ᐅ Floor Plan Optimization for an Accessible Home on a Sloped Site
Created on: 26 Apr 2020 22:46
T
turhanet
Hello everyone,
we are currently in the planning phase of a new build and currently favor the following floor plan:
We purchased a prefabricated house with a solid basement. The prefab house will be demolished, and the ground floor and upper floor will be newly built in masonry. In the process, the garage will be extended by a few meters to increase the footprint.
Thank you in advance.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size 700 sqm (8,400 sq ft)
Slope Yes
Floor area ratio / Plot ratio – The building will be constructed on an existing basement
Number of parking spaces 2
Number of floors 2.5 full stories
Roof shape – Gable roof or flat roof
Architectural style – free choice
Orientation – South-facing slope
Maximum height / Limits – Almost no restrictions in the development plan
Further requirements
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type – Gable roof, simple, low maintenance, minimalist
I use a wheelchair, so the house must be barrier-free. An elevator will therefore be installed from the basement up to the upper floor
Basement, floors – Usable basement + ground floor + upper floor
Number of occupants, ages – 5 people (children 9 | 5 | 5)
Room requirements ground floor, upper floor – All rooms for the parents should be on the ground floor.
Office: family use or home office? Home office
Guest stays per year – infrequent
Open or closed architecture – open
Conservative or modern construction style – modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island – open, can have a kitchen island but not mandatory
Number of dining seats 6–8
Fireplace – not necessary
Garage, carport – Garage already exists; carport will be added
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also explanations why this or that should or should not be
House Design
Who created the design:
-Architect based on our do-it-yourself floor plan
What do you like most? Why? Family oriented, practical for everyday life
What do you like least? Why? We are still considering creating a niche for a side-by-side refrigerator in the office to have it flush with the wall. Possibly the same for the bathroom cabinets, since the bedroom is quite large.
Preferred heating system: That’s a good question, plus whether to include the basement within the thermal envelope.
If you had to give up something, which details or expansions could you do without:
-Maybe I could move the office down to the basement. My wife gave up her walk-in closet for the office (now that’s love )
What is the most important basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
we are currently in the planning phase of a new build and currently favor the following floor plan:
We purchased a prefabricated house with a solid basement. The prefab house will be demolished, and the ground floor and upper floor will be newly built in masonry. In the process, the garage will be extended by a few meters to increase the footprint.
Thank you in advance.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size 700 sqm (8,400 sq ft)
Slope Yes
Floor area ratio / Plot ratio – The building will be constructed on an existing basement
Number of parking spaces 2
Number of floors 2.5 full stories
Roof shape – Gable roof or flat roof
Architectural style – free choice
Orientation – South-facing slope
Maximum height / Limits – Almost no restrictions in the development plan
Further requirements
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type – Gable roof, simple, low maintenance, minimalist
I use a wheelchair, so the house must be barrier-free. An elevator will therefore be installed from the basement up to the upper floor
Basement, floors – Usable basement + ground floor + upper floor
Number of occupants, ages – 5 people (children 9 | 5 | 5)
Room requirements ground floor, upper floor – All rooms for the parents should be on the ground floor.
Office: family use or home office? Home office
Guest stays per year – infrequent
Open or closed architecture – open
Conservative or modern construction style – modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island – open, can have a kitchen island but not mandatory
Number of dining seats 6–8
Fireplace – not necessary
Garage, carport – Garage already exists; carport will be added
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also explanations why this or that should or should not be
House Design
Who created the design:
-Architect based on our do-it-yourself floor plan
What do you like most? Why? Family oriented, practical for everyday life
What do you like least? Why? We are still considering creating a niche for a side-by-side refrigerator in the office to have it flush with the wall. Possibly the same for the bathroom cabinets, since the bedroom is quite large.
Preferred heating system: That’s a good question, plus whether to include the basement within the thermal envelope.
