ᐅ Single-family home, approximately 1500 square feet, with 2 children’s bedrooms – What do you think of the floor plan?
Created on: 4 Aug 2018 14:18
S
Stege90
Hello,
we have been offered a plot of land by a developer and would like to build our future home there. The plot is located at the end of a cul-de-sac in a traffic-calmed residential area (infilling development).
I should mention upfront that we have not yet received much information from the developer. We shared our rough requirements with him, and he has created a first draft, so far only for the ground floor.
It would be great if you could help us evaluate this early on before we progress too far in the planning and have to make major changes later.
The positioning of the house on the plot is due to the fact that all other options we considered would cast too much shadow on the rest of the plot.
The plot shown as undeveloped on the site plan has meanwhile been built on with a bungalow (marked). A carport will be constructed between the bungalow and our plot.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: approx. 750 m² (about 8,070 sq ft)
Slope: none
Floor area ratio: no information received yet
Plot ratio: no information received yet
Building window, building line, and boundary: no information received yet
Edge development: no information received yet
Number of parking spaces: no information received yet
Number of floors: no information received yet
Roof shape:
Architectural style:
Orientation: see image
Maximum heights / limits: ?
Additional requirements?
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: A mono-pitched roof was preferred to minimize sloping ceilings, but according to the developer and the development plan this is not permitted, so a gable roof was proposed – this still needs clarification.
Basement, floors: no basement, 2 floors
Number of occupants, age: currently 3 (28, 28, 1), planned: second child
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor: Ground floor: guest toilet, utility room, kitchen/dining room, living room; Upper floor: 3 bedrooms, office, bathroom
Office use: family or home office? office to be used occasionally as a mobile workspace; initially also as a guest room
Guests per year – every 3 months 2-4 people
Open or closed layout – rather closed
Conservative or modern construction: probably a mix
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen connected to dining room – no freestanding kitchen island; separation from dining area by a counter
Number of dining seats: minimum 6, option for a large dining table (big family)
Fireplace: no
Music / stereo wall: yes, in the living room where the sofa is currently planned (wall on the left towards the carport); sofa arranged in an L-shape facing north and east – pictures might be hung on the wall towards the dining room
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage was requested, but we also like the current proposal
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why certain things should or shouldn’t be included:
Bathroom – T-shaped bathroom with shower cabin desired; a large washbasin
Walk-in closet not desired
No basement
Access via the garage/carport
House Design
Designed by:
- planner from a construction company
What do you particularly like and why? What do you dislike and why?
We definitely want the carport to be wider than in the initial floor plan – at least 4 meters (about 13 feet).
Noticeable is the missing entrance area, i.e. the actual front door. Initially, this seemed strange to us, but it provides many opportunities for the interior layout, so after some consideration we don’t find it so bad.
Price estimate according to architect/planner; personal price limit for the house, including fittings: approx. €260,000
Preferred heating technology: not discussed yet
If you have to give up something, which features/extensions
- can you do without: garage – already left out by the developer to enable the design without a main entrance area
- cannot do without: kitchen/dining area – pantry next to the kitchen
Why is the design like it is? For example:
We do not want a completely open living/dining area. Therefore, the living room should be a separate, closed room.
[U]What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
What do you think about the missing traditional entrance area?
Please feel free to criticize and offer suggestions for improvement. For now, the focus is on the house location on the plot and the ground floor layout. Since we are still at the beginning, many things are still changeable.
we have been offered a plot of land by a developer and would like to build our future home there. The plot is located at the end of a cul-de-sac in a traffic-calmed residential area (infilling development).
I should mention upfront that we have not yet received much information from the developer. We shared our rough requirements with him, and he has created a first draft, so far only for the ground floor.
It would be great if you could help us evaluate this early on before we progress too far in the planning and have to make major changes later.
The positioning of the house on the plot is due to the fact that all other options we considered would cast too much shadow on the rest of the plot.
