Feedback on our floor plan idea, small building window

But OP will know what he wants - that's what I think

I am increasingly doubtful about that. The living room is the best example of lack of planning.

- TV / home cinema forgotten, now a makeshift solution is to be found.
- Integration of the fireplace questionable, as seating furniture is awkwardly positioned.
- A sofa stands in front of a floor-to-ceiling window / glass door, behind the view and the perspective from the other side to the outside.
- From that sofa, one has a view of the busy north wall.
- Cabinets are positioned unconvincingly.
- Lighting of the room falls short of the possibilities.
- Overall, no convincing concept is recognizable.

An architect "only for revising the [existing] floor plan": completely the wrong approach. Better to invest in a good plan from the start.

Good morning,

to be honest, I am a bit irritated. Criticism is certainly valid, but it should be constructive.

: As I already mentioned at the beginning of the thread and also a few days ago, the cube (and the shape) can no longer be changed. You are judging very quickly. There is simply a framework within which we have to operate.

Why? There is neither a development plan nor is the land currently designated as building land (and this will only apply to the northern part of the property). This also applies to the neighboring property to the west. The seller (an inheritance community) of the formerly ONE (6,600 sqm) property (now divided into 4) has "negotiated" with the authorities for over 3 years (through two different project developers and 3 different architects) and has finally been allowed to divide the one property into four. The most recent preliminary decision took 7 months and was ultimately successful, but sets restrictive building envelopes as well as roof shapes and facades (among many other conditions).

The current form was verbally pre-negotiated through several rounds of negotiation (the first architect I appointed completely failed with the authorities / the initial goal was an "L" shape) with the building department (and various necessary committees). The currently valid preliminary building permit (which – as mentioned – was negotiated for almost 7 months) only allows a simple cuboid, which is simply too small and too boring for us. An "L" shape was not approved and we were verbally informed that such a form in the necessary size would have no chance of success. Therefore, after the history outlined above, we did not try to get this in writing either. Eventually, we want to start building.

We were informed that the political building committee would tolerate an overbuilding of the building envelope by about 10% if we attach a sort of bay window to the cube (not as an "L"). This is how the "T" shape came about. By the way, the model was a T-building that is very similarly divided (and similarly sized) and comes from a renowned regional architect.

That much again about the background. Therefore, I do not consider your assessment that "it is wrong to involve an architect only for revisions" to be correct.

Nevertheless, of course, I recognize your criticism of the living room. Your objection, which I have seen not only in our project, that if necessary a complete redesign must be done and please from the beginning holistically, can practically not be implemented. There are contracts with the engineer/architect, there is the aforementioned framework, which the engineer has successfully "negotiated" for us.

From my point of view, a good architect is characterized not only by being able to plan needs-based without conditions, but also by being able to plan individual aspects well within a set framework, if necessary as well as possible.

If this forum aspires not only to be a "You need a good architect" forum but also sketches solutions, then I would be very happy about your help. Help would be, for example, to post a rough sketch of your idea of the living room from which an alternative emerges for us. Where is the TV (we don’t need a home cinema)? Where is the cinema? How are the windows? Where are the sofa/chairs? How do you envision the northern wall, the passage to the dining area, and the door to the hallway?

I am curious and would be very grateful for this valuable help.

Best regards

Lassemann

Good morning Yvonne,

thank you as well. It would be great if you could provide us with your idea as a rough sketch.

A cave feeling? Hm..... isn't that also achievable through interior design / furniture / decoration / curtains and lighting?

Sofa against the wall: Sure, the property could be a solution. From our point of view, however, the living room is too small for that. It would need to be bigger to, for example, have a sofa corner and a fireplace corner. Or do you have a sketch suggestion?

What is a "TE"?

Thanks

Hello Kaho674,

you obviously could only deal with my topic superficially. That is rubbish and not very helpful.

Well, I wouldn't be happy with that.
- Pantry in the basement and not directly adjacent to the kitchen is rubbish. .

No. I even consider it sensible and efficient. If I get something from the pantry 20-30 times a year (e.g. wine, jam, waffle iron, soup pot for parties, etc.).....I don't need a pantry on the ground floor at the expense of limited living space. We have daily supplies - as we do now in our apartment and like any normal person - in the kitchen itself. Bottled water will be in the storage (garage). We also find that very practical (groceries from car to storage).

- Bedroom solution is botched, I also find the children’s room niches stupid. When they are gone, what will you do with the niches then? .

Matter of taste. And no objective argument recognizable in such a general statement.

-- Hardly any space for cabinets in a children’s room. .

Completely sufficient (2 to 3 units of 60 cm). Since when do you fill children’s rooms with cabinets? Note: Besides the children’s rooms, there is also a playroom (all bulky things will be there).

--- Guest WC without shower. .

It is not a guest WC, but our main WC. The guest WC is (like the guest room) in the basement.

---- Bedroom in the south? Then I would definitely plan the air conditioning..

We are of course planning sun protection (the windows themselves, shutters, probably also window shutters).

----- Utility room in the basement - then only with laundry chute - but missing.
For an architect simply weak, I would say.

Yes, that is correct. It would be nice, but not absolutely necessary.

What is a "TE"? Thank you

TE = Thread Creator

Thread = topic in a forum

So in this case, that is you.

to pantry in the basement...

No. I even consider it sensible and efficient. If I take something from the pantry (e.g. wine, jam, waffle iron, soup pot for party, etc.) 20-30 times a year.....I don’t need a pantry on the ground floor...

I go to my pantry 2-3 times every day. If it is not connected to the kitchen, it probably isn’t a pantry either. Because no one wants to constantly run downstairs. But everyone as they like.

...like every normal person - in the kitchen itself.

Are you saying I’m not normal now? Hehe.

Water bottle stuff will be in the storage (garage). We also find that very practical (groceries from car to storage)

A lot of running around at your place. Well, you’ll stay fit that way.
Once the table is set and you have your step counter full.

Bedroom:

A matter of taste. And no objective argument evident as a general rule.

Well, a 50 cm passage is, in my opinion, out of the question. But there is still the option to move the bed – to the middle or otherwise. And the niches were already discussed.
The chimney on the outer wall is also not exactly a masterpiece. I would like to see the front or back view, how the chimney then sits on the side. And as low as it is painted now, I consider that to be idealized. As far as I know, the chimney must go above the highest point of the roof.

Since when do you fill children’s rooms with cabinets? Note: Besides the children’s rooms there is still a playroom (all bulky stuff will be there).

I don’t know how it is for others, but I had all my clothes in my room. So dresses, coats and jackets, sweaters, socks, underwear, etc.

It is not a guest WC, but our main WC. Guest WC is (like guest room) in the basement.

Oh yeah, you lock the guests in the basement, right. Well, they’ll be happy.

We are of course planning sun protection (windows themselves, roller shutters, probably also shutters)

Well, if that’s enough?

Ok, your floor plan is fixed with this T. That might make thing difficult. Still, I wouldn’t be happy. I would look at all T-shaped floor plans I can find to see what’s possible.

So what else I notice:
I find the double door into the kitchen too many doors in the living room.

Door to the children’s bathroom too small.

Playroom in the basement. So the PlayStation has to be there, otherwise nobody goes down there.

Regarding the bedroom, I would consider dropping the terrace. Do you really lie there? From experience, people prefer lying directly in the garden in summer rather than somewhere up on the balcony. With the extra space, a better layout might be possible.

No coziness gets into the living room. Mainly caused, in my opinion, by the doors to the dining room. I would probably knock those out completely and instead lead a door from the dining room to the hallway. Possibly one also shifts the walls in the living room for an optimal placement of doors.