Floor plan design single-family house approx. 150 m² on 913 m² plot

Hello everyone,

At the end of last year, we bought our plot of land and after much back and forth, we received a draft from the architect of our potential general contractor (carpentry). We have adjusted this again and would like to hear your opinion.

The plot, with 913m², is located next to a farm (on the right) together with 3 other developed plots. The plot north of us belongs to good friends. An open garden without a boundary is planned here. The driveway should, if possible, be accessed from the main road (light traffic). We will get a right of way for the private path, which also contains the supply lines.

Development plan/restrictions
Size of the plot: 913m² (including embankment to the street, bend on the right side of the plan)
Slope: no slope
Floor area ratio: - (§ 34 Abs. 1 Baugesetzbuch)
Floor space index: - (§ 34 Abs. 1 Baugesetzbuch)
Building window, building line and boundary: - (§ 34 Abs. 1 Baugesetzbuch) We would like to keep at least 5 m distance to the northern plot
Edge development: Carport
Number of parking spaces: 1 carport parking space, 1 extra parking space
Number of floors: 1 full floor
Roof type: gable roof
Style: -
Orientation: southwest
Maximum heights/limits: 9m
Other requirements: Similar to the neighboring houses

Requirements of the builders
Simple single-family house (timber frame construction) with gable roof and smaller single-story extension (green flat roof)
No basement, 1.5 floors
Family with 2 children (ages 0 and 5)
Guest room/office is desired
Rather open, modern architecture
Open kitchen with kitchen island (the island may also be a peninsula)
Minimum 6 dining seats
Fireplace/stove
Music/stereo wall: rather no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport with shed
Possible utility garden

House design
Who is responsible for the planning: architect of a construction company + own ideas
What do you particularly like? Why? Open living area; entrance area outside (protected); upstairs: small hallway and symmetrical layout for flexible room arrangement
What do you dislike? Why? Entrance area possibly too narrow; utility room too small? Terrace and the associated accesses (where can doors be placed?)
Price estimate according to architect/planner: €330,000 (turnkey)
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: The external dimensions should not become larger
Preferred heating technology: Offered is an air-to-water heat pump with underfloor heating and controlled residential ventilation; we are possibly planning geothermal energy (via ring trench collector or drilling)

If you had to give up, on which details/extensions
- You could give up: possibly from 8.50m to 8m width, platform stairs, kitchen island
- You cannot give up: kitchen facing east, living area facing west

Why is the design the way it is now?
Which corresponding wishes were implemented by the architect? Kitchen facing east (sunrise; view of the farm through a long narrow window); larger floor space downstairs than upstairs so that despite a high knee wall (1.60m) the single-story character is maintained; rather closed side facing northeast (towards our friends' plot; they have their open side there)

What do you consider particularly good or bad about it?
Good: Open living-dining area; relatively flexible room layout (downstairs possibly playroom first and upstairs office, etc.); nice design options for the entrance area (outside)
Bad: Terrace doors (long distances to the kitchen); possibly too narrow downstairs; uncertain about the fireplace location

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
- Are there general comments on the layout and the location on the plot? Are there any major errors? We are still completely open about windows and doors. How should these be placed?

House design Who is responsible for the planning: Architect of a construction company + own ideas

Pretty weak for an architect’s design.

Ground floor: A lot of wasted space in the hallway area, especially in front of the staircase landing. It’s supposed to feel open but in reality it becomes very uncomfortable.

Utility room too small.

Location of the pantry is a disaster. You might as well skip it altogether.

Furnishing the living area is mega difficult to impossible because it’s just a long tube.

Forget about a kitchen island in that living area.

In my opinion, the fireplace doesn’t make any sense in that spot.

Upper floor: Boring layout without any flair. I would have expected more from an architect.

Parents’ bedroom far too small. Barely enough space for a double bed. Finding space for a wardrobe for two will be very difficult. You could judge better with exact measurements of the floor plan.

By the way: Storage space is not really your thing, is it?

Overall it looks like they wanted to realize many wishes (open, modern, fireplace as room divider) with a small budget. Because of that, the actually generous 150 sqm feel very cramped and uncomfortable.

The 330k could work if a simple single-family house (as mentioned) is desired. But the special requests (brine-water heat pump 40k; fireplace 12k; bay window 10k) say otherwise... For that, I would rather take more living space.

I don't find it that bad at all... means: very successful except for minor details.

Entrance area possibly too tight; utility room too small?

What are the dimensions? The door sizes including the front door seem arbitrary, but the room sizes appear coherent. On the right side of the plan, wardrobe closet, doors to pantry and WC at 86, but to the office at 90... only the dining table seems pressed towards the living room. I would place it the other way around and move it slightly more towards the stairs. Then access to the terrace is easy to reach. I would put the tall cabinets in the kitchen on the south side and shorten this wall to the hallway slightly, except for the central pantry/WC wall. So overall, I would incorporate the imagined virtual hallway space along the stairs to the office more. Upstairs, the partition wall between K2 and the bedroom needs to be moved downward on the plan so that a normal 3-meter family closet fits in. Swap bathtub and shower in the bathroom, toilet against the inner wall (stairs). Storage space is too little: plan a fixed 2/4-turn staircase to the attic, otherwise it will be tight. The design is quite simple on the upper floor, but that doesn’t have to mean something negative. For cost estimation, it’s okay... with the mentioned opening of the multipurpose room it can appear surprisingly spacious.

Did you take the Rensch-Haus Orlando and reduce its size?

Where is the 2 m line? The floor plan is 2VG

The ground floor open space doesn't work. The table has to be rotated, the fireplace grills everyone.
Bedroom closet is missing
Bathroom is suitable for 2VG

Thanks first of all for your comments!

We are pushing a bit again here. The knee wall is currently about 1.60m and therefore fits with only one VG (rule: 2/3 of the floor area may be above 2.30m).

I would put the tall cabinets in the kitchen on the south side and shorten this wall to the hallway a bit, except for the central wall pantry/WC.

I think that’s a good solution. I’ll try it out.

You can forget a kitchen island with that open space.

Can you tell me why? Or what would need to be changed? So far the kitchen is still completely open.

Overall, we always wanted to build rather small. Regarding storage space, a utility room, pantry, space under the stairs, and attic are planned. Certainly not overly much.

A fireplace makes no sense in that spot in my opinion.

The fireplace worries me too. It’s a difficult topic anyway in new builds. Still, we would like to have one. But I’m missing an idea for another place.

Rensch-Haus Orlando

I actually did not know that. But it definitely looks like it.


Does anyone else have ideas for the terrace doors and window layout in the living-dining-kitchen area?

Draw everything once to scale. Include furniture, building services, laundry, etc., taking into account movement spaces. In your utility room, you can fit a maximum of one toolbox.

Regarding your multipurpose room:
Kitchen unit 60 cm
Distance 120 cm
Peninsula 100 cm
Dining area rotated about 90 degrees 300 cm
Remaining space living

I would swap living and cooking and do without the office.

The shower is located under the sloping ceiling. The showerhead is too low for every adult.