ᐅ Floor Plan Optimization for a Semi-Detached House, 150-160 m² on a 360 m² Plot in a New Development Area

I’m not really happy with this... I’ll need to take a closer look later. You don’t have much freedom anyway... however, what you can do is to properly refine the facades. Do you want to keep such conservative views? Besides, almost every window is different... I counted 10! different sizes. With the “transom windows” in addition to the double sash windows, it looks awful. This could be improved by carefully considering each window. Some of the confused ideas could definitely be smoothed out.

11ant schrieb:

Have we already talked about daylight spots? – see @erazorlll: https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/Velux-tageslichtspot-vs-solatube.35552/

Thanks for mentioning this, @11ant.

In the meantime, we had the chance to see the Velux daylight spots in use. Our builder was working on a house where these daylight spots had already been installed. It was an L-shaped hallway, and a total of 3 spots were installed (2 on the long side and 1 on the short side).

For us, this worked out really well and confirmed our choice. Inside, the spots look roughly like a larger round light fixture and provide very bright natural daylight. The light is also well diffused. If you don’t have the option to install windows or skylights, as in our case, I think these spots are a good alternative.

We also did some research online and found two major manufacturers: VELUX and Solatube. According to reports, Solatube units are slightly brighter due to their somewhat different design. There are occasional reports of condensation issues with the VELUX spots, which then needed to be replaced.

The window supplier that our builder works with only offers VELUX, so it will probably be Velux for us.

Tamicat schrieb:

I think having access from both sides is more suitable for wider rooms.

That wasn’t my point—I recommended the reading because of the discussions about construction, stability, aesthetics, and so on. How many sides you can walk around it seems only marginal to me. From my "engineering perspective," this is simply the most current and diverse thread about room dividers.

Tamicat schrieb:

The light shaft would have to be routed somewhere and must have a diameter greater than 10cm (4 inches), right?

Here, too, I was pleased to recall a thread discussing two types (although quite similar). Essentially, the idea seems inspired by the periscope of a submarine and a kaleidoscope—building a kind of light-collecting downpipe. It doesn’t cause any disturbance in the attic.

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ypg schrieb:

I don’t really like that... I’ll have to take a closer look later. You don’t have much freedom, of course... but what you can do would be to properly tidy up the façades. Do you really want such conservative looks? Aside from the fact that almost every window is different... I counted 10! different sizes. With the “sub-windows” in addition to the double casements, it looks awful. You can also reduce the chaos a bit by carefully considering each window. Some of the confused ideas can be straightened out.

I’m curious...
But we have actually already put a lot of thought into the windows. In fact, the widths of the vertically stacked windows and the heights of the horizontally aligned windows are the same on the front side.

Tamicat schrieb:

But we have actually given a lot of thought to the windows already.

I would still coordinate the double casement window in Child 2’s room on the central axis with the bedroom window. While, in theory, all other windows could also be optimized, in practice it remains a semi-detached house (essentially a duplex), but only as wide as a mid-terrace house. Therefore, compromises on perfection are unavoidable already in the floor plan – which inevitably affects the façades at these dimensions. On the bright side: compromises are not concessions *SCNR*

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Tamicat schrieb:

Would daylight tubes really be a solution to bring light from the roof down to the upper floor? The light shaft would have to be routed somewhere and probably has a diameter greater than 10cm (4 inches), right?

Velux tubes come in two sizes, with diameters of 25cm (10 inches) or 35cm (14 inches), depending on how much light you want. Lighting the hallway on the top floor shouldn’t be a problem since you can run the tube directly from the roof.

It gets a bit more complicated for the upper floor. You could install a shaft in the storage rooms on both the top floor and the upper floor to route the tubes down, and then have them exit at an angle near the ceiling. There are also extension pieces available. On Solatube’s website, there is a diagram illustrating this right on their homepage.

The main question is how important daylight in the hallway is to you.
For the upper floor, the tube could go straight through the ceiling and then horizontally, so very little space would be lost—mostly just near the ceiling.
On the top floor, you already have two large storage areas on the left and right, each only about 1 meter (3 feet) high. So, honestly, I wouldn’t mind a few centimeters there if it means getting natural light.

I recommend getting some professional advice on this.