ᐅ Floor plan for a single-family house of approximately 1,500 sq ft – Staircase that can be separated or enclosed
Created on: 21 Apr 2015 14:30
D
derelvis
Important details:
Development plan / restrictions:
Plot size: 5.2 ares (25 x 21m / 82 x 69 ft)
Orientation:
Slope: slight south-facing slope, 1m (3 ft) drop over 25m (82 ft)
Building window, building line and boundary: 2.5m (8 ft)
Edge development: garage
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1.5 stories
Roof type: gable roof
Client requirements:
Basement
Number of occupants, age: 2 + child (2 years)
Space requirement: approx. 135–140sqm (1450–1500 sq ft)
Office: family use
Conservative construction method
Open kitchen: possibly (only an L-shape) or with sliding door
Number of dining seats: standard 4, otherwise up to 12
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: minimum length 3.5m (11.5 ft)
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double garage or garage + carport
Hello everyone,
Attached you’ll find our planned house. It is an architect’s design revised multiple times. We are very satisfied with the design, but of course, sometimes things get overlooked.
If anyone has suggestions or criticism, please don’t hold back.
One obvious criticism might be the staircase at the “end of the house,” but this is important to us because we want a separable staircase to isolate the entrance noise from the living room. We prefer not to have a single-family home with an integrated open staircase.
If anyone can sketch a better solution, we would of course appreciate it.
- Driveway only possible on the south side
- Pantry close to the kitchen
- Separable living units
- Ground floor fully livable for elderly (currently the marked bedroom is an office)
- Basement
- Approx. 135–140sqm (1450–1500 sq ft)
- Knee wall height 1.2m (4 ft)
Development plan / restrictions:
Plot size: 5.2 ares (25 x 21m / 82 x 69 ft)
Orientation:
Slope: slight south-facing slope, 1m (3 ft) drop over 25m (82 ft)
Building window, building line and boundary: 2.5m (8 ft)
Edge development: garage
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1.5 stories
Roof type: gable roof
Client requirements:
Basement
Number of occupants, age: 2 + child (2 years)
Space requirement: approx. 135–140sqm (1450–1500 sq ft)
Office: family use
Conservative construction method
Open kitchen: possibly (only an L-shape) or with sliding door
Number of dining seats: standard 4, otherwise up to 12
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: minimum length 3.5m (11.5 ft)
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double garage or garage + carport
Hello everyone,
Attached you’ll find our planned house. It is an architect’s design revised multiple times. We are very satisfied with the design, but of course, sometimes things get overlooked.
If anyone has suggestions or criticism, please don’t hold back.
One obvious criticism might be the staircase at the “end of the house,” but this is important to us because we want a separable staircase to isolate the entrance noise from the living room. We prefer not to have a single-family home with an integrated open staircase.
If anyone can sketch a better solution, we would of course appreciate it.
I have to ask a basic question: on one hand, you say you want separate living units or a sectioned-off staircase. On the other hand, your plans don’t fully reflect this (bedrooms downstairs are too small, the front door opens directly into the stairwell, probably missing kitchen connections upstairs, etc.).
On one hand, you say there is too little space downstairs and too much upstairs, but on the other hand, you reduce the size of the ground floor with the recess.
On one hand, you say there is too little space downstairs and too much upstairs, but on the other hand, you reduce the size of the ground floor with the recess.
There are quite a few things that haven’t been fully thought through. Yes, a small fireplace might be about 50cm (20 inches) deep, but you can’t just place it right against the wall. It needs a certain clearance from the wall (20cm (8 inches)) and also space in front for furniture (80cm (31 inches)). So, that only leaves you about 2.50m (8 feet) for the dining table including chairs. Don’t forget the heat radiation from the stove, which could quickly make sitting right in front of it uncomfortable. People sitting with their chairs against the wall will also find it annoying to have to squeeze past to get to their seats. I’m definitely pro-fireplace, but in this case it’s misplaced. Also, if you’re planning on having another child, that means you either need a safety gate in front of the stove (space?) or you risk a burned child, or the stove will simply stay off and be useless. By the way, the 4m (13 feet) dimension is the structural measurement. You still need to subtract about 10cm (4 inches) for plaster, wallpaper, and baseboards.
Regarding the idea of potentially living downstairs later: either plan it properly or not at all. If you level out the ground floor as well, you’ll gain space and will probably save some money in the long run.
And yes, I know what it’s like with two children sharing one bathroom. I even know what it’s like with three children—so I strongly recommend reconsidering the bathroom layout. Do you really want to send your kids from a warm bath to the toilet? If you want, you could definitely add a second toilet upstairs, but each bathroom should have its own toilet, especially when children are involved. Also, just noticed: the shower won’t work properly under the sloped ceiling.
Regarding the idea of potentially living downstairs later: either plan it properly or not at all. If you level out the ground floor as well, you’ll gain space and will probably save some money in the long run.
And yes, I know what it’s like with two children sharing one bathroom. I even know what it’s like with three children—so I strongly recommend reconsidering the bathroom layout. Do you really want to send your kids from a warm bath to the toilet? If you want, you could definitely add a second toilet upstairs, but each bathroom should have its own toilet, especially when children are involved. Also, just noticed: the shower won’t work properly under the sloped ceiling.
I completely agree with Manu1976. Either you design the ground floor with aging in mind or you don’t. What you’re doing now is making compromises. When you’re young, this isn’t a problem at all because you have no idea what it’s like to move around in a small bedroom (for example) as an older person.
By the way, I would also avoid the setback and instead place the pantry directly next to the kitchen. Having to walk through two doors across the hallway just to get pasta would be annoying.
I still don’t understand the concept of the "separable staircase"; where or how is it supposed to be separable? If the house is going to be optionally divided into upper and lower units later on, I would design the entrance area in a way that allows for this separation.
Overall, I get the impression that you’re not looking for criticism but rather agreement.
By the way, I would also avoid the setback and instead place the pantry directly next to the kitchen. Having to walk through two doors across the hallway just to get pasta would be annoying.
I still don’t understand the concept of the "separable staircase"; where or how is it supposed to be separable? If the house is going to be optionally divided into upper and lower units later on, I would design the entrance area in a way that allows for this separation.
Overall, I get the impression that you’re not looking for criticism but rather agreement.
EveundGerd22 Apr 2015 19:54derelvis schrieb:
@Manu1976
@EveundGerd:
The house will be built with a general contractor and aims to meet the KfW70 standard. However, not at any cost.
We definitely want to have a fireplace.For KfW70 and a water-circulated fireplace, I assume the fireplace is meant to support the heating circuit. It’s not really suitable for heating the room alone and would be a waste of money otherwise.
The costs for the piping and system adjustments should certainly be included in the budget, along with the chimney draft and the stove.
What price estimates has your professional provided for this?
Regarding the rooms: We also built a bedroom on the ground floor to be able to live downstairs as we get older. However, it’s larger, since you might need equipment or aids in old age.
The last post suggests a lot of compromises. I doubt whether it’s advisable to make such an expensive compromise.
Is this floor plan the first draft?
If you take a look at the original poster’s previous posts, this is not the first design. The earlier ones were really bad; compared to those, there is at least some livability now. That said, I think the original poster should consider why and to what extent a future separation is being prioritized. To me, the rooms all feel like compromises made in favor of a later division. And yes: what is the purpose of the basement?
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