ᐅ Semi-detached house, 144 sqm – Request for suggestions for improvement
Created on: 29 Mar 2020 11:16
A
AlbertKamika
I have completed the guide and would greatly appreciate any suggestions or comments regarding our design.
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 400sqm (4306 sqft)
Slope: gentle slope, declining from left to right by 0.4m (16 inches) when facing the house from the front, and declining from the front to the back of the plot by 0.7m (28 inches)
Site coverage ratio: I don’t know this, but the external walls cannot be changed anymore; the focus is now only on the interior layout. Some external walls are fixed by the development plan, others by our budget.
Floor area ratio: see site coverage ratio
Building zone, building line and boundary: 6m (20 feet) distance from the front boundary of the plot; for the semi-detached house: 0m from the right boundary and 4.5m (15 feet) from the left boundary
New development area
Number of parking spaces: 1 to 2
Number of floors: 1 full floor (ground floor), 1 floor with sloping roof (knee wall also fixed by the development plan and cannot be changed), 1 attic floor (converted into living space), 1 basement (utility cellar)
Roof type: gable roof, 40 percent pitch fixed by the development plan
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: terrace/garden faces northwest
Maximum heights/limits: external walls, roof, and overall building height are fixed by the development plan
Additional requirements
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: semi-detached house, modern and open; the kitchen with an island and the dining area should be the focal point. We need 3 bedrooms and 1 office. The staircase should be enclosed.
Basement: yes, a utility cellar is required.
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults, 2 children
Room requirements on ground and upper floors:
Ground floor: large open living-dining-kitchen area, 1 bathroom with shower, hallway space sufficient for coats and shoes without feeling cramped.
Upper floor: 3 bedrooms, attic: office
Office: home office? Yes
Overnight guests per year: few
Open or closed architecture: partly open/partly closed, see style
Traditional or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, island: yes, island
Number of dining seats: 4 for us plus 2 for guests = 6
Fireplace: no
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/particulars/daily routine, including reasons why certain things are wanted or not: We wanted a walk-in closet so that changing clothes can be done without waking the partner, as we get up at different times.
House Design
Planner:
- Planner from a construction company: yes
What do you particularly like? Why?
The open living-dining area with the kitchen island (the island is not shown in the plans but I think its location is clear). We wanted a large glass-metal door in the hallway-to-living-room passage to avoid the hallway being too dark.
What do you dislike? Why?
I think many details are still unfinished.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 310,000
Personal budget limit for house including equipment: 310,000
Preferred heating technology: heat pump and underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, which details or expansions
- Can you give up: I think we already kept it quite simple; there is nothing we can give up.
- Cannot give up: kitchen island, attic office, showers on both ground and upper floors, walk-in closet
Why is the design the way it is now? E.g.
Standard design from planner? No, the ground floor design is partly ours and partly from the planner. We mainly wanted the kitchen island and a cozy TV area that is not the main focus but rather a “niche”, while the kitchen should be central. This was only possible with a narrow staircase due to the fixed external walls. The upper floor was then designed by the planner around the staircase.
What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes?
The living room was realized according to our wishes. However, I now find the master bedroom somewhat small, which is due to our desire for a walk-in closet.
What is the most important/basic question regarding the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
The external walls cannot be changed. It is a semi-detached house, 7 meters (23 feet) wide and 11.60 meters (38 feet) long. Our wishes were implemented, but I still find the design somewhat unfinished. What can be improved?
Additionally, 3 specific questions:
Ground floor: can the washbasin and toilet be swapped? Is that feasible? Could the hallway be made narrower to enlarge the living area, or would it become too narrow?
Upper floor: can the shower and toilet be swapped? Is that feasible?
THANK YOU!!!
Note: All planning rights belong to the architectural company.
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 400sqm (4306 sqft)
Slope: gentle slope, declining from left to right by 0.4m (16 inches) when facing the house from the front, and declining from the front to the back of the plot by 0.7m (28 inches)
Site coverage ratio: I don’t know this, but the external walls cannot be changed anymore; the focus is now only on the interior layout. Some external walls are fixed by the development plan, others by our budget.
Floor area ratio: see site coverage ratio
Building zone, building line and boundary: 6m (20 feet) distance from the front boundary of the plot; for the semi-detached house: 0m from the right boundary and 4.5m (15 feet) from the left boundary
New development area
Number of parking spaces: 1 to 2
Number of floors: 1 full floor (ground floor), 1 floor with sloping roof (knee wall also fixed by the development plan and cannot be changed), 1 attic floor (converted into living space), 1 basement (utility cellar)
Roof type: gable roof, 40 percent pitch fixed by the development plan
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: terrace/garden faces northwest
Maximum heights/limits: external walls, roof, and overall building height are fixed by the development plan
Additional requirements
Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: semi-detached house, modern and open; the kitchen with an island and the dining area should be the focal point. We need 3 bedrooms and 1 office. The staircase should be enclosed.
Basement: yes, a utility cellar is required.
