ᐅ Floor Plan: Semi-Detached House 8x12 m – Feedback and Creative Ideas Welcome :)
Created on: 28 Apr 2020 13:37
J
Jucruzlo
Hello everyone,
I’ve also been experimenting a bit with floor plans for our plot.
Background: At the moment, we are in contact with a general contractor (GC) and a prefab home builder. It will probably end up being a combination of an independent architect and a GC (thanks for the tip @ant11). However, it is very difficult to find an architect right now – but of course, I couldn’t just sit still and had to try a little myself. I worked with the app MagicPlan. Although we have already received a floor plan from the prefab builder, it really didn’t suit us at all. So, here we go – thank you in advance to everyone who takes a look :-*
I’m also happy to take any tips on how to find an architect who doesn’t only work on projects over 1 million (dollars/pounds). :-P
A quick note on orientation: The balcony on the upper floor and the living room face southwest. It has to be that way. The rear side borders directly onto open fields.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 410m2 (4,410 sq ft)
Slope: no
Building window: 5m (16 ft) from the street, 12m (39 ft) house length, 8.1m (27 ft) width for the house, and 3m (10 ft) width for the garage. Plot dimensions 11.1m (36 ft) × 37m (121 ft)
Number of parking spaces: -
Number of floors: Max. 2 full floors, no knee walls allowed
Roof type: pitched roof with a 25–45 degree slope
Architectural style: any
Orientation: southwest
Maximum height / limits: ridge height 9m (30 ft), wall height max. 4.70m (15 ft)
Owners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: nice :-P
Basement, floors: no basement, almost 2 full floors (slight slopes from 1.80m (5 ft 11 in) due to prescribed wall height)
Number of people, age: 3 people, including a toddler (2 years old) – another child planned
Space requirement ground floor, upper floor: 140–160m2 (1,500–1,720 sq ft)
Office: guest room on ground floor used as office
Guests per year: currently rarely – in older age, space for parents/in-laws desired
Open or closed layout: open floor plan
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony for drying laundry
Garage, carport: garage – carport would also be acceptable if advantages prevail
House design
Designed by: me (trained architect through various apps :-P – just kidding)
What do you like most? Why?
What don’t you like? Why?
Why did the design turn out as it is now?
We wanted an open floor plan because we have a lot of visitors, and I always find it a shame to disappear into the kitchen while everything is happening in the living area. It was also important for us to have a separate parents’ area for complete privacy and a balcony for drying laundry in summer. A guest shower on the ground floor was needed, and it is important to me to do laundry on the upper floor (where the laundry is generated).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
Note:
The windows are just placed approximately. I also don’t know how to view the exterior – of course, we will position the windows accordingly.
I’ve also been experimenting a bit with floor plans for our plot.
Background: At the moment, we are in contact with a general contractor (GC) and a prefab home builder. It will probably end up being a combination of an independent architect and a GC (thanks for the tip @ant11). However, it is very difficult to find an architect right now – but of course, I couldn’t just sit still and had to try a little myself. I worked with the app MagicPlan. Although we have already received a floor plan from the prefab builder, it really didn’t suit us at all. So, here we go – thank you in advance to everyone who takes a look :-*
I’m also happy to take any tips on how to find an architect who doesn’t only work on projects over 1 million (dollars/pounds). :-P
A quick note on orientation: The balcony on the upper floor and the living room face southwest. It has to be that way. The rear side borders directly onto open fields.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 410m2 (4,410 sq ft)
Slope: no
Building window: 5m (16 ft) from the street, 12m (39 ft) house length, 8.1m (27 ft) width for the house, and 3m (10 ft) width for the garage. Plot dimensions 11.1m (36 ft) × 37m (121 ft)
Number of parking spaces: -
Number of floors: Max. 2 full floors, no knee walls allowed
Roof type: pitched roof with a 25–45 degree slope
Architectural style: any
Orientation: southwest
Maximum height / limits: ridge height 9m (30 ft), wall height max. 4.70m (15 ft)
Owners’ requirements
Style, roof type, building type: nice :-P
Basement, floors: no basement, almost 2 full floors (slight slopes from 1.80m (5 ft 11 in) due to prescribed wall height)
Number of people, age: 3 people, including a toddler (2 years old) – another child planned
Space requirement ground floor, upper floor: 140–160m2 (1,500–1,720 sq ft)
Office: guest room on ground floor used as office
Guests per year: currently rarely – in older age, space for parents/in-laws desired
Open or closed layout: open floor plan
Balcony, roof terrace: balcony for drying laundry
Garage, carport: garage – carport would also be acceptable if advantages prevail
House design
Designed by: me (trained architect through various apps :-P – just kidding)
What do you like most? Why?
