Single-family house, approximately 160m², Bauhaus style; first draft according to our wishes

The WZ simply couldn't be cozy. For two children, it is also such a matter which way they take in the evening.

I thought that immediately as well. What advantage is associated with the current orientation of the staircase? Was it chosen because of the basement layout? I see the disadvantage that the children and any companions basically have to walk straight through the living room at any time of day and especially at night to get to their rooms. And even a detour through the dining room only makes the situation slightly better. I don't necessarily imagine this to be pleasant for either side.

However, turning the stairs doesn't help much either, because the cellar entrance at that spot isn't that great.

Terrace access is inconvenient, if I interpret the arrows on the sliding doors correctly, since you still have to pass by the table from the kitchen.

I find the wardrobe/vestibule may offer somewhat little storage for the overall size, yet the area there does not appear spacious.

First of all, thank you very much for the great tips. There are impulses that you wouldn’t even think of.

The living room would be a bit tight for the house size for me, but still manageable. I would move the door to the WC on the ground floor to the entrance area, because otherwise the restroom wouldn’t be quiet enough for me.

The size of the WC is a valid point. We also find it somewhat “small.” How could it be made bigger? The hint about the guest WC is also a good point, but swapping it with the wardrobe would be a step backward in the design. We placed it specifically with the motto “dirty rubber boots come straight into the room and come out clean.”

Children’s room next to the bedroom is always a tricky thing – I would make the wall a little thicker there. The same applies for the child next to the bathroom.

I would split cellar 2. Not every cellar room necessarily needs a light well. It ruins the terrace. It wouldn’t be worth it to me.

Otherwise, quite good.

Wall thickness noted. The light wells in the cellar only border the terrace once, it shouldn’t be that bad, right?

I’ll take a closer look tomorrow – meanwhile thanks for the exemplary linking between the origin and floor plan topic!

Thank you. We look forward to your feedback!

I like these overhangs, but wouldn’t want them myself.

That’s an interesting comment. You like them but wouldn’t want them yourself. May I ask why? What I notice is that these building forms significantly influence the rooms or make them difficult to design.

Dimensions for the upper floor would be interesting.

Here comes the upper floor including dimensions.

What I don’t like: the living room furnishing looks uncomfortable. Rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise it would already be somewhat cozier. Still, be careful with two accesses – the living room simply couldn’t be cozy. It’s also tricky for two children which way they take in the evening.

Bathroom is impossibly furnished. Investing in plans now.

If we rotate the living room furnishing 90 degrees, the entertainment unit would be right in the hallway. That would also be a bit awkward, or do I see that wrong?

We’ve also discussed the two accesses of the living room, but isn’t that caused by the open spatial design?

What do you mean by the “impossible furnishing” of the bathroom? That you look straight onto the toilet when entering the bathroom?

You have a flat plot and build 4 steps in front of the door?

Yep, because of the groundwater level the architect has to raise it a bit here.

There are still many corners on the upper floor where things don’t run smoothly.

We don’t understand. Can you give us examples here?

Better to make one of the bedrooms into a child’s room.

What would be an alternative for the bedroom from your point of view?

The bathroom could use a few more square meters, especially around the bathtub and the door.

That’s again the chicken-and-egg problem. We would have to increase the area and then run back toward 180 m² – which in this community are actually defined as not necessary.

Plan a sliding door from the kitchen to the hallway.

Noted.

I thought the same immediately. What advantage is connected with the current orientation of the staircase? Was it chosen due to the cellar layout? I see the disadvantage that the children and possible visitors basically have to walk right through the living room at any time of day and especially at night to get to their rooms. And even a detour via the dining room only makes the situation slightly better. I imagine that wouldn’t be particularly pleasant for either side.

The orientation of the staircase doesn’t offer a clear advantage, that’s true. Let’s see if in the second version (cube but with “same floor plan”) he will plan the staircase differently – he wanted to tackle that.

Terrace access is inconvenient if I interpret the arrows on the sliding doors correctly, since you always have to pass the table from the kitchen as well.

The terrace area is designed in such a way that we basically have an “around” terrace in the southwest area of the plot. But the point is good. We had the kitchen where the living room is today and wanted to enable direct access from the kitchen to the terrace.

The size of the living room is valid. We also find it somewhat "small." How could it be made bigger?

I would first think of something like this:



To compensate, I would probably shorten the kitchen/dining area a bit and move it towards the lower part of the plan.
That would also provide more space for child 2. But the offset to the upper floor would have to be completely reconsidered. Basically, you might as well start from scratch.

The note about the guest WC is also a good point, but swapping it with the wardrobe would be a step back in the design. We deliberately placed it like that with the motto "Come into the room with dirty rubber boots and come out clean."

Swap? I didn’t say that at all. The fact remains, your living room is very "public." If the door to the WC is almost inside it, then the little toilet is also very public. Not very cozy at all. I’d rather vacuum in the vestibule.

The light wells in the basement only border the terrace once, so it shouldn’t be that bad, right?

Also a matter of taste. For a new build, that would be a blemish for me.

What do you mean by the "impossible furnishing" in the bathroom? That when entering the bathroom you look straight at the toilet?

By the way, I would agree. The bathroom is not great. But that can still be changed.

I really can't get comfortable with the various room sizes and proportions.

Downstairs, the cramped entrance situation is bothersome. I also don't know what purpose a [Windfang] is supposed to serve nowadays.
The kitchen/dining area is very spacious, the space between dining and living is wasted, and the living area is small.

Upstairs, the bathroom is somewhat tight, the door opens in front of the window. The staircase is actually exactly the wrong way around, so everyone passes by the bathroom and bedroom, and the path to the children's rooms is long. The hallway is generally quite large given the floor area. The bedroom is again a bit tight, and the children's room on the left side is almost somewhat tubular.

I think the house currently suffers from the central staircase, around which everything has to be arranged.
The intended room program doesn't seem feasibly realizable with the planned living area.

However, turning the stairs does not help much either, because the cellar entrance at that spot is not so great.

Door forward.