ᐅ Single-family house floor plan, slight hillside location, northwest orientation
Created on: 23 May 2025 18:30
K
kronos215
Hello everyone,
We have almost finalized our planning with the architect and would appreciate you taking a critical look at the floor plan. Afterwards, we plan to proceed with the tendering process.
We generally like the ground floor (GF) very much. However, we are considering flipping the house and making some changes to the upper floor (UF). The garage, utility room, and technical room would move to the right, and the entire house would be shifted closer to the neighbor’s hedge on the left side (3m (10 feet) distance). The living room would then be on the left. It’s unclear whether the view of the neighbor’s hedge at a 3m (10 feet) distance will be nicer. On the positive side, the house would be better oriented towards the south and would let in more sunlight. The kitchen would then be on the right, providing wind protection from the open field while still allowing sunlight to reach the terrace.
Corner plot, one neighbor on the left, fields to the back and right
Ground floor area: 99m2 (without terrace), garage 30m2
Upper floor area: 78m2 (from 1.5m (5 feet))
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size
approx. 750m2
Slope
Yes, uphill on the mountain side. There is a manhole cover on the street in front of the plot and one behind it. The elevation difference between the covers is about 3m. The plot initially rises about 1m (3 feet) above the sidewalk and
Edge development
Yes, it’s a corner plot. There is a neighbor on the left side. Behind the house and to the right is a field path and fields.
Number of parking spaces
The adjacent street should provide sufficient parking spaces. A garage is also planned.
Number of stories
According to the development plan, 1.5-story houses are permitted.
Roof type
According to the development plan, only gable roofs are allowed.
Orientation
Northwest
Maximum heights / limits
According to the development plan, the house must be built exactly in this alignment
Requirements of the homeowners
Style, roof shape, building type
Country house style, gable roof (eaves facing the street), single-family home
Basement, number of floors
A basement was initially planned but was dropped due to budget. 1.5 floors are allowed and planned as per the development plan.
Number of occupants, age
Two adults, early 30s, no children yet but a child’s room is planned
Space requirements on GF, UF
GF: Garage, entrance hall, office 1, kitchen, living room, dining room, pantry, technical room, utility room, guest bathroom with shower
UF: Bedroom, child’s room, office 2, bathroom, storage room (planned due to no basement)
Office: family use or home office?
Both offices are currently needed for work.
Overnight guests per year
Very rarely or none
According to the development plan, 1.5-story houses are allowed
Somewhat open
Conservative or modern construction
Modern (?)
Open kitchen, cooking island
Open kitchen planned, cooking island desired but dropped due to space constraints
Number of dining seats
6, preferably expandable to 10
Fireplace
Desired and planned as a partition between dining and living room
Music / stereo wall
Desired; a niche in the living room works well for this
Balcony, roof terrace
Desired but dropped for budget reasons
Garage, carport
Planned; it is questionable whether the garage should instead be located on the right to avoid blocking the south side.
House design
Who is responsible for the design?
Architect
What do you particularly like? Why?
The open living and dining area. The open view of the fields.
The dormer on the upper floor.
What do you dislike? Why?
The corridor on the upper floor feels dark. Many skylights are planned (knee wall 80cm (31 inches) per development plan, gable roof with eaves facing the street).
The ground floor might also be dark. The garage is located on the south side. The windows facing the fields are towards the northeast.
Skylights block the option for photovoltaic panels and the attic space.
The storage room feels out of place.
Since a basement was initially planned, a hobby room was also considered, but this has been dropped.
The master bed is directly adjacent to the child’s room, but the bedroom must remain there.
Price estimate according to architect:
€540,000 (we find this optimistic; we expect higher costs and would thus like to make the floor plan more compact)
Personal price limit for house including fixtures and fittings:
€550,000 (all-in)
Preferred heating technology:
Heat pump
If you had to give up something, which details / expansions
-you could give up: a two-story open space was planned but removed, storage room on the upper floor (is it really necessary?), the GF could generally be smaller to save costs
-you cannot give up: large windows on the GF, open living-dining area, access to the house via garage and utility room, fireplace, pantry
Why has the design turned out this way?E.g.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? The architect implemented the room concept well and incorporated many of his own ideas that we mostly find coherent.
