ᐅ Single-family house floor plan, approximately 180 m², basement with a pitched roof

Hello everyone,

Attached is our floor plan, on which the detailed construction plan will be based in the coming days. We would appreciate any constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement.

Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: approximately 850m² (9,150 sq ft)
Slope: yes, see terrain elevation image
Site coverage ratio: 0.3
Floor area ratio: 0.6
Edge development: yes
Number of parking spaces: 1.25
Number of floors: 2
Roof type: gable roof - visible roof truss
Roof pitch: 15-30 degrees
Architectural style: family house, country house
Orientation: north-south (planned)
Maximum cut on plot: 0.75m (2.5 ft)
Maximum fill on plot: 0.75m (2.5 ft)
Knee wall height:
Valley side: permitted up to 0.50m (20 inches) measured from top of raw ceiling to top of purlin;
Hill side: permitted up to 0.75m (30 inches), measured from top of raw ceiling to top of purlin.

Additional Specifications
Basement, floors: yes, 2
Number of occupants, ages: 4 (3, 6, 39, 41)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
Office: home office
Garage, carport: garage
Guest bedrooms: many
Open or closed architecture: open (living area)
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes
Number of dining seats: 8 (one central dining table)
Fireplace: yes

House Design
Designer: self-designed
What do you particularly like? Living area
What do you not like? The slope is somehow not being utilized, but we can’t think of any ideas
Preferred heating technology: gas condensing boiler seems appropriate since gas is available, but not yet finalized

Other Notes:

• Parcel 4 in the site plan is ours
• The 2m (6.5 ft) line is not yet drawn, as the roof pitch has not been definitively determined
• Windows etc., especially on the upper floor, are also not yet 100% fixed; we would appreciate any tips
• North is at the top
• We have a slight (?) slope (from 511.65m (1,681 ft) in the southeast to 507.86m (1,666 ft) in the northwest), but we don’t know how to use it positively… perhaps someone has a good idea so we can take advantage of it
• The kitchen island is shown as 60cm (24 inches) in the plan, but will actually be 1.10m (43 inches) wide – hence the space between the chairs and the kitchen island

The staircase won’t be very comfortable... not because of the rise, but because of the tread depth.
I would plan the kitchen.
You mention a 2 m (6.6 ft) line... where exactly? I thought there were 2 full stories.
I would reconsider the open space above... I’m not sure how it will look...

@BeHaElJa :

• Good point about the stairs. We have a meeting with the planner/draftsman tomorrow, and I will bring up the topic again.
• Kitchen is currently being planned; the next appointment at the kitchen showroom is on Friday.
• Two full stories is correct – but I would like a sloping roof extension as a covered area by the patio (see ground floor). The planner will have to check tomorrow how this fits with the building regulations/planning permission. That’s why I don’t have the 2-meter line yet.
• Open space:
In my software it looks good, and I liked it in other houses in real life – especially combined with a visible roof structure. You might think of it like a covered conservatory. It should also be more cost-effective than a bay window and gable. What would be your concerns?

Mike12345678901 schrieb:

Good point about the stairs.

The stairs fit – floor height increase?

I would reconsider the so-called "through hallway, aka pantry." On the kitchen side, only a 36cm (14 inch) wide person can barely fit through the door; the fire-rated door (F-90) to the attached garage blocks necessary storage space for the kitchen.

My suggestion: move the garage forward and have the house entrance through a vestibule.

Best regards, Bauexperte

@Bauexperte:
Sorry, what do you mean here:
"On the kitchen side, only a 36cm (14 inch) wide bottom fits through the door; the F-90 fire-rated door at the planned garage blocks the required storage space for the kitchen."

I have now adjusted the garage door to 76cm (30 inches) and moved it to the edges. The passage from garage to pantry is quite convenient—better than carrying things through the entrance area and so on.

Mike12345678901 schrieb:
@Bauexperte:
Sorry, what do you mean here:
"On the kitchen side, only a 36-inch (about 91 cm) backside can just fit through the door; the F-90 fire-rated door on the planned garage blocks the required storage space for the kitchen."

Isn’t that at most a 30-inch (76 cm) width? A "36-inch backside" means a very slim person.

Mike12345678901 schrieb:

Mike12345678901 schrieb:

I have now adjusted the garage door to 30 inches (76 cm) and moved it to the edges. The passage between garage and pantry is quite convenient – better than carrying things through the entrance hall and so on.

Then only a 36-inch (91 cm) backside can fit through that door too; definitely interesting when carrying bags in both hands. The same applies, by the way, to the guest toilet.

Building means finding compromises and not insisting on everything you would like to have. I understand a pantry as a room where I can store canned goods, rarely used pots, and all the stuff I only use occasionally. Your bathroom on the upper floor is not really designed to accommodate a washer/dryer/baskets/utensils; so those small helpers should probably go in that hallway?

Do you see what I’m getting at? If I’m right with my assumption, 4.40 x 0.77 meters (14 ft 5 in x 2 ft 6 in) is very little space; one less door would do the room good.

Regards, Bauexperte