ᐅ Floor Plan Design for New Single-Family Home, Narrow Plot, Initial Architect Draft
Created on: 10 Nov 2025 22:30
I
Ian_Mer
Hello everyone,
we are currently planning our single-family home. We now have the first draft of our floor plan, but it is not perfect yet. So I thought I’d ask for your advice on what we could still change or improve. Everything is still possible at this stage.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 450 m² (4,844 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.3
Site coverage ratio: 0.6
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: see plan
Edge development: not yet present, as the building area is currently being developed
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of full stories: 2
Roof type: flat roof with mandatory green roofing
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: south
Maximum heights / limits
Other requirements: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in) maximum height, Hessian building regulations (Hesse, Germany), new: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) setback from neighboring property.
Client Requirements
Modern house for 2 adults and two children aged 4 and 6, including basement, 2 full floors.
Space requirements on the ground floor: office, kitchen, pantry, dining area, living room, guest bathroom with shower. Upper floor: 2 children’s bedrooms, master bedroom with walk-in closet, bathroom with bathtub and double sinks. Basement: technical room, utility room, second office, creativity room for crafts, playing, or making music.
Office use: family use or home office? Home office; both parents work three days per week from home.
Number of overnight guests per year: 6, regular overnight visitors.
Open or closed layout:
Conventional or modern construction:
Open kitchen with cooking island: yes
Number of dining places: usually 4, more for guests, birthdays, etc.
Fireplace: no
Music / stereo wall: only TV wall
Balcony or roof terrace: no
Garage or carport: garage plus bike storage
Vegetable garden or greenhouse: yes, vegetable garden
Other wishes / special features / daily routine preferences, including reasons why something should or should not be included: built-in closet in the entrance hall, lots of storage space.
House Design
Planner: (interior) architect
What do you particularly like? Why?
Window seat in the kitchen, living room somewhat separated in the bay window, space for an outdoor kitchen on the covered terrace.
What don’t you like? Why?
Location of the shed, we would prefer the staircase as a platform staircase or with straight steps, we wonder if the kitchen is large enough and provides enough storage space. The utility room is too small. Instead of the skylight, we would rather plan a window in the stairwell.
Cost estimate according to the architect/planner: unknown
Personal budget for the house including fittings: 650,000
Preferred heating system: heat pump
Why was the design developed this way? Needs analysis with the architect, after which she created the first draft.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? From the sofa, there should be a view of the garden, lots of storage, master bed 1.60 m x 2 m (5 ft 3 in x 6 ft 7 in) (no need for 2 m x 2 m bed), walk-in closet accessible from the bedroom, covered terrace, covered entrance gate.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad? We find the layout basically good but not yet perfect.
[ATTACH type="full" width="500px" alt="2D floor plan of a house with living area, kitchen, dining area, bedroom, and garage">
we are currently planning our single-family home. We now have the first draft of our floor plan, but it is not perfect yet. So I thought I’d ask for your advice on what we could still change or improve. Everything is still possible at this stage.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 450 m² (4,844 sq ft)
Slope: no
Floor area ratio (FAR): 0.3
Site coverage ratio: 0.6
Building envelope, building line, and boundary: see plan
Edge development: not yet present, as the building area is currently being developed
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of full stories: 2
Roof type: flat roof with mandatory green roofing
Architectural style: modern
Orientation: south
Maximum heights / limits
Other requirements: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in) maximum height, Hessian building regulations (Hesse, Germany), new: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) setback from neighboring property.
Client Requirements
Modern house for 2 adults and two children aged 4 and 6, including basement, 2 full floors.
Space requirements on the ground floor: office, kitchen, pantry, dining area, living room, guest bathroom with shower. Upper floor: 2 children’s bedrooms, master bedroom with walk-in closet, bathroom with bathtub and double sinks. Basement: technical room, utility room, second office, creativity room for crafts, playing, or making music.
Office use: family use or home office? Home office; both parents work three days per week from home.
Number of overnight guests per year: 6, regular overnight visitors.
Open or closed layout:
Conventional or modern construction:
Open kitchen with cooking island: yes
Number of dining places: usually 4, more for guests, birthdays, etc.
Fireplace: no
Music / stereo wall: only TV wall
Balcony or roof terrace: no
Garage or carport: garage plus bike storage
Vegetable garden or greenhouse: yes, vegetable garden
Other wishes / special features / daily routine preferences, including reasons why something should or should not be included: built-in closet in the entrance hall, lots of storage space.
House Design
Planner: (interior) architect
What do you particularly like? Why?
Window seat in the kitchen, living room somewhat separated in the bay window, space for an outdoor kitchen on the covered terrace.
What don’t you like? Why?
Location of the shed, we would prefer the staircase as a platform staircase or with straight steps, we wonder if the kitchen is large enough and provides enough storage space. The utility room is too small. Instead of the skylight, we would rather plan a window in the stairwell.
Cost estimate according to the architect/planner: unknown
Personal budget for the house including fittings: 650,000
Preferred heating system: heat pump
Why was the design developed this way? Needs analysis with the architect, after which she created the first draft.