What do you consider particularly good or bad about it? We like the ground floor very much; there is still potential for changes on the upper floor. We would also like another dormer above the entrance door, but this does not seem possible due to the development plan (the upper floor would become a full story if too much area is covered by dormers). The study could then be where the storage room currently is. The storage room could become a combined storage and hobby room.
We are grateful for any input and suggestions. We are particularly concerned about the south orientation. We do not want the rooms to become too dark.
We have almost finalized our planning with the architect and would appreciate you taking a critical look at the floor plan. Afterwards, we plan to proceed with the tendering process.
We generally like the ground floor (GF) very much. However, we are considering flipping the house and making some changes to the upper floor (UF). The garage, utility room, and technical room would move to the right, and the entire house would be shifted closer to the neighbor’s hedge on the left side (3m (10 feet) distance). The living room would then be on the left. It’s unclear whether the view of the neighbor’s hedge at a 3m (10 feet) distance will be nicer. On the positive side, the house would be better oriented towards the south and would let in more sunlight. The kitchen would then be on the right, providing wind protection from the open field while still allowing sunlight to reach the terrace.
Corner plot, one neighbor on the left, fields to the back and right
Ground floor area: 99m2 (without terrace), garage 30m2
Upper floor area: 78m2 (from 1.5m (5 feet))
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size
approx. 750m2
Slope
Yes, uphill on the mountain side. There is a manhole cover on the street in front of the plot and one behind it. The elevation difference between the covers is about 3m. The plot initially rises about 1m (3 feet) above the sidewalk and
Edge development
Yes, it’s a corner plot. There is a neighbor on the left side. Behind the house and to the right is a field path and fields.
Number of parking spaces
The adjacent street should provide sufficient parking spaces. A garage is also planned.
Number of stories
According to the development plan, 1.5-story houses are permitted.
Roof type
According to the development plan, only gable roofs are allowed.
Orientation
Northwest
Maximum heights / limits
According to the development plan, the house must be built exactly in this alignment
Requirements of the homeowners
Style, roof shape, building type
Country house style, gable roof (eaves facing the street), single-family home
Basement, number of floors
A basement was initially planned but was dropped due to budget. 1.5 floors are allowed and planned as per the development plan.
Number of occupants, age
Two adults, early 30s, no children yet but a child’s room is planned
Space requirements on GF, UF
GF: Garage, entrance hall, office 1, kitchen, living room, dining room, pantry, technical room, utility room, guest bathroom with shower
UF: Bedroom, child’s room, office 2, bathroom, storage room (planned due to no basement)
Office: family use or home office?
Both offices are currently needed for work.
Overnight guests per year
Very rarely or none
According to the development plan, 1.5-story houses are allowed
Somewhat open
Conservative or modern construction
Modern (?)
Open kitchen, cooking island
Open kitchen planned, cooking island desired but dropped due to space constraints
Number of dining seats
6, preferably expandable to 10
Fireplace
Desired and planned as a partition between dining and living room
Music / stereo wall
Desired; a niche in the living room works well for this
Balcony, roof terrace
Desired but dropped for budget reasons
Garage, carport
Planned; it is questionable whether the garage should instead be located on the right to avoid blocking the south side.
House design
Who is responsible for the design?
Architect
What do you particularly like? Why?
The open living and dining area. The open view of the fields.
The dormer on the upper floor.
What do you dislike? Why?
The corridor on the upper floor feels dark. Many skylights are planned (knee wall 80cm (31 inches) per development plan, gable roof with eaves facing the street).
The ground floor might also be dark. The garage is located on the south side. The windows facing the fields are towards the northeast.
Skylights block the option for photovoltaic panels and the attic space.
The storage room feels out of place.
Since a basement was initially planned, a hobby room was also considered, but this has been dropped.
The master bed is directly adjacent to the child’s room, but the bedroom must remain there.
