ᐅ Floor Plan Optimization | Semi-Detached House on a Slope with 192 m² of Living Space
Created on: 7 Jun 2020 21:28
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erazorlll
Dear Forum,
In recent weeks, I shared my experiences searching for and selecting a construction company. Thanks again for all your help and discussions!
As promised, I am posting our current plans here and would appreciate your comments and suggestions. Some minor details are not ideal but likely cannot be changed – I have explained these below.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 340m² (3,659 sq ft)
Slope: Yes, approximately 2m (6.5 ft) difference over 17m (56 ft) length
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: none
Building envelope, building line and boundary:
Maximum building envelope for semi-detached house: 8x13m (26x43 ft)
Maximum garage building envelope: 5x9m (16x30 ft)
Building boundaries may be exceeded by a maximum of 5m (16 ft) in width and 1.5m (5 ft) in depth per building side, as well as by minor structural elements
Number of parking spaces: 2 cars and 2 bicycles
Storeys: No direct specification, but height limits above sea level apply
Roof type: Gable roof, 30-40° pitch
Architectural style: -
Orientation: Southeast
Maximum heights/limits:
Maximum eaves and ridge heights are given as heights above sea level.
No roof structures are permitted on the north side.
Additional requirements:
A cistern is mandatory. The maximum height of the garage within its designated envelope is specified.
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Modern, gable roof, semi-detached house
Basement, floors: At least two floors required; the open basement results from the slope
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults in their early/mid-30s, planning for 1-2 children
Space requirements on ground and upper floors:
Ground floor: office, living room, dining room, kitchen, pantry, and shower/WC
Upper floor: bedroom, dressing room, bathroom, and two children’s bedrooms
Office: family use or home office? An office is essential
Overnight guests per year: 2-3 times
Open or closed architecture: Good mix. Kitchen, dining, and living areas are mostly open; the rest are mostly closed
Conservative or modern construction: Modern construction preferred
Open kitchen, island: Open kitchen with island
Number of dining seats: 4-6
Fireplace: Yes, if feasible
Music/sound wall: ?
Balcony, roof terrace: No, not needed
Garage, carport: Double garage is not possible due to development plan restrictions. Therefore, a slightly wider single garage with space for trash bins and bicycles.
Utility garden, greenhouse: No
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, reasons for preferences:
The master bedroom can be smaller since it is only for sleeping; the space should benefit other rooms.
A large bathroom with a spacious, airy feel.
See also text below.
House Design
Planning source: Discussions with the general contractor and implementation by architects
What do you especially like? Why?
Bathroom – relatively large, wide double vanity, WC somewhat hidden, and walk-in shower without enclosure
Staircase – not too tightly curved for a semi-detached house
Children’s rooms – equally sized but not mirrored exactly, slightly different layouts
What do you not like? Why?
Pantry – unfortunately not directly behind the kitchen, with stairs in between
Ground floor WC – initially planned as a shower toilet but moved to basement due to space constraints
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: approx. 2,400 euros per m² (approx. $220 per sq ft)
Personal price limit for house including fittings:
Preferred heating system: Air-to-water heat pump as a split unit – suggested model was "Weishaupt Air/Water Heat Pump Biblock (WWP LB)"
If you had to give up, which details or expansions would you skip
-Could you skip: Fireplace, granny flat, size of basement hallway, knee wall in master bedroom
-Cannot skip: Large bathroom, pantry and ground floor WC, office
Why was the design created this way?
We discussed our wishes for each floor with the general contractor, who then worked with the architect to create a design.
We reviewed and adjusted the design several times to meet our needs.
The suggestion to place the kitchen directly by the terrace and the living room more inward came from the general contractor.
Additional remarks:
We acquired a plot for a semi-detached house and after long research chose a solid construction provider.
Besides standard rooms, we require two children’s rooms and a home office. Due to the slope, a three-story building with an open basement at the front evolved. An open kitchen-dining-living area with a possible small division to the living room via a fireplace is important to us.
