ᐅ Long, narrow plot of land measuring 170–190 square meters

Created on: 4 May 2019 13:50
B
Ben-man
Hello everyone,

I would like to hear your opinions about our current planning. The plot is approximately 460 sqm (5,000 sq ft) but trapezoidal in shape. Therefore, we are placing the house along the southern boundary of the plot and putting the garage above it. The plot has already been purchased and paid for. There is no zoning plan, so the following values should be considered as guidelines.

Zoning/Restrictions
Size of building plot: approx. 460 sqm (5,000 sq ft)
Size of garden plot: approx. 600 sqm (6,460 sq ft)
Slope: None
Floor space index: 0.4
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: Hessian regulation, three-meter (about 10 feet) setback
Edge development: Garage only
Number of parking spaces: Two
Number of floors: Two
Roof style: Hipped roof
Design style: Modern
Orientation: ?

Homeowners’ Requirements
House without a basement, but with a large attic
Two adults, one child
The current plan is quite large at about 190 sqm (2,045 sq ft). We are considering reducing the southern side a bit to end up with around 170-180 sqm (1,830-1,940 sq ft).
Office: Family use and home office
Open kitchen, wife wants a breakfast bar
Wood stove (desired but not yet planned)

What was important to us:
- Hallway not too narrow
- Easy to clean (few corners and preferably square rooms)
- An open staircase (even though it is not the best solution energetically)
- Ground floor office should be able to serve as a bedroom in old age
- Lots of garden views on the south side

House Design
Designer: Do-it-yourself
Estimated cost according to architect/planner: 310,000 (without garage, windows, shutters, shutter boxes, or flooring)
Personal price limit for the house including fittings: 350,000 + additional building costs
Preferred heating system: Air-to-water heat pump + wood stove

If you had to give up something, which features/extensions could you do without or not do without? Basically doesn’t matter as long as the reasoning is plausible

Why does the design look like it does now?
The basic design is from the Danwood website (House Park 181W), but there the staircase is in the middle of the living room and kitchen. Because we want an open staircase but a central stair takes up too much space, we moved the staircase and redesigned the upper floor accordingly. Previously, we had considered bungalow plans, but those were discarded due to floor space ratio and plot shape.

What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
- General opinions welcome
- Do you see potential improvements in the layout?
- What do you think about the open design (hallway, staircase, living-kitchen area)?
- What do you think about the south-facing windows? I’m concerned the house might overheat in summer with so many windows.

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

Isometric interior view of a house: living room with sofa, dining table, kitchen, staircase, storage room.


Isometric floor plan of a house: bedroom, walk-in closet, staircase, living room.


Modern single-family home with green garden, playground, fire pit, and garden shed.


Modern two-story house with garage, driveway, garden, trees, and fire pit.


Site plan with parcels, floor plan lines, and plot boundaries.


Floor plan of a house with staircase, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, living room and dining table.


Floor plan of a house: open living area with sofa, dining table, kitchen, staircase, and bedroom.


Technical floor plan: large dark rectangle with smaller light gray rectangle and dimension lines in mm.
B
Ben-man
2 Jul 2019 12:47
By the way, these are our last seven designs. Unfortunately, I have already deleted the others. Please don’t be confused by the different colors.

Eight bathroom floor plans viewed from above with bathtub, washbasin, and toilet.
Y
ypg
2 Jul 2019 12:48


Ah, okay, so there is no glass wall at all?
Then definitely the bathtub will get splashed when showering.
And if someone wants to take a bath after showering, they will have to stand in the wet shower area first, or the parents?
Or am I misunderstanding something?
Ben-man schrieb:

I really don’t care about THAT at all—just personal preferences.

Then ask your family members— I imagine at least one person thinks differently about it.
I think it’s time for me to step outside.
B
Ben-man
2 Jul 2019 12:50
kaho674 schrieb:

Have you checked how low the staircase is at that point?
Sorry, this discussion isn’t for me – I’m out.

Lowest point 1.5m (5 feet), highest point 2.1m (7 feet), width 1.6m (5.2 feet), depth 0.8m (2.6 feet).
kaho6742 Jul 2019 12:51
Ben-man schrieb:

Lowest point 1.5 m (5 feet), highest point 2.1 m (7 feet), width 1.6 m (5.25 feet), depth 0.8 m (2.6 feet).
Yes, I saw the wrong stair direction. Sorry.
B
Ben-man
2 Jul 2019 13:00
kaho674 schrieb:
Yes, I saw the staircase going the wrong way. Sorry.

No problem, those are valid concerns.
ypg schrieb:
Ah, okay, so there’s no glass partition there?!
Then the tub will definitely get splashed when showering.

Correct, but that was exactly the idea. It’s always the exact spot that gets wet when showering or stepping in and out of the bathtub. So only that one area gets wet, and nowhere else. You can step into the “wet area” under the bathtub, and when you’re done, you step up into the “dry area,” grab a towel from the wall opposite the window, and the rest of the bathroom stays dry.
ypg schrieb:
And if someone wants to take a bath after showering, do they have to stand in the wet shower area first? Or the parents? Or am I misunderstanding?

I don’t quite follow that. If you go into the shower after someone, the shower is wet; if you go into the tub after someone, the tub is wet. So it shouldn’t be a problem to step into the tub when the shower is wet.
ypg schrieb:
Then ask your family members – I can imagine there’s at least one person who sees it differently.
I think it’s time for me to get going.

We planned it together, so I’m not just making this stuff up on my own.
M
micric3
2 Jul 2019 13:11
Ben-man schrieb:

By the way, these are our last seven designs. Unfortunately, I’ve already deleted the others. Please don’t be confused by the different colors.

The first design is quite interesting. A shower as a bathtub exit. It would be interesting to see a 3D model of the look, but unfortunately, the bathtub doesn’t seem to have any daylight windows.

In the second design, the direct view/fall onto the bathtub bothers me.

Designs 4, 5, and 6 are quite similar and practical, with design 4 being better positioned thanks to the additional privacy screen.