Floor Plan Critique: Bell Tower House - What can be improved?

Hello everyone,

we are planning to build a house on a very special plot of land. The view from the long south side faces a church, so it’s a nice view. The short south side ends with a slope without neighbors, so there is a nice wide view into the greenery. The long north side faces the neighbor with a 2m high wall, so that side is not important to us. The front door is about at the height of the stairs, which you can see better in the house view. To give some structure to the long room, we have considered defining it somewhat with a Sunken Living Room and a platform, so that the TV is not visible from the kitchen/dining area. We work a lot in the home office, hence the open office upstairs. In the bedroom, the niche for a "walk-in closet" is just for passing through.


Building plan/restrictions
Plot size 654m2
Slope no
Floor area ratio ??
Floor space index ??
Building envelope, building line and boundary where drawn
Edge development not allowed
Number of parking spaces 3
Number of floors 2 (1 full floor, 1 75% recessed floor)
Roof shape flat roof
Style modern
Orientation south
Maximum heights/limits 6.36m
Other requirements


Clients’ requirements
Style, roof shape, building type: flat roof
Basement, floors: no basement, 50cm height difference as Sunken Living Room
Number of people, age: 2 persons, early mid-30s
Space requirements on ground floor, upper floor: floor plan as planned
Office: family use or home office? home office
Overnight guests per year: few 3–5
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: kitchen island, open kitchen
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: no
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: planned for the future
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, also reasons why this or that should or should not be: Sunken Living Room and platform to give structure to the long narrow living room


House design
Who designed it: architect / interior architect
-Planner of a construction company: still to come
-Architect
-Do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why? Height delimitations with platform and Sunken Living Room
What do you not like? Why? Window planning not yet optimal
Preferred heating technology: passive house


If you have to do without, which details/extensions
-can you do without: round wall in front
-can you not do without: Sunken Living Room, large glass surfaces


Why is the design as it is now?
For example: existing building permit is being redesigned with new use. No basement, round walls, Sunken Living Room etc.

We work a lot from [HO], hence the open office upstairs. I would see that as somewhat contradictory. It also depends a bit on what is supposed to be done in [HO], but an open office located in the walk-through area between the bedroom and bathroom can become embarrassing during video conferences, and the noise environment if a child is present would also become interesting.

Thank you for the feedback! I thought one could also place the two desks in the middle of the open area at a 90° angle to the window, then you can walk around the back. You are of course right about the noise levels. Here is an idea, to install a glass office if shielding is needed. That would be a compromise to avoid endless corridors. Theoretically, one could also build a wall, but then I would have almost 14m of corridor.

Interesting project. Very glamorous with the curves and the extravagant shape

if there should ever be a child, it would also become interesting.

Number of people, age: 2 people, early to mid 30s

It reads as if no child is planned.

Walking area between sleeping and bathroom exists.

I would probably try how it works with alternating sleeping/office.
Closet space can be placed in the elongated hallway. For home office, if you plan it anyway, the roof terrace is suitable (for going outside, getting some fresh air)

You can quite clearly see here that the program is not suitable for creating house designs. In my opinion.
What I don’t like at all is the podium: if you placed a 2.40 m table there, you would have to be careful with the chairs so that you don’t fall down. Basically, that’s too much of a tripping hazard there, where you carry things and your eyes are elsewhere, and sometimes you need to be quick. The wall is also superfluous. It visually follows the curve but is somehow disturbing.
Here is how it looks furnished: if people sit on the seating, it will get tight.

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The lowered level, on the other hand, is a matter of taste. It’s doable.

The staircase strikes me: it is very short or too short. With the slender and open construction style, I would plan a straight and open staircase, not a hidden one. But that is also a matter of taste. The length, however, is not.
I also find the kitchen not homogeneous: on the left side probably 3 tall cabinets, at the bottom of the plan 4 60cm units, then the island. That is very fragmented and leaves little workspace if the bottom counter with sink and gadgets and what you need every day is fully occupied.
I already said something about the top. Windows should not be a problem with the creative freedom. Practically everything is open for planning.

What budget is aimed for?

First of all, thank you for your detailed feedback!

It reads as if no child is planned.

First of all, definitely none will move in. Maybe one more will come :)

I would probably try how it works with a switch between sleeping/office. Closet space can be placed in the elongated hallway. For HO, if planned anyway, the roof terrace is suitable (for going outside, getting fresh air)

We are still considering a switch between bathroom and children's room, that we shift the upper floor a bit to the left and then plan the actual shower facility as a bed niche. This way the children's room could provide a bit of structure where things go and the rooms are also not adjacent. The roof terrace will simply be a greened flat roof. We currently also have a roof terrace and hardly use it. So we prefer to look at a nice roof rather than terrace slabs. But structurally it can also be changed again in the future, that’s no problem.

What I don’t like at all is the podium: if you put a 2.40 m table there, you would have to be careful with the chairs not to fall off. Basically, it’s also too much of a tripping hazard there, where you carry something and your eyes are elsewhere, where it also has to go quickly. The wall is also superfluous. Although it visually picks up the curve, it is somehow disturbing. Here is how it looks furnished: when people are sitting on the seating, it gets tight.

Good points, thank you very much. Yes, that is also not set in stone yet. We found the wall as an optical separation a nice idea, maybe also to be able to hang pictures on the otherwise more gym-like floor plan. Also a good hint with the table, we will consider that. One argument against would be if one had to worry that guests would fall backwards. We have to test that with the 3x4 meter podium – otherwise it could also be enlarged.

The staircase strikes me: it is already very short or too short. With the slender and open design I would plan a straight and open staircase and no hidden one. But that is a matter of taste. However, not the length. I also don’t find the kitchen homogeneous: on the left side there will probably be 3 tall cabinets, at the bottom 4 60-cm units, then the island. That is very fragmented and little workspace if the bottom worktop with sink and fancy gadgets and what you need every day is fully occupied. I already said something about the upper part. Windows shouldn’t be a problem considering the design freedom. Almost everything is open for planning there.

I will try to plan the staircase straight in the next few days. We had planned that once but then decided in favor of a 1/4 turn staircase to 1.) install the wardrobe cabinet and 2.) have space for the WC. With a straight staircase we would probably have to sacrifice or drastically change the WC and pantry. Basically, the staircase fits, it’s 3 m high, 1.20 m wide and meets all standards so far. Regarding the kitchen: the last word has not been said yet. We roughly planned it just as you described. So in the tall cabinets on the left side there is the refrigerator and the passage to the pantry. At the bottom then sink and dishwasher and on the island then the hob and workspace. One could make the cooking island a half-island if the kitchen parts there are connected. But the kitchen can also look completely different. If you have ideas about it, we are open!

How much budget is planned?

About 500k

Approximately 500k

But then only for the ground floor. This house is likely to be about 50-100% more expensive with your requirements. I would cautiously estimate pure construction costs at €3,500/sqm + x. Plus incidental construction costs.