ᐅ Floor Plan of a Small Single-Family House on a North-Facing Slope, 170 m²
Created on: 7 Jan 2021 21:22
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Nitram94
Hello dear members of the forum,
I have been a silent reader for some time now, and since we are currently in the planning phase, I would like to share our current floor plan and hope to get some feedback!
The plot is huge, measuring 50 x 75m (164 x 246 ft). The street, which has moderate traffic, is located to the south. The land slopes downward away from the street toward the north, with about a 3m (10 ft) drop over 15m (49 ft), then it flattens out again. There are already houses on both the left and right sides of the property. Behind the plot are agricultural fields.
The current plan includes a total living area of approximately 170m² (1,830 sq ft). Since the street is to the south, we want a small garden on that side and a larger one to the north because that is where the green fields are located.
The idea behind the floor plan was to allow access from the living area to both gardens, so everything basically becomes one unit. It was important for us to have an open living and dining area and for the parents’ zone to be on the same floor. That way, the children (1-2 planned) have their own area in the basement—not ideal initially, but most likely everyone will be happy with it later 😉.
We also really wanted direct access from the bedroom to the bathroom.
I am still not completely satisfied with the window arrangement (regarding the exterior appearance), but I am not sure what could be changed.
For storage space, an attic is planned.
The bathroom in the basement will have a “basement window” and a bathtub.
The entrance on the floor plan is on the south side.
Load-bearing walls in the basement have not yet been drawn.
The plan is to keep the build ready for finishing costs under 400k—doable?
I am looking forward to your opinions and hope for some helpful tips!
I have been a silent reader for some time now, and since we are currently in the planning phase, I would like to share our current floor plan and hope to get some feedback!
The plot is huge, measuring 50 x 75m (164 x 246 ft). The street, which has moderate traffic, is located to the south. The land slopes downward away from the street toward the north, with about a 3m (10 ft) drop over 15m (49 ft), then it flattens out again. There are already houses on both the left and right sides of the property. Behind the plot are agricultural fields.
The current plan includes a total living area of approximately 170m² (1,830 sq ft). Since the street is to the south, we want a small garden on that side and a larger one to the north because that is where the green fields are located.
The idea behind the floor plan was to allow access from the living area to both gardens, so everything basically becomes one unit. It was important for us to have an open living and dining area and for the parents’ zone to be on the same floor. That way, the children (1-2 planned) have their own area in the basement—not ideal initially, but most likely everyone will be happy with it later 😉.
We also really wanted direct access from the bedroom to the bathroom.
I am still not completely satisfied with the window arrangement (regarding the exterior appearance), but I am not sure what could be changed.
For storage space, an attic is planned.
The bathroom in the basement will have a “basement window” and a bathtub.
The entrance on the floor plan is on the south side.
Load-bearing walls in the basement have not yet been drawn.
The plan is to keep the build ready for finishing costs under 400k—doable?
I am looking forward to your opinions and hope for some helpful tips!
Nitram94 schrieb:
The north arrow is correctly shown. The entrance would be on the south side of the upper floor, where it is marked “entrance.”
And the floor plans also correspond correctly to the orientation. Ah... now it makes sense. I was confused by the statement:
Nitram94 schrieb:
but then we wouldn’t have any south-facing windows at all Nitram94 schrieb:
Yes, the comment was referring to if we were to make the living area downstairsYes, you’re right. I was a bit distracted 😳
I’m not really satisfied with the parents’ wing... I’ll try something out if you’re open to suggestions.
The house shouldn’t get any larger or more complicated if you want to stay within a budget of €400,000.
ypg schrieb:
Yes, you’re right. I was a bit distracted 😳
I’m not really fond of the master wing… I’ll try something if you’re open to suggestions.
The house shouldn’t be any bigger or more complex if you want to stay within 400,000€.I am grateful for any advice.
I played around a bit... and since it was Friday, I also added some decoration and color, which I usually don’t do. See below.
I call it playing!
Meanwhile: You mentioned 400,000, and this is a very challenging hillside construction. Your 3D version shows a south-facing terrace, which will be quite expensive in terms of foundation work. I think terrain modeling requires much more attention than we laypeople usually realize. The house shown here exceeds your budget. It’s not really a hillside house; it’s simply placed in front of the slope.
170 sqm (1829 sq ft)... hillside... and the living area measurements are heavily manipulated: for example, there’s an over 20 sqm (215 sq ft) entrance area in the basement—what’s the purpose of that? Essentially, it’s for openness and access to the garden. But in my opinion, you can’t afford that. What’s the point of that gym room? The technical room is reasonably sized, but there isn’t enough storage space on the ground floor. The mentioned attic storage space isn’t exactly generous in terms of headroom either. I would only plan to use it for essentials about twice a year.
The basement doesn’t feel very residential to me. I would, for example, focus on creating a generous stairwell to connect the lower and upper floors. Also, a continuous window would help create a connection. At the bottom, the stair layout looks more like there’s supposed to be access to a self-contained flat. This door (in the basement) will be frequently used, considering it’s the most convenient way to the garden. Both stairs (external and internal) feel too separated to me. Do you see yourself walking downstairs with a coffee pot and book under your arm to relax under a tree? Do you see yourself playing in the garden with small children while having to go back inside the house every time for a juice glass? Kids alone outside, you upstairs?
But I digress. I meant frequent use, which equals sand, dirt, etc. in the entry area. The kids who will run up and down the stairs several times a day will have to walk through grains of sand every time. What you want to avoid in your own living floor, you’re introducing there. Personally, I would also connect the living spaces more closely to the stairwell. That way, you don’t feel so isolated downstairs. Summarizing, the basement doesn’t really feel like living space to me. It lacks coziness, floor-to-ceiling windows for the children’s rooms, and a hallway that functions more like living space rather than just a passage to the outside—at least not when the kids have to walk through it constantly.
Regarding the rest of the floor plan: the many doors in the master area are, in my opinion, not practical. The two bathroom doors in particular will cause problems as they block each other. I also doubt if they are suited for everyday life. In our house, no door except the cloakroom and utility room doors remain closed. Who is disciplined enough to constantly close doors inside their own home?
I also see problems with artificially extending a hallway inside just to increase kitchen workspace. I would try moving the stairs to the south, the kitchen towards the "shorter" balcony on the north side, and then a garden staircase—either on the side, shortened by terracing, or directly on the north side—everything facing the garden.
South-facing windows are important, but you rarely get to fully enjoy a south terrace. Also, there’s mention of a street here, so you won’t find the quiet you can get in the back garden area, which is also sunny.
Therefore, as a layperson, I would skip the south terrace, place it more with terracing/hillside on the west side, and then create access to the garden.
However, if a professional planner works on it, the house will certainly get a better and cost-optimized design.
About my playing around: I tried planning the walk-in closet as a connecting room instead of the bedroom. In addition, I separated the toilet. In your plan, it is connected to the master bathroom by glass doors, which could be frosted if you don’t like it that way. This creates a small retreat area. Maybe that’s a suggestion for your next experiments...
Yes, while modeling, I realized that both floors would benefit if the stairs (preferably a double-flight, more open type and not one resembling a cellar stair) were placed elsewhere. Also, the kitchen or dining table should be where you approach from.
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