Hello everyone
Development plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 2429 m² (26,134 sq ft)
Slope: slight downward slope to the left (when looking at the plot from the street)
Building envelope, building line and boundary: only 5 m (16 ft) setback at front and back
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Number of floors: 1 full floor
(There are actually no further restrictions such as roof pitch or similar.)
Client requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: originally 2 full floors desired → townhouse
Basement, floors: no basement, 2 floors
Number of occupants, age: 2 (planned 4), 23 & 26
Space requirements on ground and upper floors
Office: family use
Guest overnight stays per year: difficult to estimate, rather few
Open or closed architecture
Conservative or modern construction
No open kitchen, preferably with cooking island
Number of dining seats: 6 (+ expandable up to 12 for birthdays/Christmas)
Fireplace: yes
Music / stereo wall: 5.1 surround system
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Double garage
Small utility garden
Other features: it should be a smart home
House design
Who designed it: Do-it-Yourself, 3D view by developer
What do you dislike? Why? More covered terrace would be desirable
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: €265k for the house + €58k for garage
Personal price limit for house, including equipment: €300k - €320k (DIY electrical work possible)
Preferred heating system: geothermal heat pump
If you have to give up something, which details / additions
- can you give up: size of children’s rooms and bedroom
Why is the design the way it is now? months of self-planning
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Basically, we like the layout. Of course, considering the cost, it would be good to save a few square meters without noticeably losing living space. That’s the crucial point. Is the floor plan practical? Or could small adjustments yield more (space/comfort/cost)?
The file Grundriss 2 shows our planned layout on the plot with approximate sun path. On the left side in the top view there is already a bungalow. The land slopes down increasingly to the right, and nothing has been built there yet. Two full floors are possible there. No trees are present. The plot consists only of meadow.
I hope I have covered the essentials and look forward to your feedback.
Best regards, denz
Development plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 2429 m² (26,134 sq ft)
Slope: slight downward slope to the left (when looking at the plot from the street)
Building envelope, building line and boundary: only 5 m (16 ft) setback at front and back
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Number of floors: 1 full floor
(There are actually no further restrictions such as roof pitch or similar.)
Client requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: originally 2 full floors desired → townhouse
Basement, floors: no basement, 2 floors
Number of occupants, age: 2 (planned 4), 23 & 26
Space requirements on ground and upper floors
Office: family use
Guest overnight stays per year: difficult to estimate, rather few
Open or closed architecture
Conservative or modern construction
No open kitchen, preferably with cooking island
Number of dining seats: 6 (+ expandable up to 12 for birthdays/Christmas)
Fireplace: yes
Music / stereo wall: 5.1 surround system
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Double garage
Small utility garden
Other features: it should be a smart home
House design
Who designed it: Do-it-Yourself, 3D view by developer
What do you dislike? Why? More covered terrace would be desirable
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: €265k for the house + €58k for garage
Personal price limit for house, including equipment: €300k - €320k (DIY electrical work possible)
Preferred heating system: geothermal heat pump
If you have to give up something, which details / additions
- can you give up: size of children’s rooms and bedroom
Why is the design the way it is now? months of self-planning
What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Basically, we like the layout. Of course, considering the cost, it would be good to save a few square meters without noticeably losing living space. That’s the crucial point. Is the floor plan practical? Or could small adjustments yield more (space/comfort/cost)?
The file Grundriss 2 shows our planned layout on the plot with approximate sun path. On the left side in the top view there is already a bungalow. The land slopes down increasingly to the right, and nothing has been built there yet. Two full floors are possible there. No trees are present. The plot consists only of meadow.
I hope I have covered the essentials and look forward to your feedback.
Best regards, denz
Hello @kaho674,
thank you very much for your assessment.
Regarding the entrance area – good point! I don’t think it’s that bad, but you’re right, it’s not very well arranged. Maybe we can move the door a bit to the left if we make the WC smaller. Smaller because I believe we only use the shower downstairs about three times a year, which makes it quite an expensive convenience, and also you constantly have to remember to run the water – thinking about legionella prevention?
So, smaller WC means the entrance door can move further left. But that also means more square meters for the hallway.
Narrowing the width is tricky. The living area is planned to fit our current U-shaped sofa, with space for surround speakers on the back left and right.
The dining area should stay as large as planned, otherwise, it’ll be too tight during Christmas, birthdays, etc.
The kitchen: there is actually supposed to be a cooking island. If we remove that and reconsider how much space we really need in the kitchen, maybe we could reduce it by half a meter (about 20 inches).
But for that half meter, I think the only room where there’s some flexibility is the office. Because if I make the utility room smaller (which actually needs space due to smart home equipment), the stairs will shift, and then the chimney ends up standing right in the middle of the upstairs room.