Price estimate according to architect:
€540,000 (we find this optimistic; we expect higher costs and would thus like to make the floor plan more compact)
Personal price limit for house including fixtures and fittings:
€550,000 (all-in)
Preferred heating technology:
Heat pump
If you had to give up something, which details / expansions
-you could give up: a two-story open space was planned but removed, storage room on the upper floor (is it really necessary?), the GF could generally be smaller to save costs
-you cannot give up: large windows on the GF, open living-dining area, access to the house via garage and utility room, fireplace, pantry
Why has the design turned out this way?E.g.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? The architect implemented the room concept well and incorporated many of his own ideas that we mostly find coherent.
What do you consider particularly good or bad about it? We like the ground floor very much; there is still potential for changes on the upper floor. We would also like another dormer above the entrance door, but this does not seem possible due to the development plan (the upper floor would become a full story if too much area is covered by dormers). The study could then be where the storage room currently is. The storage room could become a combined storage and hobby room.
We are grateful for any input and suggestions. We are particularly concerned about the south orientation. We do not want the rooms to become too dark.
kbt09 schrieb:
marked. @ypg .. I’m not quite sure how the layout on the ground floor is supposed to work here, could you take another look? You’re somewhat talking past each other. While one could appreciate the potential from different angles and views to value every aspect of the site, the original poster doesn’t see it that way and focuses all situations toward the outdoor space/garden. He would like all the windows to face north.
And yes: a long-distance view has its appeal. People gladly enjoy it during sunsets or on the evening terrace, but for watching TV or relaxing in winter, other priorities are naturally more important since the daily rhythm changes after dark following work. Aside from that: in summer, people spend time outside anyway, so “the whole garden side could do without windows” – smile.
kronos215 schrieb:
If it stays like this, you only see the hedge but not the garden, since the plot is much lower.A garden is defined not by the view, but by the planting, such as this hedge. I think you are focusing too much on the idea that someone once said, "nice with the distant view." However, a house has four exterior walls, each with its own purpose – and a hedge can certainly be appreciated, as looking into greenery often feels better than looking into emptiness or wide open space. At least, it is more comfortable.W
wiltshire25 May 2025 08:35About the View from the House.
Each room offers a different perspective, which also depends on the position within the room.
Think of yourself like a curator of an exhibition. Garden design plays a crucial role in this, @ypg, if you embrace this concept.
If there is a view to fall in love with, incorporate it. It doesn’t have to be in the living room; the bedroom can be great too. Also, views are not just about the background. Paying attention to sightlines is worthwhile – try taking a guided tour of an English garden to see this demonstrated quite clearly.
A photo of the panorama you want to enjoy would be helpful to better understand what you want to see from your house.
We included the panorama in the architect’s brief and paid a lot for it (just money, so no problem). This doesn’t have to be the right approach for everyone.
Each room offers a different perspective, which also depends on the position within the room.
Think of yourself like a curator of an exhibition. Garden design plays a crucial role in this, @ypg, if you embrace this concept.
If there is a view to fall in love with, incorporate it. It doesn’t have to be in the living room; the bedroom can be great too. Also, views are not just about the background. Paying attention to sightlines is worthwhile – try taking a guided tour of an English garden to see this demonstrated quite clearly.
A photo of the panorama you want to enjoy would be helpful to better understand what you want to see from your house.
We included the panorama in the architect’s brief and paid a lot for it (just money, so no problem). This doesn’t have to be the right approach for everyone.
W
wiltshire25 May 2025 08:50ypg schrieb:
People like to use that space for a sundowner or evening terrace, but when it comes to watching TV or relaxing in winter, other priorities become more important, since after dark and after work you have a different daily rhythm anyway. It is extremely helpful to be aware of your own daily rhythm and to understand the elements that contribute to a high quality of life for you. In custom homebuilding, the role of architecture is to implement this as well as possible within a given budget and at a specific location.
In the first design, I see a house where I could live comfortably. That is a subjective statement. We ended up building something completely different from this design. There are many possible approaches.