The plot shown as undeveloped on the site plan has meanwhile been built on with a bungalow (marked). A carport will be constructed between the bungalow and our plot.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: approx. 750 m² (about 8,070 sq ft)
Slope: none
Floor area ratio: no information received yet
Plot ratio: no information received yet
Building window, building line, and boundary: no information received yet
Edge development: no information received yet
Number of parking spaces: no information received yet
Number of floors: no information received yet
Roof shape:
Architectural style:
Orientation: see image
Maximum heights / limits: ?
Additional requirements?
Client Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: A mono-pitched roof was preferred to minimize sloping ceilings, but according to the developer and the development plan this is not permitted, so a gable roof was proposed – this still needs clarification.
Basement, floors: no basement, 2 floors
Number of occupants, age: currently 3 (28, 28, 1), planned: second child
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor: Ground floor: guest toilet, utility room, kitchen/dining room, living room; Upper floor: 3 bedrooms, office, bathroom
Office use: family or home office? office to be used occasionally as a mobile workspace; initially also as a guest room
Guests per year – every 3 months 2-4 people
Open or closed layout – rather closed
Conservative or modern construction: probably a mix
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen connected to dining room – no freestanding kitchen island; separation from dining area by a counter
Number of dining seats: minimum 6, option for a large dining table (big family)
Fireplace: no
Music / stereo wall: yes, in the living room where the sofa is currently planned (wall on the left towards the carport); sofa arranged in an L-shape facing north and east – pictures might be hung on the wall towards the dining room
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: garage was requested, but we also like the current proposal
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Additional wishes / special features / daily routine, including reasons why certain things should or shouldn’t be included:
Bathroom – T-shaped bathroom with shower cabin desired; a large washbasin
Walk-in closet not desired
No basement
Access via the garage/carport
House Design
Designed by:
- planner from a construction company
What do you particularly like and why? What do you dislike and why?
We definitely want the carport to be wider than in the initial floor plan – at least 4 meters (about 13 feet).
Noticeable is the missing entrance area, i.e. the actual front door. Initially, this seemed strange to us, but it provides many opportunities for the interior layout, so after some consideration we don’t find it so bad.
Price estimate according to architect/planner; personal price limit for the house, including fittings: approx. €260,000
Preferred heating technology: not discussed yet
If you have to give up something, which features/extensions
- can you do without: garage – already left out by the developer to enable the design without a main entrance area
- cannot do without: kitchen/dining area – pantry next to the kitchen
Why is the design like it is? For example:
We do not want a completely open living/dining area. Therefore, the living room should be a separate, closed room.
[U]What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
What do you think about the missing traditional entrance area?
Please feel free to criticize and offer suggestions for improvement. For now, the focus is on the house location on the plot and the ground floor layout. Since we are still at the beginning, many things are still changeable.
kaho674 schrieb:
I would find that ideal for you. How do the Grantlhaua plans come to mind here? Apart from the expectations for the building itself, I don’t see any comparable plots at all, so I’m quite surprised.
Curly schrieb:
Also, the upper floor walls are only 11.5cm (4.5 inches), It looks to me like a collar beam roof, so I don’t think that’s unlikely.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
Why do you think of the Grantlhaua plans here? Did I get lost in this thread? Garage top left on the plan, south-southwest at the bottom right of the plan? Wasn't that the case?
I'm just checking – the bottom right of the plan was southeast. So I was indeed mistaken.
After a discussion with the architect, here are the revised plans. Several changes have been made. The windows have been rearranged (thanks for the suggestions), and the hallway has been enlarged due to the now more open staircase. Even the very small window brings in a bit more light. The kitchen door has been reversed.
We do not want an exit to the outside from the living room. The entrance area will be paved at ground level, so there will be no doorstep at the front door.
We are still a bit uncertain about the guest toilet and whether this version is really the best solution.
The reversed door makes more sense for the plot, but after further consideration, we will probably turn it back again to keep the second tall cabinet. Otherwise, the area for the cooktop and work surfaces to the right/left (against the pantry wall) would be very limited. What do you think?
The ground floor plan includes the windows shown in the following south elevation. In this proposal, the windows in the guest toilet and pantry are smaller (sill height 1.25m (4.1 ft)).
We now like the exterior much better than before, due to the changed dormer and the double window above.
