I am interested in receiving opinions and suggestions on our house design.
It is a main house with two full stories and a pitched roof.
A basement is not feasible due to groundwater and is also not desired, as we prefer natural daylight. :-)
Next to the house, there are two extensions: one for storage and another as a basement substitute for hobby rooms, laundry, etc.
Part of the extension is intended to serve as a roof terrace, while the rest will be greened.
The construction will be solid, and I am considering Poroton.
The points I am currently questioning are:
- Do all the dimensions fit properly without any issues?
- Are there enough windows, or are there too many?
- I have not yet aligned the building structure with a brick modular size—I am thinking of 12.5 cm (5 inches). Does that make sense?
The property is a corner lot, with streets running along the north and east sides of the house.
On the sketches, north is at the top.
From the north:
Ground floor:
Upper floor (unfortunately the basement walls are visible in the floor plan):
I would appreciate your feedback and ideas.
It is a main house with two full stories and a pitched roof.
A basement is not feasible due to groundwater and is also not desired, as we prefer natural daylight. :-)
Next to the house, there are two extensions: one for storage and another as a basement substitute for hobby rooms, laundry, etc.
Part of the extension is intended to serve as a roof terrace, while the rest will be greened.
The construction will be solid, and I am considering Poroton.
The points I am currently questioning are:
- Do all the dimensions fit properly without any issues?
- Are there enough windows, or are there too many?
- I have not yet aligned the building structure with a brick modular size—I am thinking of 12.5 cm (5 inches). Does that make sense?
The property is a corner lot, with streets running along the north and east sides of the house.
On the sketches, north is at the top.
From the north:
Ground floor:
Upper floor (unfortunately the basement walls are visible in the floor plan):
I would appreciate your feedback and ideas.
venraij schrieb:
Actually, it’s 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in): According to the plan, it’s 208 cm (82 inches). And these are drywall partitions, so there will be tiles on both sides, plus plaster, and in the shower another layer of tiles.
The cabinet depth without doors... even the Ikea Pax carcasses are 58 cm (23 inches) deep, without doors. And as I said, just imagine the attic ladder is lowered—you wouldn’t be able to reach the attic hatch properly or stand there, but at the same time, you wouldn’t be able to get any items you want to place on the floor past the ladder and the cabinets.
Just a quick off-topic remark: if I weren’t a moderator and didn’t have a particular interest in floor plans, I probably would have stopped reading after the second page.
I have a lot of questions, many of which were already raised during the discussion by @kbt09 and @Manu1976, so I didn’t note or highlight them again. However, I don’t get the feeling these questions have been fully answered yet.
If you really care about our understanding, improvements, or criticism, please go through this thread again, highlight their questions, and answer them 🙂
Some are too large (walking areas overall, kitchen, WC, garage/entrance—all already mentioned), some feel claustrophobic (dressing room, bathroom).
The number is ample, but I find the width of 150cm (59 inches) for the double windows a bit narrow. For me, combined with the room doors and openings plus the divided window panes, it looks too busy.
The kitchen has 3 doors, the dining area has 3 doors, the living room has 3 doors, and the dressing room has 3 doors... even if doors are just openings, I find this currently confusing and wonder if it will feel cozy. I’m sure smaller cabinets and dressers will be placed between the windows, too. With decorations and pictures, I’d quickly want to leave the house.
I should also add that the architectural drawings differ somewhat from your version...
I actually like the guest room being near the WC. It’s a nice solution for guests or possibly an in-law suite for parents or something like that. However, for example, I would move the shower to an exterior wall to avoid having that wall visible from the entrance area.
I also think that 3 meters (10 feet) must be maintained on the north side. But we could be wrong 😉
What does “for now” mean? Sure, one initially wants to enjoy a couple’s life for the first years, but if children aren’t ruled out, they need to be considered too—especially rethinking the door to the dressing room (you want to be able to use it in private, and children don’t necessarily need to share a closet with their parents).
Hmm, the TVs in the kitchen and bedroom immediately caught my attention 😉
The pantry, in my opinion, is a complete failure unless you move around the kitchen on roller skates or serve everything from this room. The kitchen itself has already been discussed...
Allow roughly 3 cm (1 inch) of plaster on each wall, and tiles add to thickness too. A bit of furniture can help make it feel cozy. (I’m surprised by the minimalist approach for this house.) A spacious shower should have a raw structural dimension of 100 cm (39 inches). We’re not dealing with budget constraints here.
A bathtub is needed (already mentioned). If not for age or illness (we won’t get sick), then possibly for laundry, cleaning, or changing habits.
The bathroom lacks space.
