Floor plan discussion / Single-family house on an elongated plot with NE orientation

Hello everyone,

as part of our floor plan planning and in searching for experience reports from possibly suitable home builders, I came across this forum.

Since there is already a lot of expertise and technical detail being discussed here, I would like to put our planned floor plan up for discussion. The plot is located in a new development area, neighboring buildings from the old stock are located towards the south/west.

Overall, we are quite satisfied with the design, considering the utilization of the plot area. We are somewhat uncertain about the orientation and size of the windows in the living-dining area (are the windows sufficient, or will it be gloomy in winter?), as well as the location of the main terrace (shady in the summer morning and unbearably hot in the evening?).

We would appreciate your opinions on the floor plan/arrangement, related to our "pain points" or anything else you notice (both good and bad).

Bebauungsplan/Einschränkungen
Plot size: 500 sqm
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 2
Building window, building line and boundary
Edge development: no
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2 full floors
Roof shape: gable roof
Style direction: classic/modern
Orientation: SW/NO
Maximum heights/limitations: see sections
Other requirements: roof overhang 0.5m

Anforderungen der Bauherren
Style, roof shape, building type: classic/modern, gable roof with as little inclination as possible, single-family house
Basement, floors: basement, 2 full floors
Number of persons, age: 5 (37, 37, 5, 3, 0)
Room requirements on ground floor, upper floor: 3 children's rooms
Office: family use or home office?: family use on ground floor, home office in basement
Guests per year: approx. 10 overnight stays
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: conservative-modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: cooking island
Fireplace: no
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double garage
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/special features/daily routine, feel free to give reasons why this or that should or should not be: nothing comes to mind here.

Hausentwurf
Who designed the plan: architect, fine tuning by us
What do you especially like? Why?:
Short and direct routes (e.g., kitchen-dining, kitchen-terrace, garage-entrance). Good use of space, good utilization of the plot area. Clear separation of living and entrance/mudroom areas. All bedrooms on one level with the option to easily create a gallery for the children later.

What do you not like? Why?:
Uncertainty regarding the orientation of the living corner with the TV, and the wall at the staircase. Does this excessively close off the living-dining area towards the south? Unfortunately, I have no idea how to do things differently without completely messing up the entire floor plan.

Price estimate according to architect/planner: approx. €700,000 (house including incidental costs, excluding garage)
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: (€700,000)
Preferred heating technology: heat pump/underfloor heating

If you have to give up, on which details/extensions
-you can give up:
-you cannot give up:

Why did the design turn out the way it is now? For example
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? Large living-dining area with lift-and-slide door, as much garden space as possible, double garage or carport

That is a nice opening post. North arrow, site plan incl. location of the house. Thanks.

And basically I like the floor plan, I have 2 or 3 comments:

EG

[*]The guest room is really quite narrow. Possibly by narrowing the bathroom and rearranging there (shower at the bottom of the plan and then a small sink and toilet on the right and a door opening outwards) the guest room could be slightly widened at least in the area of the bed.
[*]Pantry definitely have the door open outwards and only about 71-76 cm wide. Then the walls on the right or left can be used, for example, for vacuum cleaner, mop, 20 cm deep shelf, etc. and you can also access it.
[*]Stairs maybe the length can still be reduced by 1 step, but add 1 step more at the top stair part of the plan.
[*]Kitchen-wise I would try to get the tall kitchen cabinets into the staircase void and then have both the row and the island only flat surfaces.
[*]Living room regarding stair wall I have no concerns.

OG

[*]For all doors with cupboards behind them, make sure that there is at least 70 cm in the shell construction stage. Therefore move room 1 door a bit upward in the plan and check for the bedroom as well.
[*]Bedroom, I would place the window at the bottom of the plan and the bed with the headboard on the right. As it is now, you can’t really do anything useful with the free space. Rotated, for example, there is space for a shallow dresser on the wall towards the bathroom or similar.
[*]Bathroom … I find the T-solution with the shower by the window unfavorable. Therefore, for example, as in the following drawing. Marked in red is also the wall depth for the bedroom wardrobe.