The general contractor proposed placing the kitchen on the garden side for easy access between garden and kitchen/refrigerator, especially in summer. The living area was placed more inward for more privacy. Initially, this seemed unusual since most floor plans are the other way around. Now we find it quite interesting.
After the first draft, two problems arose: the kitchen was too narrow for our ideas. We wanted an open kitchen with a large central island. The dressing room upstairs was hard to use due to layout and a 2m (6.5 ft) boundary line. We reworked the plan extensively and had to move the staircase, which affected the layout on all floors. The dressing room has become acceptable and usable. Unfortunately, these changes meant that the pantry was no longer behind the kitchen and the ground floor WC lost its shower. We see no option to change this without causing other issues.
We do not actually need a granny flat. However, due to the open basement design, an extra room emerged. Initially planned as a hobby room, it became a granny flat because the ground floor shower had to be removed and we wanted a second shower for safety. This is not bad for several reasons: 1) if we are older, we would have everything needed downstairs and on the ground floor; 2) if a child wants to move in, they have a WC and shower; 3) there would be a second shower in the house (in case there are three women living here).
And if you wonder why the house is so large with 192m² (2,067 sq ft) of living space:
We never planned for so much space; it developed naturally. We do not want to change the width of 8m (26 ft), as it would become too narrow. The length of 12m (39 ft) could theoretically be reduced, but currently, only the basement area seems oversized. On the ground floor, space is tight for pantry and shower, and upstairs for dressing room layout.
That’s the overview of our ideas and plans. I look forward to your comments and questions.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
We would appreciate general opinions on the floor plan.
Have we overlooked anything that only becomes apparent in daily life?
Are there smarter ideas for alternative layouts?
What do you think about the kitchen’s layout and size?
What about the garage size? I’m unsure whether width or length is more important.
What do you think about the door orientations? Some open inward, some outward due to space. Is this inconvenient or acceptable?
If anything is missing, please let me know.
PS: The exterior design of the house and garage (color, wood between windows, etc.) and the type of doors in the dining room (sliding/door/fixed) are not finalized and just roughly sketched. Please disregard.
Thank you!
//Edit: If anyone wonders why the maximum roof height in the plan differs slightly from the building roof height: this was a later change to the development plan and is correct.
In recent weeks, I shared my experiences searching for and selecting a construction company. Thanks again for all your help and discussions!
As promised, I am posting our current plans here and would appreciate your comments and suggestions. Some minor details are not ideal but likely cannot be changed – I have explained these below.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 340m² (3,659 sq ft)
Slope: Yes, approximately 2m (6.5 ft) difference over 17m (56 ft) length
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: none
Building envelope, building line and boundary:
Maximum building envelope for semi-detached house: 8x13m (26x43 ft)
Maximum garage building envelope: 5x9m (16x30 ft)
Building boundaries may be exceeded by a maximum of 5m (16 ft) in width and 1.5m (5 ft) in depth per building side, as well as by minor structural elements
Number of parking spaces: 2 cars and 2 bicycles
Storeys: No direct specification, but height limits above sea level apply
Roof type: Gable roof, 30-40° pitch
Architectural style: -
Orientation: Southeast
Maximum heights/limits:
Maximum eaves and ridge heights are given as heights above sea level.
No roof structures are permitted on the north side.
Additional requirements:
A cistern is mandatory. The maximum height of the garage within its designated envelope is specified.
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: Modern, gable roof, semi-detached house
Basement, floors: At least two floors required; the open basement results from the slope
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults in their early/mid-30s, planning for 1-2 children
Space requirements on ground and upper floors:
Ground floor: office, living room, dining room, kitchen, pantry, and shower/WC
Upper floor: bedroom, dressing room, bathroom, and two children’s bedrooms
Office: family use or home office? An office is essential
Overnight guests per year: 2-3 times
Open or closed architecture: Good mix. Kitchen, dining, and living areas are mostly open; the rest are mostly closed
Conservative or modern construction: Modern construction preferred
Open kitchen, island: Open kitchen with island
Number of dining seats: 4-6
Fireplace: Yes, if feasible
Music/sound wall: ?
