Hello everyone!
After taking some time to consider our architect’s design and adjusting the ground floor to fit our ideas, I would now like to share the floor plan with you. Ideally, construction would start next year, but we are not in a real hurry.
The plans show a second preliminary draft from our architect, including an initial cost estimate. Unfortunately, dimensions are not included yet. The first draft was mainly to illustrate that our dreams cannot be realized within the original budget we had planned.
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size => approx. 450-500 m² (The exact size is not yet fixed as we are receiving the plot as a gift from my parents, and we are still unsure about the future boundaries.)
Slope => slight slope from west to east (approx. 1m (3 feet) over the house’s length)
[I]The house has an almost ideal north/south orientation. The entrance, carport, and driveway are therefore located on the north side.[/I]
- There is no development plan.
Homeowner requirements:
Style, roof type, building type => flat roof with roof terrace
Exterior dimensions => [I]11.80m x 7.2m (39 feet x 24 feet) with a bay window of 4.4m x 1.5m (14 feet x 5 feet) (no specification from us)
[/I]
Basement, floors => basement with a granny flat + 2 full floors + roof terrace
Number of people, age => 2 adults in the main living unit + 2 children expected soon + 1 person in the granny flat
Office: family use or home office? => My wife is a teacher and will regularly do some work at home. I will be working from home up to 4 days a week in the future.
Open or closed architecture => open living/kitchen/dining area
Conservative or modern design => modern design
Open kitchen, kitchen island => open, yes, but no island (if possible, without overhead cabinets)
Number of dining seats => 6-10 people (table 2.4m x 1.0m (8 feet x 3 feet) + 8-10 chairs)
Fireplace => undecided (my wife wants one, I don’t – leaning towards no)
Music/stereo wall => no
Balcony, roof terrace => roof terrace
Garage, carport => 2x carport
Utility garden, greenhouse => no
House design
Planning by:
- our trusted architect.
What do you like in particular?:
- open kitchen, cube on the roof with covered roof terrace, small utility room on the ground floor for washer and dryer
What do you dislike/what needs improvement?:
Basement – the layout needs optimization for a technical room.
Ground floor – should be mirrored west to east completely; we are also concerned that the living room width of 3.5m (11.5 feet) feels narrow and tunnel-shaped. I want the sofa on the north side and the TV on the south side.
Upper floor – 45° walls in the children’s bathroom
Preferred heating technology:
- gas boiler/solar vs. heat pump (air/water or geothermal) – still completely undecided, the floor plan should be finalized first, then heating load will be calculated.
If you had to do without certain features/extensions …
… what could you do without:
for now, the carport and basement finishing as well as expanding the children’s rooms + bathroom since we don’t have children yet. Otherwise, we would like everything included.
… what can’t you do without:
- open living area on the ground floor, granny flat, roof terrace
Since our architect is on vacation until early December, we are currently on a bit of a break, which we have used to reshape the ground floor according to our ideas.
[I][I]
We are now considering extending the longitudinal side by at least 50cm (preferably 1.0m (3 feet)) to increase the living room width from 3.5m (11.5 feet) to 4.0-4.5m (13-15 feet) (we extended the building by 1m (3 feet)).[/I]
We mirrored the plan from west to east to achieve a greater spatial separation between the living room and the granny flat. Additionally, we planned a niche for a side-by-side refrigerator – unfortunately at the expense of the already small utility room.
Sorry there are no measurements included yet, I will provide them as soon as possible. Please ask if you want specific dimensions.
Now to the architect’s cost estimate:
Site development: 7,000€
Surveying: 2,500€
Main house: 285,000€
Carport: 12,000€
Controlled ventilation system: 10,000€ (requested by us)
Sun protection: 7,500€
Ceiling spotlights: 2,000€ (requested by us)
Landscaping: 2,500€
Paved surfaces: 20,000€
Kitchen: 15,000€
Fireplace: 7,000€ (initially requested by us, now uncertain)
Architect fees approx.: 29,000€[/I]
Specialist experts, structural engineering, fire protection, energy saving regulations approx.: 11,000€
Total: 410,500€
The architect’s calculation assumes building costs of 326€/m³ (including VAT) of gross volume.
The living area currently is approx. 156m² (1,680 sq ft) + 38m² (410 sq ft) granny flat + 30m² (320 sq ft) usable space in the basement.
Calculating only on living area, that equates to around 1,470€/m² (137 USD/sq ft).
Including all costs, it comes to 2,110€/m² (197 USD/sq ft).
Does this seem realistic to you?
What do you think about the design? What would you improve?
I look forward to your suggestions!
