ᐅ Single-family house floor plan, 200 sqm, wooden house in American style, concrete slab foundation
Created on: 22 Jun 2024 13:10
T
TRomz_y
Hi everyone,
we are planning to build a prefabricated timber-frame house in the American style.
Before choosing a supplier, we worked with an architect to develop a floor plan. The architect’s latest draft was acceptable, but we made some corrections and have now incorporated them into the floor plan via screenshots. I hope everything is still clear enough for evaluation despite that.
We are now entering the third round with the architect. After this, any further planning or changes will incur additional costs. Therefore, we are hoping for tips and constructive criticism.
Note: In the house visualizations, the carport roof is still very high (architect’s planning mistake, as the upper floor windows would have looked directly onto the carport roof...). The roof pitch will be lowered so that only a small roof remains.
Rear view: There is no railing on the back terrace, as the small roof at the carport should serve as a bicycle parking area, but this will be removed.
Thank you very much in advance for all your efforts.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 1000sqm (about 10,764 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.28
Plot ratio / building coverage index: n.a.
Building envelope, building line and boundaries: see site plan
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1
Roof type: gable roof, hip roof, half-hipped roof, etc.
Style: n.a.
Orientation: S/SW
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height 9m (30 ft), eaves height 4.30m (14 ft)
Other requirements: none
Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: American farmhouse, gable roof
Basement, floors: no basement
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults, 1 child
Floor space required on ground floor (GF), upper floor (UF): approx. 160-170sqm (1,722-1,829 sq ft)
Office: family use or home office? Workspace for 2 people, both working from home, private use
Guests per year: 5
Open or closed layout: open kitchen-dining area
Conservative or modern style: farmhouse / modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport, 2 parking spaces required
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes / special features / daily routines, including reasons why some things are preferred or avoided:
- Because of the American style, we have covered terraces both at the front and back. We hope this means we won’t have the typical “mudroom” at the entrance (dirt settles on the terrace, shoes can possibly stay outside).
- No office on the upper floor due to sloping ceilings. The desks are height-adjustable, and we have bookshelves there... this would be difficult to accommodate.
- Laundry room on the upper floor with space for a drying rack is great – short distances.
- The living room should be separable to reduce noise from the kitchen (currently we have an open kitchen-dining-living area and it’s hard to watch TV when someone is cooking).
House design
Who designed the plan: Architect and our ideas
What do you like best? Why? Large kitchen-dining area
What do you dislike? Why?
The upper floor feels too big because we have – unfortunately – more rooms downstairs than upstairs. Does anyone see potential to save some floor space?
The wardrobe ended up there because the small room was still “left over.” It was originally the guest bathroom without a shower. We would like to have 2 showers in the house.
Estimated price according to architect/planner: 800,000 EUR
Personal price limit for the house, including fixtures: 800k
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump, underfloor heating
If you had to give up any details or additional features:
- can give up: "all-purpose room" (see floor plan)
- cannot give up: mudroom
Why is the design as it is now? For example:
The floor plan ideas come from a collection of house tour videos and Pinterest inspirations.
Since the construction method places strong emphasis on symmetry and harmony in the façade, moving windows around is not “just possible” without causing visual chaos from the outside.
What do you think are its strong and weak points? Well, that’s the question. For us personally, everything is now taken into account, but is it also “logical”? Are there planning errors? What can be improved?
we are planning to build a prefabricated timber-frame house in the American style.
Before choosing a supplier, we worked with an architect to develop a floor plan. The architect’s latest draft was acceptable, but we made some corrections and have now incorporated them into the floor plan via screenshots. I hope everything is still clear enough for evaluation despite that.
We are now entering the third round with the architect. After this, any further planning or changes will incur additional costs. Therefore, we are hoping for tips and constructive criticism.
Note: In the house visualizations, the carport roof is still very high (architect’s planning mistake, as the upper floor windows would have looked directly onto the carport roof...). The roof pitch will be lowered so that only a small roof remains.
Rear view: There is no railing on the back terrace, as the small roof at the carport should serve as a bicycle parking area, but this will be removed.
Thank you very much in advance for all your efforts.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 1000sqm (about 10,764 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.28
Plot ratio / building coverage index: n.a.
Building envelope, building line and boundaries: see site plan
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1
Roof type: gable roof, hip roof, half-hipped roof, etc.
Style: n.a.