[ATTACH alt="grundrissdiskussion-efh-auf-grundstueck-laenglich-mit-no-ausrichtung-680340-1.png"]90019[/ATTACH]

In the section, an additional level is shown for room 1. How wide should this be and what is planned there? Could become a bit critical.

That is a nice opening post.

I think so too – clear as the draft!

In terms of kitchen technology, I would try to move the tall cabinets of the kitchen into the stairwell and then keep both the row and the island just flat surfaces.

At first I thought: get rid of the pantry or put it under the stairs, definitely enlarge the kitchen.
“Unfortunately” there is a basement.
The kitchen would be too small for me with 2 people. Some appliances are out in the open and thus the row is occupied. The island would exceed working space for 5 people. I do not see handling baking trays.

Does this shut off the living/dining area too much to the south?

No. However, I would put another window the same as the stair window in the living area next to it.

All bedrooms on one level with the option to later set up a simple gallery for the children.

I wouldn’t do that. Going up the stairs, then a railing where you can only move up stooped is suboptimal. Bunk beds or a gallery could possibly be arranged longitudinally or from the ridge side. But not as drawn. It’s not practical either.

What I can also mention:
Access to the house will be drafty, terrace uncomfortable. I would close the path between the garage and the house. Also put the trash bins there then. The space in the garage is probably also needed for the children’s vehicles and bicycles.

The floor plan looks extremely tidy and you get the feeling: This fits well.
Starting from the top, I agree with and would definitely favor this proposal. This sometimes seen T-solution seems quite nice to me at first glance, but the longer I look at it, the less I like it and I can see no advantage in it. I wouldn't like having the door behind my back while brushing my teeth. I would half-wall the shower created in the new proposal and put a simple glass pane on top, I find that practical, and on the half wall next to the toilet, for example, you can screw or place things.
For room 2, I would consider whether it really needs two large windows and whether this doesn't take away space for furniture or usable wall space for decorations, pictures, etc. The window area above the bed is questionable anyway.

Now, I don't know the determining parameters for your plan, but considering the extremely generous basement with 14 sqm hobby room, almost 16 sqm storage room, 9 sqm corridor, and next to that over 12 sqm just for technical equipment, I find the 12 sqm study rather meager, especially also the general fact that working takes place in the basement with a light shaft.
I get the feeling that you want to maximize your 500 sqm plot for leisure and therefore want to use as little as possible for the residential building because due to the course of the plot, a basement wouldn't necessarily be required, right? I personally like it compact in principle and therefore the first impression is positive, but then my opinion diverges when it comes to the basement. It costs just as much as above-ground living space but is additionally maximally uncomfortable due to stairs, lack of daylight and significant earthworks etc.
Now I don't want to question your apparently already mature decision, but as long as nothing is built, one may criticize, I think. I don't criticize something finished anymore, then I would rather perceive it, also with my own building, as mockery, because nothing can be changed anymore.
So why did you decide on a basement instead of reasonably enlarging above ground and thus making your daily life more comfortable?
Honestly, the first glance at your great room (Allraum) deceives (at least me) regarding its spaciousness, and I'm not sure whether the furniture drawn in (sofa, dining table, chairs, etc.) really correspond with the actual measurements of your later reality; are these measures really accurate?
About 41 sqm great room for 5 people is by no means much, and almost 18 sqm for the kitchen, which in the end doesn't offer much storage space anyway, I find rather a slight imbalance. Perhaps the pantry should be removed altogether and then the larger kitchen area used with practical furniture; the current pantry costs money and the door takes up maximum useful space. The extra exit from the kitchen takes away even more space and isn't necessary. If TV is important to you, the furniture arrangement does not at all work for several people.
I generally like huge window areas, but currently you really cannot place anything anywhere, no space for furniture at all.

The garage driveway is, as drawn, too narrow at the entrance point, there will soon be scratches; draw a line how the vehicle would drive in/out and you will see the problem.
Your everyday living area is really very tight, which wouldn't be a problem in itself if nothing else were possible. But looking at the basement and the huge, also costly terrace and the generous garage, I see that apparently financial flexibility is available, which I would definitely invest more in the living space (ground floor and upper floor); as mentioned, it's about the proportions.
I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way, but somehow I sense an imbalance in the weighting between the small living rooms (great room, children's rooms), the huge glass areas and the even bigger terrace with corresponding follow-up costs for shading, etc., so far too much basement and terrace and too little above-ground living space.