Best regards, Mathias
After taking some time to consider our architect’s design and adjusting the ground floor to fit our ideas, I would now like to share the floor plan with you. Ideally, construction would start next year, but we are not in a real hurry.
The plans show a second preliminary draft from our architect, including an initial cost estimate. Unfortunately, dimensions are not included yet. The first draft was mainly to illustrate that our dreams cannot be realized within the original budget we had planned.
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size => approx. 450-500 m² (The exact size is not yet fixed as we are receiving the plot as a gift from my parents, and we are still unsure about the future boundaries.)
Slope => slight slope from west to east (approx. 1m (3 feet) over the house’s length)
[I]The house has an almost ideal north/south orientation. The entrance, carport, and driveway are therefore located on the north side.[/I]
- There is no development plan.
Homeowner requirements:
Style, roof type, building type => flat roof with roof terrace
Exterior dimensions => [I]11.80m x 7.2m (39 feet x 24 feet) with a bay window of 4.4m x 1.5m (14 feet x 5 feet) (no specification from us)
[/I]
Basement, floors => basement with a granny flat + 2 full floors + roof terrace
Number of people, age => 2 adults in the main living unit + 2 children expected soon + 1 person in the granny flat
Office: family use or home office? => My wife is a teacher and will regularly do some work at home. I will be working from home up to 4 days a week in the future.
Open or closed architecture => open living/kitchen/dining area
Conservative or modern design => modern design
Open kitchen, kitchen island => open, yes, but no island (if possible, without overhead cabinets)
Number of dining seats => 6-10 people (table 2.4m x 1.0m (8 feet x 3 feet) + 8-10 chairs)
Fireplace => undecided (my wife wants one, I don’t – leaning towards no)
Music/stereo wall => no
Balcony, roof terrace => roof terrace
Garage, carport => 2x carport
Utility garden, greenhouse => no
House design
Planning by:
- our trusted architect.
What do you like in particular?:
- open kitchen, cube on the roof with covered roof terrace, small utility room on the ground floor for washer and dryer
What do you dislike/what needs improvement?:
Basement – the layout needs optimization for a technical room.
Ground floor – should be mirrored west to east completely; we are also concerned that the living room width of 3.5m (11.5 feet) feels narrow and tunnel-shaped. I want the sofa on the north side and the TV on the south side.
Upper floor – 45° walls in the children’s bathroom
Preferred heating technology:
- gas boiler/solar vs. heat pump (air/water or geothermal) – still completely undecided, the floor plan should be finalized first, then heating load will be calculated.
If you had to do without certain features/extensions …
… what could you do without:
for now, the carport and basement finishing as well as expanding the children’s rooms + bathroom since we don’t have children yet. Otherwise, we would like everything included.
… what can’t you do without:
- open living area on the ground floor, granny flat, roof terrace
Since our architect is on vacation until early December, we are currently on a bit of a break, which we have used to reshape the ground floor according to our ideas.
[I][I]
We are now considering extending the longitudinal side by at least 50cm (preferably 1.0m (3 feet)) to increase the living room width from 3.5m (11.5 feet) to 4.0-4.5m (13-15 feet) (we extended the building by 1m (3 feet)).[/I]
We mirrored the plan from west to east to achieve a greater spatial separation between the living room and the granny flat. Additionally, we planned a niche for a side-by-side refrigerator – unfortunately at the expense of the already small utility room.
Sorry there are no measurements included yet, I will provide them as soon as possible. Please ask if you want specific dimensions.
Now to the architect’s cost estimate:
Site development: 7,000€
Surveying: 2,500€
Main house: 285,000€
Carport: 12,000€
Controlled ventilation system: 10,000€ (requested by us)
Sun protection: 7,500€
Ceiling spotlights: 2,000€ (requested by us)
Landscaping: 2,500€
Paved surfaces: 20,000€
Kitchen: 15,000€
Fireplace: 7,000€ (initially requested by us, now uncertain)
Architect fees approx.: 29,000€[/I]
Specialist experts, structural engineering, fire protection, energy saving regulations approx.: 11,000€
Total: 410,500€
The architect’s calculation assumes building costs of 326€/m³ (including VAT) of gross volume.
The living area currently is approx. 156m² (1,680 sq ft) + 38m² (410 sq ft) granny flat + 30m² (320 sq ft) usable space in the basement.
Calculating only on living area, that equates to around 1,470€/m² (137 USD/sq ft).
Including all costs, it comes to 2,110€/m² (197 USD/sq ft).
Does this seem realistic to you?
What do you think about the design? What would you improve?
I look forward to your suggestions!
Best regards, Mathias
I guess it depends on the individual... Even though I tell my children not to do it, I often find myself carrying drinks and food/snacks into the living room and eating there (then bringing the plates back before going to bed).
