Hello everyone,
I would like to present the first draft of our floor plan and invite your feedback.
Since we want to build on a plot that is set back from the road with virtually no access for heavy construction equipment, and we also expect substantial costs for removing the excavated material, we have decided to build without a basement.
Therefore, the utility room is naturally located on the ground floor. Additionally, my wife needs a home office for professional reasons, which will either be the guest room on the ground floor or the office on the upper floor. The other room is intended as a small hobby room or similar.
Due to the position of the existing house, the upper part of the floor plan faces north since that area can be used as a large garden. The lower part with the utility room, living area, bathroom, and bedrooms faces south. The existing building is very tall and only five meters (16 feet) away, so a terrace on the south side is not possible. On the sides, there are also only a few meters to the neighboring properties.
What do you think of the floor plan in general and considering the site?
I would be glad to receive many responses.
Regards
I would like to present the first draft of our floor plan and invite your feedback.
Since we want to build on a plot that is set back from the road with virtually no access for heavy construction equipment, and we also expect substantial costs for removing the excavated material, we have decided to build without a basement.
Therefore, the utility room is naturally located on the ground floor. Additionally, my wife needs a home office for professional reasons, which will either be the guest room on the ground floor or the office on the upper floor. The other room is intended as a small hobby room or similar.
Due to the position of the existing house, the upper part of the floor plan faces north since that area can be used as a large garden. The lower part with the utility room, living area, bathroom, and bedrooms faces south. The existing building is very tall and only five meters (16 feet) away, so a terrace on the south side is not possible. On the sides, there are also only a few meters to the neighboring properties.
What do you think of the floor plan in general and considering the site?
I would be glad to receive many responses.
Regards
T
Timmi160816 May 2014 13:42Hello everyone,
First, I would like to thank you for the feedback! 🙂
Regarding the suggestions:
The guest room and the office could definitely be swapped. The guest room is only labeled that way on the plan; it’s actually intended to be a kind of hobby room. If guests do come, they would be accommodated there, but that doesn’t happen very often. Ultimately, we can decide later what the rooms will be used for.
I’m generally a fan of larger open spaces in rooms. Although this room can’t be used for that, in my opinion, bigger rooms create a better sense of well-being than tight spaces. Also, we currently have a rather small bathroom, and when two people are in there, we often get in each other’s way. What isn’t shown on the floor plan is a planned infrared sauna, which also requires a considerable amount of space. I have to admit, I’m not fully satisfied with the current layout either. Everything is concentrated on one side, while the other side—except for the bathtub—remains empty.
Regarding the utility room, I haven’t quite understood why it should be swapped with the guest room. Is it because of the longer distance to the kitchen? I find it more convenient to go straight into the storage room instead of having to always go around a corner. Also, the room is separated from the other living spaces in that location. The original reason for placing it there was that from the guest room you have a view of greenery, while the utility room looks out onto the neighboring house. The point about the wardrobe also speaks in favor of keeping the room as it is. We hadn’t considered this. Perhaps the utility room could be made a bit narrower and the door moved to create a more spacious entrance area.
Are there any other ideas about where to place the wardrobe?
What exactly is inconvenient about using the stairs? Not that I want to disagree, I’m just not very familiar with stair design.
The guest toilet is small, but I think the idea of having a second shower there is great. Especially once the children start school, there will be a morning rush for bathroom space.
Regarding the doors located in the corners, I don’t understand how this limits use. I thought that more furniture fits in the room this way, compared to having the door in the middle of the wall.
For the bathroom, the wall could be shifted slightly toward the bathroom. This would provide more workspace in the laundry room without affecting the bathroom.
I can upload the site plan this evening, but it doesn’t include detailed measurements. By the way, there is no formal building envelope. We submitted a preliminary building inquiry and will receive a special permit after the approved building application. The house may be no larger than 10 x 11 meters (33 x 36 feet), and the available space is so tight that there is no alternative placement for the building. Visually, it needs to match the existing buildings, so other house designs are unfortunately not possible.
First, I would like to thank you for the feedback! 🙂
Regarding the suggestions:
The guest room and the office could definitely be swapped. The guest room is only labeled that way on the plan; it’s actually intended to be a kind of hobby room. If guests do come, they would be accommodated there, but that doesn’t happen very often. Ultimately, we can decide later what the rooms will be used for.
I’m generally a fan of larger open spaces in rooms. Although this room can’t be used for that, in my opinion, bigger rooms create a better sense of well-being than tight spaces. Also, we currently have a rather small bathroom, and when two people are in there, we often get in each other’s way. What isn’t shown on the floor plan is a planned infrared sauna, which also requires a considerable amount of space. I have to admit, I’m not fully satisfied with the current layout either. Everything is concentrated on one side, while the other side—except for the bathtub—remains empty.
Regarding the utility room, I haven’t quite understood why it should be swapped with the guest room. Is it because of the longer distance to the kitchen? I find it more convenient to go straight into the storage room instead of having to always go around a corner. Also, the room is separated from the other living spaces in that location. The original reason for placing it there was that from the guest room you have a view of greenery, while the utility room looks out onto the neighboring house. The point about the wardrobe also speaks in favor of keeping the room as it is. We hadn’t considered this. Perhaps the utility room could be made a bit narrower and the door moved to create a more spacious entrance area.
Are there any other ideas about where to place the wardrobe?
What exactly is inconvenient about using the stairs? Not that I want to disagree, I’m just not very familiar with stair design.
The guest toilet is small, but I think the idea of having a second shower there is great. Especially once the children start school, there will be a morning rush for bathroom space.
Regarding the doors located in the corners, I don’t understand how this limits use. I thought that more furniture fits in the room this way, compared to having the door in the middle of the wall.
For the bathroom, the wall could be shifted slightly toward the bathroom. This would provide more workspace in the laundry room without affecting the bathroom.
I can upload the site plan this evening, but it doesn’t include detailed measurements. By the way, there is no formal building envelope. We submitted a preliminary building inquiry and will receive a special permit after the approved building application. The house may be no larger than 10 x 11 meters (33 x 36 feet), and the available space is so tight that there is no alternative placement for the building. Visually, it needs to match the existing buildings, so other house designs are unfortunately not possible.
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