ᐅ Initial Floor Plan Draft – Backyard Development – 1.5 Stories
Created on: 15 Oct 2025 14:31
S
Steiger
Hello everyone,
we would like to present our first floor plan draft and kindly ask for your honest feedback.
The house is designed for 2 adults plus potentially 2 children in the future and will be built on a rural plot of land. We are currently in the design phase and welcome all constructive comments and suggestions for improvement.
The plot is a backyard development, which means there are some restrictions. For example, we are not allowed to exceed a length of 7.0 m (23 feet) and an eave height of 3.7 m (12 feet). In addition, the assigned plots are not yet developed, so we will need to build a road access here.
On the site plan we were allocated plot number 4.
More details are included in the notes..
Building Plan / Restrictions
Homeowner Requirements
House Design
Why the design looks like this
We wanted a home that is family-friendly, functional, and suitable for aging in place, while complying with the building plan.
The basic idea: parents live fully on the ground floor, children live upstairs.
We are still optimizing and would appreciate feedback on:
We look forward to your honest feedback!
What would you improve or arrange differently?
Thank you very much in advance for your time and suggestions.
we would like to present our first floor plan draft and kindly ask for your honest feedback.
The house is designed for 2 adults plus potentially 2 children in the future and will be built on a rural plot of land. We are currently in the design phase and welcome all constructive comments and suggestions for improvement.
The plot is a backyard development, which means there are some restrictions. For example, we are not allowed to exceed a length of 7.0 m (23 feet) and an eave height of 3.7 m (12 feet). In addition, the assigned plots are not yet developed, so we will need to build a road access here.
On the site plan we were allocated plot number 4.
More details are included in the notes..
Building Plan / Restrictions
- Plot size: approximately 27.5 m (90 feet) wide × 41 m (135 feet) deep (~1,100 m² (12,000 sq ft))
- Terrain: flat, no slope
- Site coverage ratio (floor area ratio): 0.4
- Floor space index (floor area ratio): 0.4
- Building envelope / setbacks: 3 m (10 feet) boundary setback, house positioned on the right side, garage may be built on the boundary
- Number of floors: 1.5 stories (maximum ridge height 7 m (23 feet), eave height approx. 3.7 m (12 feet))
- Roof type: gable roof, minimum 25° pitch
- Architectural style: modern country house style
- Orientation: south is at the top of the plan
- Maximum heights: 7 m (23 feet) ridge, 3.7 m (12 feet) eave
- Additional requirements: the plot must be accessed via a new road. The style must blend with the neighborhood.
Homeowner Requirements
- Building type: single-family home, 1.5 stories, no basement
- Occupants: 2 adults, later 2 children
- Ground floor needs: parents’ area fully on the ground floor (bedroom, dressing room, bathroom), living/dining/kitchen area (living area preferably separate), utility room with access to the garage, guest toilet
- Upper floor needs: 2 children’s bedrooms, 1 office, 1 bathroom, storage room
- Office: for home office and flexible use
- Guest accommodation: rare (max. 2–3 times per year)
- Architecture: open, welcoming, with clear sightlines
- Construction method: rather conservative-modern (no flat roof, but light materials, clean lines)
- Kitchen: open kitchen with island
- Dining area: spacious, table for 6–8 people
- Fireplace: optional, mainly for design/coziness, probably no
- Music/stereo: no specific plans yet
- Balcony/roof terrace: no
- Garage/carport: double garage, direct access to utility room, cars might be parked under a covered entrance to keep the garage space free since there will be no attic
- Garden: usable garden area, south-facing terrace → I would like to plan a conservatory here for the future or optionally build it right away. Since we will have a south-facing garden with farmland behind, a conservatory is desired as a separated area to be used all year round.
- Special features:
- Smart home planned
- Parents’ area deliberately on the ground floor
- Conservatory desired either in the future or built-in from the start
House Design
- Designed by: architect
- What we particularly like:
- South orientation with bright rooms
- Functional floor plan and parents’ area
- What we don’t like (yet):
- Children’s bathroom upstairs might be too large
- Bedroom too small
- Pantry/storage room has a door to the utility room; maybe reduce utility room size to enlarge pantry
- Children’s bedroom closets block windows and might reduce lighting
- Driveway to garage is not ideal. The garage may need to be moved further back
- Price estimate from architect: not available yet
- Personal price limit (house + fittings): around 500,000 € (approximately), completely self-built, land already purchased
- Heating system: ground source heat pump with borehole, underfloor heating, technical room probably in the garage equipment room
Why the design looks like this
We wanted a home that is family-friendly, functional, and suitable for aging in place, while complying with the building plan.