So having the kitchen on the ground floor and the living area upstairs wouldn’t work in that case.
By the way, when I work from home, I sit in the living room with my laptop – obviously for teachers that only works to a limited extent.
So having the kitchen on the ground floor and the living area upstairs wouldn’t work in that case.
By the way, when I work from home, I sit in the living room with my laptop – obviously for teachers that only works to a limited extent.
Good morning!
Since our architect is currently on vacation but I couldn't keep my hands off, I made a completely new design.
@andimann
The issue with the small entrance vestibule was always challenging for us – especially because of the stroller and so on. Moreover, such a cramped entrance is not exactly inviting or positive for the first impression of the house.
The utility room on the ground floor is actually intended to serve as a laundry room plus pantry. The building services remain in the basement.
In the current design, a laundry chute from the second floor (top left parents’ bathroom, but the whole floor) over the first floor (top left children’s bathroom) to the utility room would also be possible.
The advantage is that you don’t have to constantly carry freshly washed laundry up from the basement.
Your point about guests staying overnight made me think a lot. I tried to take that into account in the design.
There are now two rooms (1 office + 1 guest room/office for my wife) on the first floor.
Guests can also use the children’s bathroom at the same time.
Regarding the children’s bathroom: I grew up with my sister having our own bathroom in my parents’ house, so I found this really practical.
The granny flat was completely revised as well. A bathtub with a shower screen is now also possible in the bathroom there. The plan is just to show the space available.
---
Attached are the plans I created. What do you think? I almost doubled the width of the bay window on the ground and basement floors and halved its length. For that reason, it no longer appears on the first or second floor/roof terrace.
Do you think the hallway width of 1.30m (4.3 feet) on the first floor is sufficient?
I realize that the architect’s cost estimate is probably no longer accurate since the house is larger overall. But due to the much larger granny flat, I don’t think that will be a problem.
What are your thoughts? I look forward to your feedback!
Have a great weekend!
Since our architect is currently on vacation but I couldn't keep my hands off, I made a completely new design.
@andimann
The issue with the small entrance vestibule was always challenging for us – especially because of the stroller and so on. Moreover, such a cramped entrance is not exactly inviting or positive for the first impression of the house.
The utility room on the ground floor is actually intended to serve as a laundry room plus pantry. The building services remain in the basement.
In the current design, a laundry chute from the second floor (top left parents’ bathroom, but the whole floor) over the first floor (top left children’s bathroom) to the utility room would also be possible.
The advantage is that you don’t have to constantly carry freshly washed laundry up from the basement.
Your point about guests staying overnight made me think a lot. I tried to take that into account in the design.
There are now two rooms (1 office + 1 guest room/office for my wife) on the first floor.
Guests can also use the children’s bathroom at the same time.
Regarding the children’s bathroom: I grew up with my sister having our own bathroom in my parents’ house, so I found this really practical.
The granny flat was completely revised as well. A bathtub with a shower screen is now also possible in the bathroom there. The plan is just to show the space available.
---
Attached are the plans I created. What do you think? I almost doubled the width of the bay window on the ground and basement floors and halved its length. For that reason, it no longer appears on the first or second floor/roof terrace.
Do you think the hallway width of 1.30m (4.3 feet) on the first floor is sufficient?
I realize that the architect’s cost estimate is probably no longer accurate since the house is larger overall. But due to the much larger granny flat, I don’t think that will be a problem.
What are your thoughts? I look forward to your feedback!
Have a great weekend!
The granny flat is now much better – you might want to consider arranging the bedroom differently or moving the door further toward the top of the plan.
For your living and dining area, you should check the feasibility with a structural engineer, as you now have very long spans. Also, consider reversing the layout so that the kitchen with an island is where the living room is now, simply to avoid having the kitchen set too far back (reducing long walking distances).
I think your stairwell might become a bit dark, especially since you’ve placed cabinets in front of the window at the top.
In the children’s bathroom, you might want to swap the toilet and the sink.
For your living and dining area, you should check the feasibility with a structural engineer, as you now have very long spans. Also, consider reversing the layout so that the kitchen with an island is where the living room is now, simply to avoid having the kitchen set too far back (reducing long walking distances).
I think your stairwell might become a bit dark, especially since you’ve placed cabinets in front of the window at the top.
In the children’s bathroom, you might want to swap the toilet and the sink.
The terrace would be level on the left side of the plan, while the slope is on the right side, so I think having the kitchen on the left side works well.
I actually like the floor plan much better overall, but I’m afraid your dimensions have grown again. Your measurements are not clearly assignable. The basement is definitely suitable as a separate apartment.
I also experimented with the ground floor, first floor, and attic floor, considering the idea of having two study rooms on the ground floor and living space in the attic.