Balcony, roof terrace: No, not needed
Garage, carport: Double garage is not possible due to development plan restrictions. Therefore, a slightly wider single garage with space for trash bins and bicycles.
Utility garden, greenhouse: No
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, reasons for preferences:
The master bedroom can be smaller since it is only for sleeping; the space should benefit other rooms.
A large bathroom with a spacious, airy feel.
See also text below.
House Design
Planning source: Discussions with the general contractor and implementation by architects
What do you especially like? Why?
Bathroom – relatively large, wide double vanity, WC somewhat hidden, and walk-in shower without enclosure
Staircase – not too tightly curved for a semi-detached house
Children’s rooms – equally sized but not mirrored exactly, slightly different layouts
What do you not like? Why?
Pantry – unfortunately not directly behind the kitchen, with stairs in between
Ground floor WC – initially planned as a shower toilet but moved to basement due to space constraints
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: approx. 2,400 euros per m² (approx. $220 per sq ft)
Personal price limit for house including fittings:
Preferred heating system: Air-to-water heat pump as a split unit – suggested model was "Weishaupt Air/Water Heat Pump Biblock (WWP LB)"
If you had to give up, which details or expansions would you skip
-Could you skip: Fireplace, granny flat, size of basement hallway, knee wall in master bedroom
-Cannot skip: Large bathroom, pantry and ground floor WC, office
Why was the design created this way?
We discussed our wishes for each floor with the general contractor, who then worked with the architect to create a design.
We reviewed and adjusted the design several times to meet our needs.
The suggestion to place the kitchen directly by the terrace and the living room more inward came from the general contractor.
Additional remarks:
We acquired a plot for a semi-detached house and after long research chose a solid construction provider.
Besides standard rooms, we require two children’s rooms and a home office. Due to the slope, a three-story building with an open basement at the front evolved. An open kitchen-dining-living area with a possible small division to the living room via a fireplace is important to us.
The general contractor proposed placing the kitchen on the garden side for easy access between garden and kitchen/refrigerator, especially in summer. The living area was placed more inward for more privacy. Initially, this seemed unusual since most floor plans are the other way around. Now we find it quite interesting.
After the first draft, two problems arose: the kitchen was too narrow for our ideas. We wanted an open kitchen with a large central island. The dressing room upstairs was hard to use due to layout and a 2m (6.5 ft) boundary line. We reworked the plan extensively and had to move the staircase, which affected the layout on all floors. The dressing room has become acceptable and usable. Unfortunately, these changes meant that the pantry was no longer behind the kitchen and the ground floor WC lost its shower. We see no option to change this without causing other issues.
We do not actually need a granny flat. However, due to the open basement design, an extra room emerged. Initially planned as a hobby room, it became a granny flat because the ground floor shower had to be removed and we wanted a second shower for safety. This is not bad for several reasons: 1) if we are older, we would have everything needed downstairs and on the ground floor; 2) if a child wants to move in, they have a WC and shower; 3) there would be a second shower in the house (in case there are three women living here).
And if you wonder why the house is so large with 192m² (2,067 sq ft) of living space:
We never planned for so much space; it developed naturally. We do not want to change the width of 8m (26 ft), as it would become too narrow. The length of 12m (39 ft) could theoretically be reduced, but currently, only the basement area seems oversized. On the ground floor, space is tight for pantry and shower, and upstairs for dressing room layout.
That’s the overview of our ideas and plans. I look forward to your comments and questions.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
We would appreciate general opinions on the floor plan.
Have we overlooked anything that only becomes apparent in daily life?
Are there smarter ideas for alternative layouts?
What do you think about the kitchen’s layout and size?
What about the garage size? I’m unsure whether width or length is more important.
What do you think about the door orientations? Some open inward, some outward due to space. Is this inconvenient or acceptable?
If anything is missing, please let me know.
