ᐅ Single-Family House on a South-Facing Slope Floor Plan – Request for Feedback
Created on: 18 May 2021 15:35
E
EFH-Sued-Hang
Hello everyone, after a lot of tinkering, we would really appreciate some feedback on our floor plan ☺️
Development Plan / Restrictions
This is a new residential area.
Plot size approx. 700 sqm (8,000 sq ft)
South-facing slope with access from the north and a nice view towards the south
2 parking spaces per housing unit: 2 in the carport, 2 in front of the house parallel to the street
Floor area ratio, gross floor area ratio, and other regulations are quite generous in the development plan and have been taken into account in the design
Homeowners’ Requirements
Timber frame construction with a shallow pitched roof
Currently 2 adults (32 years old) and 1 child (1 year old), with 1-2 more children planned in the future
Rooms:
Special features:
House Design
Mainly own planning
Collaboration with a construction company and an architect
Initially, it is important for us to create our dream floor plan. Roughly, the price given to us is around 540,000 €.
KfW40+ standard with 10 kWP photovoltaic system and 10 kWh battery
Heating & ventilation:
• Air-source heat pump
• Central ventilation system with possible enthalpy heat exchanger
• Underfloor heating (except in the pantry, possibly with cooling option)
Other:
• Probably a basic Loxone smart home system
• Possibly a water softening system
• Possibly ceiling LED lighting in rooms without visible roof structure
Why did the design turn out this way?
Due to the slope, we want the living and common rooms on the ground floor (= upper level), plus two additional rooms. Because the ground floor is above the second level (the basement) due to the slope, the basement necessarily has to be the same size. Alternatively, you would need a cantilevered upper floor, which is probably extremely expensive.
The extra area in the basement that we don’t need as living space is located partly in the slope, so it basically functions as a cellar.
What is the most important basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What do you think about the room layout? Is there anything you see negatively or would change?
What do you think about the room sizes?
Will the south orientation and many windows make it too warm in summer?
We look forward to your ideas, thoughts, and tips!
Development Plan / Restrictions
This is a new residential area.
Plot size approx. 700 sqm (8,000 sq ft)
South-facing slope with access from the north and a nice view towards the south
2 parking spaces per housing unit: 2 in the carport, 2 in front of the house parallel to the street
Floor area ratio, gross floor area ratio, and other regulations are quite generous in the development plan and have been taken into account in the design
Homeowners’ Requirements
Timber frame construction with a shallow pitched roof
Currently 2 adults (32 years old) and 1 child (1 year old), with 1-2 more children planned in the future
Rooms:
- Open living-dining-kitchen area
- 5 (almost) equally sized rooms to be used flexibly as parents’ bedroom, children’s rooms, office, home office, or rental units as a granny flat
- Family bathroom (including washing machine and dryer)
- Children’s bathroom (alternatively as a bathroom for the granny flat)
- Guest toilet (including utility sink)
- Pantry / storage room
- Storage including technical room
- Carport with bicycle shed and partial basement (used as garden shed)
- Balcony
Special features:
- Ground floor = living space, due to the nice view
- Basement = partly cellar, partly regular rooms facing the garden (possible due to the slope)
- Open roof structure over the large living-dining area
- Intermediate ceiling with attic over the other rooms on the ground floor
- Window seats in the living-dining area and possibly in rooms in the basement
- Barrier-reduced design
- Direct, level, covered entrance from the carport into the house
- Generous balcony → How would you recommend shading the balcony so it’s comfortable in high summer, but also usable in breezy and rainy spring weather, while still feeling like being outside (no conservatory)?
- We have purposely omitted a utility room
- Currently, we have planned external venetian blinds (Raffstores) on all windows. Since the two children’s rooms in the basement face south, shading will be necessary there. Do you find external venetian blinds suitable for bedrooms?
- We have not planned any skylights so far, as they are said to require more maintenance. Would you still consider using skylights?
- Due to the layout in the basement, one room—or with an added partition wall, two or even three rooms—could be rented out.
House Design
Mainly own planning
Collaboration with a construction company and an architect
- We really like the room layout and floor plan on the ground floor—what do you think?
- We still need to move a few walls in the basement, but we already like the layout as it is. Your thoughts?
- We oriented the house towards the south. Will it be too warm in summer?
- We have planned many windows (only a few of which open). → Would you recommend fewer windows? (due to heat in summer, view from neighbors)
→ Is it enough if only a few windows can be opened in each room?
Initially, it is important for us to create our dream floor plan. Roughly, the price given to us is around 540,000 €.
KfW40+ standard with 10 kWP photovoltaic system and 10 kWh battery
Heating & ventilation:
• Air-source heat pump
• Central ventilation system with possible enthalpy heat exchanger
• Underfloor heating (except in the pantry, possibly with cooling option)
Other:
• Probably a basic Loxone smart home system
• Possibly a water softening system
• Possibly ceiling LED lighting in rooms without visible roof structure
Why did the design turn out this way?
