ᐅ Floor plan – requesting feedback and suggestions for improvement

Hello,

I am planning to build a two-family house without a basement. The plot size is 560 sqm (approximately 6000 sq ft).
I have planned a hipped roof (pyramid roof) with a 22° pitch. All roof styles are permitted.
My mother will live on the ground floor, and my two children, my wife, and I will live on the upper floor.
Thank you in advance.

Thomas

A brief summary of my observations:
The bathroom on the ground floor is not suitable for seniors. How old is your mother?
What age of children are we talking about?

The furniture dimensions are not realistic – some proportions are off, for example, the depth of the children's cupboards and sofas (no one could actually sit on those :eek 🙂.

Upper floor: I find it problematic to place the bedroom door in the middle of the living room if two children still live in the house.
Suggestion: Remove the toilet on the right to enlarge the living area (kitchen corner), which would also allow for a dining table.
Use the bathroom door as an entrance to a second hallway, from which the toilet, bathroom, and bedroom would be accessible.

I also notice that all your doors are positioned directly against the walls, so it’s not possible to place furniture or cabinets behind them.
The windows don’t look particularly elegant either. For a two-story house, having the same design on both floors can quickly become boring. Adding some variation could be beneficial.
Do you have exterior views as well as the house layout on the site plan or property?

I actually think this is quite well planned. The only thing missing on the upper floor is a bit of storage space for everyday items like vacuum cleaner, broom, shopping basket, beverage crates, and so on. I would also design the balcony more generously so you don’t always have to go down the stairs when grilling. It might even be worth considering connecting your balcony to the garden with an external staircase. If you can only access the garden through the front door, it’s just too inconvenient – that was also the case for us in the past ;-)

It would also be practical if you could go from the room where the washing machine is directly into the garden. That way, you can hang laundry outside sometimes, or the children can take off their muddy clothes and boots there without having to go through the “good” front door.

Do you have extra space? A basement? If not, I might suggest a pitched roof that you could access either via the staircase or the upper floor.

I have another idea regarding the living room, as I see a lot of unused space there. I’ve drawn it out for you, maybe it’s something for you: I would place the sofa in front of the window and the storage wall/TV opposite, so you would have more space in the dining area when you have guests.

A meaningful zoning is hardly visible, efficiency is moderate, and the adaptation to the plot is likely no better.

A living room used as a passageway combined with a bedroom as a trapped space is very inconvenient: one partner has guests, the other is sleeping and needs to go to the bathroom... not ideal.

The open-plan living-dining-kitchen area is inefficient. A greater room depth is needed for dining and cooking, which then leaves the remaining living area without proper use. Square floor plans always require careful planning of the (preferably) natural lighting for the corridors in the center of the building.

Since meeting the users’ requirements seems hardly successful, it is questionable whether the shape of the floor plan adequately serves the residents, the plot, and the other demands.

WD

@ all
Thanks for the quick responses

@ ypg

ypg schrieb:
How old is your mother?
From what age of the children are we talking?

My mother is 60 and the children are one and three years old

ypg schrieb:
Furniture does not have real dimensions

You are right, I will change that 🙂

ypg schrieb:
Suggestion: remove the WC on the right to add space to the living area

I’m reluctant to give that up because of the kids and guests

ypg schrieb:
Use the bathroom door for access to the second hallway, from where the WC, bathroom, and bedroom are accessible.

I don’t quite follow you

ypg schrieb:
Toilet in the ground floor bathroom is not senior-friendly.

That will be changed

@ Manu1976

Manu1976 schrieb:
I would also plan the balcony more generously

I’ve thought about that too, but once the width is over 1.5m (5 feet), the balcony needs support columns, which I want to avoid

Manu1976 schrieb:
Exterior stairs

Worth considering, depending on the additional costs

Manu1976 schrieb:
Do you have any spare rooms? Basement?

Utility room and storage room around the ground floor, no basement

Manu1976 schrieb:
If not, I might rather choose a pitched roof

Pitched roof looks ugly on a square floor plan, in my opinion

Manu1976 schrieb:
I have an idea regarding the living room because I see a lot of unused space. I’ve marked it for you; maybe it’s something for you: I would place the sofa in front of the window and the wall unit/TV opposite, so you’d have more space in the dining area when guests come.

That would make the living room even smaller 🙁

Wanderdüne schrieb:
A reasonable zoning is barely recognizable, the efficiency mediocre, and the adaptation to the plot is probably no better.

A living room as a passage combined with a bedroom as a trapped room is very unfavorable: One partner has visitors, the other sleeps and wants to go to the toilet… not good.

The open plan living-dining-kitchen area is inefficient. Eating and cooking require a deeper room, which then leaves the living space “leftover” without real use. Square floor plans always require good planning for preferably natural lighting of the hallways in the middle of the building.

Since the implementation of user requirements is barely successful, it is questionable whether the shape of the floor plan meets the occupants’, plot, and other requirements.

WD

Unfortunately, I have to ensure the house remains affordable for me, so I have to accept many compromises. Cost/benefit

Best regards
Thomas