Hello dear forum members,
as mentioned in the introduction thread, here is the current status of our house planning.
The plot is located in the second row and is accessible via the courtyard of the front house (shared driveway).
Currently, there are existing buildings on the plot that need to be demolished.
We have already had a few planning discussions with construction companies, and honestly, I have to say I am shocked by their “professionalism.” We have now specifically selected companies where consultation takes place with architects and not, for example, a trained cook (no joke, that actually happened!). In addition, we are already annoyed by the question: “What do you want to build? A shell bungalow or a single-family house?” When we say: “Let’s work out the floor plan step by step and see which shape and roof pitch result, then we can still decide the official house type,” we only get strange looks. There were no independent ideas tailored to the plot... When asking what they would recommend, we just get a questioning look. I have to say, I expected more, but maybe it is normal that you have to bring the initial idea for the floor plan yourself...
Due to the current situation, further appointments with the construction companies are difficult to arrange. So we are using the time to plan ourselves. After tapping into your collective intelligence in the first step, we will then send our draft to the companies including the issues we still see. They will then have the chance to optimize and price our draft for the next consultation.
For us, the heart of the house is the ground floor; the upper floor follows from the ground floor plan (room layout, bathroom above utility room, windows, etc.). The upper floor is located on the exterior walls of the ground floor to the right (north) and bottom (east) of the plan, while to the left (south) and top (west) it is limited to the “main rectangle” or recessed by 1.5m (roughly 5 feet).
Attached you will find the completed questionnaire. Unanswered questions I have not included anymore.
We are very curious about your opinion!
Many thanks in advance.
Ypsi aus NI
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size approx. 700 sqm
Floor area ratio (FAR) 0.3
Site coverage ratio 0.3
Building window, building line and boundary 3m (10 feet) from the neighbor’s boundary
Number of floors 1 full story
open development
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type (Mediterranean) urban villa
Basement, floors 1.5 floors
Number of occupants, age 2 people + planned children
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor GF = 130-140 sqm (1400-1500 sq ft), UF = 50-60 sqm (540-650 sq ft)
Open or closed architecture open
Conservative or modern construction modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island kitchen island
Number of dining seats 6-8
Fireplace wood stove
Balcony, roof terrace possibly roof terrace (flat roof on both volumes)
Garage, carport double garage
House Design
Planned by: Do-it-Yourself
What do you like in particular? Why? Shape fits well into the plot, living area is somewhat separated, kitchen and dining table as central element
What do you dislike? Why? Is the staircase suitable? Is the entrance spacious enough? Can the private rooms on the ground floor be arranged this way?
Preferred heating technology: heat pump
Why did the design develop this way?
We consider the plot relatively narrow. Normally, a rectangular house shape would make sense, using the full width of the plot. But then you lose the best side (south). The floor plan was developed according to “form follows function” and we really like it now (I mean the L-shape, not necessarily the individual room layout).
An interesting idea is not to realize the two wings on the upper floor with a hip roof, but instead to have a flat roof to possibly create one or two roof terraces.
The original wish was for a bungalow, but we realized that it consumes too much floor space. A good compromise for us is to have the master bedroom and master bathroom on the ground floor, and the children’s rooms plus office upstairs.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Are there fundamental planning mistakes we have overlooked so far?
as mentioned in the introduction thread, here is the current status of our house planning.
The plot is located in the second row and is accessible via the courtyard of the front house (shared driveway).
Currently, there are existing buildings on the plot that need to be demolished.
We have already had a few planning discussions with construction companies, and honestly, I have to say I am shocked by their “professionalism.” We have now specifically selected companies where consultation takes place with architects and not, for example, a trained cook (no joke, that actually happened!). In addition, we are already annoyed by the question: “What do you want to build? A shell bungalow or a single-family house?” When we say: “Let’s work out the floor plan step by step and see which shape and roof pitch result, then we can still decide the official house type,” we only get strange looks. There were no independent ideas tailored to the plot... When asking what they would recommend, we just get a questioning look. I have to say, I expected more, but maybe it is normal that you have to bring the initial idea for the floor plan yourself...
