ᐅ Suggestions for the floor plan of a single-family house, approximately 175 sqm, with a pitched roof
Created on: 4 Nov 2022 22:51
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epinephrin
I’m venturing into this part of the forum to share our floor plan for discussion. I’m hoping for constructive feedback and ideas in case improvements would be advisable.
We want a bright house of about 160-170 sqm (1700-1830 sq ft). We would prefer an open staircase design, but it should not interfere with the floor plan. The flat roof dormer is more than just a nice-to-have... 🙂
Overall, we like the current floor plan very much, but since we are building novices, we would like to go over it with you experts to identify any possible issues. As we haven’t signed the contract with the general contractor yet, there are unfortunately no detailed dimensions available. The furnishing in the kitchen, bathroom, and living area is not yet fixed, so please don’t focus too much on those!
Orientation: the street and entrance are on the north side, terrace faces southwest.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 854 sqm (9190 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3 m (10 ft) from plot boundary
Edge development: garage approx. 1 m (3 ft) northeast
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of storeys: max. 2 full floors
Roof type: gable roof 30-45°, hipped roof 25-35°, shed roof, flat roof possible
Style: modern
Orientation: southwest
Maximum height/building limits: ridge height 8.50 m (28 ft)
Additional requirements: driveway max. 4 m (13 ft) wide
Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: modern gable roof house (without eaves)
Basement, floors: no basement; 1.5 or 2 storeys; cold roof
Number of people, ages: 4 people (42, 41, 8, 5)
Room requirements on ground floor: kitchen, living, office, shower/WC, utility room; upper floor: sleeping, dressing room, 2 children’s rooms, bathroom, reading corner
Office: used for family or home office? 1 home office
Number of overnight guests per year: max 2
Open or closed architecture: open and bright
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open (but no direct view to living area), kitchen island if possible
Number of dining seats: 6 (preferably extendable to at least 8)
Fireplace: bioethanol / water vapor fireplace
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no, but projecting bay window on upper floor
Garage, carport: garage or carport (6x9 m (20x30 ft) – position and storage room next to or behind garage not fixed yet – orientation on plot either lengthwise or widthwise)
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons for decisions:
House design
Origin of the design: original floor plan from Gussek House “Zypressenallee,” adapted to our needs and wishes by a general contractor’s planner
What do you like most and why? We like the layout and orientation of the ground floor, with sightlines from the entrance area
What do you like least and why? Uncertainty whether the kitchen is too tight; arrangement options for living room (sofa, piano!, bioethanol fireplace?) – possibly remove the middle square window in the living area on the ground floor in favor of more space for furniture?
Price estimate from architect/planner: 600,000 EUR (including garage, additional construction costs)
Personal price limit for house including equipment: 600,000 EUR
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump
If you have to give up on certain details or extras:
- Can give up: staircase, 10 sqm (110 sq ft) of living space
- Cannot give up: bay window on upper floor (I just really like this nesting box)
Why is the design as it is now? For example:
The desire for a bay window with reading window and open architecture was implemented, combining examples from various magazines...
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
see above
We want a bright house of about 160-170 sqm (1700-1830 sq ft). We would prefer an open staircase design, but it should not interfere with the floor plan. The flat roof dormer is more than just a nice-to-have... 🙂
Overall, we like the current floor plan very much, but since we are building novices, we would like to go over it with you experts to identify any possible issues. As we haven’t signed the contract with the general contractor yet, there are unfortunately no detailed dimensions available. The furnishing in the kitchen, bathroom, and living area is not yet fixed, so please don’t focus too much on those!
Orientation: the street and entrance are on the north side, terrace faces southwest.
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 854 sqm (9190 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.8
Building envelope, building line and boundary: 3 m (10 ft) from plot boundary
Edge development: garage approx. 1 m (3 ft) northeast
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of storeys: max. 2 full floors
Roof type: gable roof 30-45°, hipped roof 25-35°, shed roof, flat roof possible
Style: modern
Orientation: southwest
Maximum height/building limits: ridge height 8.50 m (28 ft)
Additional requirements: driveway max. 4 m (13 ft) wide
Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: modern gable roof house (without eaves)
Basement, floors: no basement; 1.5 or 2 storeys; cold roof
Number of people, ages: 4 people (42, 41, 8, 5)
Room requirements on ground floor: kitchen, living, office, shower/WC, utility room; upper floor: sleeping, dressing room, 2 children’s rooms, bathroom, reading corner
Office: used for family or home office? 1 home office
Number of overnight guests per year: max 2
Open or closed architecture: open and bright
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open (but no direct view to living area), kitchen island if possible
Number of dining seats: 6 (preferably extendable to at least 8)
Fireplace: bioethanol / water vapor fireplace
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no, but projecting bay window on upper floor
Garage, carport: garage or carport (6x9 m (20x30 ft) – position and storage room next to or behind garage not fixed yet – orientation on plot either lengthwise or widthwise)
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons for decisions:
- Seating window on upper floor (bay window) – to hopefully bring plenty of light into the hallway and provide a nice view
- Open staircase (straight or with landing, no preference)
- Kitchen without direct line of sight from living area
- Office preferably with garden access
House design
Origin of the design: original floor plan from Gussek House “Zypressenallee,” adapted to our needs and wishes by a general contractor’s planner
What do you like most and why? We like the layout and orientation of the ground floor, with sightlines from the entrance area
What do you like least and why? Uncertainty whether the kitchen is too tight; arrangement options for living room (sofa, piano!, bioethanol fireplace?) – possibly remove the middle square window in the living area on the ground floor in favor of more space for furniture?
