Hello dear community,
I’m voluntarily putting myself on the chopping block to present the current status of our planning.
We are currently planning the construction of our single-family home. We have a plot measuring 30 x 18.8 m (98 x 62 feet). The plot is oriented northeast-southwest. There are neighbors on the north and south sides. On the east side is the street/driveway, and opposite is a newly built multi-family building. Therefore, we want the living rooms and terrace to face west.
We decided to work with a regional general contractor (GC) who individually designs and builds each house. It will be built as a solid masonry structure according to the Energy Saving Ordinance. The basic floor plan without furniture comes from the GC’s planner and is based on our discussions. I then redrew it and furnished it to represent the "worst-case" scenario. What does this mean? For example, we don’t always have 10 people in the dining area; a table can be added if needed. However, there should be enough space for that. The same applies to the study. This will be a study 99% of the time. If we have children in the future, it would need to become a combined study/children’s room. Space should be available for this as well. The second work area would then move from the children’s room to the gallery. In this sense, the furnishing partly represents more of a future scenario than the present one. In any case, all dimensions are realistic.
Now to the questionnaire:
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 564 m² (6069 ft²)
Slope: none
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Gross floor area ratio: 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3 m (10 ft) all around
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: 4
Number of floors: 2 full stories
Roof type: free design
Style: free design
Orientation: northwest-southeast
Maximum heights/limits: none
Other requirements: none
Requirements of the homeowners
Style, roof type, building type: 2 full stories
Number of people, age: He 34, She 27, no children planned (still “worst-case” planning with one child)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
Ground floor: open living area, utility room, shower toilet, space for wardrobe
Upper floor: gallery with workspace, bedroom, study/child’s room, multifunction room (office 2/child’s room)
Office: He works 100% from home; She works 40% from home (if a child arrives, a small workspace will be set up in the gallery)
Guests per year: 0–1
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern building style: modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: cooking island – kitchen will be included
Number of dining seats: 10 for family gatherings (3–5 times per year)
Fireplace: no
Music/sound system wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double carport
Utility garden, greenhouse: garden shed
Other wishes, special features, daily routine, reasons why certain things are included or excluded:
Functional rooms on the east side (street side), living rooms facing west (not overlooked), terrace to the west. We are not really “south-terrace” people; I prefer to stay inside.
I’m still unsure about the actual feel of the open living area (whether it feels like a narrow corridor or not). This can probably be visually balanced by furnishing, color scheme, and decoration to reduce any sense of “length.”
House design
Planning by: planner of the construction company
What do you particularly like? Why? Open living space, west orientation
What do you dislike? Why?
Possibly not enough wardrobe space, although we currently manage well with 2 linear meters (6.5 feet). The stairway entrance in the foyer — we’ve already accepted that compromise.
Estimated price according to architect/planner: 260,000€
Personal budget limit for house including fittings (excluding building-related additional costs, garden, carport etc.): 300,000€
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
If you had to give up something, which details or extensions could you do without?
- Could do without: half-landing staircase, kitchen directly at the house entrance
- Could not do without: orientation of living areas to the west, bedroom to the north
Why did the design turn out this way?
For example: The design developed through joint discussions with the GC’s planner, based on the room program, the plot, and our orientation preferences.
What is the most important or fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters or less?
Is the floor plan coherent, or have we developed blind spots and overlooked major planning mistakes?
With that, many thanks!
I’m voluntarily putting myself on the chopping block to present the current status of our planning.
We are currently planning the construction of our single-family home. We have a plot measuring 30 x 18.8 m (98 x 62 feet). The plot is oriented northeast-southwest. There are neighbors on the north and south sides. On the east side is the street/driveway, and opposite is a newly built multi-family building. Therefore, we want the living rooms and terrace to face west.
We decided to work with a regional general contractor (GC) who individually designs and builds each house. It will be built as a solid masonry structure according to the Energy Saving Ordinance. The basic floor plan without furniture comes from the GC’s planner and is based on our discussions. I then redrew it and furnished it to represent the "worst-case" scenario. What does this mean? For example, we don’t always have 10 people in the dining area; a table can be added if needed. However, there should be enough space for that. The same applies to the study. This will be a study 99% of the time. If we have children in the future, it would need to become a combined study/children’s room. Space should be available for this as well. The second work area would then move from the children’s room to the gallery. In this sense, the furnishing partly represents more of a future scenario than the present one. In any case, all dimensions are realistic.
Now to the questionnaire:
Development plan/restrictions
Plot size: 564 m² (6069 ft²)
Slope: none
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Gross floor area ratio: 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3 m (10 ft) all around
Edge development
Number of parking spaces: 4
Number of floors: 2 full stories
Roof type: free design
Style: free design
Orientation: northwest-southeast
Maximum heights/limits: none
Other requirements: none
Requirements of the homeowners
Style, roof type, building type: 2 full stories
Number of people, age: He 34, She 27, no children planned (still “worst-case” planning with one child)
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
Ground floor: open living area, utility room, shower toilet, space for wardrobe
Upper floor: gallery with workspace, bedroom, study/child’s room, multifunction room (office 2/child’s room)
Office: He works 100% from home; She works 40% from home (if a child arrives, a small workspace will be set up in the gallery)
Guests per year: 0–1
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern building style: modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: cooking island – kitchen will be included
Number of dining seats: 10 for family gatherings (3–5 times per year)
Fireplace: no
Music/sound system wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double carport
Utility garden, greenhouse: garden shed
Other wishes, special features, daily routine, reasons why certain things are included or excluded:
Functional rooms on the east side (street side), living rooms facing west (not overlooked), terrace to the west. We are not really “south-terrace” people; I prefer to stay inside.
I’m still unsure about the actual feel of the open living area (whether it feels like a narrow corridor or not). This can probably be visually balanced by furnishing, color scheme, and decoration to reduce any sense of “length.”
House design
Planning by: planner of the construction company
What do you particularly like? Why? Open living space, west orientation
What do you dislike? Why?
Possibly not enough wardrobe space, although we currently manage well with 2 linear meters (6.5 feet). The stairway entrance in the foyer — we’ve already accepted that compromise.
Estimated price according to architect/planner: 260,000€
Personal budget limit for house including fittings (excluding building-related additional costs, garden, carport etc.): 300,000€
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump
If you had to give up something, which details or extensions could you do without?
- Could do without: half-landing staircase, kitchen directly at the house entrance
- Could not do without: orientation of living areas to the west, bedroom to the north
Why did the design turn out this way?
For example: The design developed through joint discussions with the GC’s planner, based on the room program, the plot, and our orientation preferences.
What is the most important or fundamental question about the floor plan in 130 characters or less?
Is the floor plan coherent, or have we developed blind spots and overlooked major planning mistakes?
With that, many thanks!
H
hampshire4 Aug 2020 14:55I share your concern that the large room might feel "tunnel-like," but not because of the shape itself—it’s more about the placement of the furniture shown. It’s difficult to integrate structural and sightline-breaking elements this way. There is a lot of table and sofa space for just two people. With the right choice of furniture, plants, and possibly a piece of furniture extending into the room or a chaise lounge positioned across the space, you can create a visually balanced and harmonious room. A larger window wall would also help open up the space visually.
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