This time it’s really large... some room doors and so on are still missing.
I actually like the floor plan much better overall, but I’m afraid your dimensions have grown again. Your measurements are not clearly assignable. The basement is definitely suitable as a separate apartment.
I also experimented with the ground floor, first floor, and attic floor, considering the idea of having two study rooms on the ground floor and living space in the attic.
This time it’s really large... some room doors and so on are still missing.
Wow! Thank you very much for your effort!
By now, my wife has become quite enthusiastic about the parent area at the top, so we will probably focus on that.
In your design, I find the ground floor especially interesting with the two offices, which can also serve as walk-through spaces. However, my wife strongly insists that the separation of the living room from the dining/kitchen area is out of the question for her.
Otherwise, I would really have liked it.
The only thing I would have swapped is the living area and the parent area on the upper floor, simply for coziness. When I’m in the living room and want a snack, I have to go down to the ground floor kitchen first.
But I think we have now found our room concept.
Ground floor: Living/Cooking/Eating
First floor: Children/Work
Second floor: Parents
The original idea was to have the kitchen in the east, but rightly so, because of the terrace in the west, it should now also be on the west side. The architect also planned the living room above the guest apartment, and your comments have eased my concerns about soundproofing between the living room and guest apartment.
@BeHaElJa
Honestly, I don’t quite understand your argument about the long distances. What do you mean by that? The distance from the kitchen to the dining table wouldn’t change if the kitchen is on the east side. It’s the same for the living room, which would then be on the west side.
The only problem would be having to carry big grocery shopping loads through half the house every time. But that can be easily avoided by bringing the groceries in through the terrace door, which should be a shorter way from the carport.
Regarding the spans, to be honest, I haven’t thought about it too much. My main concern was the possible routing of heating and plumbing, which, apart from the kitchen, are aligned vertically.
I can imagine that the structural issue could at least be minimized by making the northern wall of the large living/cooking/dining area a load-bearing wall, so the north-south span would always be about 5m (16 feet).
Then there is the very long span from west to east of almost 12m (39 feet); that would have to be addressed, since I lack structural engineering knowledge.
You are absolutely right about the darkness in the staircase. Windows will be needed there. My wife had the idea to place two small windows per floor that align with the stairs. Attached is a schematic drawing of the north elevation.
It’s a bit of a pity because I have managed so far with no windows on the north side, but this proactive approach isn’t bad as it will loosen up the facade a bit.
As a neighbor, I would have some issues if a 12m (39 feet) long and 10m (33 feet) high white wall were put up in front of my garden… ^^
By now, my wife has become quite enthusiastic about the parent area at the top, so we will probably focus on that.
In your design, I find the ground floor especially interesting with the two offices, which can also serve as walk-through spaces. However, my wife strongly insists that the separation of the living room from the dining/kitchen area is out of the question for her.
Otherwise, I would really have liked it.
The only thing I would have swapped is the living area and the parent area on the upper floor, simply for coziness. When I’m in the living room and want a snack, I have to go down to the ground floor kitchen first.
But I think we have now found our room concept.
Ground floor: Living/Cooking/Eating
First floor: Children/Work
Second floor: Parents
The original idea was to have the kitchen in the east, but rightly so, because of the terrace in the west, it should now also be on the west side. The architect also planned the living room above the guest apartment, and your comments have eased my concerns about soundproofing between the living room and guest apartment.
@BeHaElJa
Honestly, I don’t quite understand your argument about the long distances. What do you mean by that? The distance from the kitchen to the dining table wouldn’t change if the kitchen is on the east side. It’s the same for the living room, which would then be on the west side.
The only problem would be having to carry big grocery shopping loads through half the house every time. But that can be easily avoided by bringing the groceries in through the terrace door, which should be a shorter way from the carport.
Regarding the spans, to be honest, I haven’t thought about it too much. My main concern was the possible routing of heating and plumbing, which, apart from the kitchen, are aligned vertically.
I can imagine that the structural issue could at least be minimized by making the northern wall of the large living/cooking/dining area a load-bearing wall, so the north-south span would always be about 5m (16 feet).
Then there is the very long span from west to east of almost 12m (39 feet); that would have to be addressed, since I lack structural engineering knowledge.
You are absolutely right about the darkness in the staircase. Windows will be needed there. My wife had the idea to place two small windows per floor that align with the stairs. Attached is a schematic drawing of the north elevation.
It’s a bit of a pity because I have managed so far with no windows on the north side, but this proactive approach isn’t bad as it will loosen up the facade a bit.
As a neighbor, I would have some issues if a 12m (39 feet) long and 10m (33 feet) high white wall were put up in front of my garden… ^^
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