ᐅ Single-family home on a north-facing plot

Created on: 7 Feb 2020 21:37
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Nagrie123
Hello everyone,

I have finally finished drawing the floor plan and am looking forward to your opinions and advice.

Thank you in advance and best regards,
Nadine

Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot Size 498 sqm (5359 sq ft)
Slope no
Site Coverage Ratio 0.4
Floor Area Ratio three stories, with the third full story having to be within the attic space
Building Envelope, Building Line, and Boundary 3.0 meters (10 feet)
Edge Development yes, garage
Number of Parking Spaces not regulated
Number of Stories three
Roof Type pitched roofs between 9° and 45°
Architectural Style open construction method
Orientation north
Maximum Heights / Limits ridge height 9.50 m (31 feet)
other requirements

Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, Roof Type, Building Type single-family house with gable roof
Basement, Number of Floors basement, two full floors
Number of Occupants, Ages 4 people (38; 32; 2.5; 7 months)
Space Requirements on Ground Floor and Upper Floor
Office: family use or home office? both family use and home office
Overnight Guests per Year 2-3
Open or Closed Architecture closed except for the living area
Conservative or Modern Construction conservative
Open Kitchen, Kitchen Island yes, kitchen island
Number of Dining Seats 6
Fireplace yes
Music / Stereo Wall no, but a TV wall
Balcony, Roof Terrace no
Garage, Carport yes, garage sized for 1.5 cars
Vegetable Garden, Greenhouse vegetable garden
other wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why something should or should not be included

- laundry chute
- equally sized children’s rooms

House Design
Who designed it:
- do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
Large living area since we spend most of our time there
What do you dislike? Why?
Orientation of the pantry, because it is probably too hot being on the south side
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings: 450,000 €
Preferred heating system: gas

If you have to give up something, on which details / fittings
- you can do without: we already gave up a bay window we actually wanted; otherwise, we could do without the staircase design and the niches in the hallway and kitchen for the wardrobes
- you cannot do without: equally sized children’s rooms, shower on the ground floor

Why did the design turn out as it is now?
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
Good is that both children’s rooms face south. Bad is the narrow hallway and possibly the pantry’s orientation

What is the most important / fundamental question about the floor plan, summarized in 130 characters?

Can the floor plan be realized as drawn, meaning can you get through all areas in practical use? Are there any elements that won’t work as shown?

Floor plan: living/dining area with sofa, kitchen, pantry, office/guest room, WC, hallway, stairs, garage.


Floor plan first floor: four bedrooms, bathroom, central hallway; each approx. 18–21 sqm (194–226 sq ft).
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ypg
8 Feb 2020 21:55
hampshire schrieb:

I don’t find the drainage over and next to the guest room problematic; a guest just has to be able to tolerate it.

Of course, it’s bearable for a guest. But if the drain, when optimally positioned, ends up in front of the window, that would be a design flaw. If we add a bend above, it can go into the corner of the room, but with a width of 2.90 meters (9.5 feet), it restricts the furniture layout.
hampshire schrieb:

A pass-through to the hallway with generous shelving behind it would be a solution. You come in, put your groceries through the pass-through onto the shelf, and then walk around to sort them away.

... and while pass-throughs may have their place in some buildings, if you’re planning a new build, please avoid such a theatrical gimmick. Walls in the entrance area should provide space for a chest of drawers, shoe rack, or coat hooks.
Nagrie123 schrieb:

I started a new thread so people don’t have to go to page 6 of the old one to find a floor plan.

Hundreds of readers don’t know what you mean. Or do you use the profile search?
Regarding your hallway: a circulation route (for example, entrance-kitchen-storage, or stairs-bathroom, or bedroom-bathroom-hallway) should be passable blindly or in a hurry without bumping into walls. That means: hallways should be as straight as possible. Your hallway is a bit of a maze.
About the kitchen/stove: grease splashes behind the 60 cm (24 inch) cabinet, making the floor greasy. When you stand at the stove, you’re cramped on the left side.
If you want to constantly carry your trash and beverage crates from the pantry through the kitchen, living room, and the entire long hallway, that’s your choice. Then do it. Or install the hatch suggested by @hampshire. I see only disadvantages in these disproportionally elongated rooms and wouldn’t want to build like this.
If you want a short route from the kitchen to the pantry, then create a different path to Rome. Everything is possible, but obviously, you no longer consider any other options.
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Nagrie123
8 Feb 2020 22:45
ypg schrieb:

Of course, it’s acceptable for a guest bathroom. But if the drain, when placed optimally, ends up in front of a window, that would be a design flaw. If we make a bend at the top, it can be placed in the corner of the room, but at 2.90m (9.5 ft) it restricts furniture layout.

... and pass-through openings might make sense in certain buildings, but when planning a new build, please don’t make it such a circus stage. Walls in the entrance area should have space for a sideboard, shoe rack, or coat hooks.

Hundreds of readers don’t understand what you mean. Or are you using the profile search?
Regarding your hallway: a traffic route (for example, entrance-kitchen-storage room or stairs-bathroom or bedroom-bathroom-hallway) should be easy to walk, even when blind or in a hurry, without bumping into walls. This means: keeping hallways as straight as possible. Your hallway is a bit of a dance around obstacles.
About the kitchen/stove: the grease will splash behind the 60cm (24 inch) cabinet (making the floor greasy). When you’re cooking, you feel cramped on the left side.
If you plan to carry your trash and beverage crates constantly from the pantry through the kitchen, through the living room, and along the whole long hallway, fine. Then do it that way. Or build a hatch like @hampshire. I only see disadvantages in the disproportionally long rooms and wouldn’t want to build that way.
If you want a short route from the kitchen to the pantry, then create another route to Rome. Everything is possible, but obviously you’re not considering any more options.


Thanks. Hmm, then we’ll have to do the hallway downstairs differently. Where would you place the pantry? The problem with the plot is that it’s narrow and long. We designed with a footprint of 11 × 9m (36 × 30 ft) because we don’t have much garden space anyway and didn’t want to lose more. So, our initial ideas were probably not optimal from the start.

About the drainage: Am I misunderstanding, or should the toilet downstairs be exactly in the same position as the one upstairs? I thought it would be sufficient for the rooms themselves to be stacked vertically.
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kbt09
9 Feb 2020 07:06
Well, if only we knew which plot of land it is, its dimensions, and roughly how the house is supposed to be positioned on the plot.
Pinky03019 Feb 2020 08:25
I really don’t like the kitchen layout. Some points have already been mentioned above. Please consider these carefully before construction starts, otherwise it will be difficult to make changes later.
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Nagrie123
9 Feb 2020 08:33
kbt09 schrieb:

Well, if only we knew which plot it is, its dimensions, and how the house is roughly positioned on the plot

Sorry, I forgot. It is the plot opposite number 14. It is 19.06 m wide (62.52 ft), 28.3 m long (92.8 ft) on the left side, and 25.3 m long (83.0 ft) on the right side.

Floor plan of a building complex with rectangular rooms and numbered areas.


Floor plan of a house: terrace at the bottom, garage on the right, visible exterior dimensions.
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Nagrie123
9 Feb 2020 08:37
Pinky0301 schrieb:

I really don’t like the kitchen layout. Some points have already been mentioned above. Think about it carefully before the house construction starts, otherwise it will be difficult to make changes.

Thanks, yes, we are thinking about it but somehow can’t figure out how to change it. We considered moving the kitchen to the north, but I would find that a shame because of the light. Especially since the living room would then be on the south side, which is a bit awkward for watching TV.