- Garage access through utility room
- Few hallway areas but still with a wardrobe
- Open living concept and straight staircase (platform stairs couldn’t be depicted)
- Separate bathroom for kids
- Spacious walk-in closet
- Laundry room on upper floor
- Access through bedroom/bath to walk-in closet
What don’t you like? Why?
- No pantry on the ground floor
- Kids’ rooms on the north side
- Having to enter the parents’ walk-in closet first – would prefer two wall closets like houses in America
- Upper floor hallway very narrow and access to kids’ room 1 hardly feasible – on the other hand, I don’t like wasted space and enlarging the hallway would reduce kids’ room sizes. Any solutions?
- I find the garage quite practical but it takes away window area – will the ground floor be too dark, and should we rather go with a carport?
Why did the design turn out as it is now?
We wanted an open floor plan because we have a lot of visitors, and I always find it a shame to disappear into the kitchen while everything is happening in the living area. It was also important for us to have a separate parents’ area for complete privacy and a balcony for drying laundry in summer. A guest shower on the ground floor was needed, and it is important to me to do laundry on the upper floor (where the laundry is generated).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
- General opinion on the floor plan
- See “what I don’t like” – suggestions for improvements welcome
Note:
The windows are just placed approximately. I also don’t know how to view the exterior – of course, we will position the windows accordingly.
I really like the upper floor!
I didn’t check for exact measurements there, just the idea of the layout for parents and children.
Having laundry on the upper floor is great, I would like that too, since we always use the dryer or hang everything indoors anyway because of pollen allergies.
I didn’t check for exact measurements there, just the idea of the layout for parents and children.
Having laundry on the upper floor is great, I would like that too, since we always use the dryer or hang everything indoors anyway because of pollen allergies.
Whew, having a balcony just to dry laundry sounds like an expensive option. I find a balcony on a house quite pointless since in 99% of cases, people use the terrace anyway. But I’m not really involved in this topic, as we only hang laundry indoors due to pollen allergies.
Where do your "American" preferences come from? It’s quite common there to see the TV mounted above the fireplace. I always wonder how the device handles the heat. Usually, the TV is placed way too high to watch comfortably because of this.
I would remove the shower on the ground floor. You’ve already planned two upstairs—who would use that one then?
Where do your "American" preferences come from? It’s quite common there to see the TV mounted above the fireplace. I always wonder how the device handles the heat. Usually, the TV is placed way too high to watch comfortably because of this.
I would remove the shower on the ground floor. You’ve already planned two upstairs—who would use that one then?
Jucruzlo schrieb:
Guests staying overnight per year: currently rare – but in old age, space for parents/in-laws is desiredWhat does that mean exactly? Are they supposed to move in when they get older?Is a separate office needed, or would a desk corner somewhere be sufficient?
S
saralina8728 Apr 2020 16:47This is our upper floor, quite simple and some might say uninspired. But: we made the most out of the house size for our needs.
Jucruzlo schrieb:
About 2.70 m (although we could also go up to 3 m (10 feet)) It really depends on the space – especially since we only ever sit there for about 15 minutes once a day. Even with guests, this area is used very rarely. That’s tight. A minimum of 80 cm (31.5 inches) between the table edge and the wall is recommended. We have 3.10 m (10 feet 2 inches), and that already feels a bit cramped when the table (about 1.15 m (3 feet 9 inches) wide) is fully occupied. In the living area, I’m missing storage space for children’s toys, books, hobbies, and DVDs. Upstairs, I would swap the bedrooms of the adults and children.
Make sure to draw all existing and desired furniture to scale in every room.
Similar topics