The basic idea: parents live fully on the ground floor, children live upstairs.
We are still optimizing and would appreciate feedback on:
- Room layout on the ground floor (hallway, sleeping area)
- Living/dining/kitchen area: solution with an adjacent conservatory. Living area preferably separate, so children or adults can use different paths when guests visit.
- Garage size
- Children’s bathroom: size and whether the storage room could be bigger and the bathroom smaller. Possibly separate the toilet from the children’s bathroom?
We look forward to your honest feedback!
What would you improve or arrange differently?
Thank you very much in advance for your time and suggestions.
I understood it that way from 11ant. But it’s all good, I will discuss it with the sanitary experts anyway. They will certainly have the expertise here to know what makes the most sense.
For me, it’s primarily about any noticeable issues, what could be improved in the floor plan, or ideas on what else could be enhanced 🙂
I’ve already taken away quite a bit here, like the kitchen, children’s room windows, ...
For me, it’s primarily about any noticeable issues, what could be improved in the floor plan, or ideas on what else could be enhanced 🙂
I’ve already taken away quite a bit here, like the kitchen, children’s room windows, ...
The technical equipment should be installed in accessible locations—for you, your spouse, the contractor, and the utility provider. Equipment is operated while standing, not crawling. Displays need to be readable, faults monitored, and manual adjustments made quickly, sometimes multiple times a day. Technical devices are not screws or pipes that can be forgotten.
Having a lot of space to accommodate a pantry, a storage room, a utility room, and a technical room—all separate and spacious—and prepared for every possibility, such as if another person moves in, is expensive and basically impractical and outdated. There may be an 11 m² (118 ft²) walk-in closet, several buffer zones throughout, a large hallway, and an open staircase, yet you have a problem designing a comfortable technical area in 17 m² (183 ft²).
I am at a loss for words.
Having a lot of space to accommodate a pantry, a storage room, a utility room, and a technical room—all separate and spacious—and prepared for every possibility, such as if another person moves in, is expensive and basically impractical and outdated. There may be an 11 m² (118 ft²) walk-in closet, several buffer zones throughout, a large hallway, and an open staircase, yet you have a problem designing a comfortable technical area in 17 m² (183 ft²).
I am at a loss for words.
I have no problem with it and was just responding to 11ant’s suggestion regarding the utility room. Don’t get too hung up on that. It will be placed in the laundry room or equipment room. That’s it. I actually liked the idea of integrating it into the dormer area of the bathroom and have seen similar arrangements before.
We simply won’t have an attic and need some space somewhere for miscellaneous stuff that accumulates. I think a storage room is perfectly fine for that.
If you have any suggestions on how to improve the size of the hallway and the walk-in closet, feel free to share them.
We simply won’t have an attic and need some space somewhere for miscellaneous stuff that accumulates. I think a storage room is perfectly fine for that.
If you have any suggestions on how to improve the size of the hallway and the walk-in closet, feel free to share them.
I do not want to "cram" anything at all. I’m not sure what the original poster means by the technical equipment that he believes cannot be accommodated in the utility room or that he wants to relieve that room of (a brine buffer tank or something else?). I only see plenty of space in the knee wall area and do not agree with relocating part of the utility room equipment into a separate compartment (which would also no longer keep that equipment "cold"). The technical installations should neither be tucked away somewhere out of the way nor be discussed in skip-level meetings with the contractor behind the architect’s back; they need to be properly planned. After all, we’re talking about a newly built house. Is it intended to involve the architect only up to the stamp phase, and then to steer the project independently into troubled waters? – Regardless of the version, this design is definitely an "architect’s house" through at least design phase 8!
However, I doubt the architect’s suitability for the final stage if he forgets the insulation of the dwarf gable ends. By the way, there are no dormers here.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
However, I doubt the architect’s suitability for the final stage if he forgets the insulation of the dwarf gable ends. By the way, there are no dormers here.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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