For now, I have reduced the upper floor by about 10 m² (about 108 sq ft).
I removed the rear projection. Unfortunately, the huge wardrobe no longer fits, but in return, there is now a walk-in closet behind the bed. The nightstands had to go, but currently, there’s only a phone on them anyway.
Additionally, I reduced the children’s rooms by half a meter (about 20 inches) and moved the wall of Child’s Room 2 slightly to the right towards the bedroom.
Regarding the bathroom: of course, the “T” shape takes up space, but because of the stairs, we have to extend the bathroom widthwise anyway, and the length is already reduced to the minimum (the door has to fit somewhere). Moving the exterior wall further towards the stairs probably does not make much financial sense, as it would increase structural requirements for the intermediate ceiling, right? (Because then the upper floor wouldn’t be supported by the lower exterior wall anymore.)
thank you very much for your assessment.
Regarding the entrance area – good point! I don’t think it’s that bad, but you’re right, it’s not very well arranged. Maybe we can move the door a bit to the left if we make the WC smaller. Smaller because I believe we only use the shower downstairs about three times a year, which makes it quite an expensive convenience, and also you constantly have to remember to run the water – thinking about legionella prevention?
So, smaller WC means the entrance door can move further left. But that also means more square meters for the hallway.
Narrowing the width is tricky. The living area is planned to fit our current U-shaped sofa, with space for surround speakers on the back left and right.
The dining area should stay as large as planned, otherwise, it’ll be too tight during Christmas, birthdays, etc.
The kitchen: there is actually supposed to be a cooking island. If we remove that and reconsider how much space we really need in the kitchen, maybe we could reduce it by half a meter (about 20 inches).
But for that half meter, I think the only room where there’s some flexibility is the office. Because if I make the utility room smaller (which actually needs space due to smart home equipment), the stairs will shift, and then the chimney ends up standing right in the middle of the upstairs room.
For now, I have reduced the upper floor by about 10 m² (about 108 sq ft).
I removed the rear projection. Unfortunately, the huge wardrobe no longer fits, but in return, there is now a walk-in closet behind the bed. The nightstands had to go, but currently, there’s only a phone on them anyway.
Additionally, I reduced the children’s rooms by half a meter (about 20 inches) and moved the wall of Child’s Room 2 slightly to the right towards the bedroom.
Regarding the bathroom: of course, the “T” shape takes up space, but because of the stairs, we have to extend the bathroom widthwise anyway, and the length is already reduced to the minimum (the door has to fit somewhere). Moving the exterior wall further towards the stairs probably does not make much financial sense, as it would increase structural requirements for the intermediate ceiling, right? (Because then the upper floor wouldn’t be supported by the lower exterior wall anymore.)
@RobsonMKK True. Maybe rotate the bed back and place it quite close to the door. Then move the partition wall upwards so there is a larger opening at the bottom leading to the dressing area?
@Otus11 Jackets are supposed to hang on the back wall of the restroom. A large wardrobe fits opposite the entrance door, and a closet will also be integrated into the staircase. Winter jackets can be stored elsewhere during summer. Don’t you think that’s enough?
@Otus11 Jackets are supposed to hang on the back wall of the restroom. A large wardrobe fits opposite the entrance door, and a closet will also be integrated into the staircase. Winter jackets can be stored elsewhere during summer. Don’t you think that’s enough?
Is everything else perfect then?
Topic: ceiling height. I would now assume a clear height of 2.60 m (8 ft 6 in).
However, I was thinking of lowering the ceilings by 20 cm (8 inches) everywhere to stay flexible for the future. So, basically, the builder would provide a clear room height of 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in), and once they are finished, I would install a dropped ceiling everywhere, resulting in a final clear height of 2.60 m (8 ft 6 in). Or could that possibly feel oppressive in a large dining/living area?
Topic: ceiling height. I would now assume a clear height of 2.60 m (8 ft 6 in).
However, I was thinking of lowering the ceilings by 20 cm (8 inches) everywhere to stay flexible for the future. So, basically, the builder would provide a clear room height of 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in), and once they are finished, I would install a dropped ceiling everywhere, resulting in a final clear height of 2.60 m (8 ft 6 in). Or could that possibly feel oppressive in a large dining/living area?
D
Deliverer28 Nov 2017 10:12Thoughts for the kitchen:
With so much open space, deep countertops and cabinets (>=80cm (31.5 inches)) are recommended. The trend for kitchen islands will fade – what remains is plenty of workspace, even if the toaster is on the counter.
With so much open space, deep countertops and cabinets (>=80cm (31.5 inches)) are recommended. The trend for kitchen islands will fade – what remains is plenty of workspace, even if the toaster is on the counter.
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