If you had to give up something, which details or expansions could you do without:
-Maybe I could move the office down to the basement. My wife gave up her walk-in closet for the office (now that’s love )
What is the most important basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
- Where can further optimizations be made?
- What window dimensions or sill heights do you recommend?
- What do you find poor or would do differently?
Ibdk14 schrieb:
I like it very much at first glance. Only the kitchen seems to have too little work and storage space to me. Hello Ibdk14, we have the same concern, which is why we are considering designing the niche for the refrigerator (see new attachment in red)
and equipping the back side of the kitchen with countertops. There is also storage space under the island and in the pantry.
haydee schrieb:
Is the width sufficient at the dining table for you?
For occupied chairs, at least 80cm (31.5 inches) from table edge to wall is required. And then only one person can squeeze past.
Otherwise, I can only agree with Kaho. Good point, haydee, it could be tight with a wheelchair, especially since that is the exit to our terrace. According to the drawing, it is about 110cm (43 inches). However, I would prefer if the terrace door protruded beyond the dining table, allowing a direct passage.
kaho674 schrieb:
Having the office on the ground floor damages a lot. That’s why the master bathroom is rather sparse and the kitchen feels narrow. You have natural daylight in the basement. If it’s also dry down there, I wouldn’t hesitate. Love aside — maybe the wife also wants a bathtub where she can actually stretch out a bit, and the kitchen could really use more depth for a better feeling of comfort.
For quickly using a laptop, you can also set up a small table in the bedroom. Even a nightstand would be enough there.
The gallery on the upper floor isn’t really my thing. From my experience, such a corner just becomes a better dust collector and nobody uses the space. I would put the bathroom there and radically enlarge the children’s rooms. Without the office it would be much easier. The basement is dry and, as you already mentioned, has natural daylight. We’re still not sure whether to include the basement within the thermal envelope or insulate it.
kaho674 schrieb:
For quickly using a laptop, you can also set up a small table in the bedroom. Even a nightstand would be enough there. Currently, we have that table in the living room, but my wife wouldn’t be happy with that (probably also because of how I arranged the table).
kaho674 schrieb:
The gallery on the upper floor isn’t really my thing. From my experience, such a corner just becomes a better dust collector and nobody uses the space. I would put the bathroom there and radically enlarge the children’s rooms. The plan is to have a small fitness area there, and the piano would be placed in that space. Honestly, the whole family is looking forward to that corner. It could also serve well as a “neutral spot,” for example, for bedtime stories.
kaho674 schrieb:
Somehow the elevations don’t seem to match, right? At least I can’t make sense of the west side, and I don’t see the chimney anywhere except in the basement and on the roof. I hate incomplete plans from professionals. Unfortunately, I don’t have the elevations for the current floor plan yet. I inserted a different one so you can get a sense of the plot.
Here are some additional ideas (see new drawing with changes marked in red):
Thank you very much for the initial feedback.
- The bathroom could be slightly enlarged by recessing the bathroom cabinets; the same applies to the kitchen with the refrigerator.
- Does it make sense to build a privacy screen in the hallway? Currently, you can see straight through the living room and dining area.
Thank you very much for the initial feedback.
turhanet schrieb:
The basement is dry and, as you already mentioned, has natural daylight. We are still unsure whether to include the basement within the thermal envelope and insulate it. What is the ceiling height there? I believe it’s hardly possible to get living space cheaper, and with windows – those are living areas.
turhanet schrieb:
A small fitness area is planned there, and the piano would go in that space. Oh, that has to be included too. Who plays the piano?
turhanet schrieb:
and the piano would go there.Cool, the house building forum piano quartet with @chrisw81 and @Pianisthttps://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
turhanet schrieb:
whether we should include the basement in the thermal envelope or insulate it.Since an elevator shaft is not airtight and there is a direct connection from the basement to the rest of the house, I cannot imagine it is possible to separate the basement from the rest of the building in a way that places it outside the thermal envelope.Similar topics