Welcome! I really like the design. I can imagine that this house can work excellently for an active and accommodating family with an open attitude towards guests both inside and outside. This or that spot requires a relaxed attitude towards improvisation, but that is exactly what makes the design so good, as it does not try to completely map every conceivable eventuality in life.

All bedrooms on one level with the option for the children to set up a simple gallery later.

In the children’s apartments, we have equipped galleries with poorly walkable access and uncomfortably steep stairs – and it is totally worth it. This feature not only creates living space but also brings character into the rooms. The poor daily ergonomics are less noticed by young people, and the "cave-like" space is an enrichment.

Uncertainty regarding the orientation of the living corner with TV, and wall by the stairs

I share this uncertainty just as little as the previous writers. Your house is not quiet – so such concerns are not significant.

Does this shut off the living-dining area too much towards the south?

No, not too much. The position is suitable and it’s not too hot in summer either.

The guest room is really very narrow.

That is true. If I had a computer workstation at home, I would regularly use this room for it and only move into the room labeled as "study" when guests come. Folders and archives can all be neatly stored in this basement room. So to speak, a kind of "hot-desking" in your own house. If you think the same way, you can save a construction cost buffer because with 10 overnight stays a year, you will spend a maximum of 10 days in the basement "study" – and for that, you don’t even need an expensive light well. (Keyword "improvisation")

Pantry should definitely have the door open outward and be only about 71-76 cm wide.

Yes, absolutely.

Bathroom... I find the T-solution with the shower at the window unfavorable.

We have lived with a T-solution (also without a bathtub) for almost 6 years and it works perfectly. In a 5-person household, there will be coordination required here and there regarding bathroom use, but that is not a question of the "T." Potentially, teenagers will want to spend long phases in that room. As parents, I would have a spare toothbrush ready on the ground floor, but I don’t see this as a fundamental problem (keyword improvisation).

The kitchen would be too small for me with 2 people. Some appliances are open and thus the row is occupied. Island would exceed workspace with 5 people. I do not see handling baking sheets.

Yes, the work area is tight. Here again the keyword "improvisation": Simply use the dining table sometimes. Put a mat on it and cut out cookies, roll out pasta dough, or whatever while another person handles other things in the kitchen.

About 41 sqm all-room for 5 people is by no means much, and almost 18 sqm of it for the kitchen, which in the end does not really offer much storage, I find rather a slight awkwardness.

Yes, this room can become busy. That is a question of lifestyle. And again the keyword "improvisation": If a larger table is set up, for example for a celebration, then it simply becomes a bit tight and "fragmented."

The garage driveway is, as drawn, too narrow at the entrance point, there will soon be scratches; draw a line how the vehicle would enter/exit and you will see the problem.

Yes, that is narrow and the likelihood of scratches is rather high because of that. I would provide a gate with extra width or a wider and a narrower gate. The car in the middle position is the "sacrifice car" concerning scratches with the current gate planning because here children will drive past with their vehicles. You could finance the extra expenditure by eliminating the light well.

Access to the house will be drafty, terrace uncomfortable. I would close the path between garage and house.

At this point, a door is very useful to avoid drafts and to isolate the private terrace area from the street if needed. Especially with children, this access option in everyday life is a feature I would not want to do without. The children can then come in and out without having to open the front door every time or carry house keys. This does burden the "dirt" in the cooking-dining area, but it should also be seen this way: "Good parents have dirty floors and happy children." (And please don’t come up with some illogical inverse conclusion thinking that parents with clean floors could not have happy children.)

I join in the congratulations on the house design and the thanks for the pleasant introductory contribution. The architect is a bit stuck in 1980, which is why the violation of the building grid rhythm in the room dimensions / wall positions surprises me all the more. What I would never do again (but did back then) are one-sided reveal-less window openings, not only because they look "crooked".