ᐅ Single-family house floor plan, 1 full story, utilities and natural lighting
Created on: 22 Jul 2024 08:21
K
klabauter8614
Hello, I would like to gather feedback on the floor plan in order to finalize the design. We don’t have sections or elevations yet, but all other drawings are attached (house shown schematically on the site plan). Thanks.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 473m² (5,089 ft²)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio
Building envelope, building line and boundary
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: maximum 2 without garage
Number of floors: 1 full floor
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style
Orientation: Roof facing NNE - SSW
Maximum heights / limits: eave height 4.2m (13.8 ft), ridge height 9.5m (31.2 ft)
Further requirements: only renewable energy sources, infiltration trench for stormwater
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type
Basement, floors: no basement (groundwater level at 1m (3.3 ft) depth), 1 full floor
Number of occupants, ages: 4, aged 40-40-7-2 years
Space needs on ground floor and upper floor: Guesst room on the ground floor, office upstairs
Office use: family use or home office? Home office
Number of guest stays per year: 2 nights per week by one parent (also for coming years), parents-in-law stay several weeks annually
Open or closed layout
Traditional or modern construction
Open kitchen, kitchen island: semi-open (sliding door), kitchen island
Number of fixed dining seats: 6 fixed, expandable
Fireplace: no
Music/speaker wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: herb garden
Additional wishes/special points/daily routine, including reasons for preferences or exclusions
House Design
Planner: synergy between architect and client, now 4th draft
What do you particularly like? Why? Guest room and WC + shower, similar existing layout already working (although a bed is drawn, it is actually a sofa bed), office on the north side, guest room size more than sufficient, wardrobe by the entrance, living room bright, washing machine + dryer upstairs.
What don’t you like? Why?
- Utility room is half unusable due to wardrobe protrusion (which is actually sensible) so it is too small. Attic storage needs to be moved from the garage into the thermal envelope inside the utility room, indoor unit could stay there. The mechanical ventilation system would also need to be installed in the utility room. Possible solution: enlarge kitchen to the rear and expand utility room accordingly. This would make the house larger though. No other solutions discussed yet.
- Stairs are too steep; architect now proposes a rise/run of 17.2cm/26cm (6.8"/10.2"), which may be borderline regarding comfortable step depth.
- Daylight in children’s rooms might be low due to west-facing windows and roughly 12.5% window-to-floor area ratio; simulation might be needed. Skylights wouldn’t significantly improve this; only a dormer and smaller gable windows would.
- As drawn, the kitchen island layout is not suitable for me; passage from utility room too narrow, should be moved to the opposite side, with sink and window to the left.
- Air conditioning would still be needed in the bedroom and children’s rooms, but with the current window and furniture arrangement this looks impractical.
- Shower upstairs located under sloped ceiling, not necessary but a minor point.
- Skylight in guest WC is not at head height, should be slightly higher, also a minor detail.
- Bathroom door upstairs should open outwards.
- Storage under the stairs is still missing.
- Partition wall in garage is unnecessary.
Cost estimate from architect/planner: unknown
Personal price limit for house including fixtures: 650,000
Preferred heating technology: air-source heat pump
If you must give up something, which features or extensions
- Can you give up: walk-in closet
- Cannot give up: office, guest room
Why is the design like it is now?
Own design developed based on space requirements plus architect’s counter proposal
What do you consider especially good or problematic?
Main issues to resolve are utility room + technical space and daylight.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 473m² (5,089 ft²)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio
Building envelope, building line and boundary
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: maximum 2 without garage
Number of floors: 1 full floor
Roof type: gable roof
Architectural style
Orientation: Roof facing NNE - SSW
Maximum heights / limits: eave height 4.2m (13.8 ft), ridge height 9.5m (31.2 ft)
Further requirements: only renewable energy sources, infiltration trench for stormwater
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type
Basement, floors: no basement (groundwater level at 1m (3.3 ft) depth), 1 full floor
Number of occupants, ages: 4, aged 40-40-7-2 years
Space needs on ground floor and upper floor: Guesst room on the ground floor, office upstairs
Office use: family use or home office? Home office
Number of guest stays per year: 2 nights per week by one parent (also for coming years), parents-in-law stay several weeks annually
Open or closed layout
Traditional or modern construction
Open kitchen, kitchen island: semi-open (sliding door), kitchen island
Number of fixed dining seats: 6 fixed, expandable
Fireplace: no
Music/speaker wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: herb garden
Additional wishes/special points/daily routine, including reasons for preferences or exclusions
House Design
Planner: synergy between architect and client, now 4th draft
What do you particularly like? Why? Guest room and WC + shower, similar existing layout already working (although a bed is drawn, it is actually a sofa bed), office on the north side, guest room size more than sufficient, wardrobe by the entrance, living room bright, washing machine + dryer upstairs.
