ᐅ Floor Plan Revision: Tips and Experiences for Improvement?

Hello,

we had a local construction company prepare a design for our future building project, which we have already revised several times. We would be very grateful for tips or alternative design ideas for the current plan.
We would like an exposed roof truss and would prefer to do without the otherwise very small attic space.
We accepted the steep driveway in order to achieve a better view.
The terrace at the back is currently only accessible through the garden.

Construction is planned for about 8 months from now for various reasons. Two adults, two children (who will then be 13 and 11 years old).
Slightly sloped plot, 670sqm (7,215 sqft).

Development Plan / Restrictions

No development plan / zoning restrictions

Plot size
670sqm (7,215 sqft)

Slope
Yes, visible in the plan

Floor Area Ratio
2 (The builder said otherwise it would look too bulky and we only want two floors)

Number of parking spaces
We need at least two car spaces
Garage large enough for easy entry and exit. Parking in front of the garage must also be possible.

Roof style
Gable roof, staggered shed roof, flexible at this point, preferably with exposed roof truss because the current attic space is very limited

Architectural style
Modern, with lots of wood

Orientation
South

Maximum height / limits
Unknown to me. Neighbor does not accept any setback easement, so we have added greenery on the east side of the patio towards them.

Owners’ Requirements
Number of occupants
Two adults, 40 years old, two children, 11 and 13 years old

Office: Family use or home office?
Office to be usable as a guest room, no home office needed. Still requires a desk and cabinets
Possibly later on the upper floor as the parents’ bedroom, so one child can use the ground floor granny flat. So two separate living units.

Guest bedrooms per year
Very rare visitors

Open or closed architecture
Open, but with retreat options

Conservative or modern construction style
Modern

Open kitchen with cooking island
Seating for 8
Fireplace yes
Balcony currently planned, slightly overhangs the terrace below

Roof terrace on garage

Garage as a large multi-purpose garage with some storage space

Utility garden for ornamental plants, many shrubs, and a hedge at the front for privacy. We would prefer to avoid a shed.

Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why certain things should or shouldn’t be

We want to take advantage of the view since the plot was expensive.
We are not fully satisfied with the current design, as I explained in the post.

Steep driveway, path from garage to kitchen, after the stairs you face a wall upstairs and don’t have a direct view out of the windows, roof terrace is isolated, no quick garden access from the upper floor to the north terrace

House Design
Who created the plan:
Construction company from our area, one architect prepared the plan

What do you particularly like? Why?
Good use of space inside and outdoors for a small plot
Enough garden area remains
Bright rooms, sleeping downstairs, living upstairs, large dining area, fireplace in living area, possible two living units later, half-landing stairs

Price estimate according to architect/planner:
680k including exterior works

Personal price limit for the house including fittings: 700k excluding land
Preferred heating technology: Air heat pump

If you had to give up something, which details or features

We are completely flexible

Why is the design like it is?
Standard design from the planner? No, it was individually planned, but largely without us and with little discussion about details, no advice

Attached are images and the site plan.

I'll give it a try:

- Driveway slope: I don’t see the slope marked, and it’s too early in the morning for me to calculate it. So just a warning: I would make sure the slope does not exceed 10%. Anything significantly steeper becomes increasingly problematic, especially in winter. (I still have flashbacks of trying to drive up narrow streets with slopes over 15% in snowy conditions with an underpowered small car.)

- Upper floor: I would consider swapping some rooms. Move the children’s bedroom from northwest to southwest, and the master bedroom to the northwest. This would have several advantages: 1. The master bedroom wouldn’t be sandwiched between the children’s rooms. 2. The child in the current northwest bedroom would get more sunlight (children’s rooms are used more as living spaces than bedrooms).

- Exterior facade: The window arrangement feels a bit asymmetrical and restless to me. (That doesn’t bother me personally, but some people might find it unsettling.)

- I assume the main utility connections and similar installations will be located in the technical room, not the utility/laundry room? Otherwise, the utility room is quite far away. Some utility providers may not accept that. (For example, we were explicitly required to plan the utility room facing the street.)

- Storage space might be tight here. I would consider adding a small storage area under the stairs. (Since the attic is not included, a lot of stuff will likely end up in the technical and utility rooms. Things like suitcases could go in a stair storage space.)

Completely subjective:
- I don’t like the kitchen. Mainly because I can’t quite wrap my head around it. Might also be the time of day. (My apologies for everything today.)

- There are two or three places where I would reconsider windows:
-> Gallery on the upper floor facing east (I think that would do a lot for the hallway)
-> The living area — I’m not sure if adding an east-facing window for some morning sunlight would work. But then the terrace would be visible, which may not be ideal.

- Overall, a very ambitious project. Apart from the placement of bedrooms/children’s rooms and the window in the upper floor gallery, nothing jumped out as an immediate problem. (But: Papierturm is completely sleep-deprived today and not fully responsible!)

Many thanks in advance for the helpful ideas, especially the window in the upper hallway, which will be included in the plans. It was important for us to have direct access from the bedroom to the terrace downstairs in order to be able to sit outside in the morning or evening, for example. That is why the children's rooms were not placed next to each other. We are definitely considering this.

The slope is unfortunately 2 meters over 10 meters (20 percent). However, the further we move the house downward, the worse the view becomes. The higher we go, the less space there is behind the house for the planned seating area on hot days.

Yes, having a walk-in closet accessible from the bedroom is inconvenient, a bedroom located between two children’s rooms is inconvenient, a child’s room in the north is inconvenient, a herb and vegetable garden that cannot be reached from the kitchen is inconvenient, and a dining table on the balcony that is not connected to the kitchen is also inconvenient.

I cannot say whether the technical room and the pipes going upstairs will cause problems (where does the shaft enter the upper floor?).
I also cannot say whether the drawing means that the technical room is outside the thermal envelope.

The entrance area with cloakroom/utility room on the right and a private zone on the left is well planned.
But that’s about it: you go upstairs and encounter… a wall!! Instead of a view.

The kitchen is designed as a working kitchen in the farthest corner of the house, perpendicular to the entrance, far from the terrace. So groceries have to be carried across the house. If that’s what you want, fine. I just think that is no longer modern. I also would not want to spend time on the garage roof while the garden downstairs could be enjoyed with all senses. And looking at the roof terrace, I doubt it will become a comfortable place to relax. Apart from one terrace door, it has no connection to the house (not counting the window-cleaning balcony).

Philip St schrieb:

Unfortunately, the slope is 2m on 10m, which is 20 percent. However, the further we move the house downhill, the worse the view becomes. The higher up, the less space behind the house for the planned seating area on hot days.

A 20% slope is very steep. The first and last meters would likely need to be flattened to avoid scraping the bottom with some cars.
I would actually consider (although it has its downsides!) digging the garage into the street level. Of course, that would require stairs inside the house (which is inconvenient for carrying groceries). However, slipping and falling on snow or sliding away in a car would be even worse.
Alternatively, rethink the layout and place the garage further back. Of course, that would require more extensive redesign.

I would recommend finding some slopes in the neighborhood around 10%, 15%, and 20% to get a feel for them. If you then say 20% is manageable, that’s fine.
I can only say: 20% would be far too steep for me.

What would be the solution then? Placing the house all the way down, giving up the view, and then accessing the garden from the upper floor at the back? This way, the garage driveway would be almost level, but there would also be no natural light at the back of the basement.