Price estimate from architect/planner: 600,000 EUR (including garage, additional construction costs)
Personal price limit for house including equipment: 600,000 EUR
Preferred heating system: air-to-water heat pump
If you have to give up on certain details or extras:
- Can give up: staircase, 10 sqm (110 sq ft) of living space
- Cannot give up: bay window on upper floor (I just really like this nesting box)
Why is the design as it is now? For example:
The desire for a bay window with reading window and open architecture was implemented, combining examples from various magazines...
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
see above
E
epinephrin19 Feb 2023 00:1011ant schrieb:
Please tell me this is a joke. There’s a reason why the box where you found this idea says "Things you should never do" on it!
Absolutely not. Stay out of this. The architect should design the staircase (including detailed planning!!!), and hopefully that architect is a proper professional. If a general contractor (GC) is involved, the staircase is part of their scope, and if necessary, a mutually agreed staircase specialist should be hired as their subcontractor. You should NEVER contract the staircase separately in a GC-build, Mrs. Sophie!I don’t even know how that recommendation came about. There is a staircase subcontractor, but I think at first it was said that if we plan an open staircase, we might run into limitations, even though we don’t want a cantilever or anything like that now. A folding staircase, for example, should probably be manageable by all staircase specialists? Basically, we would prefer not to take the staircase out of the GC’s hands and will reconsider their subcontractor!11ant schrieb:
No, the dirty laundry goes down the chute, and you don’t exactly have to carry it back up while roasting. When would be the perfect time for four people in this, as we have found, cramped kitchen—where no one eats, stands in the way, cooks, gets a drink, grabs a cloth, or whatever—to run back and forth multiple times with the large laundry basket through this passage without annoying each other or bumping into one another? Midnight?
No, it’s not a drama—just a small pill to swallow.
11ant schrieb:
Please tell me this is a joke. There’s a reason the box where you found this idea is labeled “Things you never do!”
Absolutely not. Stay out of it. The staircase is supposed to be designed by the architect (including detailed planning!!!), and hopefully by a professional without quotation marks. If a general contractor (GC) is involved, the staircase must be part of their scope of work, and if necessary, a mutually agreed stair specialist should be hired as their subcontractor. You N-E-V-E-R subcontract a staircase separately in a GC house, Mrs. Sophie!
Only a fool designs their house around furniture that will have only about four years of usable life left. Most first-time homebuyers come from apartments, and this adjustment rarely happens without changing furniture buying habits. Therefore, previous habits should not be simply projected into the future.
Not for a penny, I tend to see this as practical. 11ant schrieb:
No, the dirty laundry goes through the chute, and you don’t have to carry the laundry back up while cooking. I don’t think access to the utility room is the problem; rather, there is too little space in the utility room to properly handle the laundry. My wife usually has two laundry baskets standing around — where exactly are they supposed to go? Especially since the homeowner has small children, there’s a lot of dirty laundry. As a father of three, I believe I can judge this quite well. 🙂
epinephrin schrieb:
I believe I informed the architect that the dining table should measure 200x100 cm (79x39 inches) and the sofa should be at least 2.90 m (9.5 ft) wide. Would that make the dining area a bit more comfortable?It seems to me the dimensions are 80 x 240 cm (31 x 94 inches). The problem with four people is not only you sitting there with guests in the evening, but individual family members using the space independently. If kids are sitting there with friends and you want to do household chores at the same time, it gets quite tight at a fully occupied table to move around with a mop bucket and other cleaning supplies. There are many examples like this during a multi-generation stay in this house. It could become a constant source of frustration. One must be aware of that.Regarding the sofa and kitchen: for now, it might be sufficient. But I know from experience that over the years, even a tidy kitchen eventually becomes too small. Annual decluttering won’t help — over time you accumulate more, want more convenience, and change your eating and cooking habits. For example, if a child develops an intolerance, suddenly you need additional shelving or cabinets for alternative products. Since you are not planning a pantry, one or two cabinets for food storage, small kitchen appliances, and a freezer unit should be included in the plan. If your argument is "right now we manage without them," I would say: then stay where you are. Consider how your 60 cm (24 inches) wide cabinets could be allocated for pots, dishes, glasses, cups, pantry goods, basic groceries, fridge, oven, Tupperware, appliances, and miscellaneous items — it adds up to several meters. The same applies to the sofa — it would be truly frustrating if the terrace door could no longer open because a side table or floor lamp was placed there.
K a t j a schrieb:
What bothers me most is still the utility room access through the kitchen or living areas.11ant schrieb:
No, the dirty laundry comes through the chute, and you don’t exactly have to carry it back out while cooking.… in a heating room just over 7 sqm (75 sq ft) in size! There are also vacuum cleaners, mop buckets, a toolbox, and plant fertilizer stored there. Probably yellow bags and waste paper are temporarily kept there until they are taken outside. ….We also have two laundry baskets plus a collection bin plus a small wall-mounted drying rack for hand-washed items in that separate room, which is 4 sqm (43 sq ft). ….
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