However, it is important to note that the windows shown here do not match the floor plan (criticism of the architect is justified). The gap between guest toilet and pantry is too wide. Therefore, the pantry window on the exterior view is positioned further to the left, similar to the kitchen window.
From the outside, this also looks consistent (bathroom window next to kitchen window), but the kitchen window is now very far to the right, making it probably difficult to place the sink directly under the window. We will likely move the kitchen window further to the left so that the gaps between the three lower windows are at least equal and the kitchen window better fits the kitchen design. This means it won’t be symmetrical to the bathroom window, but it is more important to us that it fits well on the inside.
Alternative:
We are leaning towards having just one simple kitchen window.
What do you think about the version with only one kitchen window and smaller windows in the pantry and guest toilet? How do you assess this visually?
On the upper floor, the wall between the second children’s bedroom and the rest will be a 17.5cm (7 inches) thick wall. This is mainly to provide a bit more sound insulation from the toilet/shower. Even if it doesn’t help much, it is probably better than the 11.5cm (4.5 inches) wall. Also, we intend to move the door slightly more to the right to allow a bit more space behind the door for a laundry basket or cabinet.
We find the wall by the toilet a bit short now; do you see it the same way?
The knee wall has been raised by 20cm (8 inches).
Here are the remaining elevations:
Windows now more consistent?!
North elevation – not very attractive, but that doesn’t bother us.
We look forward to your, also critical, feedback as always. Thank you very much for your effort!
We do not want an exit to the outside from the living room. The entrance area will be paved at ground level, so there will be no doorstep at the front door.
We are still a bit uncertain about the guest toilet and whether this version is really the best solution.
The reversed door makes more sense for the plot, but after further consideration, we will probably turn it back again to keep the second tall cabinet. Otherwise, the area for the cooktop and work surfaces to the right/left (against the pantry wall) would be very limited. What do you think?
The ground floor plan includes the windows shown in the following south elevation. In this proposal, the windows in the guest toilet and pantry are smaller (sill height 1.25m (4.1 ft)).
We now like the exterior much better than before, due to the changed dormer and the double window above.
However, it is important to note that the windows shown here do not match the floor plan (criticism of the architect is justified). The gap between guest toilet and pantry is too wide. Therefore, the pantry window on the exterior view is positioned further to the left, similar to the kitchen window.
From the outside, this also looks consistent (bathroom window next to kitchen window), but the kitchen window is now very far to the right, making it probably difficult to place the sink directly under the window. We will likely move the kitchen window further to the left so that the gaps between the three lower windows are at least equal and the kitchen window better fits the kitchen design. This means it won’t be symmetrical to the bathroom window, but it is more important to us that it fits well on the inside.
Alternative:
We are leaning towards having just one simple kitchen window.
What do you think about the version with only one kitchen window and smaller windows in the pantry and guest toilet? How do you assess this visually?
On the upper floor, the wall between the second children’s bedroom and the rest will be a 17.5cm (7 inches) thick wall. This is mainly to provide a bit more sound insulation from the toilet/shower. Even if it doesn’t help much, it is probably better than the 11.5cm (4.5 inches) wall. Also, we intend to move the door slightly more to the right to allow a bit more space behind the door for a laundry basket or cabinet.
We find the wall by the toilet a bit short now; do you see it the same way?
The knee wall has been raised by 20cm (8 inches).
Here are the remaining elevations:
Windows now more consistent?!
North elevation – not very attractive, but that doesn’t bother us.
We look forward to your, also critical, feedback as always. Thank you very much for your effort!
I think it’s nice that the planner keeps providing updates, but as long as you don’t address the criticism regarding what I consider the nonsensical sloped walls in the pantry and the poorly chosen location for it within the house, I’m out. I also find the strict separation between the living room and dining area very hard to understand.
I can fully understand the separation between living and dining/cooking areas.
However, I still find the following
not successful at all.
Also, the bathroom sink on the upper floor is drawn with about 30 cm (12 inches) depth, which doesn’t reflect reality. I would eliminate the T-shaped arrangement there, because as it is now, with the 90x90 cm (36x36 inches) shower and door shown, the whole T-shape seems somewhat obsolete.
