ᐅ Floor plan of a single-family house for 4 people with issues on the ground floor
Created on: 30 Nov 2022 16:15
M
metin88
Hello,
we recently submitted a preliminary building inquiry with this floor plan. However, we are still not satisfied with the layout of the ground floor. Is the design still salvageable, or have we gone down the wrong path?
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 2000 m² (0.5 acres)
Slope: none
No development plan; all roof types are present in the neighborhood
Owners' Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: country house style (mullioned windows), hipped roof, town villa
Basement, floors: no basement (due to cost), 2 full floors
Number of people, age: 2 people (25 and 33 years), 2 children planned
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor: approx. 100 m² (1,076 sq ft) each
Office: home office
Overnight guests per year: very few
Open or closed architecture: open on the ground floor
Traditional or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music/stereo setup: 2 floor-standing speakers at the TV
Balcony, roof terrace: 1 balcony in the parents’ area
Garage, carport: double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes: laundry room on the upper floor
House Design
Designer: architect
What do you like most? Why?: We really like the upper floor due to its layout
What do you dislike? Why?: The living and dining areas cause problems. Although there is plenty of space, both the architect and we fear that the many corners prevent efficient use of the space. We would prefer the dining area to be smaller and the living area larger. The staircase also worries me. According to the architect, the ceiling height on the ground floor cannot exceed 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in) because otherwise the staircase would be too long. Since it is a large house, he recommends keeping a rise-to-run ratio of 18/27 cm (7/10.5 inches). A steeper staircase should only be used if there is no other option. The architect also pointed out that the staircase leads to a wall on the upper floor, where there should ideally be more space.
Estimated cost according to architect/designer: over 750,000 €
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 1,000,000 €
Preferred heating system: heat pump with photovoltaic system
If you have to give up something, which details/extensions?
- Can give up: replace garage with carport, omit bay window at rear, terrace does not have to extend into the building volume, different staircase design
- Cannot give up: bay window at the front, home office
Why did the design end up like this?: I created a floor plan myself based on others from the internet. The architect then tried to create a feasible floor plan while staying as close as possible to my design.
What do you consider particularly good or bad about it?: We like the relatively efficient corridors on the ground and upper floors to give the other rooms more space. The exterior shape appeals to us a lot. The orientation of the rooms is also good, especially the kitchen and home office facing the street side. We have no complaints about the upper floor except for the narrow area in front of the stairs. We like the 45° wall in the dining area because it makes the space feel more open. What we like less is the division between the living and dining areas, the “too long” staircase, and the ground floor ceiling height of “only” 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Can the ground floor layout be improved so the living area is bigger, the dining area smaller, and ceiling height 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in) achieved?
Thanks a lot!
metin88
we recently submitted a preliminary building inquiry with this floor plan. However, we are still not satisfied with the layout of the ground floor. Is the design still salvageable, or have we gone down the wrong path?
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 2000 m² (0.5 acres)
Slope: none
No development plan; all roof types are present in the neighborhood
Owners' Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: country house style (mullioned windows), hipped roof, town villa
Basement, floors: no basement (due to cost), 2 full floors
Number of people, age: 2 people (25 and 33 years), 2 children planned
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor: approx. 100 m² (1,076 sq ft) each
Office: home office
Overnight guests per year: very few
Open or closed architecture: open on the ground floor
Traditional or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music/stereo setup: 2 floor-standing speakers at the TV
Balcony, roof terrace: 1 balcony in the parents’ area
Garage, carport: double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes: laundry room on the upper floor
House Design
Designer: architect
What do you like most? Why?: We really like the upper floor due to its layout
What do you dislike? Why?: The living and dining areas cause problems. Although there is plenty of space, both the architect and we fear that the many corners prevent efficient use of the space. We would prefer the dining area to be smaller and the living area larger. The staircase also worries me. According to the architect, the ceiling height on the ground floor cannot exceed 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in) because otherwise the staircase would be too long. Since it is a large house, he recommends keeping a rise-to-run ratio of 18/27 cm (7/10.5 inches). A steeper staircase should only be used if there is no other option. The architect also pointed out that the staircase leads to a wall on the upper floor, where there should ideally be more space.
Estimated cost according to architect/designer: over 750,000 €
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 1,000,000 €
Preferred heating system: heat pump with photovoltaic system
If you have to give up something, which details/extensions?