PS: The exterior design of the house and garage (color, wood between windows, etc.) and the type of doors in the dining room (sliding/door/fixed) are not finalized and just roughly sketched. Please disregard.
Thank you!
//Edit: If anyone wonders why the maximum roof height in the plan differs slightly from the building roof height: this was a later change to the development plan and is correct.
driver55 schrieb:
I see daylight spots as suitable for renovations or remodeling, but not for new design. I don’t see it that (strict) way, but I do notice one located right at the ridge; that one should be moved.
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erazorlll5 Aug 2021 17:04Thank you for your comments on the planning. Every input really helps.
I could still implement smaller issues, but the general contractor would be very upset about major changes.
We would have loved that as well, but unfortunately, due to the staircase, we couldn’t find a solution. If the pantry were placed behind the kitchen, we would have to move the staircase north. However, that’s not possible on the upper floor because then the dressing room would have to be moved as well, and due to the sloped ceiling, no wardrobes would fit underneath. Reducing the kitchen size is also not an option.
Would you see another solution?
Unfortunately, the island is blocking the inside, or I would be cutting off a walkway. If the door opens to the left, it blocks the path to the refrigerator and so on. If it opens to the right, it blocks the way to the living room.
We had considered a sliding door and still have that option, but I am not sure…
I agree with you that the hallway in the basement is really large. On the upper floor, we tried to minimize the hallway area. But you can’t look at the total area alone—what good is reducing the basement hallway to 5m² (54 sqft) if it doesn’t give me larger children’s rooms upstairs?
Once one of the children is older, they can happily move into the basement apartment with a bathroom, which then offers nearly 22m² (237 sqft) of space.
The architect advised against a skylight in the hallway because it usually results in a narrow, long shaft that is also difficult to clean. He used spotlights in another client’s house. Is it the perfect solution? Probably not.
Any better suggestions?
Currently, we have a total of 3 meters (10 feet) of wardrobe length, which I find acceptable. In the future, we could place dressers near the knee wall or eventually install a built-in wardrobe to gain additional storage space.
What do you mean by 1 x 3.5 m (11.5 feet)?
Numbers are somewhat irrelevant to me. Whether it ends up being 190, 180, or 210 sqm (2045, 1937, or 2260 sqft) doesn’t matter much. The basement apartment can definitely be used—as a guest room, as my office when both children’s rooms are occupied, or as a children’s room when the kids are older.
Thank you.
Have you published your floor plan here, and could you please link it? I’m genuinely interested in how you solved it. Thanks.
I could still implement smaller issues, but the general contractor would be very upset about major changes.
driver55 schrieb:
Then the topic is settled. But…
- Pantry is very inconveniently located (I would have integrated it into the kitchen corner)
We would have loved that as well, but unfortunately, due to the staircase, we couldn’t find a solution. If the pantry were placed behind the kitchen, we would have to move the staircase north. However, that’s not possible on the upper floor because then the dressing room would have to be moved as well, and due to the sloped ceiling, no wardrobes would fit underneath. Reducing the kitchen size is also not an option.
Would you see another solution?
driver55 schrieb:
- Kitchen door opens outward 🙄
Unfortunately, the island is blocking the inside, or I would be cutting off a walkway. If the door opens to the left, it blocks the path to the refrigerator and so on. If it opens to the right, it blocks the way to the living room.
We had considered a sliding door and still have that option, but I am not sure…
driver55 schrieb:
- Hallway/stairs etc. over 40 sqm (square meters), but children's rooms only a modest 12 sqm /14 sqm
I agree with you that the hallway in the basement is really large. On the upper floor, we tried to minimize the hallway area. But you can’t look at the total area alone—what good is reducing the basement hallway to 5m² (54 sqft) if it doesn’t give me larger children’s rooms upstairs?
