ᐅ Floor plan of a family home in an edge location with unobstructed views
Created on: 2 Jun 2021 11:00
K
Kati2022
We are (almost) ready. The desired building plot is reserved, and the house planning can begin.
We will be building with a (related) architect and will tender all trades ourselves. We are aware that this approach involves significant time and financial risks, but we want to take the chance.
It is meant to be our dream house, and we want to be able to decide ourselves how it will look.
Our architect suggested that we first draw our own ideas of how we imagine the house and what is important to us. Afterwards, we will sit down together and analyze the plan step by step.
After days of drawing, I have “designed” a floor plan that our whole family is quite satisfied with.
Here are some details:
Zoning Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 519m2 (5,585 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: not specified
Building window, building line, and boundary – marked with red lines on the picture
Border development
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1.5
Roof type: gable roof, hip roof, half-hip roof
Architectural style
Orientation
Maximum heights/limits
Additional requirements
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: modern barn style, gable roof without overhang
Basement, floors: no basement, 1.5 floors
Number of occupants, ages: 2+2 (6, 9 years old)
Room needs on ground floor and upper floor:
Office: family use or home office? Office with sofa bed
Guest stays per year: approx. 10 days
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes
Number of dining seats: 6-10 (when guests are present)
Fireplace: not essential
Music/sound system wall
Balcony, roof terrace: not necessary, possibly in the bedroom
Garage, carport: garage
Utility garden, greenhouse
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why something should or should not be included
House Design
Planner:
- Planner from a construction company
- Architect
- Do-it-yourself: yes
What do you especially like? Why? Office and WC with the possibility to convert them into a separate living unit (for old age), kitchen island in the middle of the room, back kitchen so appliances don’t have to be on the island, large windows on the undeveloped side, stairs in the living room instead of in a hallway, large master area on the upper floor.
What do you dislike? Why? No double garage due to space constraints. We don’t want to shift the house too far south.
Cost estimate by architect/planner: ???
Personal price limit for the house including fixtures: 600,000
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump (deep drilling is not allowed due to water protection zone)
If you have to give up certain details/features:
- Can give up: slightly smaller office. However, I like the option of converting the office and WC into a second living unit (for grown children, caregiver, bedroom in old age).
- Cannot give up: open kitchen, back kitchen, large windows to the southwest
Why does the design look the way it does?
I created the design completely independently. A modern, open style is important to us. Since there is an unobstructed view to the west of fields and vineyards, we want to make use of this with large windows.
A separate master area would be very welcome. A luxury bathroom as in this plan would, of course, be a highlight.
An attic is planned for additional storage space.
I am quite concerned about the single garage. We need two cars, and the second would always have to be parked outside. Unfortunately, I don’t see a possibility to position the garage differently. If I reserve the minimum 6m (20 feet) on the northern boundary for a double garage, the house would have to move further south. I do not want that.
I look forward to your suggestions.
We will be building with a (related) architect and will tender all trades ourselves. We are aware that this approach involves significant time and financial risks, but we want to take the chance.
It is meant to be our dream house, and we want to be able to decide ourselves how it will look.
Our architect suggested that we first draw our own ideas of how we imagine the house and what is important to us. Afterwards, we will sit down together and analyze the plan step by step.
After days of drawing, I have “designed” a floor plan that our whole family is quite satisfied with.
Here are some details:
Zoning Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 519m2 (5,585 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: not specified
Building window, building line, and boundary – marked with red lines on the picture
Border development
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1.5
Roof type: gable roof, hip roof, half-hip roof
Architectural style
Orientation
Maximum heights/limits
Additional requirements
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: modern barn style, gable roof without overhang
Basement, floors: no basement, 1.5 floors
Number of occupants, ages: 2+2 (6, 9 years old)
Room needs on ground floor and upper floor:
Office: family use or home office? Office with sofa bed
Guest stays per year: approx. 10 days
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes
Number of dining seats: 6-10 (when guests are present)
Fireplace: not essential
Music/sound system wall
Balcony, roof terrace: not necessary, possibly in the bedroom
Garage, carport: garage
Utility garden, greenhouse
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, including reasons why something should or should not be included
House Design
Planner:
- Planner from a construction company
- Architect
- Do-it-yourself: yes
What do you especially like? Why? Office and WC with the possibility to convert them into a separate living unit (for old age), kitchen island in the middle of the room, back kitchen so appliances don’t have to be on the island, large windows on the undeveloped side, stairs in the living room instead of in a hallway, large master area on the upper floor.