- Can give up: replace garage with carport, omit bay window at rear, terrace does not have to extend into the building volume, different staircase design
- Cannot give up: bay window at the front, home office
Why did the design end up like this?: I created a floor plan myself based on others from the internet. The architect then tried to create a feasible floor plan while staying as close as possible to my design.
What do you consider particularly good or bad about it?: We like the relatively efficient corridors on the ground and upper floors to give the other rooms more space. The exterior shape appeals to us a lot. The orientation of the rooms is also good, especially the kitchen and home office facing the street side. We have no complaints about the upper floor except for the narrow area in front of the stairs. We like the 45° wall in the dining area because it makes the space feel more open. What we like less is the division between the living and dining areas, the “too long” staircase, and the ground floor ceiling height of “only” 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Can the ground floor layout be improved so the living area is bigger, the dining area smaller, and ceiling height 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in) achieved?
Thanks a lot!
metin88
H
hanghaus202313 May 2023 08:54@ypg Sketches show more creativity than the architect’s work. They have a huge budget, and this is what comes out of it. I would change the architect. Or at least start from scratch.
ypg schrieb:
Please refrain from disparaging professions by mentioning them in this forum. They are personalized for insiders here. No one is disparaging professions here, and honestly, I don’t quite understand whose profession Kerstin is referring to. The list of those more qualified than the architect working here is by no means complete. By the way, I’m actually a technical business consultant—being a former window manufacturer isn’t really a profession ;-)
I do residential planning with over forty years of experience, but formally and educationally, I’m an “amateur.” When I see such a lack of care in the working style of a fully qualified architect, I feel like lighting a candle and shouting “Mary, help!” (and I say this as a Protestant!).
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I’m curious why the kitchen absolutely has to face the street? Just to watch Mrs. Müller walk by the fence? In my opinion, this is a disadvantage in the design. The terrace is on the west side, and you want to carry your coffee and cream across the entire living room every time? Why? Outdoor kitchens may have a grill and plates plus glasses, but no food. Since this was implemented in both drafts, it seems to be very important to you. I could understand it more with the office—if you need to receive a client, you probably don’t want them sitting right on your terrace.
I also found it confusing that in the first draft you wanted to reduce the dining area and use the space for the living room instead. I actually find the dining area rather cramped and the living room already quite large.
I can’t fully understand @11ant’s shock. Yes, maybe it could be a bit more elegant, and for an architect it might seem rather basic. But we weren’t there when the wish list was defined.
You have a great plot and a good budget. That gives you many options. Still, I would recommend orienting your design more towards the garden. It’s on the west side and that’s where life will take place—not on the street.
I also found it confusing that in the first draft you wanted to reduce the dining area and use the space for the living room instead. I actually find the dining area rather cramped and the living room already quite large.
I can’t fully understand @11ant’s shock. Yes, maybe it could be a bit more elegant, and for an architect it might seem rather basic. But we weren’t there when the wish list was defined.
You have a great plot and a good budget. That gives you many options. Still, I would recommend orienting your design more towards the garden. It’s on the west side and that’s where life will take place—not on the street.
K a t j a schrieb:
I’m curious why the kitchen absolutely has to face the street? Just so you can watch Mrs. Müller walk past the fence? [...] You want to run across the living room every time carrying coffee and cream? [...] I can’t quite understand @11ant’s shock. Sure, it might be a bit more elegant and for an architect it’s rather weak. But we weren’t there when the wishlist was defined. The modern shoe buyer tracks the Zalando delivery without a kitchen window using package tracking, and Dr. Beckmann will get the cream out of the Persian carpet again. I’m not criticizing elegance, but the obvious flaws in this architect’s work lie in the practical design aspects: creating and defining the space program, mid-level essentials like traffic flow including passageways, or simply that the foyer isn’t located on the perimeter. If a client puts two hooked noses and a sailing ear at the top of their wishlist for the building’s shape, I’ll point out from my commercial background only the ratio of living value gained to space consumed. But for an “anything you find pretty” approach, you can also hire the general contractor’s draftsman—no architect is needed for that. And if the original poster is already worried that they may have gone off track, I won’t withhold an honest confirmation. The new hallway layout results in a visually crooked, twisted room axis. If a homeowner then reflects on that and—thanks to a lack of aesthetic sense—feels no discomfort, fine, that’s what living in a free country is about. I only point this out because, from my experience, the 3D spatial imagination of today’s younger homeowners has deteriorated, and once the die is cast, they often develop a “I have it but I didn’t want it” feeling.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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