ᐅ Single-family house floor plan, approximately 200 sqm without a basement – assessment

kbt09 schrieb:

I would say… start from zero, define the room requirements, and then plan again.

I completely agree with you!

You can’t dry laundry in just 3 meters (about 10 feet) on the east side, even with a hedge.
Making the kitchen counter narrower as a consequence of an incorrect kitchen placement is not a good way to improve the design.
Your arguments don’t really convince me; they sound more like excuses. A traditional coastal house style and having the living area facing south are not mutually exclusive. Also, a 20-meter (about 65 feet) wide plot is quite standard, not narrow.
And just because the entrance looks good in 3D now doesn’t mean it should be the starting point if it compromises the entire design.

Sometimes you have to accept when you’ve reached the limits of your own space planning skills and involve a professional – and by that, I don’t mean just any approval stamp from the building contractor.

You disagree with many things – the smallest problem will be the passage from the master bedroom through the walk-in closet.

What does "BU" mean?
The plans were created by an architect.

What do you mean by the kitchen being in the wrong position? Where would you place it better in the house?

There is a tall wooden fence on the east side, so no narrowing caused by a hedge. But it is still too narrow and dark for the laundry area. The rotary clothesline would probably be located in the garden on the south side.

I have defined my spatial requirements quite precisely:

Room requirements/ideas for the house:

Double garage directly adjacent to the house.

Ground Floor (GF):

- Bathroom with shower (approx. 6-9 sqm (65-97 sq ft))
- Workroom, which may later serve as a bedroom, including a 3 m (10 ft) closet (approx. 17 sqm (183 sq ft))
- Utility room or rather a cloakroom/shoe room, which can be reached directly from the garage (so you can always enter the house from the garage) (approx. 18 sqm (194 sq ft), including a small kitchenette)
- Living/dining area combined (at least 40 sqm (430 sq ft))
- Kitchen (closed, but ideally with a large double sliding door so it can be made “open”), including a seating area
- Pantry directly next to the kitchen (approx. 4 sqm (43 sq ft), including freezer)
- Hallway with guest wardrobe (preferably accessible to the toilet)

Upper Floor (UF):

- Child’s room 1 (at least 18 sqm (194 sq ft))
- Child’s room 2 (at least 18 sqm (194 sq ft))
- Master bedroom with separate walk-in closet (long and narrow, closets on both sides)
- Bathroom with double sinks, large shower, and bathtub
- Laundry room on the upper floor (dryer, washing machine, and drying rack)

Room above the garage:

- Large room as a substitute for a party room
- Staircase from garage to the room
- Toilet (WC + sink) in the garage room

In a way, these points are already done, but as you say, they could be greatly improved.
And that’s what I want to focus on now.

Thank you very much for the openness in this forum.

Slammer0909 schrieb:


The plan is from an architect, but the basic concept was more or less mine, at least for the ground floor. The architect is part of the construction company that will most likely build our house.

Slammer0909 schrieb:
What does "BU" mean? The plans are from an architect.

BU means construction company – and someone who just redraws or finalizes a plan from an amateur is not necessarily an architect who delivers thorough work with enthusiasm and expertise. Of course, an architect working for a construction company can also be very good ...

Slammer0909 schrieb:

Some of these points are already addressed to some extent, but as you said, there is definitely room for improvement. That’s what I’m focusing on now.

It is normal for requirements to be interpreted differently despite clear wording, and for a mutual understanding to develop only over the course of collaboration.

Your approach of having a custom design created by an architect who is not under contract with you, combined with your own planning, is not optimal. It also seems that the pricing has not been discussed thoroughly enough. Large areas, a garage within the thermal envelope—these add up to significant costs. That’s not a problem as long as you get corresponding value, but that is not apparent here.

As described, the overall design feels cramped and awkward despite the large area, including the implementation of the airlock concept at the entrance and the 45° corners, which may have just been included because they were on offer. So, evaluate all the criticisms and then provide feedback to your contractual partner and their (overburdened) architect.

What kind of contractual relationship exists between the contracting parties, especially regarding the design work?

Hello,

At the moment, there is no finalized contract. Currently, the builder has said, or rather just started, to create a design after our first meeting (which at that time still included a basement). This led to a second and a third version.

