ᐅ Semi-detached house with unequal halves = different floor plans
Created on: 6 Nov 2018 21:56
M
MadameP
Preface: The larger half on the north side (right on the plan) is intended for personal use. The smaller "half" on the south side (left on the plan) is for sale. For the sales half, the only requirement was a practical use of space for 3, max. 4 people. Therefore, I will go into more detail regarding the personal half.
Since this is not obvious from the floor plan excerpts: the personal half is 8.75 m (29 feet) wide and 9 m (30 feet) deep, the sales half is 6.10 m (20 feet) wide and 9.65 m (32 feet) deep (external dimensions).
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 479 sqm (5155 sq ft), 23 m (75 ft) wide, 20.80 m (68 ft) deep
Slope: sloping southwest, approx. 3 m (10 ft) across the northeast-southwest diagonal
Site coverage ratio: 0.35
Floor area ratio: 0.7
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3 m (10 ft) setback line, no specific building envelope
Adjacent buildings: neighbors’ garage on the south boundary
Parking spaces: 2 per dwelling unit
Number of floors: 2 full floors
Roof type: pitched roof 25-45 degrees, exposed rafters, half-hipped roof, vented ridge
Maximum heights / limits: max. ridge height 9.50 m (31 ft)
Additional requirements: none
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: modern, clean lines, simple building form, gable roof
Basement, floors: no basement, 2 full floors plus attic
Number of occupants, ages: 3 (2 adults + baby, no more expected); the second semi-detached unit should accommodate a family with up to 2 children
Space requirements on ground and upper floors for own half:
Ground floor: guest WC, wardrobe, large open living/dining area, open kitchen, utility/technical room
First floor: large children’s room, master bedroom, family bathroom, laundry room
Attic: studio (office / guest room / hobby room), shower room
Office: both family use and home office
Guests per year: approx. 20 nights, 1–4 people
Open or closed architecture:
Conservative or modern design: modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: both
Number of seats at dining table: 8
Fireplace: undecided
Sound/music wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: no, parking spaces only
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes / special features / daily routines and reasons why some things should be included or excluded: For the personal half, there was a requirement for a half-landing staircase that is not accessible from the living area. A design away from the “classic semi-detached house standard” was desired, including externally. No “entrance corridor”.
House Design
Designed by: architect
What do you particularly like? Why?
Personal half:
- Split level to the living area, creating high ceilings in the open living space and making use of the topography
- large wardrobe/coat area
- storage space utilized under the staircase
- utility room on the first floor
- large children’s room (intended to be swapped with the attic studio when the child is older)
Sales half:
- ?
What do you dislike? Why?
Personal half:
- Utility room only accessible from outside (wtf?!)
- Open living space rather small
- Kitchen is small, no island, dining area only for 6 people
- Guest WC wastes space
- Overall few and small windows
- Family bathroom layout: shower exit directly in front of the door, toilet right next to the sink
- No dressing room
- Attic bathroom: again, shower exit directly in front of the door
- Attic studio windows: tiny arrow slit window facing west (the side with the really great view) and two roof windows. (my next wtf moment)
Sales half:
- No second shower bathroom
- First floor bathroom tiny, no shower
- Boring floor plan
- Second room in attic without a window?! (again a wtf moment)
Price estimate according to planner: just within budget (prefer not to discuss figures publicly due to sales plans, thanks for understanding)
Preferred heating system: ideally geothermal, if still within budget
If you have to give up something, which details/extras
- can you do without: geothermal heating, attic bathroom (would at first only install plumbing, finish later)
- can you not do without: half-landing staircase
Why is the design as it currently is?
Our requirements regarding the space program were largely implemented.
Which requests did the architect fulfill?
Offset in height and depth between the two halves, staircase not opening off the living room, utility room on the first floor
What do you consider especially good or bad?
The arrangement, location and size of the windows raise major questions for me.
Furthermore, I don’t understand why the plot width isn’t fully used. We are fine with 3.50 m (11.5 ft) on the sides for parking. For the sales half, we’d leave 3 m (10 ft) to preserve garden space at the back. The very first study was even more “tube-shaped,” and we already pointed that out. Now the northern half still has 4.12 m (13.5 ft) and the southern 3.93 m (13 ft) width on the sides. Why?? Dead space next to the cars that we won’t use, instead of garden space facing west.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What can we do better?