Due to the slope, we want the living and common rooms on the ground floor (= upper level), plus two additional rooms. Because the ground floor is above the second level (the basement) due to the slope, the basement necessarily has to be the same size. Alternatively, you would need a cantilevered upper floor, which is probably extremely expensive.
The extra area in the basement that we don’t need as living space is located partly in the slope, so it basically functions as a cellar.
What is the most important basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What do you think about the room layout? Is there anything you see negatively or would change?
What do you think about the room sizes?
Will the south orientation and many windows make it too warm in summer?
We look forward to your ideas, thoughts, and tips!
pagoni2020 schrieb:
I’m not sure if you’ll actually use a window seat with these window fronts, since the entire open-plan area is basically one big window seat 😀. 😀 ... that crossed my mind too... I have images in my head of a family pressing their noses against the window (standing) and enjoying the beautiful view from inside on a perfect day 😉
askforafriend19 May 2021 18:27@EFH-Sued-Hang
We have a similar plot, also on a south-facing slope – but honestly, I would never have come up with your floor plan. I would completely discard it, sorry.
For example, we also only wanted one entrance, on the west side – we don’t need a representative entrance on the north side. So the front door was planned on the west side, but not at the rear corner of the house like you have, rather at the front. We can also easily get from the carport to the garden and have enough space for a double carport. The requirements were a carport, one entrance, and covered access into the house. All of this is fulfilled. It saves square meters, walking distance, and costs.
Regarding your approach, I would say start again. Do you really not want a nice access from the living/dining/kitchen area to your garden? That would bother me the most.
Because of the slope, we ended up working with a (freelance) architect.
We have a similar plot, also on a south-facing slope – but honestly, I would never have come up with your floor plan. I would completely discard it, sorry.
For example, we also only wanted one entrance, on the west side – we don’t need a representative entrance on the north side. So the front door was planned on the west side, but not at the rear corner of the house like you have, rather at the front. We can also easily get from the carport to the garden and have enough space for a double carport. The requirements were a carport, one entrance, and covered access into the house. All of this is fulfilled. It saves square meters, walking distance, and costs.
Regarding your approach, I would say start again. Do you really not want a nice access from the living/dining/kitchen area to your garden? That would bother me the most.
Because of the slope, we ended up working with a (freelance) architect.
N
NoSchnitzers19 May 2021 20:27Where would the entrance be for the one-bedroom apartment? Is it through the floor-to-ceiling window?
askforafriend19 May 2021 21:54It will probably be a front door, I think.
E
EFH-Sued-Hang21 May 2021 09:51Hello everyone,
thank you very much for your feedback, thoughts, criticism, and suggestions.
I would like to provide you with more information about how this floor plan was developed:
a) Room layout:
During the planning stage, we considered our daily routes and tried to optimize the rooms accordingly. The garden and the east-facing terrace can be accessed directly from the kitchen down the stairs to the basement level.
b) Floor area / Room sizes:
As already mentioned by @hampshire, we also prefer the principle of “less is more.” Therefore, we aimed to design the rooms big enough but not excessively large.
c) Granny flat / secondary apartment:
This is intended to be rented out as a student room. Access is possible through a lockable balcony door on the west side of the house. The bathroom in the basement (not the guest toilet) has a direct connection to the granny flat’s room. The other two doors to the rooms would be locked and blocked from the outside with a cabinet.
d) Carport:
It is wide enough for two cars, although we currently only have one. We mainly hope to get around by bicycle.
e) Pantry:
This will mainly be used as a storage room (vacuum cleaner, rarely used containers, etc.). For this reason, the kitchen has been made slightly larger and also provides space for food reserves.
f) Rooms on the ground floor:
These are initially intended to serve as bedrooms for parents and children. The bedroom with the wardrobe doesn’t need much space because we hardly spend time there. Once the children are older, they can move to a larger room in the basement.
g) Guest toilet:
We have a second toilet here for when the granny flat with bathroom is rented out. We also want to clean dirty flower pots, etc., in this room.
h) Living-dining area:
We planned the dining table so that there is 1.30 m (4 ft 3 in) of space around it on all sides.
i) Stairs:
In another design, the stairs were further north (where the pantry is now). However, this would mean having to walk long distances whenever going down to the basement. Therefore, we placed them more centrally in the floor plan.
j) View / Garden access:
The plot is on a south-facing slope in a rural suburban area with a beautiful, unobstructed view toward the neighboring town, fields, and forest. Placing the main living areas in the basement would cause us to lose that wonderful view. Since we will likely spend time in the garden mostly in good weather, we assume we will enjoy the view more often than direct garden access. A barrier-free garden access will be possible on the west side.
I hope this helps you better understand how the floor plan came about 🙂
Do you happen to know anyone with a similar living arrangement who could share their experiences with us?
thank you very much for your feedback, thoughts, criticism, and suggestions.
