Hello, it’s actually quite simple. I would like to ask for your opinions on the floor plan. The intended use of the rooms should be clear from the labels. So far, we have only drawn the furniture offline to scale. I won’t write about our own ideas yet because I would like to hear unbiased opinions on how the floor plan comes across. Thank you!
About the occupants: 2 adults (current), 2 children (planned), >= 5 cats (current)
Note: The insulation is added to the exterior dimensions; the floor plan only shows the solid wall portion of the exterior walls.
About the occupants: 2 adults (current), 2 children (planned), >= 5 cats (current)
Note: The insulation is added to the exterior dimensions; the floor plan only shows the solid wall portion of the exterior walls.
Sorry, you’re planning a corridor of about 16sqm (170 sq ft), with the same size upstairs... and then a shortcut door through the pantry so you don’t have such a long way from the office?
In my opinion, the corridor dominates the layout too much. Rooms are lined up rather carelessly on the left and right from it... In addition, the randomly placed windows, while roughly symmetrical (at least on the south side), still make the overall appearance seem unbalanced.
If I were you, I would revisit the design!
In my opinion, the corridor dominates the layout too much. Rooms are lined up rather carelessly on the left and right from it... In addition, the randomly placed windows, while roughly symmetrical (at least on the south side), still make the overall appearance seem unbalanced.
If I were you, I would revisit the design!
Hmm, I don’t quite understand your point about the windows. Could you please explain what you mean in more detail? Except for the west side (which is practically impossible to view from the outside because of the trees), all the windows are arranged completely symmetrically. That means consistent spacing and size grids on the ground floor and the upper floor. More windows on the (shady) west side would seem like a waste of energy to me. I’m not considering aesthetic aspects related to how the house might look from the west side if it were possible to view it from there.
However, I will still reconsider whether there is potential for optimization without changing the rooms.
The door from the office to the pantry is planned with the idea that you might want to store folders there or, if you work from home later and meet clients, offer them a drink directly without detours. If it turns out that the door isn’t needed, that’s not a problem at all—you can simply place a shelf in front of it if you need the space. I see blocking the door as less problematic (which is why it opens into the pantry) than having to install a door afterward if you decide you want one later.
The building’s fairly large footprint has, as I drew it, resulted in a “large” hallway. Although I have also seen floor plans of 200 m² (about 2150 sq ft) with hallways well over 20 m² (more than 10% of the net floor area!). I still wanted to keep the hallway as small as possible or necessary. If you have alternative suggestions, feel free to share them—I’m always open to new ideas. Alternatives shouldn’t reduce the room sizes or enlarge the house’s overall size, especially the narrow side—the width—which is limited.
However, I will still reconsider whether there is potential for optimization without changing the rooms.
The door from the office to the pantry is planned with the idea that you might want to store folders there or, if you work from home later and meet clients, offer them a drink directly without detours. If it turns out that the door isn’t needed, that’s not a problem at all—you can simply place a shelf in front of it if you need the space. I see blocking the door as less problematic (which is why it opens into the pantry) than having to install a door afterward if you decide you want one later.
The building’s fairly large footprint has, as I drew it, resulted in a “large” hallway. Although I have also seen floor plans of 200 m² (about 2150 sq ft) with hallways well over 20 m² (more than 10% of the net floor area!). I still wanted to keep the hallway as small as possible or necessary. If you have alternative suggestions, feel free to share them—I’m always open to new ideas. Alternatives shouldn’t reduce the room sizes or enlarge the house’s overall size, especially the narrow side—the width—which is limited.
To be honest, I now understand why architects point out the circular shelf (and I have to admit, I’m also partly to blame for overlooking this, unfortunately). But I’ll give it a try: The north facade has the small window on the left (which serves no purpose in the guest room) and the large one on the right (right behind the bathtub!). On the east side, the kitchen window is too small, and the dining area window has a different width than the one above in the bedroom (although I might be mixing that up). There are three windows in the bedroom, which is one too many. I would skip the two middle windows on the south side and move the floor-level windows in the living and dining areas closer together so that their outer edges line up vertically... and so on.
But honestly: the idea of having the study next to the pantry is not a good one; it’s more of a compromise. There is no real logic behind it. It would make more sense to plan from the start in a way that keeps that path short. That means I would reconsider everything from scratch. Just please avoid lining up rooms in a row, as that tends to lead to designs like this again.
Your house won’t be a small project, so it deserves a proper design. What do the trees on the west side look like? Is it possible to shift the house toward the east side of the plot? It could offer a fantastic view of the greenery...
What does the lot look like? How much are you planning to spend on this box-shaped house? The south-facing windows will need shutters or blinds, otherwise you’ll be overheating.
So, I’m sorry, but take another look at your plot and start planning again. I have the impression you’re fixated on a straight staircase in a city villa-style house, but this can definitely be done better.
But honestly: the idea of having the study next to the pantry is not a good one; it’s more of a compromise. There is no real logic behind it. It would make more sense to plan from the start in a way that keeps that path short. That means I would reconsider everything from scratch. Just please avoid lining up rooms in a row, as that tends to lead to designs like this again.
Your house won’t be a small project, so it deserves a proper design. What do the trees on the west side look like? Is it possible to shift the house toward the east side of the plot? It could offer a fantastic view of the greenery...
What does the lot look like? How much are you planning to spend on this box-shaped house? The south-facing windows will need shutters or blinds, otherwise you’ll be overheating.
So, I’m sorry, but take another look at your plot and start planning again. I have the impression you’re fixated on a straight staircase in a city villa-style house, but this can definitely be done better.
C
Conny198027 Jan 2013 18:02I would definitely change the direction of the staircase. Otherwise, you always have to run the length of the entire hallway when you want to get something from the bedroom dressing room for outside.
Also, I would definitely plan to have a shower on the ground floor. Firstly, because of the cats and secondly, for when the kids are older.
Also, I would definitely plan to have a shower on the ground floor. Firstly, because of the cats and secondly, for when the kids are older.