Since this is not obvious from the floor plan excerpts: the personal half is 8.75 m (29 feet) wide and 9 m (30 feet) deep, the sales half is 6.10 m (20 feet) wide and 9.65 m (32 feet) deep (external dimensions).
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 479 sqm (5155 sq ft), 23 m (75 ft) wide, 20.80 m (68 ft) deep
Slope: sloping southwest, approx. 3 m (10 ft) across the northeast-southwest diagonal
Site coverage ratio: 0.35
Floor area ratio: 0.7
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3 m (10 ft) setback line, no specific building envelope
Adjacent buildings: neighbors’ garage on the south boundary
Parking spaces: 2 per dwelling unit
Number of floors: 2 full floors
Roof type: pitched roof 25-45 degrees, exposed rafters, half-hipped roof, vented ridge
Maximum heights / limits: max. ridge height 9.50 m (31 ft)
Additional requirements: none
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: modern, clean lines, simple building form, gable roof
Basement, floors: no basement, 2 full floors plus attic
Number of occupants, ages: 3 (2 adults + baby, no more expected); the second semi-detached unit should accommodate a family with up to 2 children
Space requirements on ground and upper floors for own half:
Ground floor: guest WC, wardrobe, large open living/dining area, open kitchen, utility/technical room
First floor: large children’s room, master bedroom, family bathroom, laundry room
Attic: studio (office / guest room / hobby room), shower room
Office: both family use and home office
Guests per year: approx. 20 nights, 1–4 people
Open or closed architecture:
Conservative or modern design: modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: both
Number of seats at dining table: 8
Fireplace: undecided
Sound/music wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: no, parking spaces only
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes / special features / daily routines and reasons why some things should be included or excluded: For the personal half, there was a requirement for a half-landing staircase that is not accessible from the living area. A design away from the “classic semi-detached house standard” was desired, including externally. No “entrance corridor”.
House Design
Designed by: architect
What do you particularly like? Why?
Personal half:
- Split level to the living area, creating high ceilings in the open living space and making use of the topography
- large wardrobe/coat area
- storage space utilized under the staircase
- utility room on the first floor
- large children’s room (intended to be swapped with the attic studio when the child is older)
Sales half:
- ?
What do you dislike? Why?
Personal half:
- Utility room only accessible from outside (wtf?!)
- Open living space rather small
- Kitchen is small, no island, dining area only for 6 people
- Guest WC wastes space
- Overall few and small windows
- Family bathroom layout: shower exit directly in front of the door, toilet right next to the sink
- No dressing room
- Attic bathroom: again, shower exit directly in front of the door
- Attic studio windows: tiny arrow slit window facing west (the side with the really great view) and two roof windows. (my next wtf moment)
Sales half:
- No second shower bathroom
- First floor bathroom tiny, no shower
- Boring floor plan
- Second room in attic without a window?! (again a wtf moment)
Price estimate according to planner: just within budget (prefer not to discuss figures publicly due to sales plans, thanks for understanding)
Preferred heating system: ideally geothermal, if still within budget
If you have to give up something, which details/extras
- can you do without: geothermal heating, attic bathroom (would at first only install plumbing, finish later)
- can you not do without: half-landing staircase
Why is the design as it currently is?
Our requirements regarding the space program were largely implemented.
Which requests did the architect fulfill?
Offset in height and depth between the two halves, staircase not opening off the living room, utility room on the first floor
What do you consider especially good or bad?
The arrangement, location and size of the windows raise major questions for me.
Furthermore, I don’t understand why the plot width isn’t fully used. We are fine with 3.50 m (11.5 ft) on the sides for parking. For the sales half, we’d leave 3 m (10 ft) to preserve garden space at the back. The very first study was even more “tube-shaped,” and we already pointed that out. Now the northern half still has 4.12 m (13.5 ft) and the southern 3.93 m (13 ft) width on the sides. Why?? Dead space next to the cars that we won’t use, instead of garden space facing west.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What can we do better?
kaho674 schrieb:
Putting that aside, do you sell the house including the kitchen? The future occupant will probably want to design their own kitchen anyway and won’t care about our suggestions.