What don’t you like? Why?
- Utility room is half unusable due to wardrobe protrusion (which is actually sensible) so it is too small. Attic storage needs to be moved from the garage into the thermal envelope inside the utility room, indoor unit could stay there. The mechanical ventilation system would also need to be installed in the utility room. Possible solution: enlarge kitchen to the rear and expand utility room accordingly. This would make the house larger though. No other solutions discussed yet.
- Stairs are too steep; architect now proposes a rise/run of 17.2cm/26cm (6.8"/10.2"), which may be borderline regarding comfortable step depth.
- Daylight in children’s rooms might be low due to west-facing windows and roughly 12.5% window-to-floor area ratio; simulation might be needed. Skylights wouldn’t significantly improve this; only a dormer and smaller gable windows would.
- As drawn, the kitchen island layout is not suitable for me; passage from utility room too narrow, should be moved to the opposite side, with sink and window to the left.
- Air conditioning would still be needed in the bedroom and children’s rooms, but with the current window and furniture arrangement this looks impractical.
- Shower upstairs located under sloped ceiling, not necessary but a minor point.
- Skylight in guest WC is not at head height, should be slightly higher, also a minor detail.
- Bathroom door upstairs should open outwards.
- Storage under the stairs is still missing.
- Partition wall in garage is unnecessary.
Cost estimate from architect/planner: unknown
Personal price limit for house including fixtures: 650,000
Preferred heating technology: air-source heat pump
If you must give up something, which features or extensions
- Can you give up: walk-in closet
- Cannot give up: office, guest room
Why is the design like it is now?
Own design developed based on space requirements plus architect’s counter proposal
What do you consider especially good or problematic?
Main issues to resolve are utility room + technical space and daylight.
klabauter8614 schrieb:
Still, they give me hope that my architect can also design something suitable for us.Of course, it’s possible to plan something realistic. My approach was just a quick sketch, but what exactly do you dislike about #4?
K
klabauter861429 Jul 2024 16:29The sketch and the constructive feedback are great; there’s no question of dissatisfaction. I just have a few questions.
And in the spirit of “taking advice,” these are more like “what is your opinion” rather than “this must be changed now.”
- The ground floor (GF) WC seems a bit large, doesn’t it? 4–5m² (43–54 sq ft) should be sufficient.
- As mentioned before, the hallway is even larger now. What should I do with such a huge space (large empty rooms are just unnecessarily costly)? If I understand correctly, the size is due to the central staircase. Wouldn’t it be better to plan the staircase near the entrance instead? Although I guess then I would lose the option of having an office on the north side.
- The garage covers half of the ground floor room Z5, so we squeeze another window on the left, yet half the room would still be dark? I still can’t imagine the room feeling inviting.
- How do I access room Z2 on the upper floor?
- If I use Z5 (8m² / 86 sq ft) on the upper floor as an office, isn’t Z6 much too large for a dressing room? Would it make more sense to swap functions, using Z3, Z2, and Z8 as bedrooms and Z6 as the office?
These are the kinds of questions I would clarify with the architect, but since you asked:
These discussions help me better understand which elements have a major impact and which might be less significant.
And in the spirit of “taking advice,” these are more like “what is your opinion” rather than “this must be changed now.”
- The ground floor (GF) WC seems a bit large, doesn’t it? 4–5m² (43–54 sq ft) should be sufficient.
- As mentioned before, the hallway is even larger now. What should I do with such a huge space (large empty rooms are just unnecessarily costly)? If I understand correctly, the size is due to the central staircase. Wouldn’t it be better to plan the staircase near the entrance instead? Although I guess then I would lose the option of having an office on the north side.
