just have to weigh that against sound insulation and storage options. The stair windows are also similar to what I imagine if we decide on the gable staircase. By the way, what does the corresponding house here actually look like?
At the moment, we’re still in a major phase of consideration about whether to try a completely different approach... I’ll update here as soon as there’s news.
Best regards,
Kazazi
At the moment, we’re still in a major phase of consideration about whether to try a completely different approach... I’ll update here as soon as there’s news.
Best regards,
Kazazi
Kisska86 schrieb:
Here, I wanted to share some pictures of the combination of a cast and open wooden staircase. Hope this helps...
Wouldn’t it be more cost-effective to choose a closed wooden staircase with risers instead of a concrete staircase?
Kazazi schrieb:
What does the associated house actually look like? I don’t have the floor plans for this house with me right now, but I can try to take photos of them at home this evening. The staircase definitely leads to the east gable as you’re planning, and the entrance is also on the east side. The house has a bedroom on the ground floor and four rooms plus a bathroom upstairs, along with a finished attic. Overall, without the attic, I believe it’s over 170 square meters (about 1,830 square feet). I’m not sure if it could be made smaller.
ypg schrieb:
Wouldn’t it be cheaper to choose a closed wooden staircase with risers instead of a concrete staircase? I’m really not sure about that. My parents-in-law built the house entirely on their own and managed all the trades themselves, and they decided on this staircase. I think a closed wooden staircase was too "creaky" for my father-in-law, or something like that. But as I said, I can’t really give any reliable information about the costs. Sorry...
Similar topics