ᐅ Initial Floor Plan Draft – Backyard Development – 1.5 Stories

Steiger schrieb:

@11ant nice poetry. We'll let the dough rest a bit before continuing to bake..

No, not poetry. This is the approach I use, based on four decades of construction planning experience. I borrowed the term "dough resting" from baking because it aptly describes the process involved.

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Steiger schrieb:

then they also have time on the weekend, Friday and Saturday, to get some work done at a friend’s construction site.

Provided they don’t have a private life with a spouse and/or family, it can work. I also know people who built like that back then. However, a new generation of contractors is now active—they pay attention to employees’ rest periods and may view overexertion on different construction sites critically. Also, people’s attitude toward their own health has probably changed by now—at least that’s what I see in my environment. I won’t even get into the increased focus on individualism, which might not have reached rural areas yet, where people tend to be more willing to help each other.

Steiger schrieb:

I actually find your sketch and the floor plan quite good at first glance.

I don’t have any objections either, considering it’s a spontaneous draft.

Steiger schrieb:

If you say you wouldn’t plan it like that again—why? What would change for you? Would you move the house further back and keep the garage on the west side?

No, I would reconsider the position of the house in relation to the garage and the plot. How exactly, I cannot tell you; such a decision doesn’t come in a day. And since it’s not my housing project, I won’t spend days thinking about it. But I know I would plan it to feel more open.

It may be that the garage as a perimeter building still works best, since the driveway is located at the corner. But personally, I also like having a nice, inviting entrance area—I am not a fan of a direct entrance from the garage into the utility room because then you miss out on clear air and the house’s front and entrance area. I am one of those people who enjoy coming home and standing for a moment in front of the door, often with a few plants there. I also appreciate a nice “courtyard” space. For example, hobbies and habits can change. Suddenly, you want to park a trailer, caravan or camper van, or you want to keep other typical rural vehicles on your property, sometimes set up saw horses to cut wood... A managed property doesn’t just consist of a terrace and lawn, but also sometimes a shielded wall with a bench, a corner of the house or passageway offering shelter—even if only for the eye, a flower pot, or to store wood over winter.
We have about 4.50 meters (5 feet) of terrace and then 8 meters (26 feet) of garden, of which 1 meter (3 feet) is hedge. On a 21-meter (69 feet) wide plot, that’s quite a lot, despite additional planting. In front, we have about 7 meters (23 feet) “courtyard” space in front of the house over half the width. That can accommodate up to four cars in addition to the carport and garage. However, we also had to improvise a bit for a caravan, but that’s exactly why I know it’s not unused space.

Steiger schrieb:

I tend to think that a front garden isn’t an advantage but just something that needs unnecessary maintenance. Besides, with backyard development, the front garden is hardly visible anyway and would only be a visual feature for us and our guests.

The idea is to spend comfortable time behind the house in the garden, ideally private and with as much visible own land as possible, some lawn for the children to play on… This idea is correct but not complete. @ypg gave examples where having space in front of the house makes sense. These aren’t just idealistic moments, but practical situations you will encounter at some point. It’s worth considering this.

Steiger schrieb:

This still works quite well in our village, though,

That’s wonderful and great that you can build in your village. Congratulations!

Steiger schrieb:

I actually think your sketch and floor plan look pretty good at first glance.

I also think the sketch is good because it reflects the anticipated desire for a TV-friendly living area well. The layout is unusual, always walking past the couch to get to the kitchen, but that would work for me. Having the bedroom at the front is a challenge for late teenagers. It will still be quiet thanks to the backyard development. Nice foresight.

One more thing: I like how you respond to suggestions in this thread.

What I still don’t understand: How do you want to live (and not in what).

haydee schrieb:

@wiltshire the plot is somewhat more densely built than yours and the OP is at a different stage in life.

Your observation is 100% correct, but I have also had a ground-floor bedroom before and really liked being able to just go outside easily.

The front garden was once considered a showcase. In times when people relied on their own gardens for food, cut flowers and ornamental plants had to be grown in sufficient quantity as well. The front garden was often used for this purpose, and those who could afford it grew the most expensive and rare ornamental plants possible. I believe front gardens should once again be seen more as a showcase and a status symbol.

wiltshire schrieb:

What I’m still unclear about is: How do you want to live (not in what).

How does one live? Like the original poster, that is @Steiger envisions their life: eventually having children. The house will be ready by then. Going to work, living in the house with children... probably not imaginable for the OP right now, but just like how others live.

Steiger schrieb:

Also, in courtyard developments, the front garden tends to be barely visible anyway.

I have a small issue with the term "courtyard development": I see a small access lane that connects several plots. Nothing more, nothing less. It will be a regular development on a plot of land situated between other plots.

Steiger schrieb:

I rather think that a front garden is not an advantage, but just something that needs unnecessary maintenance.

A front garden primarily serves to connect a plot with the surroundings. It is the first thing you will notice about your property. Either you keep it simple with just a driveway and nothing else, in which case you might not perceive the property as truly home. As @haydee says: it is the showcase of you, your family, and your home. Why design it carelessly when you have the space? It is also for yourself.
Unnecessary maintenance? Then you shouldn’t have a garden at all. The biggest effort in maintenance is usually the lawn at the back. If you arrange some nice shrubs at the front, it requires little upkeep.
The house itself also benefits from front windows, which you look out of. Given that the plot faces the street, it makes sense that you can enjoy views of nice greenery from other rooms’ windows as well.

I find the opinions about the village and the related points contradictory: you accept the help of the village but reject the added value a village gains from an attractive integration of street and property.

wiltshire schrieb:

always having to walk past the couch to get to the kitchen

Yes, walking past the couch is not my favorite either. But a house also needs to be adaptable. Usually, the residents can adjust as well. I find the layout quite appealing now—more attractive and livable than the original design.

ypg schrieb:

How do you live? Like the original poster, @Steiger, imagines his life: eventually having children. The house will be built by then. Commuting to work, living in the house with children... probably not something the OP can even imagine yet, but just like how others live.

Well, there’s more to it. How social are you, and what does ideal socializing look like in the house and garden? What hobbies do you have, what limitations, what makes a good day, what annoys you, how do you want to spend time together, what do you need to relax, how similar or different are daily routines, how do these change throughout the seasons?
From these things come individual requirements for an architectural design that supports living in the house as perfectly as possible for the people who build it.
Such small details decide whether an entrance area is the right size or too small, because it’s forgotten that a hobby like hiking, horseback riding, or skating requires more pairs of shoes that need to be stored. These small details also influence whether you can do without impressive square footage in the living area without missing anything.

ypg schrieb:

But a house also needs to be adaptable.

Exactly. And the better it is designed to meet those needs, the more likely it is to fit “like a glove.” The house can have quirks that others might not like. So what.