Floor plan multigenerational house conversion old barn

So... I need to gather my thoughts. Also myself, since I made changes on Friday, but unfortunately have to put them back together again due to the "out of sight, out of mind" effect.

there are many nice ideas!

Yes, there are many nice ideas. But as a builder, you also have to yield to external circumstances and face reality.
In your case: You have a barn and want to renovate it. I correct myself: You have half a barn with restrictions – moreover, only one side for windows. You might want a wide seating window but simply have no space for it. And not to forget: the view must be right. And where there is a big seating window, the view also goes inside the family life.

(1) Entrance: currently you stand directly in front of the barn outdoors. Would it be conceivable to at least inset the entrance a little?

I implemented that once – in the screenshot also the other changes (bathroom, pantry, hallway):

[ATTACH alt="Bildschirmfoto 2021-02-21 um 17.34.00.png" type="full"]57781[/ATTACH]

(2) Bathroom: bathtub, toilet, etc. are still rather placeholders & I do not expect a finished design of the bathroom. :) But how wide is the shower (walk-in or not) and can the toilet be moved away from the washbasin? Possibly rotate the bathtub – then the bathroom would have to be somewhat wider at the expense of the bedroom or hallway. We don’t need a floor-high privacy screen – but a little more coverage pleases the lady of the house. ;-)

A rather narrow bathroom is not a disaster, but rather easier to furnish than a ballroom. Slim bathrooms always look a bit more elegant, as the furniture sits more calmly on the walls. You should make sure not to be dependent on artificial light only when using the toilet, and the shower may be darker for a few minutes of use anyway, especially since you need walls for showering. Using the bathtub should be calming.
The washbasin can also tolerate daylight quite well.
Since it is the master bathroom, used by two close persons, the desire for a privacy screen surprises me. You should actually be able to arrange your daily rhythm together but separately for a quarter of an hour. And if it gets urgent: there is also a guest toilet. Otherwise, I advise simply connecting the guest toilet with a sliding door to the main bathroom – that saves one toilet. With three children, though, I would not recommend giving up a toilet.
I have included (for me unnecessary) the privacy screen and made a screenshot of the view from the door.

[ATTACH alt="Bildschirmfoto 2021-02-19 um 18.17.26.png" type="full"]57782[/ATTACH]

As you can see, you see nothing. Since the bedroom is just barely over 3 meters wide and the hallway should not become a corridor either (I remind you of the barn restrictions), I do not support narrowing the two areas. As screenshots, here are the measurements of the individual areas:
[ATTACH alt="Bildschirmfoto 2021-02-19 um 18.18.05.png" type="full"]57783[/ATTACH][ATTACH alt="Bildschirmfoto 2021-02-19 um 18.17.54.png" type="full"]57784[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH alt="Bildschirmfoto 2021-02-19 um 18.18.17.png" type="full"]57785[/ATTACH]

To be honest: If you start fiddling around somewhere now, much will be lost. It is already getting tight in the guest toilet: doors collide or other things happen. The professional also has to check the water pipe, which also determines how and where the one or other sanitary fixture goes.

(3) Pantry: this is rather a technical thing –

...is changed, see above. The hallway will become narrow again...

(4) Fireplace: this is still the sticking point.

I leave that to you alone. If you have a professional, then them.
Here again some measurements (note: they all are based on your incorrect information, which I copied, and I partially kept the walls at a narrow 10 cm because everything serves only as inspiration)
[ATTACH alt="Bildschirmfoto 2021-02-19 um 19.11.34.png" type="full"]57786[/ATTACH][ATTACH alt="Bildschirmfoto 2021-02-19 um 19.11.22.png" type="full"]57787[/ATTACH]

I will start a new post for the upper floor.

Regarding the fireplace again: You can place it back there along the long wall, but with the room size, you won’t really benefit from it while sitting at the dining table. I don’t see any problem with placing it where I planned it. It can serve as a room divider, and it is visible from every side. Does it have to be on while cooking lunch? I don’t think so. Could it be annoying in the evening? Then maybe you should do without it altogether, because it does produce warmth. You could plan a insulation board between the fireplace and the fridge. No idea. Unfortunately, I also have to say that you can only plan this if you know your habits. We don’t know them here. I also don’t know if the open plan area is supposed to be implemented as I have planned it now. I can imagine that a lot will still change.