Orientation: S/SW
Maximum heights / limits: ridge height 9m (30 ft), eaves height 4.30m (14 ft)
Other requirements: none
Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: American farmhouse, gable roof
Basement, floors: no basement
Number of occupants, age: 2 adults, 1 child
Floor space required on ground floor (GF), upper floor (UF): approx. 160-170sqm (1,722-1,829 sq ft)
| Room | sqm |
| Ground floor |
| Living room, kitchen, and dining area | 55 |
| Entrance area | 10 |
| Utility room / mudroom | 10 |
| Technical room | 10 |
| Pantry | 4 |
| Office / private computer room | 15 |
| Guest bathroom | 4-6? |
| Upper floor | |
| Bedroom | 15 |
| Dressing room / walk-in closet | 10 |
| Child’s bedroom | 20 |
| Bathroom | 13 |
Office: family use or home office? Workspace for 2 people, both working from home, private use
Guests per year: 5
Open or closed layout: open kitchen-dining area
Conservative or modern style: farmhouse / modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport, 2 parking spaces required
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes / special features / daily routines, including reasons why some things are preferred or avoided:
- Because of the American style, we have covered terraces both at the front and back. We hope this means we won’t have the typical “mudroom” at the entrance (dirt settles on the terrace, shoes can possibly stay outside).
- No office on the upper floor due to sloping ceilings. The desks are height-adjustable, and we have bookshelves there... this would be difficult to accommodate.
- Laundry room on the upper floor with space for a drying rack is great – short distances.
- The living room should be separable to reduce noise from the kitchen (currently we have an open kitchen-dining-living area and it’s hard to watch TV when someone is cooking).
House design
Who designed the plan: Architect and our ideas
What do you like best? Why? Large kitchen-dining area
What do you dislike? Why?
The upper floor feels too big because we have – unfortunately – more rooms downstairs than upstairs. Does anyone see potential to save some floor space?
The wardrobe ended up there because the small room was still “left over.” It was originally the guest bathroom without a shower. We would like to have 2 showers in the house.
Estimated price according to architect/planner: 800,000 EUR
Personal price limit for the house, including fixtures: 800k
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump, underfloor heating
If you had to give up any details or additional features:
- can give up: "all-purpose room" (see floor plan)
- cannot give up: mudroom
Why is the design as it is now? For example:
The floor plan ideas come from a collection of house tour videos and Pinterest inspirations.
Since the construction method places strong emphasis on symmetry and harmony in the façade, moving windows around is not “just possible” without causing visual chaos from the outside.
What do you think are its strong and weak points? Well, that’s the question. For us personally, everything is now taken into account, but is it also “logical”? Are there planning errors? What can be improved?
S
Schorsch_baut24 Jun 2024 13:23I would design the kitchen, pantry, and mudroom area differently. Swap the storage and technical rooms. Install a tall cabinet wall with a hidden niche for appliances. This way, you can pass by the island more easily, have more direct paths, and use the storage room for freezer space and beverage crates. The small pantry hardly holds anything.
Hi everyone,
thanks for all your efforts and input!
I’m trying to follow everything, understand it, and take it into consideration.
In the meantime, I have a new ground floor draft, this time hand-drawn. What do you think?
Even if some don’t understand the mudroom/airlock/transition between carport and house, this type of space is quite popular on other German sites and people don’t want to miss it anymore. We will stick with it because we also find it practical.
Let’s see if I can somehow manage the upper floor plan. I find the effects that changes on the ground floor have on an upper floor with sloped ceilings really challenging.
Regarding your thoughts:
Ground floor
Upper floor
We are currently about two-thirds through the architect’s scope of work (and have never been fully satisfied). There will be one final small revision phase, and we want to make the most of it. That’s why we wanted to incorporate as much feedback as possible. Is it possible to pull the emergency brake with the architect at this stage and switch to another one? But probably it’s not worthwhile, or we’d just end up having to pay the usual fee for the three standard service phases again.
We also had floor plans from a home-building company, where the stairs were rotated 90°. This would make the hallway more compact, but with a building plot that is wider than deep, a staircase oriented depthwise makes the kitchen, dining, and living area narrower and the terrace at the back only 2m (6.5 feet) deep. That’s why we chose to proceed with the architect.
Just adding this explanation and additional information in case it’s relevant.
Best regards
thanks for all your efforts and input!
I’m trying to follow everything, understand it, and take it into consideration.
In the meantime, I have a new ground floor draft, this time hand-drawn. What do you think?
Even if some don’t understand the mudroom/airlock/transition between carport and house, this type of space is quite popular on other German sites and people don’t want to miss it anymore. We will stick with it because we also find it practical.
Let’s see if I can somehow manage the upper floor plan. I find the effects that changes on the ground floor have on an upper floor with sloped ceilings really challenging.