We also have 50 cm (20 inch) shelves instead of 65 cm (26 inch) cabinets, but less than 88 cm (35 inches) aisle? You can barely see your clothes laid out, let alone open a drawer. A drawer needs space to open. How does that work for two people?
It’s a complicated house: three extensions, a huge entrance hall... though the extensions are arranged somewhat logically (south-facing niche), I would definitely miss protection from west winds.
I like entrances visible from the driveway. The gable roof is far too tall for the building (more storage space—why?). The attached hip roof of the extension doesn’t fit.
I appreciate unconventional designs, and you don’t want to build like everyone else. But this can definitely be solved better.
For other remarks, see what the two ladies wrote.
I still don’t think our criticism will have an effect; you seem quite attached to your future pride already.
I have a lot of questions, many of which were already raised during the discussion by @kbt09 and @Manu1976, so I didn’t note or highlight them again. However, I don’t get the feeling these questions have been fully answered yet.
If you really care about our understanding, improvements, or criticism, please go through this thread again, highlight their questions, and answer them 🙂
venraij schrieb:
- Are all dimensions suitable so nothing is too tight?
Some are too large (walking areas overall, kitchen, WC, garage/entrance—all already mentioned), some feel claustrophobic (dressing room, bathroom).
venraij schrieb:
- Are there enough or too many windows?
The number is ample, but I find the width of 150cm (59 inches) for the double windows a bit narrow. For me, combined with the room doors and openings plus the divided window panes, it looks too busy.
The kitchen has 3 doors, the dining area has 3 doors, the living room has 3 doors, and the dressing room has 3 doors... even if doors are just openings, I find this currently confusing and wonder if it will feel cozy. I’m sure smaller cabinets and dressers will be placed between the windows, too. With decorations and pictures, I’d quickly want to leave the house.
I should also add that the architectural drawings differ somewhat from your version...
Manu1976 schrieb:
Or is this supposed to be something like a granny flat?
I actually like the guest room being near the WC. It’s a nice solution for guests or possibly an in-law suite for parents or something like that. However, for example, I would move the shower to an exterior wall to avoid having that wall visible from the entrance area.
venraij schrieb:
The plot is flat, with a high groundwater level, 800 sq m (8611 sq ft), buildable under §34, corner lot, no real building envelopes, only a 5-meter (16 feet) setback to the east which a neighboring property didn’t observe, so this might be contestable.
I also think that 3 meters (10 feet) must be maintained on the north side. But we could be wrong 😉
venraij schrieb:
Currently, two adults are supposed to live here.
venraij schrieb:
For now, just the two of us will stay.
What does “for now” mean? Sure, one initially wants to enjoy a couple’s life for the first years, but if children aren’t ruled out, they need to be considered too—especially rethinking the door to the dressing room (you want to be able to use it in private, and children don’t necessarily need to share a closet with their parents).
venraij schrieb:
The TV wall is not supposed to dominate the living room
Hmm, the TVs in the kitchen and bedroom immediately caught my attention 😉
venraij schrieb:
The pantry extension should have shelves on one side for food storage and the grill, with the other side offering storage and work surfaces for kitchen appliances you don’t want in the main kitchen.
The pantry, in my opinion, is a complete failure unless you move around the kitchen on roller skates or serve everything from this room. The kitchen itself has already been discussed...
venraij schrieb:
Actually, it is 2.3m (7.5 feet): my calculation was 90 cm (35 inches) for the shower (should be comfortable), 10 cm (4 inches) for drywall, which partially integrates the sink on the other side, then 60 cm (24 inches) for the washbasin depth. That leaves 70 cm (28 inches) in front of the basin, which should be enough. Otherwise, the wall could be adjusted slightly. Would that make sense?
Allow roughly 3 cm (1 inch) of plaster on each wall, and tiles add to thickness too. A bit of furniture can help make it feel cozy. (I’m surprised by the minimalist approach for this house.) A spacious shower should have a raw structural dimension of 100 cm (39 inches). We’re not dealing with budget constraints here.
A bathtub is needed (already mentioned). If not for age or illness (we won’t get sick), then possibly for laundry, cleaning, or changing habits.
The bathroom lacks space.
venraij schrieb:
Closet depth: 2 x 50 cm (20 inches), no doors, leaving 88 cm (35 inches) in between. Is that too narrow? I assumed 70 cm (28 inches) as a minimum and thought 88 cm (35 inches) would be relatively comfortable.
We also have 50 cm (20 inch) shelves instead of 65 cm (26 inch) cabinets, but less than 88 cm (35 inches) aisle? You can barely see your clothes laid out, let alone open a drawer. A drawer needs space to open. How does that work for two people?