(6) Bathroom: I would swap the bathroom and the children's room.

I went ahead and did that (including measurements, note: children's rooms are gross dimensions or with dormer, the program doesn’t implement it differently) and am putting it in comparison to the beginning:



The children's rooms may have gained some floor space, and that might be the most important thing for parents, but I see a loss here.
On the one hand, the rooms are now even more different in size (compared to the left), so envy cannot be excluded. Maybe not now, but later. Also, since they are quite narrow, they turn into corridors.
In the happy medium I saw a chance for a communal area in the rectangular hallway: playing, fooling around, relaxing, being together. The hallway was structured and provided communication space. Moving the rooms so that they get bigger destroys that.
Ultimately, you have to do it the way you want.
Here again is an intermediate step:



Since the program can be used by anyone and you should stop when it’s best, I advise you to try it yourselves. That way you also get a feeling for what is possible and what is not ;) Or you get an architect :)

It would be nice if you keep us updated.

Of course, once again a big thank you, – for this final refinement of the concept. Well, concept is a good word... since I have been dealing with the Scheuen for quite some time, but now it has taken a gigantic step forward. As mentioned, placing the stairs forward resulted in a layout that simply works incredibly well (and logically, too). Not against the top wall or even behind the all-purpose room – right into the center! :)

I can even dispel the doubt you raised about whether designing the living area in the all-purpose room like this makes sense. For us, there is no alternative since the door of the room, the logical placement of the kitchen, and finally the living area just make so much sense (or rather confirm once again that the living area has to go into the dark corner!).

Here is some feedback from me.

Und wo ein grosses Sitzfenster, da geht auch der Blick hinein ins Familienleben.

Absolutely right. That is easily forgotten sometimes...

im Screenshot die anderen Änderungen (Bad, Speis, Diele)

Works. Of course, guest WC only accessible when the entrance is closed. No problem. The hall is still big enough. So that would be conceivable. Thanks.

Ein recht schmales Bad ist kein Disaster, sondern eher besser zu möblieren als einen Tanzsaal.

Absolutely right. And the “privacy wall” wasn’t thought through completely either. I just found the T-arranged bathrooms somehow “practical” in their handling, and it was more about the question of whether the bathroom should be wider... but that should be avoided as well. Personally, I don’t find big bathrooms very sensible, at least my family spends only a fraction of their day there.

Thanks also for the screenshot of the bathroom.

Hier nochmal ein paar Maße

Thank you very much for the input. If the walls are fixed, there will still be some shifting anyway. Over the weekend I started with the site manager (aka father-in-law) to implement the plans directly in a professional 3D program – taking into account wall thickness, water pipes, etc. – I’m curious which rooms will shrink particularly.

implementing the plans directly in a professional 3D program

You can then post it here :)

Besides, they - since they are quite narrow - become like tubes.

That's true. I was also thinking of the "middle way," i.e., extending the walls of the children's rooms just enough so that this slanted support of the pillar is built in. I also think that those extra 20-30 cm are sufficient. The spatial feeling you described - I agree with you, it must not feel too tubular. Plus that potential common room - that will be great. Just having such a space is awesome. Table football, table tennis, or simply a place to meet. There is definitely usage potential that will naturally arise in family life.

Thanks for the measurements and your assessment.

Since the program can be used by anyone and one should stop when it’s best, I advise you to try it yourselves.

Thank you very much for the tip.

Before I posted my question here in the forum, I also designed most of the objects myself in SweetHome3D among others, or reconstructed the ideas of my friend who is a trade fair builder and carpenter (I once posted this under #1, a long time ago...). But I have to say, your approach with the staircase in the middle – and many other ideas and thoughts from you! – were simply unmatched. Especially moving the guest WC to the sunny side – great! Anyway, it just felt right from the very start, and more of your concept will certainly be found again than one currently believes. At least that’s how I feel! :)

It may have come naturally to you... but for our project, it’s a huge step & I really can’t thank you enough for it!

It would be nice if you keep us updated.

I will.