Regarding your thoughts:
Ground floor
- The direction of the stairs was indeed changed in the architect’s first draft. But then, when entering the house, you would always face the thick stair wall (which is supposed to be covered). The double door with glass panes leading to the living room would look cramped and lost between the stair wall and hallway wall, losing its effect. That’s why the stair direction was reversed. But it seems the architect didn’t do more than necessary here, because, as you noticed, you now end up right at the dark, narrow part of the hallway on the upper floor... I hadn’t realized that until you pointed it out.
- Large hallway: I believe this is simply due to the location of the stairs and living room door. I also find it less than ideal that the hallway is bigger than the office, but I don’t see another solution.
- Pantry: this is primarily intended for storing kitchen appliances (ice cream maker) or having them directly on the 120cm (47 inches) countertop (toaster, air fryer). Plus storage for groceries in drawers and wall cabinets. There should still be space for a 60cm (24 inches) freezer, since the kitchen only has a refrigerator without a freezer compartment. We don’t keep beverage crates or other bottles that need storage—except maybe for a party, then I can use the storage/cellar substitute for that.
- In the passageway between carport and house, we mainly plan to place wardrobes, a large shoe cabinet, and a small bench. I loved the idea of a garden door here, so I added it—now you can enter directly from the garden as well. Regarding the suggestion to combine pantry and mudroom: I’m reluctant to run the air fryer there because then the clothes would absorb the smell. Also, I don’t want to mix food storage with “outdoor clothing.” Sorry.
- Dining area/living room: the seemingly wasted space to the right of the dining nook is actually intended for a large houseplant or Christmas tree (I’m a big fan of Christmas decorations). If I move the living room closer to the kitchen-dining area, I don’t think there’s another place for those things.
Upper floor
- Placing the office upstairs between the bedroom and children’s room is unfortunately not an option because both of us work there during the day and also spend time on the computer or listening to loud music in the evenings/leisure time. Also, there are sloped ceilings that would conflict with height-adjustable desks and tall bookshelves.
- Hallway: I also find the architect’s solution unsatisfactory. The seating area is his idea, but we don’t have such furniture. I would probably fill the space eventually with new dressers/shelves/storage.
- The “allroom” was created only because there was still leftover space and room. Honestly, a bit sad...
- Regarding the bathrooms: the first draft included a master bathroom and a children’s bathroom. For some reason, the children’s bathroom disappeared in the second draft. The second shower for guests also disappeared—it was simply forgotten. Now a new guest bathroom has to be added.
We are currently about two-thirds through the architect’s scope of work (and have never been fully satisfied). There will be one final small revision phase, and we want to make the most of it. That’s why we wanted to incorporate as much feedback as possible. Is it possible to pull the emergency brake with the architect at this stage and switch to another one? But probably it’s not worthwhile, or we’d just end up having to pay the usual fee for the three standard service phases again.
We also had floor plans from a home-building company, where the stairs were rotated 90°. This would make the hallway more compact, but with a building plot that is wider than deep, a staircase oriented depthwise makes the kitchen, dining, and living area narrower and the terrace at the back only 2m (6.5 feet) deep. That’s why we chose to proceed with the architect.
Just adding this explanation and additional information in case it’s relevant.
Best regards
S
Schorsch_baut24 Jun 2024 14:07You’re now creating an extra small room even without natural light! Just for a few kitchen appliances, without any real workspace or sink there. Not much fits in 120cm (48 inches), and you’ll constantly be carrying everything back and forth. The route from the car to the pantry is no longer logical either.
You can store all of this much better in lockable counters or cabinets within the kitchen. And do you really want to come in from the car with all your bags and gear into this mini mudroom and then go straight into the kitchen? That doesn’t seem practical either. On top of that, the cloakroom at the entrance is now even smaller.
You can store all of this much better in lockable counters or cabinets within the kitchen. And do you really want to come in from the car with all your bags and gear into this mini mudroom and then go straight into the kitchen? That doesn’t seem practical either. On top of that, the cloakroom at the entrance is now even smaller.
S
Schorsch_baut24 Jun 2024 14:48If you want to avoid noise from gaming in the children's room, this could be an alternative.
TRomz_y schrieb:
I find the effects you create on an upper floor with sloped ceilings to be more than challenging. Am I correct in understanding that you chose the facade design in relation to the roof shapes and dormers, and now you’re trying to fix everything inside?
I think that’s the wrong approach.
TRomz_y schrieb:
Is it actually possible here to pull the plug on an architect and switch to another one? You can. But the right way is to communicate what you don’t like and why, so they can adjust and improve it.
S
Schorsch_baut24 Jun 2024 15:27ypg schrieb:
Am I correct in understanding that you have chosen the facade first regarding the roof shapes and dormers, and are now trying to perfect everything inside?
I think that’s the wrong approach. I would also design the room layout first. In the modern farmhouse styles, there are houses with different gable shapes that still maintain that classic look.
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