What do you dislike? Why? No double garage due to space constraints. We don’t want to shift the house too far south.
Cost estimate by architect/planner: ???
Personal price limit for the house including fixtures: 600,000
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump (deep drilling is not allowed due to water protection zone)
If you have to give up certain details/features:
- Can give up: slightly smaller office. However, I like the option of converting the office and WC into a second living unit (for grown children, caregiver, bedroom in old age).
- Cannot give up: open kitchen, back kitchen, large windows to the southwest
Why does the design look the way it does?
I created the design completely independently. A modern, open style is important to us. Since there is an unobstructed view to the west of fields and vineyards, we want to make use of this with large windows.
A separate master area would be very welcome. A luxury bathroom as in this plan would, of course, be a highlight.
An attic is planned for additional storage space.
I am quite concerned about the single garage. We need two cars, and the second would always have to be parked outside. Unfortunately, I don’t see a possibility to position the garage differently. If I reserve the minimum 6m (20 feet) on the northern boundary for a double garage, the house would have to move further south. I do not want that.
I look forward to your suggestions.
H
hanghaus200019 Nov 2021 08:00Kati.com schrieb:
The drawing was made by my husband 😉 He works professionally as a draftsman – not in construction, but in the metalworking industry. I was wondering why someone would plan using millimeters.
For the metalwork, planning in millimeters is very imprecise. We had a hard time accepting that tolerances in the centimeter range are normal.
In winter, there is a lack of natural light inside the house, and in the living area, artificial lighting will be needed almost all day. You lose about 6 months of natural light in the house, the south-facing terrace is too hot for 2 months, and the man cave needs to be set up differently. Mine even wanted a scissor lift inside.
In winter, there is a lack of natural light inside the house, and in the living area, artificial lighting will be needed almost all day. You lose about 6 months of natural light in the house, the south-facing terrace is too hot for 2 months, and the man cave needs to be set up differently. Mine even wanted a scissor lift inside.
Kati.com schrieb:
We have completed the planning stage.
...and yes... there is a lot of circulation space. We will really only use the windbreak area (labeled foyer on the floor plan) as a passage from the garage into the house plus a small guest coat area. In the hallway, we plan a larger built-in wardrobe measuring 320cm (126 inches) with a small bench and a large mirror.
For structural reasons, we removed one window behind the sofa. We hope it won’t get too dark.
The kitchen should be sufficient. Five tall cabinets and an island about 3.2m (10.5 feet) long (there is a pantry planned under the stairs).
Our biggest dilemma: will the hallway be too narrow and too dark? The wardrobe will be custom-made and illuminated. At the staircase landing, there will be a large window (200x250cm (79x98 inches)), plus the window in the windbreak area... What do you think? I find the floor plan nicely compact and clear. I also don’t think there is too much circulation space (except for the foyer, which you obviously love and which, to me, doesn’t really count as circulation space anyway). The problem is the orientation on the lot and thus the lighting and (missing) framing of the western view. Blocking the south to satisfy a garage obsession doesn’t make sense to me, but it doesn’t matter. That point has been made often enough, and I understand your opening sentence to mean that this is now set in stone. So just a few points:
- Your husband plans in millimeters, but the shell builder does not. Make sure the kitchen niche has enough clearance (so 3m (10 feet) plus some extra).
- Personally, I would only have tall cabinets on the left and right in the kitchen niche and about 1.8m (5.9 feet) of countertop with upper cabinets in the middle. I find workspace more important than miscellaneous cabinets—and you can still fit a lot on a 3.2m (10.5 feet) peninsula. I would probably also move the sink or cooktop to this area.
- I really like the peninsula, especially avoiding those bar stool/breakfast bar combos that are currently popular but often unnecessary.
- You could consider moving the short wall in the garage to the other side and moving the garage door far enough to the right, so the door in the foyer could be removed.
- Regarding the window behind the sofa, I’d think about installing one or two smaller windows instead. Not floor-to-ceiling and huge, but more to break up the wall and let in some light beams. They could be asymmetrical too. This would have to be seen in the elevation.
- I don’t think the hallway will be too narrow or dark. It’s not that big, and you move through it quickly 🙂 It’s a classic entry situation that fits the compact floor plan.
M
Myrna_Loy19 Nov 2021 11:39I like the floor plan as well. Not everyone is obsessed with having every room as bright as a stage.
I would only plan for one door, but that’s just my general dislike of the open floor plan style.
I would only plan for one door, but that’s just my general dislike of the open floor plan style.
Similar topics