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? From the sofa, there should be a view of the garden, lots of storage, master bed 1.60 m x 2 m (5 ft 3 in x 6 ft 7 in) (no need for 2 m x 2 m bed), walk-in closet accessible from the bedroom, covered terrace, covered entrance gate.
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad? We find the layout basically good but not yet perfect.
ypg schrieb:
I basically think that staircases with landings don’t fit well into open-plan living areas of typical size (households with 2-4 people, 40 - 60m (130 - 200ft)²). It’s not that they can’t be well designed, but they overwhelm the overall space. I often see nicely designed staircases, but they are always planned separately in hallways.
Even in your example in #12, I don’t see them working, because I find hallway space more important than a landing. In this tiny hallway, you really have to coordinate, or you risk falling down the stairs. The spacious feeling is gone. The rest of the rooms, like a bedroom, have to take a back seat. Everything feels cramped except for the children’s rooms, where you can finally breathe a bit.
Maybe if you start from scratch and adjust the dimensions properly, it can at least work together with the other rooms.
For me, this mainstream staircase with a landing is similar to a tiny pantry that takes more space from the kitchen than it actually gives back; it’s not only overrated but just takes away function and space.
Here, the Tetris-like arrangement may be well done, but it’s no longer functional. I also think the originally planned staircase fits the floor plan better than the staircase with a landing. We told the architect that we like staircases with landings, but that they should only be planned if they fit the layout. That’s why she chose the more space-saving staircase.
Arauki11 schrieb:
Did I misunderstand something again, or does the development plan specify flat OR pitched roofs? In the picture of the development plan, the number "7" appears and on the far left is the abbreviation "FD," so we understood that only flat roofs are allowed in this row. In other areas, "FD/SD" is indicated, so you can choose which roof type you want.
Arauki11 schrieb:
I see on picture 1 “Covered Terrace” and on the other side of the house the word “Covered Area” again. Oh, that’s just a covered walkway to get to the garage without getting wet.
H
hanghaus202311 Nov 2025 13:27Ian_Mer schrieb:
Oh, so it's just a canopy to reach the garage without getting your feet wet.But 1.5 m (5 feet) is quite large for that.hanghaus2023 schrieb:
At 1.5 m (5 feet), that is quite large.That's true, it could definitely be made smaller.
What do you think about the house's placement between the building lines? Does it make sense to position the house along the southern building line to leave space for a second parking spot?
I’m also wondering if the terrace is large enough to accommodate an outdoor kitchen and a table for 4 to 8 people. We would also like to have a lounge area, but that would only fit separately in the garden.
Ian_Mer schrieb:
The number "7" is shown on the site plan image, and the abbreviation "FD" appears on the far left, so we understood that only flat roofs are allowed in this row. In other areas, it says FD/SD, meaning you can choose which roof type you want. Yes, this does happen. In our area, there were also clear distinctions along the streets: one row with flat roofs, but notably single-story, then two rows with the preferred gable/hip roofs, and the last row with bungalows and pitched roofs.
It is always a good idea to show the relevant excerpt of the site plan, as there have often been misreadings that the forum has helped to clear up.
Ian_Mer schrieb:
Building lines? Does it make sense to place the house on the southern building line to have space for a second parking spot? You must build within the building lines whether you like it or not. Building limits define the buildable area.
Ian_Mer schrieb:
Oh, so that is just a covered walkway to enter the garage without getting wet. Where does this misconception come from that you will get wet stepping out of the garage? Firstly, it does not rain all the time, and secondly, those few meters in bad weather won’t necessarily get you soaked enough to justify the cost of a covered walkway.
I see many misunderstandings here, including that a T-shaped design is the solution. It may be a solution but typically reduces the usable space of a normally sized bathroom.
Ian_Mer schrieb:
Also, I wonder if the terrace is large enough for an outdoor kitchen and a table for 4–8 people. We would also like a lounge area, but that would only fit separately in the garden. No, it is not even big enough for a dining table of standard size.
Ian_Mer schrieb:
Oh, so it’s just a roof to keep your feet dry when going to the garage. This is a frequently discussed point here—being afraid of the occasional raindrop while accepting high costs for protection against it. I would definitely remove that. In fact, I also find the point mentioned here about being able to get behind the house with a device very important. I overlooked that with my first house, and I would never neglect it again.
Ian_Mer schrieb:
Also, I wonder if the terrace is large enough for an outdoor kitchen and a table for 4-8 people. We would also like a lounge area, but that would only fit separately in the garden. I would already be thinking very specifically about that, since there are several separate elements. Three meters (10 feet) depth isn’t really generous, and with 8 people there’s a lot of movement involved. Adding a separate lounge directly next to the terrace probably wouldn’t look good, and the terrace itself will likely feel cramped.
There’s also the question of the required or desired shading.
ypg schrieb:
Yes, something like that exists. In our area, there were clear distinctions in the streets: one row of flat-roofed houses, though single-story, then two rows of desired gable or hip roof houses, and the last row consisted of bungalows with roofing.
However, it is always helpful to share an extract of the development plan – there have often been misunderstandings that the forum has helped clarify.
Absolutely, as a layperson you first need to familiarize yourself with the topic. It always helps when several people review it. Since the building area has just been developed, you can't rely on neighboring buildings or similar references.
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