@ypg .. thanks for the "stair breakdown" ... I was somehow stuck in my thinking.
As you can basically see, the layout by @ypg in post 22 and my modification of a standard floor plan in post 40 share some elements. In post 40, it would still be possible to enlarge Child 1’s room at the expense of Child 2’s (= office).
As you can basically see, the layout by @ypg in post 22 and my modification of a standard floor plan in post 40 share some elements. In post 40, it would still be possible to enlarge Child 1’s room at the expense of Child 2’s (= office).
kbt09 schrieb:
@ypg .. thanks for the "staircase solution" ... I was somehow mentally stuck. Yes, the tool is a bit quirky when it comes to staircases. The visualization is unsatisfactory.
wiltshire schrieb:
If there’s a view to fall in love with, include it. But that doesn’t mean everything except distant views should be excluded.
If I may expand on yesterday’s point: In summer, you can do without a view. Apartment dwellers often make this mistake. Many simply don’t have the habit of realizing that on very nice weather days, you hardly stay inside the house. Most only go in to put kids to bed or grab some barbecue meat. Netflix could be abolished.
In winter, it’s already dark by the time you finish work. Then you might appreciate sunshine coming in on the sofa at midday during the weekend.
Or do you spend all day standing at the panoramic window on the north side instead of watching a Netflix show? Probably less so. In everyday winter life, you don’t benefit much from a view.
I usually wouldn’t position a home office facing south, because sunlight is not really helpful while working; instead, a north-facing window with a view makes more sense.
kronos215 schrieb:
One of the architect’s arguments was to orient the terrace away from the neighbor. If it faced the hedge directly, you would be sitting very close there already, since the neighbor’s terrace also borders the hedge. It’s hard to believe the neighbors actually spend time in the 3 to 4 meters (about 10 to 13 feet) of space from the property line during the summer, especially when they have a very nice yard to relax in. Sometimes people just convince themselves otherwise.
wiltshire schrieb:
Garden design plays a crucial role here, @ypg, if you accept this idea. Terraces are commonly planted to provide protection. What used to be achieved with lots of greenery, such as shrubs, is now often done with artificial privacy screens. East wind is cold, west wind frequent; you want protection from both.
People tend to prefer fragrant plants close to the terrace rather than further away.
We deliberately keep our (evergreen) hedge in front of the living room window taller than usual because the view is very calming. We used to have a statue there that could be seen from the dining table, but now it’s a beautiful maple tree that stands out against the hedge. Personally, I would rank greenery and distant view about equally, but then prioritize differently depending on how to get sunlight into the living area during winter.
I don’t personally know any children who stand at the window enjoying any kind of view. I don’t see that much in adults either. These days, hardly anyone has time to just stand there and look around. There are always people here in the forum concerned about being watched from neighbors’ upper windows. No, very few have that kind of time.
And don’t forget the front yard. It’s the house’s calling card and from there you look outwards, especially if it’s on the south side. That might not lend itself to a terrace necessarily, but in older houses and farms you often see a bench placed in the sunny spot to take in vitamin D protected along the house wall in winter.
kronos215 schrieb:
The difficulty with the floor plan is that you basically have to open it up in three directions... If you define house and property in only one direction, that’s indeed a challenge.
kronos215 schrieb:
I’m still looking for the all-in-one solution… Because your perspective is limited?
kronos215 schrieb:
What would your advice be for how to proceed, considering the wishes and situation? Take some time to observe gardens, not just houses. Although my passion is houses, floor plans, and living spaces, it can all be overestimated.
Travel to places where real gardens exist. Also buy a book on the topic. Digital media often only show mainstream contemporary trends.
kronos215 schrieb:
Continue working on the architect’s design and adjust it accordingly (especially the upper floor) I actually wouldn’t give you advice right now, because I find the orientation quite dull (contrary to @wiltshire).
If I were in your place, I’d probably let it all settle, including what’s been said here.
If you’re still considering a north orientation afterwards, then ask the architect for a new upper floor plan. However, since you no longer like the exterior either, there’s not much left to like.
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