That’s also one reason why I’m planning just a standard window there (not floor-to-ceiling). No, of course not. Flooring in the living areas, painting, and the kitchen can all be chosen and done by the buyer. I just prefer to design the kitchen layout so that a practical kitchen plan with good storage space is possible.
Müllerin schrieb:
@kbt09
- I don’t like having doors all around leading outside
- in the kitchen, I find it completely unnecessary there, especially since right next to it, in the open living area, there is also a door
- in that spot, I would never give up any floor space, because in my opinion, there is already far too little space in the kitchen. I’d probably avoid an island there and go for an L-shaped layout instead.
- I think the door to the hallway is fine, so you can quickly get around the corner with groceries without having to walk all the way around. Just my first impression. Those were EXACTLY our thoughts.
@kbt09
I think it’s just a matter of personal taste. I like large, continuous window fronts. I wouldn’t want a clumsy door there. Also, there is a door directly behind the work island. I would find that too “door-heavy.”
Either I would plan the kitchen so that there could be cabinets under the window.
Or like we did: the window is positioned roughly as shown in the floor plan, with about 110 cm (43 inches) between the work island and the kitchen run. We deliberately made the windowsill lower than the countertop to create a “chat window.” The windowsill is used so often by us and guests for leaning, sitting, and talking that I’ve had to practically drag people away from it.
But it’s really a matter of personal preference; for us, it’s perfect!
Otherwise, as @hanse987 already pointed out, that should be done too. But in that case, there shouldn’t be a windowsill at all; instead, the countertop should be fitted there.
I think it’s just a matter of personal taste. I like large, continuous window fronts. I wouldn’t want a clumsy door there. Also, there is a door directly behind the work island. I would find that too “door-heavy.”
Either I would plan the kitchen so that there could be cabinets under the window.
Or like we did: the window is positioned roughly as shown in the floor plan, with about 110 cm (43 inches) between the work island and the kitchen run. We deliberately made the windowsill lower than the countertop to create a “chat window.” The windowsill is used so often by us and guests for leaning, sitting, and talking that I’ve had to practically drag people away from it.
But it’s really a matter of personal preference; for us, it’s perfect!
Otherwise, as @hanse987 already pointed out, that should be done too. But in that case, there shouldn’t be a windowsill at all; instead, the countertop should be fitted there.
Wickie schrieb:
Or like we did it: the window is positioned approximately as shown in the floor plan, with a distance of about 110 cm (43 inches) between the work island and the kitchen unit. We intentionally made the windowsill lower than the countertop as a "chat window." Would you like to illustrate these words?
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
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@11ant Here you go. Did I really forget to log off here before the ski trip? My bad. Won’t happen again...
The work block separates the dining-living area from the kitchen. Access to the garden can be seen in the first picture (that’s the movable part of the sliding door).
That’s why there is only the “perch window” in the kitchen and intentionally no door. The windowsill is actually not much lower than the countertops, but it’s obviously a great spot for all residents and visitors to sit and chat (currently just a bit “cluttered” with decorations).
At first, our architects had planned a kind of “conversation window” with the lower part hinged to swing open. But that felt a bit too much for me. So now the lower part is fixed and only the upper part tilts open. With the ventilation system and extractor hood, we could have made the whole window fixed from today’s perspective, but oh well.
In front of the window, you can also see part of my corten steel herb raised bed. You can quickly step out and pick herbs there. Soon it will be planted for the first time!
The work block separates the dining-living area from the kitchen. Access to the garden can be seen in the first picture (that’s the movable part of the sliding door).
That’s why there is only the “perch window” in the kitchen and intentionally no door. The windowsill is actually not much lower than the countertops, but it’s obviously a great spot for all residents and visitors to sit and chat (currently just a bit “cluttered” with decorations).
At first, our architects had planned a kind of “conversation window” with the lower part hinged to swing open. But that felt a bit too much for me. So now the lower part is fixed and only the upper part tilts open. With the ventilation system and extractor hood, we could have made the whole window fixed from today’s perspective, but oh well.
In front of the window, you can also see part of my corten steel herb raised bed. You can quickly step out and pick herbs there. Soon it will be planted for the first time!
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