- The garage covers half of the ground floor room Z5, so we squeeze another window on the left, yet half the room would still be dark? I still can’t imagine the room feeling inviting.
- How do I access room Z2 on the upper floor?
- If I use Z5 (8m² / 86 sq ft) on the upper floor as an office, isn’t Z6 much too large for a dressing room? Would it make more sense to swap functions, using Z3, Z2, and Z8 as bedrooms and Z6 as the office?
These are the kinds of questions I would clarify with the architect, but since you asked:
These discussions help me better understand which elements have a major impact and which might be less significant.
I also made a sketch once.
Unfortunately, my old software can’t display a glass roof. I hope imagination will suffice for that.
Putting aside whether this design is appealing or not, I want to point out again the questionable layout at the peak. According to my sketch, the headroom at the top is not enough to even install doors. This means, conversely, that everything has to remain open. Since you wouldn’t want to heat the whole roof area unnecessarily, one would probably install a foldable ceiling hatch or something similar. In my opinion, the architect’s example is flawed because at the top of the stairs you can’t pass to the left or right without hitting your head. Here, precise measurements would be helpful.
Unfortunately, my old software can’t display a glass roof. I hope imagination will suffice for that.
Putting aside whether this design is appealing or not, I want to point out again the questionable layout at the peak. According to my sketch, the headroom at the top is not enough to even install doors. This means, conversely, that everything has to remain open. Since you wouldn’t want to heat the whole roof area unnecessarily, one would probably install a foldable ceiling hatch or something similar. In my opinion, the architect’s example is flawed because at the top of the stairs you can’t pass to the left or right without hitting your head. Here, precise measurements would be helpful.
klabauter8614 schrieb:
The sketch and the constructive feedback are great; there’s no question of dissatisfaction. I just have a few questions. I would gladly answer all your questions, but unfortunately, an invisible ad keeps appearing over the "quote post" button.
So, here’s an impromptu response—less precise than the sketch, which is just a rough draft (I probably should go back to graph paper and pencil so that questioners understand this is not a construction plan).
Again, it took only 10 minutes to create.
And I don’t understand why you have a problem moving the garage half a meter. But I can assure you that the window placement can still be appealing, even if part of the garage covers the exterior wall.
Regarding the guest WC: You mentioned your parents visit two days a week, and it’s quite often. You had a 70 x 75 cm (28 x 30 inches) shower marked. Therefore, 4-5 square meters (43-54 square feet) is not sufficient. You’re around 40 years old, so your parents are likely over 65, and in five years they will be about 70.
The hallway size is shown including the stairs and is somewhat smaller—smaller than your current hallway. But I admit I didn’t take much time with this, and similarly, the kitchen layout is a bit lacking for practical furnishing.
The bedroom can be accessed nicely through a tidy walk-in closet. A larger walk-in could be useful for items like an ironing board and suitcases. You have to store your belongings somewhere. The attic space probably won’t be usable for regular access, only suitable for storage boxes.
Whether the office needs more space than other rooms strikes me as a bit nitpicky.
How you use the rooms, of course, is up to you—I’m not imposing anything on that.
But basically, I just wanted to get your feedback. Also, feel free to share your thoughts on @K a t j a’s suggestion.
Overall, the advice would be: if you need many rooms, for example offices and guest rooms, you may have to scale back your “think-big” living room area. Even around 170 square meters (estimate accounting for sloped ceilings) is limited. And you’re trying to save on everything that adds value—like a spacious utility/technical room or a shower toilet (bidet toilet), which will probably be used frequently by everyone.
klabauter8614 schrieb:
Wouldn’t it be better to plan the staircase near the entrance? Yes, possibly.
klabauter8614 schrieb:
Then I would probably lose the option of having an office on the north side. You can still plan that elsewhere.
K
klabauter861430 Jul 2024 09:29Sorry, my mistake. In the first draft, the 2m (6 ft 7 in) line was drawn, making it indeed difficult to get around the stairs.
He showed me a detail from another house with fixed stairs, a narrow 2m (6 ft 7 in) corridor, but it’s doable, with 2 doors and 2 radiators.
He showed me a detail from another house with fixed stairs, a narrow 2m (6 ft 7 in) corridor, but it’s doable, with 2 doors and 2 radiators.
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