Once one of the children is older, they can happily move into the basement apartment with a bathroom, which then offers nearly 22m² (237 sqft) of space.
driver55 schrieb:
- Daylight spot is something I see for renovations or remodeling, but not for new construction
The architect advised against a skylight in the hallway because it usually results in a narrow, long shaft that is also difficult to clean. He used spotlights in another client’s house. Is it the perfect solution? Probably not.
driver55 schrieb:
- Bedroom/dressing room 21 sqm, but poorly usable. Not enough wardrobe space (no room for an additional wardrobe in front of the bed in the bedroom)
Any better suggestions?
Currently, we have a total of 3 meters (10 feet) of wardrobe length, which I find acceptable. In the future, we could place dressers near the knee wall or eventually install a built-in wardrobe to gain additional storage space.
driver55 schrieb:
- 1 x approx. 3.5 m is far too little, as there is no space in the children's rooms there either
What do you mean by 1 x 3.5 m (11.5 feet)?
driver55 schrieb:
- I don’t really see 190 sqm. The basement is purely utility space since the basement apartment is not used initially…
Numbers are somewhat irrelevant to me. Whether it ends up being 190, 180, or 210 sqm (2045, 1937, or 2260 sqft) doesn’t matter much. The basement apartment can definitely be used—as a guest room, as my office when both children’s rooms are occupied, or as a children’s room when the kids are older.
driver55 schrieb:
- Technology area and bathroom are nicely sized…
Thank you.
driver55 schrieb:
(We have living/dining/kitchen with pantry of 50 sqm, guest WC, office 6 sqm, children’s rooms each about 18 sqm, and bedroom/(mini) dressing room (with a total of 6 m wardrobe length) + bath totaling about 130 sqm) in a semi-detached house. Basement/utility/garage in the basement with 70 sqm)
Have you published your floor plan here, and could you please link it? I’m genuinely interested in how you solved it. Thanks.
E
erazorlll9 Aug 2021 12:45erazorlll schrieb:
So, after a long time, I’m checking in again.After almost 2 months, here’s an update:
The detailed planning phase is now basically complete.
We had another meeting with the plumbing company regarding the routing of the ventilation ducts for the mechanical ventilation system. Initially, they wanted to run about 14 ducts through the living room (next to the fireplace and laundry chute), which would have significantly restricted the living room space. After various considerations (along the exterior wall, the interior wall by the kitchen, etc.), they’ve now found a solution that requires only 2 ducts running through the floor and then distributing the air through the ceiling. Apparently, there are special systems for this.
In parallel, we had a second meeting with the electrician to clarify some open questions and make a few adjustments. We will mostly install KNX smart home technology and have planned several lighting options (recessed spotlights in the hallway, LED strips in the shower, etc.). I’d be happy to share the plans and products here sometime.
Last week, we also did the bathroom sampling at a showroom. Overall, the appointment went well, and we had prepared somewhat in advance (regarding the general style direction, etc.). However, the three hours allotted for three bathrooms felt a bit short. On one hand, we probably should have prepared better and selected specific products beforehand. On the other hand, I would have appreciated a bit more preparation from the showroom’s side to get a sense of our preferences earlier and to clarify basic questions in advance, allowing them to then show suitable options. For this reason, we plan to revise the sampling list afterwards.
At the building plot itself, the rough staking out has now taken place, and excavation should start this week. Unfortunately, there were repeated delays because our construction company is currently handling many projects simultaneously, and the structural engineer only recently became available. We’re hoping construction will finally begin soon. Our semi-detached house neighbor already started excavation last week, so we’ll probably be building around the same time.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
PS: @driver55: where can I find your floor plan? I wasn’t able to locate a thread on the house-building forum.
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erazorlll9 Aug 2021 13:04Würfel* schrieb:
I also like your floor plan. However, you have a huge hallway on the ground floor but still not much space for a large wardrobe closet. How did you plan the wardrobe for 4 people?In my last post, I didn’t include the basement floor plan anymore because there were no major changes there. Please check the first post of this thread.
The entrance is located in the basement, and there we have planned a large wardrobe closet in the hallway. The exact design is still open, but we have about 3.80m (12.5 ft) of space, and I think that should be sufficient.
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