-----------------------
Based on the assumed layout, I would take about 30 cm (12 inches) away from the living room and thus also the bedroom, and give this space to the staircase area. Instead of a rough dimension of 200x200 cm (79x79 inches), the stairs would then be about 230x230 cm (91x91 inches).
In green near the stairs, possibly add a small storage room... alternatively accessible from the utility room, or maybe the space under the stairs, since I rotated the staircase. The stair entrance would be opposite the slightly shifted kitchen entrance.
Remove the slant in the pantry, move the entrance door further toward the top of the plan, so that in the hallway in front of the WC there could be a proper 175 cm (69 inches) wardrobe, which would be finished around the new corner with a small seat and hooks for daily or guest coats.
Then, in the kitchen, a 160 cm (63 inches) tall cabinet fits, with the door still hinged on the left—that way a door stop can be installed if needed.
The bathroom on the upper floor was restyled, where the green walls symbolize half-height walls. The red marking is a heated towel rail. I would always make sure that, if a shower door is installed to avoid splashing outside the shower, it can open INWARD sensibly, so the water running off the door does not end up outside the shower area.
In the bedroom, the door was moved further toward the top of the plan so that the space behind the door can still be used for a cabinet with reduced depth, and the other cabinet can be longer, since you won’t bump into it as much. On the left side of the plan there could then be a chest of drawers.
However, I still find the following
- slanted pantry
- narrow staircase – have you had the tread width calculated?
- zigzag at the entrance, meaning the wardrobe doesn’t make much of an impression there
not successful at all.
Also, the bathroom sink on the upper floor is drawn with about 30 cm (12 inches) depth, which doesn’t reflect reality. I would eliminate the T-shaped arrangement there, because as it is now, with the 90x90 cm (36x36 inches) shower and door shown, the whole T-shape seems somewhat obsolete.
-----------------------
Based on the assumed layout, I would take about 30 cm (12 inches) away from the living room and thus also the bedroom, and give this space to the staircase area. Instead of a rough dimension of 200x200 cm (79x79 inches), the stairs would then be about 230x230 cm (91x91 inches).
In green near the stairs, possibly add a small storage room... alternatively accessible from the utility room, or maybe the space under the stairs, since I rotated the staircase. The stair entrance would be opposite the slightly shifted kitchen entrance.
Remove the slant in the pantry, move the entrance door further toward the top of the plan, so that in the hallway in front of the WC there could be a proper 175 cm (69 inches) wardrobe, which would be finished around the new corner with a small seat and hooks for daily or guest coats.
Then, in the kitchen, a 160 cm (63 inches) tall cabinet fits, with the door still hinged on the left—that way a door stop can be installed if needed.
The bathroom on the upper floor was restyled, where the green walls symbolize half-height walls. The red marking is a heated towel rail. I would always make sure that, if a shower door is installed to avoid splashing outside the shower, it can open INWARD sensibly, so the water running off the door does not end up outside the shower area.
In the bedroom, the door was moved further toward the top of the plan so that the space behind the door can still be used for a cabinet with reduced depth, and the other cabinet can be longer, since you won’t bump into it as much. On the left side of the plan there could then be a chest of drawers.
O
Obstlerbaum3 Sep 2018 14:29I agree with the previous commenters—why are the guest toilet and pantry located on the south side, while the living room is situated in the northeast? Do you spend a lot of time there between 6:00 and 9:30 a.m. to take advantage of the morning sun? If you consider having southern sunlight in the guest bathroom absolutely essential, as a last resort I would at least open up the living room to create a large L-shaped space.
The T-shaped bathroom in the latest draft doesn’t look bad. I would definitely provide the children's rooms with significantly larger window areas (larger double windows or skylights); otherwise, these rooms will feel like pretty serious caves or “living rooms”…
The T-shaped bathroom in the latest draft doesn’t look bad. I would definitely provide the children's rooms with significantly larger window areas (larger double windows or skylights); otherwise, these rooms will feel like pretty serious caves or “living rooms”…
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