I would like to provide you with more information about how this floor plan was developed:
a) Room layout:
During the planning stage, we considered our daily routes and tried to optimize the rooms accordingly. The garden and the east-facing terrace can be accessed directly from the kitchen down the stairs to the basement level.
b) Floor area / Room sizes:
As already mentioned by @hampshire, we also prefer the principle of “less is more.” Therefore, we aimed to design the rooms big enough but not excessively large.
c) Granny flat / secondary apartment:
This is intended to be rented out as a student room. Access is possible through a lockable balcony door on the west side of the house. The bathroom in the basement (not the guest toilet) has a direct connection to the granny flat’s room. The other two doors to the rooms would be locked and blocked from the outside with a cabinet.
d) Carport:
It is wide enough for two cars, although we currently only have one. We mainly hope to get around by bicycle.
e) Pantry:
This will mainly be used as a storage room (vacuum cleaner, rarely used containers, etc.). For this reason, the kitchen has been made slightly larger and also provides space for food reserves.
f) Rooms on the ground floor:
These are initially intended to serve as bedrooms for parents and children. The bedroom with the wardrobe doesn’t need much space because we hardly spend time there. Once the children are older, they can move to a larger room in the basement.
g) Guest toilet:
We have a second toilet here for when the granny flat with bathroom is rented out. We also want to clean dirty flower pots, etc., in this room.
h) Living-dining area:
We planned the dining table so that there is 1.30 m (4 ft 3 in) of space around it on all sides.
i) Stairs:
In another design, the stairs were further north (where the pantry is now). However, this would mean having to walk long distances whenever going down to the basement. Therefore, we placed them more centrally in the floor plan.
j) View / Garden access:
The plot is on a south-facing slope in a rural suburban area with a beautiful, unobstructed view toward the neighboring town, fields, and forest. Placing the main living areas in the basement would cause us to lose that wonderful view. Since we will likely spend time in the garden mostly in good weather, we assume we will enjoy the view more often than direct garden access. A barrier-free garden access will be possible on the west side.
I hope this helps you better understand how the floor plan came about 🙂
Do you happen to know anyone with a similar living arrangement who could share their experiences with us?
The current home builders I personally know all design their homes with living spaces facing the garden, even if the entrance is upstairs. Most of them grew up with a balcony that is somehow connected to the garden by stairs. Until at least the late 1980s, basements were generally used for oil storage, wood storage, laundry rooms, and storage for potatoes and preserves.
Someone in this forum divided the living areas and placed a kitchenette upstairs with a view. I can’t remember who that was. @11ant might still remember.
@pagoni2020 has living spaces on both floors but is planning only for two people.
@hampshire has a completely different concept.
You didn’t mention anything more about the topic of barrier-free or accessible design, so I assume it’s not a priority.
Reduce the storage room a bit so that the door in the children’s room can be moved by about 60cm (24 inches).
Small rooms are fine, but you really need to be careful because you will limit your choice of bed.
Regarding the granny flat, consider including the adjacent part of the basement room.
If you’re feeling adventurous, plan differently—move away from the layout with living spaces on one level and bedrooms on another. Does it really have to be that you bump into a wardrobe in the living area? Or have the washing machine in the bathroom? You’re building quite large but creating bottlenecks that smaller homes, about 50m² (540 sq ft) less, don’t have.
Also, consider how windy the location is. Your plot isn’t down in the valley. At my parents’ place, the terrace is often unusable because it’s simply too windy. You don’t even need napkins because they end up at the neighbor’s house, and some nearly empty milk cartons get blown over. It often feels like their garden is a few degrees cooler than ours, even though they live at the top and we live down the hill.
Someone in this forum divided the living areas and placed a kitchenette upstairs with a view. I can’t remember who that was. @11ant might still remember.
@pagoni2020 has living spaces on both floors but is planning only for two people.
@hampshire has a completely different concept.
You didn’t mention anything more about the topic of barrier-free or accessible design, so I assume it’s not a priority.
Reduce the storage room a bit so that the door in the children’s room can be moved by about 60cm (24 inches).
Small rooms are fine, but you really need to be careful because you will limit your choice of bed.
Regarding the granny flat, consider including the adjacent part of the basement room.
If you’re feeling adventurous, plan differently—move away from the layout with living spaces on one level and bedrooms on another. Does it really have to be that you bump into a wardrobe in the living area? Or have the washing machine in the bathroom? You’re building quite large but creating bottlenecks that smaller homes, about 50m² (540 sq ft) less, don’t have.
Also, consider how windy the location is. Your plot isn’t down in the valley. At my parents’ place, the terrace is often unusable because it’s simply too windy. You don’t even need napkins because they end up at the neighbor’s house, and some nearly empty milk cartons get blown over. It often feels like their garden is a few degrees cooler than ours, even though they live at the top and we live down the hill.
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