It’s a complicated house: three extensions, a huge entrance hall... though the extensions are arranged somewhat logically (south-facing niche), I would definitely miss protection from west winds.
I like entrances visible from the driveway. The gable roof is far too tall for the building (more storage space—why?). The attached hip roof of the extension doesn’t fit.
I appreciate unconventional designs, and you don’t want to build like everyone else. But this can definitely be solved better.
For other remarks, see what the two ladies wrote.
I still don’t think our criticism will have an effect; you seem quite attached to your future pride already.
The building setback from the property boundary on the north side has been on my mind. However, it is actually permissible. The concept of setback areas is well explained on a surveyor Jörg Schröder’s site. I have also reviewed Section 34 with a commentary 😉 ... A restriction could apply if the existing development in this area establishes an effective building line approximately at xx meters from the property boundary, serving as the surrounding built environment.
But let’s assume, for now, that this setback is allowed.
But let’s assume, for now, that this setback is allowed.
ypg schrieb:
went looking for the exit after the second page. Sorry, can I possibly sort this out in the first post, or would that just make everything even more confusing?
ypg schrieb:
However, I don’t feel these questions have been answered yet. I was (pleasantly) surprised by the many comments and haven’t kept up with the replies—I will catch up on that :-)
ypg schrieb:
I still don’t think our criticism will take effect, No, I am really open to suggestions; I’m also not trying to defend my design, just to clarify the reasoning behind it…
ypg schrieb:
child/children are not excluded, then they must be planned for I think children can be considered excluded; the house would be big enough, but it is not planned for them…
ypg schrieb:
Dining room has 3 doors The idea here was that the partition wall on the left and right between the dining room and living room is open, so there is a separation but still two rooms. The sliding door to the kitchen is also intended this way.
ypg schrieb:
Walk-in closet has 3 doors.. The idea here was also to have openings that can remain open. The room next to it is my wife’s domain, and she could use it as a dressing room, etc. So, there are three rooms that can be separated as needed—at least in theory.
ypg schrieb:
appear too busy together with the muntins. The window muntins in the picture are from the architect; I’m not a fan of windows with muntins either :-)
ypg schrieb:
Storage is completely failed, in my opinion I don’t get that now; the entrance is practically next to the main entrance, and the kitchen and garden are easily accessible. Could you explain the problem more precisely—is it too large or too narrow? I didn’t want to make it wider in order to have a straight edge on the north side for the extension. The roof will continue between these areas to form a veranda in front of the main door.
ypg schrieb:
Kitchen was already mentioned... I actually found the kitchen quite practical… Is this about the long distance between the sink, refrigerator, and stove? The simplest solution would be to put the stove in the island, but I don’t like that idea because of splattering grease, etc.
Or did I overlook something else?
ypg schrieb:
Bathtub is necessary Okay, noted. I think it could also be added later in the guest bathroom if needed; it just has to be planned structurally. For the next few years, we can do without—it’s hardly ever used in our current home.
ypg schrieb:
I feel there isn’t enough space in the bathroom. The plan really shows 2.3 m (7.5 ft)—the other measurement is the office wall. But a few centimeters are probably not the core of the argument?
The partition wall to the WC should not reach the ceiling; honestly, it’s a compromise. Maybe a few centimeters more could be found in front of the washbasin, otherwise I can’t think of real alternatives.
ypg schrieb:
We also have 50 cm (20 inches) shelves instead of 65 cm (26 inches) cabinets: but less than 88 cm (35 inches) between them? Hmm, maybe I can take a bit from the bedroom. Otherwise, we could consider drywall partitions as backs for the built-in wardrobes—that would gain about 20 cm (8 inches)?
ypg schrieb:
I like entrances that can be seen from the driveway Yes, the main issue is probably my decision to add a basement extension. The total area of the extensions is smaller than a full basement would require but still needs space next to the house. Therefore, the garage will have to go. I can't think of a better solution for this plot.
ypg schrieb:
huge entrance hall.. Originally, we planned an additional room for coats and shoes. However, if the transition to the extension remains open, this room ends up being very small. That’s why we are considering implementing that storage with built-in closets instead. Does this seem too large?
ypg schrieb:
The pitched roof is way too tall for the building The roof pitch was proposed by the architect. I had planned it 5 degrees less, but he said that with the house’s stepped design and the extension, this pitch would work well.
kbt09 schrieb:
narrow storage room Why is that problematic, because of the room’s spatial effect? Otherwise, it’s quite practical if you can use the space you need in front of the shelves on both sides. If it were more square-shaped, you would probably leave more space unused in the middle, right?
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