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.
kaho674 schrieb:
Is this a semi-detached house (duplex)? Did I miss that?
Could you please provide the external dimensions of the entire unit? It is exactly a semi-detached house. External dimensions are 8 x 12 m (26 x 39 ft)
(plot size 11.1 m x 37 m (36.4 ft x 121 ft))
Pinky0301 schrieb:
What do you mean exactly? Are they expected to move in when they are older?
Is an office space needed, or would a desk corner somewhere be sufficient? "Yes and no" — in case of needing care, we want to accommodate them, so space should be planned for it even though it’s uncertain. That’s why the office is also planned.
saralina87 schrieb:
Then I would really try to design the kitchen differently and create a small space between the utility room and the kitchen. It doesn’t have to be wide, maybe about one meter (3 feet).
The shower downstairs... I completely understand the reasons, absolutely. But three showers in such a small house just for a contingency... Hmm. But of course, you need to decide that in the end yourself. Yes, that’s true. Maybe the kitchen can be a little smaller. I’ll try that. Thanks!
And regarding the shower – yes, we might need to discuss it again. If there is enough space otherwise… I’m just concerned about the cleaning. Maybe it could be planned so that the installation is there, but the shower is omitted for now and added later if needed. That might be worth considering.
Just a question: what would you think about planning only a guest bathroom with a shower on the ground floor and an extra toilet upstairs just for the kids? When the kids are older, they can store their things in the guest bathroom, and then that will effectively become their shower downstairs.
S
saralina8728 Apr 2020 22:32Jucruzlo schrieb:
Just a question: What would you think about planning only a guest bathroom with a shower downstairs and an extra toilet upstairs just for the kids? When the kids grow up, they could store their stuff in the guest bathroom, which would then become their shower area. The question is, what would you gain from that...? But in principle: yes, I think it makes sense. We also have a second shower (or at least rough-in for a shower) downstairs.
Jucruzlo schrieb:
I didn’t quite understand the part about the staircase. The short side (the 8m (26 ft) side) faces southwest. We planned the staircase along the wall of the other semi-detached house. But it does matter which wall is the dividing wall.
The floor plan develops based on the possibilities and conditions. After that, windows are placed and room layouts are determined.
Jucruzlo schrieb:
Since both sides are completely identical in layout, the floor plan is "actually" completely the same. Only in this case, it would be slightly darker than the other side. No, even if something is just mirrored, it is a completely different house and concept when a house is more shaded than it is south-facing.
I don’t understand your problem in sharing the site plan, sketch, or something similar here.
This discussion will not get anywhere halfway.
Jucruzlo schrieb:
When the kids are grown, you could put their stuff in the guest bathroom, and then their shower would be downstairs, right? I don’t find that very practical. If the shower is on the same level, you can quickly hop naked into the room. But if you have to walk through half the house between the room and the shower, you always need to remember to take your clothes with you, and so on.
The question is also whether the downstairs room and bathroom are large enough to comfortably accommodate people who might be elderly, have care needs, or have limited mobility.
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