ᐅ Floor plan for a single-family house, 180 sqm plus basement, located in the Rhine-Main area
Created on: 24 Jul 2020 14:10
A
Amosa34
Dear HBF members,
I previously asked for your cost estimates and promised to share the architect’s floor plan once we had a design that we felt was suitable.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 260 sqm (2,800 sq ft)
Slope: Slightly sloping – about 50 cm (20 inches)?
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio
Building window, building line and boundary: §34 Building Code; 3 m (10 ft) setback to neighboring plots and direct building possible on the street side
Edge development: Yes, house facing the street and carport/parking spots at the neighbors’ boundary
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2.5
Roof type: Gable roof
Architectural style: Open
Further requirements
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: Open / modern / bright, gable roof, single-family house
Basement, floors: Basement (full), ground floor, upper floor, attic; approx. 180 sqm (1,940 sq ft) living area + 63 sqm (680 sq ft) basement
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults (35 + 28), 2 children (9 + under 1)
Room requirements on ground and upper floor: Ground floor: open living space with integrated kitchen and dining area; upper floor: children’s floor including bathroom, possibly a study, third child’s room or guest room
Office: Small workspace for occasional home office use
Overnight guests per year: 1-3 guests, possibly several times a year
Open or closed architecture: Open and bright
Conservative or modern style: Modern style
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Planned as an open kitchen with an island to separate it from dining/living areas
Number of dining seats: at least 6, possibly 8 with an extendable table
Fireplace: Yes, planned in the living room
Music/stereo wall: No
Balcony, roof terrace: Yes, in the attic (parents’ area) for nice views, sunrise, and relaxation
Garage, carport: Carport planned
Additional wishes/particulars/daily routine, including reasons for choices: Third child’s room reserved for potential future child; decision pending, alternatively a playroom or guest room
House Design
Planner: Architect based on our room and style requirements (bright, open, modern)
What do you particularly like? Why? We like the overall design since our small plot limits the size. We wanted a large, beautiful living and dining area that also serves as the main living space. The children should have rooms about the same size (quite a distance apart, but still equal). The attic is planned as a retreat for us, with its own bathroom including a potential small sauna to create a nice ambiance. We are planning in the Rhine-Main area and live somewhat rural, so we want an unobstructed view of nature from our bedroom (hence the balcony).
What don’t you like? Why? Overall, we are very satisfied and, based on the valuable guidance in this forum, developed our own ideas early on. We only needed three rounds with the architect to finalize the plan. We would have preferred a straight staircase instead of two quarter-turn staircases, but after the first draft, we gave up on that because it would have taken up too much space.
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: $540,000
Personal price limit for the house, including fixtures: $650,000
Preferred heating technology: Ground-source heat pump with underfloor heating and photovoltaic system
If you had to give up on something, which details or features
- could you live without: We are not at this point
- cannot give up:
Why is the design the way it is? For example:
As mentioned above, our plot is limited in size and we also want to keep some green space. Our architect considered all requests and gave us honest and open feedback on ideas (e.g. open gallery in the entrance area up to the upper floor – which we decided against).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
We are very happy with the plan and almost all of our wishes are met. Still, we would love to hear your opinions and ideas, especially based on your experiences and how it works in practice.
I previously asked for your cost estimates and promised to share the architect’s floor plan once we had a design that we felt was suitable.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 260 sqm (2,800 sq ft)
Slope: Slightly sloping – about 50 cm (20 inches)?
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio
Building window, building line and boundary: §34 Building Code; 3 m (10 ft) setback to neighboring plots and direct building possible on the street side
Edge development: Yes, house facing the street and carport/parking spots at the neighbors’ boundary
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2.5
Roof type: Gable roof
Architectural style: Open
Further requirements
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: Open / modern / bright, gable roof, single-family house
Basement, floors: Basement (full), ground floor, upper floor, attic; approx. 180 sqm (1,940 sq ft) living area + 63 sqm (680 sq ft) basement
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults (35 + 28), 2 children (9 + under 1)
Room requirements on ground and upper floor: Ground floor: open living space with integrated kitchen and dining area; upper floor: children’s floor including bathroom, possibly a study, third child’s room or guest room
Office: Small workspace for occasional home office use
Overnight guests per year: 1-3 guests, possibly several times a year
Open or closed architecture: Open and bright
Conservative or modern style: Modern style
Open kitchen, kitchen island: Planned as an open kitchen with an island to separate it from dining/living areas
Number of dining seats: at least 6, possibly 8 with an extendable table
Fireplace: Yes, planned in the living room
Music/stereo wall: No
Balcony, roof terrace: Yes, in the attic (parents’ area) for nice views, sunrise, and relaxation
Garage, carport: Carport planned
Additional wishes/particulars/daily routine, including reasons for choices: Third child’s room reserved for potential future child; decision pending, alternatively a playroom or guest room
House Design
Planner: Architect based on our room and style requirements (bright, open, modern)
What do you particularly like? Why? We like the overall design since our small plot limits the size. We wanted a large, beautiful living and dining area that also serves as the main living space. The children should have rooms about the same size (quite a distance apart, but still equal). The attic is planned as a retreat for us, with its own bathroom including a potential small sauna to create a nice ambiance. We are planning in the Rhine-Main area and live somewhat rural, so we want an unobstructed view of nature from our bedroom (hence the balcony).
