We are currently in the process of buying a former farmstead in Schleswig-Holstein (the notary is preparing the purchase contract) to combine living and working (self-employed with animals) under one roof. We, a family of four, will move in together with my mother-in-law on the property. The main residential part is basically ready to move in and is not a topic for discussion here. The part of the building previously used as a barn will be partially converted for my mother-in-law.
About 80m² (860 sq ft) will be used for the apartment, the section facing the courtyard is intended for my wife’s business use or as a guest WC for visitors to the farm. In the middle of the building, between the old residential unit and the barn, there is an unheated, continuous threshing floor. Access to the apartment can be via this area, which can also serve as a corridor for coats and shoes.
I sketched a draft for a possible layout, but somehow it doesn’t feel quite right. I have prepared a questionnaire, shortened for practical purposes:
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: Building structure is fixed, listed building, the facade must not be significantly altered
Slope: no
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see above
Number of storeys: Conversion on the ground floor, upper floor is only a hayloft
Roof type: Gable roof
Architectural style: Desired – farmhouse / country house / built around 1880
Orientation: West and North
Other requirements: Facade is protected by historic preservation. Window and door openings are predetermined. In the center, there is a beam with two supporting pillars (circled in red on the floor plan). These cannot be moved. At the lower right is the old milk room. The walls between the milk room and the rest of the barn could be removed. The door shown at the lower left on the plan can be bricked up or equipped with a window / terrace door.
Client Requirements
Number of people, age: 1, newly retired, dog
Space needs on ground and upper floors: open-plan kitchen and living room, bedroom, utility room corner, bathroom
Office: family use
Guests per year: almost none, as there is an additional holiday apartment available
Open or closed layout: open plan
Traditional or modern construction style: traditional (not fully clear what is meant)
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes, island optional
Number of dining seats: 5
Fireplace: no
Music/media wall: small media corner
Balcony, roof terrace: terrace and garden facing north and west, as shown in the pictures, 3D view shows 4 pm in summer
Garage, carport: separate, no need to consider
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: only terrace and secure dog run
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for preferences or rejections
The outdoor area faces north and west, and towards the west there is the road as well as two large (listed) chestnut trees in the garden. My biggest concerns are 1. enough natural light entering the house and 2. some sunlight in the garden as well. For the latter, there is a shared backyard with a southern exposure.
Behind the western wall is the road, outside the built-up area but with little traffic. The wall has not yet been built, but according to the new state building code in Schleswig-Holstein, a height of 2m (6.5 ft) is allowed.
House Design
Who designed the plans:
- Do-it-Yourself
What do you like most? Why?
Low finishing effort, walls use existing posts.
What do you not like? Why?
I would like to keep the door at the lower left on the plan as a second exit open, but I haven’t found a space for a media / sofa area.
Price estimate by architect/planner: N/A
Personal price limit for the house including equipment:
Much will be done by ourselves: drywall, floor construction and insulation, electrical work up to the connection box.
Preferred heating system:
Most likely a multi-split air conditioning system (4 indoor units, 1 outdoor unit in the hayloft) and wall-mounted air-to-water heat pump, not connected to the existing central heating system of the house.
If you had to give up, which details/finishes could you skip:
- could skip: everything else is negotiable
- can’t skip: daylight bathroom, open kitchen and dining area
Why is the design as it is now? e.g.:
Requirements of the building structure, historic preservation, and client needs.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can the living area be planned and divided efficiently without ending up with one big hall and inefficient space use?
Thanks in advance 🙂
About 80m² (860 sq ft) will be used for the apartment, the section facing the courtyard is intended for my wife’s business use or as a guest WC for visitors to the farm. In the middle of the building, between the old residential unit and the barn, there is an unheated, continuous threshing floor. Access to the apartment can be via this area, which can also serve as a corridor for coats and shoes.
I sketched a draft for a possible layout, but somehow it doesn’t feel quite right. I have prepared a questionnaire, shortened for practical purposes:
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: Building structure is fixed, listed building, the facade must not be significantly altered
Slope: no
Building envelope, building line and boundary: see above
Number of storeys: Conversion on the ground floor, upper floor is only a hayloft
Roof type: Gable roof
Architectural style: Desired – farmhouse / country house / built around 1880
Orientation: West and North
Other requirements: Facade is protected by historic preservation. Window and door openings are predetermined. In the center, there is a beam with two supporting pillars (circled in red on the floor plan). These cannot be moved. At the lower right is the old milk room. The walls between the milk room and the rest of the barn could be removed. The door shown at the lower left on the plan can be bricked up or equipped with a window / terrace door.
