Architect's preliminary draft, single-family house

Hello,

some time ago we hired an architect to design a single-family house for us. Meanwhile, we have a rough preliminary draft that we would like to put up for discussion.

The house has a basement, the basement floor plan is not attached (but it is identical to the upper floor; the extension is not basemented). Since it is only a preliminary draft, two windows on the ground floor do not match the elevations:

[*]The window at the stairs to the upper floor does not exist (present in the ground floor plan; missing in the north elevation).

[*]A floor-to-ceiling window between the cabinets is missing in the ground floor plan (present in the south elevation).

[*]The hallway on the ground floor is slightly smaller than indicated (just under 16 m²).

Thank you, Odon

p.s.: The order of the planning documents in Dropbox is a bit mixed up - sorry.

Hello,

finally a draft that is well done and not run-of-the-mill. I like it a lot.

The only thing I want to point out is the stairs right at the entrance. We have that too and by now I understand the comments of other forum members that this is not optimal. You keep walking through the dirt.

What is the storage room needed for? You still have a basement, right?

The furniture for the kitchen and dining room stays as it is, right? Otherwise, I find 3.27 m for the dining table sufficient but not exactly generous. Especially if there is a terrace door there, it would get tight.
But if a bench is really planned on one side, it works out.

I would end the island in the kitchen with the counter row, otherwise you have too little passage there. Although on one side of our island we have 80 cm. That is enough to quickly slip through. As a main walkway it would be too little.

The pantry seems adequately wide, though I would consider placing the shelves/cabinets in an L-shape (similar to the kitchen).

I would be afraid that someone would slam the front door in my face when I'm just rushing down the stairs...
I can only agree with Jaydee. I see all the points the same way!
Also, I don't like T-solutions in the bathroom because it makes it look smaller than it is.

Hello Jaydee and Milkie,

I’m glad you like the draft. Thanks for the comments.

The only thing I would consider is the staircase directly at the entrance. We have that too and meanwhile I understand the remarks from other forum members that this is not optimal. You just keep walking through the dirt.

I can relate. Do you have a doormat inside and outside? It is planned to install one flush with the floor inside and outside. They are quite expensive (cost without installation > 400 €), but supposedly effective. Alternative: to make the staircase spiral – I don’t know if that works space-wise.

Hello,
What is the storage room needed for? You still have a basement, right?

The designation "storage" is confusing, why the architect named the room like that, I don’t know – and neither does he.
It is a second office or guest room.

The furniture for the kitchen and dining room stays as is, right? Otherwise, I find 3.27 m for the dining table sufficient but not exactly generous. Especially if there is also a terrace door there, it would get tight.
But if a bench is really planned on one side, it works.

There will even be a corner bench. The space should therefore be sufficient.

I would end the kitchen island at the counter, otherwise there is too little passage there. On one side of our island we have 80 cm. It’s enough to quickly slip through. As a main walkway, it would be too little.

Between the island and the tall cabinet it should be just under 1.1 m. On the window side, it was just under 80 cm.

The pantry seems wide enough, although I would consider placing the shelves/cabinets as an L shape (similar to the kitchen).

Some furniture, like the ones in the pantry and bathroom, are just placeholders.

Briefly about the T-solution in the bathroom:

As said, placeholder, but the T-solution fits quite well in this case.

Thanks.

Without knowing the legal framework conditions and requirements:

EG:
Dirt problems of the stairs have already been mentioned. Unsatisfactory are the demarcation of the parents' area and the access thereto, including the entrance area. Consider rethinking the L-shaped arrangement of cooking-eating-living. Dining room without direct access from the entrance area and far away, involve concrete kitchen planning earlier. Bedroom in the southwest, reconsider the wall to the dressing room, possibly only separate by furniture. Access to the basement uncomfortable and contradictory to zoning.

OG:
Plan with intended furnishing, then both children's rooms with windows on two sides.

Miscellaneous:
Laundry handling annoying, utility room in the basement uncomfortable, consistent further development of the design sensible.

WD

The things Wanderdüne mentioned are known:

Parents' area: We had several variants, including other options for cellar access. I can understand that point.

L-shaped: Was desired.

Pantry: Had also been solved differently twice before – I can understand that point as well.

Bedroom: Position is actually intentional, there is also a background to it. We don't like the wall to the "dressing room" (it isn't one), but it would have the advantage that the closet would be floor-to-ceiling.

Cellar access: I am not sure if it is clear where the cellar access is in the house. The correct representation seems to be missing. See #1...

Children’s rooms: So far, both children’s rooms had a window on two sides. The architect argued that it is already bright enough and the views suffer. We also preferred the asymmetrical west facade better.

Laundry handling: Yes. :) However, a washing machine and dryer can be accommodated upstairs.

Thanks!
I think that’s it.