What don’t you like? Why? Overall, we are very satisfied and, based on the valuable guidance in this forum, developed our own ideas early on. We only needed three rounds with the architect to finalize the plan. We would have preferred a straight staircase instead of two quarter-turn staircases, but after the first draft, we gave up on that because it would have taken up too much space.
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: $540,000
Personal price limit for the house, including fixtures: $650,000
Preferred heating technology: Ground-source heat pump with underfloor heating and photovoltaic system
If you had to give up on something, which details or features
- could you live without: We are not at this point
- cannot give up:
Why is the design the way it is? For example:
As mentioned above, our plot is limited in size and we also want to keep some green space. Our architect considered all requests and gave us honest and open feedback on ideas (e.g. open gallery in the entrance area up to the upper floor – which we decided against).
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
We are very happy with the plan and almost all of our wishes are met. Still, we would love to hear your opinions and ideas, especially based on your experiences and how it works in practice.
Amosa34 schrieb:
Who else should have planned this if not our architect? Well, it rather looks like the work of a draftsman apprentice, draughtsman assistant, or stamp collector – but not an architect.
Amosa34 schrieb:
Interesting thought about the structural engineering – however, according to our architect, that’s not an issue. I would say that in some areas, the effort required will be higher, and it will cost less to build with traditional load-bearing wall thickness than using 11.5cm (4.5 inches) walls that require higher compressive strength.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
Well, it looks more like an apprentice draftsman, drafting assistant, or stamp clerk – but not like an architect. Statements like these unfortunately don’t help, and I always wonder what the added value is. Could you specify your points? I’d like to understand them since you seem very active.
11ant schrieb:
I would say that in some areas a level of effort is required that would cost less with classic load-bearing wall thickness than with 11.5 (cm) demanding higher compressive strength. I’ll take that on board and discuss the ground floor structural engineering with him.
Amosa34 schrieb:
Such statements unfortunately don't help, and I always wonder what the added value is. Could you specify your points? I would like to understand them, since you seem very active. To me, that sounds contradictory: what would it benefit you to be able to understand which clues, after forty years of reading construction plans, indicate the level of professionals involved? – aside from the fact that this cannot be explained in a weekend beginner’s course. But “specific points” is a good keyword: the qualitative turbo boost for the current discussion here would be if you shared your insider knowledge about the positioning of doors and windows with the community.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Let’s put aside the topic of professionals for now – this was an architect with 30 years of experience.
Regarding windows and doors:
Ground Floor
At the end of the hallway, there should be a floor-to-ceiling window.
In the storage room and the toilet, there should be skylights (ideally continuous?).
Living-dining area: Large window wall with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the garden (see pictures in the post).
A door between the two load-bearing walls.
First Floor
In the bathroom, a continuous skylight (similar to the ground floor with the toilet and storage room).
A floor-to-ceiling window in the storage room, similar to the front door.
Each room should have a door opening from the hallway.
Attic
Bathroom: Floor-to-ceiling window on the left side.
Dressing room: Also a floor-to-ceiling window in the center.
One door presumably in the middle of the hallway leading into the bedroom.
My wife just came up with the idea of adding two dormer windows in the attic, one each in the bathroom and the dressing room (on the staircase side). I’m not sure what that would look like and am unclear about the costs. My first thought was that we actually have enough space up there...
Regarding windows and doors:
Ground Floor
At the end of the hallway, there should be a floor-to-ceiling window.
In the storage room and the toilet, there should be skylights (ideally continuous?).
Living-dining area: Large window wall with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the garden (see pictures in the post).
A door between the two load-bearing walls.
First Floor
In the bathroom, a continuous skylight (similar to the ground floor with the toilet and storage room).
A floor-to-ceiling window in the storage room, similar to the front door.
Each room should have a door opening from the hallway.
Attic
Bathroom: Floor-to-ceiling window on the left side.
Dressing room: Also a floor-to-ceiling window in the center.
One door presumably in the middle of the hallway leading into the bedroom.
My wife just came up with the idea of adding two dormer windows in the attic, one each in the bathroom and the dressing room (on the staircase side). I’m not sure what that would look like and am unclear about the costs. My first thought was that we actually have enough space up there...
Please add furniture with specific dimensions on the ground floor plan, such as the kitchen, dining table with chairs around it, and couch with TV, as well as the planned passage into the living area.
Floor-to-ceiling windows in storage rooms—what is the purpose? They reduce usable space and increase costs at the same time. The practicality in the bathroom should also be reconsidered; having a view of or into the toilet from 3m (10 feet) away from the neighbor and directly facing the street is something you have to want.
The position of doors and windows determines where cabinets can be placed, so it is best to mark them as well, even if it is just a colored line on the plan.
Is there a reason why the bay window from the ground floor is not continued into the basement?
Floor-to-ceiling windows in storage rooms—what is the purpose? They reduce usable space and increase costs at the same time. The practicality in the bathroom should also be reconsidered; having a view of or into the toilet from 3m (10 feet) away from the neighbor and directly facing the street is something you have to want.
The position of doors and windows determines where cabinets can be placed, so it is best to mark them as well, even if it is just a colored line on the plan.
Is there a reason why the bay window from the ground floor is not continued into the basement?
Amosa34 schrieb:
Let’s set aside the topic of professionals for now – he was an architect with 30 years of experience.Experience is not the same as expertise.Similar topics