Client Requirements
Number of people, age: 1, newly retired, dog
Space needs on ground and upper floors: open-plan kitchen and living room, bedroom, utility room corner, bathroom
Office: family use
Guests per year: almost none, as there is an additional holiday apartment available
Open or closed layout: open plan
Traditional or modern construction style: traditional (not fully clear what is meant)
Open kitchen, kitchen island: yes, island optional
Number of dining seats: 5
Fireplace: no
Music/media wall: small media corner
Balcony, roof terrace: terrace and garden facing north and west, as shown in the pictures, 3D view shows 4 pm in summer
Garage, carport: separate, no need to consider
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: only terrace and secure dog run
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons for preferences or rejections
The outdoor area faces north and west, and towards the west there is the road as well as two large (listed) chestnut trees in the garden. My biggest concerns are 1. enough natural light entering the house and 2. some sunlight in the garden as well. For the latter, there is a shared backyard with a southern exposure.
Behind the western wall is the road, outside the built-up area but with little traffic. The wall has not yet been built, but according to the new state building code in Schleswig-Holstein, a height of 2m (6.5 ft) is allowed.
House Design
Who designed the plans:
- Do-it-Yourself
What do you like most? Why?
Low finishing effort, walls use existing posts.
What do you not like? Why?
I would like to keep the door at the lower left on the plan as a second exit open, but I haven’t found a space for a media / sofa area.
Price estimate by architect/planner: N/A
Personal price limit for the house including equipment:
Much will be done by ourselves: drywall, floor construction and insulation, electrical work up to the connection box.
Preferred heating system:
Most likely a multi-split air conditioning system (4 indoor units, 1 outdoor unit in the hayloft) and wall-mounted air-to-water heat pump, not connected to the existing central heating system of the house.
If you had to give up, which details/finishes could you skip:
- could skip: everything else is negotiable
- can’t skip: daylight bathroom, open kitchen and dining area
Why is the design as it is now? e.g.:
Requirements of the building structure, historic preservation, and client needs.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
How can the living area be planned and divided efficiently without ending up with one big hall and inefficient space use?
Thanks in advance 🙂
hanghaus2023 schrieb:
What do the heritage preservation authorities say about the windows? As planned, it probably won’t be allowed?It is possible. We are still deciding between restoring the old forged steel windows on the outside with opening mechanisms and installing continuous secondary glazing on the inside, or replacing them with new finely detailed aluminum windows with matching muntin profiles, for example from Jansen. Both options will be expensive—likely the most costly item in the construction budget.ypg schrieb:
Also, I would consider adjusting the sliding door, the access to the living area, by moving it. Ideally, the desk should be located near a window.ypg schrieb:
If the bedroom entrance came from the hallway, the wardrobe/dresser in the dining area could be rotated 90 degrees and placed against the other wall. This arrangement would also harmonize better with the sliding door.I would agree, but the large 1.95m (6 ft 5 in) wardrobe is a keepsake from the old house and must definitely stay.ypg schrieb:
I would make sure that the dressing area between the two 60cm (24 inch) wardrobes has at least one meter (39 inches), preferably 1.20m (47 inches) of space in between (even the best dressers need that depth). Ideally, there would be 70cm (28 inches) of space for a wardrobe behind the door. As it stands now, you’d bump into a side panel (those aren’t 60cm wardrobes, are they?). Maybe you could locate the door from the hallway; that would also have the advantage that the dressing area can be used for coats and outdoor shoes.True, I changed that. Now it’s two 60cm (24 inch) wardrobes with 1.05m (41 inches) in between. More space would make the bed area tight.motorradsilke schrieb:
Facing away from the window? Instead of being able to look outside, you prefer to look at the wall? I will never understand why anyone would want that.Me neither.ypg schrieb:
To avoid watching TV with backlight or to be able to read comfortably in natural daylight.It faces north-northwest, so backlight is limited.hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Because there’s nothing to see outside. The elderly lady might want to watch TV sometimes, too.The goal is to make sure the future resident doesn’t sit alone at home watching programs like Musikantenstadl, the 24th remake of Wetten, dass..?, or the endless ramblings of Anne Will and others. Outside there will already be greenery to see (once that outdoor area is finished—and before that, she has the task of creating it).M
motorradsilke6 Apr 2023 09:46hanghaus2023 schrieb:
Because there’s nothing to see outside. The older lady might also want to watch TV sometimes.There is always something to see outside. And you can also watch TV through the windows, IF you watch TV during the day. If necessary, use a curtain or shutters or something similar in front.Similar topics