Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2121Nov 10, 2016 4:08 pm Hi everyone, this is my first post here on the forum and I am looking forward to some constructive critique's of a proposed custom home design due to be constructed in February or March next year. To explain the concept behind this design, I wanted rear (north) facing living areas. I also dislike hallways very much as they bloat the overall home size and thus increase costs. As a result a side entry was chosen which eliminated an entry hall and also makes plenty of side access space for, among other things... possibly a pool in future. The other strong influence in the design is the overall size being kept small and it tops out at around 185m2. We are using this home as a way to downsize from our current 268m2 home, which cost a packet to build. We are wanting to spend no more than $225k this time around. Floor Plan: The one issue that has been bugging me is the ensuite located at the front of the home. Without this section projecting from the home, the facade is quite lifeless and bland, so I've tried to make this an appealing feature brickwork which contrasts from the weatherboard exterior elsewhere. See Elevations: Site Plan to make sense of it all: Ok, looking forward to hear what you all think. Don't worry about offending me at all, just say what comes to mind and if you can offer any solutions (window types / blinds / etc) to the street facing ensuite, please share! Regards, Dean Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2122Nov 10, 2016 8:41 pm ![]() Hi everyone, this is my first post here on the forum and I am looking forward to some constructive critique's of a proposed custom home design due to be constructed in February or March next year. To explain the concept behind this design, I wanted rear (north) facing living areas. I also dislike hallways very much as they bloat the overall home size and thus increase costs. As a result a side entry was chosen which eliminated an entry hall and also makes plenty of side access space for, among other things... possibly a pool in future. The other strong influence in the design is the overall size being kept small and it tops out at around 185m2. We are using this home as a way to downsize from our current 268m2 home, which cost a packet to build. We are wanting to spend no more than $225k this time around. Floor Plan: The one issue that has been bugging me is the ensuite located at the front of the home. Without this section projecting from the home, the facade is quite lifeless and bland, so I've tried to make this an appealing feature brickwork which contrasts from the weatherboard exterior elsewhere. See Elevations: Site Plan to make sense of it all: Ok, looking forward to hear what you all think. Don't worry about offending me at all, just say what comes to mind and if you can offer any solutions (window types / blinds / etc) to the street facing ensuite, please share! Regards, Dean bloody well done for minimising the hallways! that's the one thing i try to look for when designing, hallways do create a lot of extra square meterage and cost. the side entries always help to reduce that as well. what are you planning on doing with the spaces either side of the bed in bed 1? i'm assuming a study type area or a chest of drawers along the front facade wall? those two areas are more spaces where you could potentially save some more sqm. obviously it isn't completely ideal to walk through a laundry to access the bath/wc, but i can see the use of the "passageway" through it. in qld (not sure where you're from) designs we try to put our laundries with direct external access or a short distance, even if there is room for a dryer, which i see you have allowed for. i'd definitely recommend a skylight and/or exhaust fan when you get to that stage if you're going to stick with that configuration. same goes for the wc. as you did mention, the facade is a little bland. the ensuite window is probably the best choice functionally, along with privacy wise. there's ways to break up the facade with different heights of cladding/brick combo's but that sort of thing is really up to individual preference. the feature brick would be a nice way to break it up. it looks like you'll have a bit of planting out the front too, so might be another way to break up the facade a bit. although, good practice is to ensure any plants are located min 1m from the edge of the house. watering plants that are along side the house can cause issues with the slab, so long term it's not the best option. (i realise the landscape plan might not be final, just thought i'd mention it) i'd look at putting a couple more windows along the eastern wall, in the family area either side of the tv. perhaps some DH1506's (i'm guessing) like you have in bed 1. this way you'd be able to bring in some of the great early morning light into the kitchen, which could be a bit lacking in natural light. either way, you've packed a pretty spacious and efficient design into 185m2. there'll always be little negatives for such small houses, but the way you've taken into account the orientation with the design, along with the general flow is very impressive. Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2123Nov 10, 2016 8:48 pm Thank you. I will put those windows in as you have mentioned to the living area. I have a different kitchen config as a possible option that has a bench and windows in place of the pantries and this results in an island cooktop instead of the wall where it is now. In a design like this, you are so correct about always being something not quite right. I've been going mad trying to get the most out of it! Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2124Nov 11, 2016 12:26 pm Choosing kitchen configs can be a pain - change one little thing and something else goes out of whack (going through that myself right now....) I'll second the "well done!" on eliminating the hallways, but noise levels in the two secondary bedrooms could be an issue with them opening directly onto the main living area (especially with the TV in there and the kitchen so close) - does that still work for you? Also, might you want a 'mud room' entrance - when you're coming into the house wet/muddy/dirty etc. and don't want to bring it all through the main entrance and/or living areas? Traditionally in Australian designs this is done through the laundry, which obviously isn't possible with this layout - but that may be fine with your needs. Just something to consider. Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2125Nov 13, 2016 5:09 pm Well done Dean Turner for reviving this thread. It's been a long time. Wish it had a sticky, as it's such a useful thread. My responses are on your other thread, as I found that first. Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2126Nov 17, 2016 9:24 pm ![]() Hi everyone, this is my first post here on the forum and I am looking forward to some constructive critique's of a proposed custom home design due to be constructed in February or March next year. To explain the concept behind this design, I wanted rear (north) facing living areas. I also dislike hallways very much as they bloat the overall home size and thus increase costs. As a result a side entry was chosen which eliminated an entry hall and also makes plenty of side access space for, among other things... possibly a pool in future. The other strong influence in the design is the overall size being kept small and it tops out at around 185m2. We are using this home as a way to downsize from our current 268m2 home, which cost a packet to build. We are wanting to spend no more than $225k this time around. Floor Plan: The one issue that has been bugging me is the ensuite located at the front of the home. Without this section projecting from the home, the facade is quite lifeless and bland, so I've tried to make this an appealing feature brickwork which contrasts from the weatherboard exterior elsewhere. See Elevations: Site Plan to make sense of it all: Ok, looking forward to hear what you all think. Don't worry about offending me at all, just say what comes to mind and if you can offer any solutions (window types / blinds / etc) to the street facing ensuite, please share! Regards, Dean Hi Dean, I've taken it upon myself to scribble all over you plan. Lol Firstly the facade you could put a gable over the ensuite and step the roof out over the entry and create another Gable. I've drawn this in orange. In regards to interior, I would move the front door right and change it to a 1200 wide. Making a statement. I would also remove the door to the kitchen and add a wall to the lounge room. Drawn in blue/black. This creates an entry as sometimes it confusing walking into a lounge room with doors you're not sure where to go. Thirdly I would change the wall to bed 2 and 3 and create a nook so that the door were facing each other. Then adding a small wall to block the view of the doors adds privacy. Lastly I would add a 0527 window to your lounge above the TV. They look great. Double hung are nearly twice as expensive as normal windows. One question is, do you need a double garage? As you have a lot of space in the garage that might be better utilised as living space. You can always do a carport out the front. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2127Nov 23, 2016 9:16 am I don't know how I missed this thread! These are my plans, already posted elsewhere as I really wanted some genuine feedback on the floor plan/ lay-out side of things. We think the flow is good, but always open for suggestions. [img][IMG]http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/jknezic/Final%20floor%20plan%201_zpsit99orvq.jpg[/img][/img] Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2128Nov 27, 2016 11:28 am Hi everyone. This is my first post but I have been eagerly reading the threads for a couple of months now. So we just got hold of a block and have an initial plan drawn up. The lot is northeast facing, not much we can do about that so we decided on customising our floor plan. Here are further things to note: 1. Lot is 350m2, 12.5m by 28m 2. SE VIC 3. Have 2 kids under 4 years old 4. The initial plan has the al fresco facing west. We thought it was a good idea but while currently reading various threads and Your Home's Technical manual about orientation, aspect, sustainability, etc, it suddenly seems like a bad idea. Or is it still ok given the al fresco's roof will sort of shade the kitchen areas? 5. Planning to get rid of the "entertainment" wall separating the living area from the dining area, so the northern sun can shine throughout. Extending the wall next to the entry so we could stick the TV there 6. Garage location is fixed 7. Pantry says "butlers", must be a typo since that is really a WIP 8. This is our first build, our first home. We are still in the process of researching and trying our best to make our house as efficient and comfortable as our budget will allow. I know we still have a loooong way to go. Your thoughts, criticisms and suggestions are highly appreciated ![]() Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2129Nov 28, 2016 7:58 am Hey Doreetos, Good on you for building your first house. Exciting times! Looking at your plan, I have a few suggestions: The first thing that strikes me is that there is hardly space for the kids to play outside. This might be an obvious question, but is there no way you can build two stories and reduce the footprint of the house (sometimes there are height limits rather than storey limits on properties). Two storey houses are much more efficient and then you would be able to make the most of the aspect on the first floor, while maintaining privacy (plus you would have a back yard). Might just be worth double checking. The study/alley area seems like a lot of wasted space, plus it is going to be pretty dark and likely to need the lights on most of the time. I would look at getting your bedrooms arranged along the eastern boundary (rather than the south) if you can. That way they will benefit from eastern sun in the mornings and it frees up space in the SW corner of your block to increase the size of the outdoor space. Depending on the size of your alfresco and how you treat the roof over the meals area, you may still be able to get some north light coming in. With regards West facing spaces, horizontal shading (such as an overhanging roof) doesn't really cut it. Because the sun is beginning to set when it is in the west, it is lower in the sky and will usually still get in. Therefore you need some sort of vertical screen, such as vertical louvres, a trellis or even a few trees if you need to provide shade. You may actually want a bit of sun to come in during the winter, so something adjustable like an external vertical awning is also a good solution for something like this. Try this: http://www.luxaflex.com.au/window/exter ... ings/sb.cn Given that the house is quite close to the boundary on the western edge, there is a pretty good chance the fence will cast a shadow over most of the west facing windows anyway The kitchen has the potential to be a little bit dark too. What is the roof profile like in this area? Can you possibly kick it up to get some north light in from high level windows? Perhaps you could consider some skylights in this area? I hope this helps! Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2130Nov 28, 2016 8:11 am A few other things just occurred to me.. You probably want a door from the laundry to the outside so that you can easily take the washing out to dry. You could even put the laundry along the back wall of the garage which is pretty practical and would save a lot of space. Walk In Robes are really quite wasteful in terms of floor space. You might want to consider a long run of robes along the wall instead. Also you don't need a separate WC. Maybe look at incorporating this into the main bathroom with a shower over the bath. This will greatly reduce the amount of unnecessary circulation space and provide a much more efficient floor plan. You should aim for the most efficient floor plan with the minimum amount of circulation space, that way you can afford to build better quality and have more space outside for the kids Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2131Nov 28, 2016 6:33 pm Hi architect_yourself. First off, thank you for sharing your suggestions. Now that has got my brain cells working! A double storey home, though desirable, is beyond our budget so it was never a consideration. I understand that we have to use our space wisely, and now that you have mentioned it, there are a lot of "space wasters" in our floor plan. Going by your suggestions, we will move the rooms to the east, and maybe one will have to be in the south east. We have thought about skylights, clerestory windows and ceiling height, but we feel that it will push the cost higher. We are thinking of moving the alfresco south west so the kitchen can take its original space. Does this sound like a decent compromise? I figured that, with awnings, a fence and a tree, the sun shining through the western side won't be much of a problem. We'll also be removing the study lounge/alley and separate WC. Kids' bathroom will have a shower over the bath instead (this is actually what we had years ago, why did I not think of it!). Make the laundry smaller (think Euro laundry) since I do all the folding and ironing in the lounge anyway. With these changes, we're hoping better circulation space and a backyard the kids can actually run around in. I'll try to draw up a new (guaranteed crude) plan and post it here. Thank you once again, architect_yourself ? Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2132Nov 28, 2016 7:00 pm No worries, looking forward to seeing your changes. Can I ask why a double storey house is unaffordable? I worry slightly that you are making a lot of assumptions about cost and then dismissing things. Could you possibly sketch out your 'ideal' design and get a rough cost on it from a builder? That way you know for sure what you are looking at and if it is too expensive start taking things out? It is always easier to start higher and come down than to start lower and add things on, trust me! Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2133Nov 28, 2016 7:09 pm Im not trying to push you into a 2 storey house but some things to consider: - Half the earthworks and half the concrete for a two storey house - Half as much roof - slightly more structure and a staircase - more efficient planning and reduced circulation (you essentially go up and down instead of along) - thermal efficiency as heat rises from the lower storey - half the land coverage so much more garden and outside space for the kids It might be worth getting something costed just in case. You could design an 'up-side down' house on this site, with the bedrooms and bathrooms on the ground floor and the kitchen, meals and living spaces on the first floor where they can benefit from northern sun and potentially a few views Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2134Nov 28, 2016 8:55 pm Architect_yourself, we've been in and out several display homes the past month and have collected a fair amount of price lists and a few quotes. We've seen the prices on 2 storey homes and they cost anywhere between 20-40k higher than the budget we have for a single. And this isn't for customised floor plans yet. But you are right, we never really asked for a specific quote because we (wrongly?) assumed it would be beyond what we can afford. I guess the time to do it is now before we regret it, right? We'll have a double storey quoted and see how it goes. Thanks for the eye-opening advise. Argh! So much to learn and do. H1 has helped me heaps. Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2136Nov 29, 2016 8:43 am Thats great Doreetos, glad to have helped in some small way. Please keep us posted on your progress! Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2138Dec 05, 2016 3:02 pm Very strange plan. Those spaces in the centre will be dark and airless. Why not remove them and have a triangular courtyard in the middle instead? Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2139Dec 05, 2016 3:26 pm I don't mind it. You could put an aperture (hole in the entry wall up high to let some light into the activity room. I do think the family room a it of a waste and feel it might go unused. My other concerns would be the bathrooms. The main bathroom has a small vanity and seems to bottle neck between the shower and bath. The ensuite could be reconfigured to cut into the powder room more. As, even though it's a big bathroom it might feel small with soo much going into it. I like the rest of your plan though. ![]() Re: Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!! 2140Dec 05, 2016 3:29 pm Do you really need a family room, activity room, and two separate lounge rooms?!
The master suite is too big and will feel strange with all that space around the bed (unless you also buy a HUGE bed of course) Which way is north? Are the bedrooms built hard on the boundary? Why don't they have any windows? Hi, Seeking volume or semi-custom builder in victoria(east), which have existing double story wide floor plans. Seeking 18-20m wide homes with depth of 12-15m long. Or… 0 25162 6 55343 Hi Mofflepop, I would recommend finding a building designer to prepare plans, they should design to your specified budget. The benefit is you can tender the project out… 9 20410 ![]() |