Right now, the design I took to our most recent meeting is the current status, and he has mostly stuck to it.

We approached him based on good past experience because, from what we know, he was more affordable for the same quality and scope of work.

Yesterday, I talked again with my uncle about the design—after honestly feeling a bit discouraged by some of your comments here. He is an electrician, so he has worked on many houses but is not an architect or anything like that, and he found the design understandable and not bad at all.

I actually think the sloped ceilings look quite good, and where one room offers less space, another has more.

The “protrusions” or “recesses,” like those in the utility room and guest room, could be filled exactly with cupboards, for example. That was one of the original ideas. I also don’t find the narrow rooms ideal.

My issue is that if I make the rooms more square, we lose space elsewhere. Or there is the problem that by building along the entire north side, perhaps no window would be left in the utility room.

Yesterday evening I also refined the design a bit myself (which the architect may certainly be able to do again). But I would prefer not to completely redesign everything. Based on your feedback, I made the two narrow rooms a bit wider, which made the living room narrower. I extended the kitchen somewhat toward the pantry and bathroom.

I would ask you (though I think you probably already do) not to focus too much on the current furniture layout, as it can be arranged differently. For example, if you remove the east window in the living room, the TV could simply be placed on the east wall.

I also re-measured the seating area that is large enough for me at my father-in-law’s place. In the corner, a small table, one two-seater, and one three-seater measured about 3.2m (10.5 ft) from the corner. Based on this, the width of the living room (south front) with about 6.6m (21.7 ft) should be sufficient.

I would really appreciate any suggestions for improvement. I have received plenty of criticism and take it seriously, but what would you specifically change?

Somehow, I feel awkward going back to him after a year (with various other setbacks) and saying, “Uh, I’ll just get another ‘only’ architect and come back with finished plans.”

Hmm.

Slammer0909 schrieb:

Yesterday, I spoke again with my uncle about the design, especially after some of your more critical comments here.
He’s an electrician and has worked on many houses, though obviously not an architect or anything like that, but he found the design understandable and not bad at all.

You’re planning to spend roughly over 300k on a house that is “not bad at all”????

Slammer0909 schrieb:

In the end, I think the sloped ceilings don’t look bad, and where one room has less space, another has more.

True, but that doesn’t really help within the individual rooms.

Slammer0909 schrieb:

The “protrusions” or “recesses,” as they appear in the utility room and guest room, could be perfectly filled with cabinets, for example. That was one of the main ideas. I don’t find the narrow rooms ideal either.

Then change it to “optimal”!

Slammer0909 schrieb:

My problem is: if I make the rooms more square, space ends up missing somewhere else. Or I risk that by building out the entire north side, there might be no window left in the utility room.

Our house is much smaller than yours, but many of your wishes were also realized in our home. We even have a window in the utility room.

Slammer0909 schrieb:

Last night, I worked on the design a bit more myself (which the architect can certainly do as well).
But I wouldn’t want to throw everything overboard. With your comments, I’ve managed to make the two narrow rooms a bit wider, which made the living room narrower.
I extended the kitchen slightly towards the pantry/bathroom.

You can’t just move a few walls around in this house; it requires a completely new concept.

Slammer0909 schrieb:

I would really appreciate suggestions for improvements. I’ve already received a lot of criticism and take it to heart. But what would you specifically change?

The staircase! Squeezing it right into the corner of the house can’t lead to anything good. But changing that would also mean redesigning the entire house.

Slammer0909 schrieb:

Honestly, I feel a bit awkward after a year (with various other setbacks) to just go to him and say, “Uh, I’m going to take somebody else—just an architect—and come back with finished plans.”

Hello??? You’re spending more money than you ever will in your life. Everything should be right.

Sure, the architect at the construction company (builder) is an architect, but he doesn’t get paid like a freelance architect. He’s a salaried employee, and the less work he has to do per house, the cheaper it is for the builder. That’s why he’s not highly motivated to put a lot of effort into one project. But it can’t be that he just copies something, and you have to live your whole life in a house that feels like a small apartment inside instead of a 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft) house.

If I had to choose again, I would have our house designed again by a freelance architect, who might have come up with different ideas than the architect from our builder.