House design city villa, 2 full floors, double garage

Hello everyone,

I was a silent reader in this forum for a long time, but now the time has finally come and we want to realize our dream of owning a home.

I hope you can give us some helpful tips to improve our design. Thank you very much in advance!

Development plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 702 m2
Slope: No
Site coverage ratio: ?
Floor area ratio: ?
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2 full floors
Roof type: Hipped roof
Style: City villa

Requirements of the builders
City villa 2 full floors with basement
Living area: approx. 155m2
Number of persons, age: 2 adults m30 f28 +1 child 3 months
Office: family use or home office: family use
Overnight guests per year: not relevant
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: modern construction
Open kitchen, cooking island: open kitchen without cooking island
Number of dining seats: 6 seats
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: possibly
Balcony, roof terrace: not necessary
Garage, carport: double garage flat roof

House design
Who made the plan: architect of the construction company
What do you particularly like? Why? The open living space
What do you not like: are actually satisfied
Price estimate according to architect/planner: coming soon
Personal price limit for the house, including equipment: 450k
Preferred heating technology: district heating + fireplace

Why is the design as it is now?
the design was adapted exactly according to our wishes.

What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?

What do you think of our house design or do you have suggestions for improvement?
Questions we are currently asking ourselves:

• Floor-to-ceiling window behind the sofa in the living room?
• Window in the living room facing east (clerestory) necessary? Or better omit it and instead enlarge the garage slightly…
• Heating in the utility room necessary?

Note:

We have changed our design, unfortunately we do not have the newer design yet.

What has changed?

The window in the kitchen goes around the corner. See ground floor plan (exterior view is currently not correct)
East view: the upper left window is replaced by a clerestory. The middle window is replaced by two vertical 2m windows, and the right window (bathroom) is completely removed.
Ground floor: the house is enlarged from 9.99m to 10.99m, thus we have 9m2 additional space in the living room and dining room (width therefore 4m, previously 3m). Likewise, 9m2 are added upstairs.

• Floor-to-ceiling window behind the sofa in the living room?

I always find that strange. It doesn't benefit you and looks silly from the outside. Floor-to-ceiling is great but not with a sofa in front of it.

• Window in the living room facing east (transom) necessary? Or better to skip it and enlarge the garage a bit...

Better to have a transom window than an (even) bigger garage—unless the garage enlargement serves a hobby or other special requirement. I would rather consider building with a carport—unless you have old vintage cars that need rust protection. Normal cars of average age do not need a garage. For winter comfort, a parking heater with remote control is sufficient.

• Heating in the utility room necessary?

Depends on the waste heat from the appliances. The temperature in the room should be above the dew point. That should only be an issue on a few days a year. If it's about space: screw an infrared panel to the ceiling. Those few days a year don't cost that much and the acquisition cost is very low.

I always find that strange. It doesn't benefit you and looks silly from the outside. Floor-to-ceiling is great but not with a sofa in front of it.

I totally agree with you by now, we will probably go back to a normal large window here.

Better a window in the transom than an (even) larger garage - unless the garage enlargement serves a hobby or another special requirement. I would rather consider building with a carport - unless you have old classic cars that need rust protection. Normal cars of average age do not need a garage. For winter comfort, a parking heater with remote control is sufficient.

A garage is definitely desired, I’m not really fond of carports, and since we want to store our bikes, garden tools, and possibly a workbench etc. in the garage, the idea was to enlarge the garage a bit, as we don’t want sheds in our garden. Regarding the transom window, the question for me is whether the window really offers us an added value (in terms of lighting).

Depends on the waste heat of the devices. The temperature in the room should be above the dew point. That should only be a problem on a few days of the year. If it’s about space: screw an infrared panel to the ceiling. The few days a year don’t cost much and the purchase cost is very low.

Friends of ours said that a heating system in the utility room is absolutely necessary because of mold etc. We were considering possibly a normal radiator here but as you said, we won’t really need it that often. Thanks for your assessment

Ground floor: the house is being enlarged from 9.99m to 10.99m,

Apart from otherwise completely unspecified dimensions: that changes the situation and possibilities so fundamentally that we should only continue discussing it afterward. Does the plot (what does it even look like?) really allow an entire extra meter of house width just like that?

Your house reminds me in appearance of the one from (where however the garage is on the other side).

Apart from otherwise completely unmentioned dimensions: that changes the situation and the possibilities so fundamentally that we should only continue discussing it afterwards. Does the plot (what does it even look like?) really allow for an entire multi-meter house width just like that?

Oh, I must have accidentally not attached that. Our plot is about 24.5m wide and about 28.5m long—so it should not be a problem. Unfortunately, I have not yet received a plan with the dimensions of the design. But it should come in the next few weeks.

Unfortunately, I have not yet received a plan with the dimensions of the draft.

On what basis did you then qualify the decision to want one meter more width – without measurements, that is just guesswork (?)