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults, 2 children
Room requirements on ground and upper floors:
Ground floor: large open living-dining-kitchen area, 1 bathroom with shower, hallway space sufficient for coats and shoes without feeling cramped.
Upper floor: 3 bedrooms, attic: office
Office: home office? Yes
Overnight guests per year: few
Open or closed architecture: partly open/partly closed, see style
Traditional or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, island: yes, island
Number of dining seats: 4 for us plus 2 for guests = 6
Fireplace: no
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/particulars/daily routine, including reasons why certain things are wanted or not: We wanted a walk-in closet so that changing clothes can be done without waking the partner, as we get up at different times.
House Design
Planner:
- Planner from a construction company: yes
What do you particularly like? Why?
The open living-dining area with the kitchen island (the island is not shown in the plans but I think its location is clear). We wanted a large glass-metal door in the hallway-to-living-room passage to avoid the hallway being too dark.
What do you dislike? Why?
I think many details are still unfinished.
Price estimate according to architect/planner: 310,000
Personal budget limit for house including equipment: 310,000
Preferred heating technology: heat pump and underfloor heating
If you have to give up something, which details or expansions
- Can you give up: I think we already kept it quite simple; there is nothing we can give up.
- Cannot give up: kitchen island, attic office, showers on both ground and upper floors, walk-in closet
Why is the design the way it is now? E.g.
Standard design from planner? No, the ground floor design is partly ours and partly from the planner. We mainly wanted the kitchen island and a cozy TV area that is not the main focus but rather a “niche”, while the kitchen should be central. This was only possible with a narrow staircase due to the fixed external walls. The upper floor was then designed by the planner around the staircase.
What makes it particularly good or bad in your eyes?
The living room was realized according to our wishes. However, I now find the master bedroom somewhat small, which is due to our desire for a walk-in closet.
What is the most important/basic question regarding the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?
The external walls cannot be changed. It is a semi-detached house, 7 meters (23 feet) wide and 11.60 meters (38 feet) long. Our wishes were implemented, but I still find the design somewhat unfinished. What can be improved?
Additionally, 3 specific questions:
Ground floor: can the washbasin and toilet be swapped? Is that feasible? Could the hallway be made narrower to enlarge the living area, or would it become too narrow?
Upper floor: can the shower and toilet be swapped? Is that feasible?
THANK YOU!!!
Note: All planning rights belong to the architectural company.
AlbertKamika schrieb:
Upstairs: Is it possible to swap the shower and the toilet? Not really. The toilet needs a soil pipe for wastewater... it’s always best if it’s on an external wall. Otherwise, the pipe would have to run past the sofa.
tomtom79 schrieb:
I personally find having a master bedroom next to a child’s bedroom very inconvenient. Unfortunately, we have it like that. I would switch it: place the bedroom next to the bathroom.
Kitchen and living room: kitchen island opposite the stairs and open plan.
I’m missing measurements to assess some things properly. The garage is a problem: it blocks all the natural light inside the house. Given the orientation, the lower floor stays dark.
A
AlbertKamika4 Apr 2020 11:47Thank you very much for your contributions. We are carefully considering each suggestion. The planning process continues...
I really like the ground floor as it is—I wouldn’t change anything. The argument that you have to carry groceries farther isn’t really an issue. You’re not hauling large amounts of groceries into the house multiple times a day. Besides, there is also a door from the dining area to the left side of the plan.
In the dining area, I would suggest a single panoramic window, 201cm (79 inches) wide, and use the 101cm (40 inches) wide window as a door instead. Panoramic windows tend to create more of a “wow” effect than divided windows.
The kitchen fits perfectly, as does the dining table. In the example, the table measures 90 x 180cm (36 x 71 inches), but a larger table would also fit.
Only the garage, I would move further down towards the bottom of the plan, because it’s not very pleasant to always stare at a long wall while dining. Adding some greenery could help with that.
I also really like the upper floor and would keep it as is. Having the parents’ bedroom next to the child’s room isn’t ideal, but a suitable partition wall should solve that problem.
My daughter has a shower in her 250m2 (2,690 sq ft) house that is only 80cm (31 inches) wide and 120cm (47 inches) long. However, there is also another, larger shower.
In the dining area, I would suggest a single panoramic window, 201cm (79 inches) wide, and use the 101cm (40 inches) wide window as a door instead. Panoramic windows tend to create more of a “wow” effect than divided windows.
The kitchen fits perfectly, as does the dining table. In the example, the table measures 90 x 180cm (36 x 71 inches), but a larger table would also fit.
Only the garage, I would move further down towards the bottom of the plan, because it’s not very pleasant to always stare at a long wall while dining. Adding some greenery could help with that.
I also really like the upper floor and would keep it as is. Having the parents’ bedroom next to the child’s room isn’t ideal, but a suitable partition wall should solve that problem.
My daughter has a shower in her 250m2 (2,690 sq ft) house that is only 80cm (31 inches) wide and 120cm (47 inches) long. However, there is also another, larger shower.
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