Due to the current situation, further appointments with the construction companies are difficult to arrange. So we are using the time to plan ourselves. After tapping into your collective intelligence in the first step, we will then send our draft to the companies including the issues we still see. They will then have the chance to optimize and price our draft for the next consultation.
For us, the heart of the house is the ground floor; the upper floor follows from the ground floor plan (room layout, bathroom above utility room, windows, etc.). The upper floor is located on the exterior walls of the ground floor to the right (north) and bottom (east) of the plan, while to the left (south) and top (west) it is limited to the “main rectangle” or recessed by 1.5m (roughly 5 feet).
Attached you will find the completed questionnaire. Unanswered questions I have not included anymore.
We are very curious about your opinion!
Many thanks in advance.
Ypsi aus NI
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size approx. 700 sqm
Floor area ratio (FAR) 0.3
Site coverage ratio 0.3
Building window, building line and boundary 3m (10 feet) from the neighbor’s boundary
Number of floors 1 full story
open development
Client Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type (Mediterranean) urban villa
Basement, floors 1.5 floors
Number of occupants, age 2 people + planned children
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor GF = 130-140 sqm (1400-1500 sq ft), UF = 50-60 sqm (540-650 sq ft)
Open or closed architecture open
Conservative or modern construction modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island kitchen island
Number of dining seats 6-8
Fireplace wood stove
Balcony, roof terrace possibly roof terrace (flat roof on both volumes)
Garage, carport double garage
House Design
Planned by: Do-it-Yourself
What do you like in particular? Why? Shape fits well into the plot, living area is somewhat separated, kitchen and dining table as central element
What do you dislike? Why? Is the staircase suitable? Is the entrance spacious enough? Can the private rooms on the ground floor be arranged this way?
Preferred heating technology: heat pump
Why did the design develop this way?
We consider the plot relatively narrow. Normally, a rectangular house shape would make sense, using the full width of the plot. But then you lose the best side (south). The floor plan was developed according to “form follows function” and we really like it now (I mean the L-shape, not necessarily the individual room layout).
An interesting idea is not to realize the two wings on the upper floor with a hip roof, but instead to have a flat roof to possibly create one or two roof terraces.
The original wish was for a bungalow, but we realized that it consumes too much floor space. A good compromise for us is to have the master bedroom and master bathroom on the ground floor, and the children’s rooms plus office upstairs.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
Are there fundamental planning mistakes we have overlooked so far?
Y
Ypsi aus NI24 Mar 2020 19:30So, new game, new luck.
What has changed?
Ground floor = Guest bathroom removed, cloakroom enlarged and moved forward, staircase moved further back and changed from U-shape to L-shape, access to the open space now from the side instead of directly from the front door, living room slightly shortened, walk-in closet widened, bedroom and bathroom swapped and separated from the open space by creating a small hallway, but still accessible for guests.
The door from the entrance hall to the open space is planned as a glass sliding door, the door from the open space to the private area as a regular glass door, and the door to the walk-in closet should also be a glass sliding door. This one will usually remain open in daily life. When guests are expected, it should be closed to avoid immediately showing the walk-in closet. However, the small hallway in front of the bathroom should not become too dark, hence the idea of using two glass doors. Or is a door between the hallway and walk-in closet unnecessary?
First floor = Not much has changed here, except the bathroom has become smaller. The bathtub has been removed... The toilet is now positioned in the wall above the utility room. If the staircase on the ground floor is still planned too large, it could be moved further west (top of the plan), which would allow the bathroom to gain a few more centimeters.
The dimensions of the children's rooms do not match because the roof is still incorrect. I need to correct the roof again tomorrow... Upper room 17.8sqm (191.5 sqft), lower room 15.7sqm (169 sqft). Not exactly the same size, which is due to the door to the upper child’s room, but in my opinion still acceptable.
So, what do you think?
Thanks and best regards,
Ypsi
What has changed?
Ground floor = Guest bathroom removed, cloakroom enlarged and moved forward, staircase moved further back and changed from U-shape to L-shape, access to the open space now from the side instead of directly from the front door, living room slightly shortened, walk-in closet widened, bedroom and bathroom swapped and separated from the open space by creating a small hallway, but still accessible for guests.
The door from the entrance hall to the open space is planned as a glass sliding door, the door from the open space to the private area as a regular glass door, and the door to the walk-in closet should also be a glass sliding door. This one will usually remain open in daily life. When guests are expected, it should be closed to avoid immediately showing the walk-in closet. However, the small hallway in front of the bathroom should not become too dark, hence the idea of using two glass doors. Or is a door between the hallway and walk-in closet unnecessary?
First floor = Not much has changed here, except the bathroom has become smaller. The bathtub has been removed... The toilet is now positioned in the wall above the utility room. If the staircase on the ground floor is still planned too large, it could be moved further west (top of the plan), which would allow the bathroom to gain a few more centimeters.
The dimensions of the children's rooms do not match because the roof is still incorrect. I need to correct the roof again tomorrow... Upper room 17.8sqm (191.5 sqft), lower room 15.7sqm (169 sqft). Not exactly the same size, which is due to the door to the upper child’s room, but in my opinion still acceptable.
So, what do you think?
Thanks and best regards,
Ypsi
Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
So, new game, new luck.I’ll take a look at it later, dinner is ready (Gelsenkirchen too, old joke).https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I didn’t mind having the guest toilet as a third bathroom. The amount of plastering work for a toilet and a sink is really quite minimal. I’m actually missing a handwashing option near the main entrance now.
I like the parents’ wing. With a patio door, you would have direct access to the garden.
Am I correct in seeing that the kitchen is 4.08 meters (13 feet 5 inches) wide? Make sure the windows are positioned correctly. So, plan the kitchen first, and then align the windows accordingly.
It’s a shame the children’s bedrooms aren’t the same size; 5 square meters (54 square feet) is quite a difference. I don’t like the toilet in the children’s bathroom being right next to the door.
I like the parents’ wing. With a patio door, you would have direct access to the garden.
Am I correct in seeing that the kitchen is 4.08 meters (13 feet 5 inches) wide? Make sure the windows are positioned correctly. So, plan the kitchen first, and then align the windows accordingly.
It’s a shame the children’s bedrooms aren’t the same size; 5 square meters (54 square feet) is quite a difference. I don’t like the toilet in the children’s bathroom being right next to the door.
Y
Ypsi aus NI24 Mar 2020 20:55Hello Pinky,
I’ve taken some time to think about your point regarding handwashing and can’t really imagine coming into the front door and wanting to wash my hands IMMEDIATELY. I don’t have that option right now, and I haven’t missed it so far. What am I missing?
For me personally, the issue with the guest bathroom wasn’t the extra cleaning effort but the space. I quite like sacrificing the guest toilet in favor of a larger hallway area.
That said, we would probably mainly enter the house through the utility room, where a sink is planned.
The kitchen is of course still flexible, and just as you said: the kitchen first, then the room with windows!
Regarding the children’s bedrooms, I already mentioned that their size is calculated incorrectly by the software (due to the incorrect roof at this stage). I couldn’t adjust the square meters manually... It’s only about a 2m² (22 sq ft) difference.
Thanks for your feedback.
I’ve taken some time to think about your point regarding handwashing and can’t really imagine coming into the front door and wanting to wash my hands IMMEDIATELY. I don’t have that option right now, and I haven’t missed it so far. What am I missing?
For me personally, the issue with the guest bathroom wasn’t the extra cleaning effort but the space. I quite like sacrificing the guest toilet in favor of a larger hallway area.
That said, we would probably mainly enter the house through the utility room, where a sink is planned.
The kitchen is of course still flexible, and just as you said: the kitchen first, then the room with windows!
Regarding the children’s bedrooms, I already mentioned that their size is calculated incorrectly by the software (due to the incorrect roof at this stage). I couldn’t adjust the square meters manually... It’s only about a 2m² (22 sq ft) difference.
Thanks for your feedback.
Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
I can't imagine coming in through the front door and WANTING to wash my hands IMMEDIATELY Especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic, I can’t think of anything else... But if there’s a sink in the utility room, you can use that.
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