New house plans...

[newhome]

8 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

 

Come on, Jack. Get real.

 

I think the answer to that is that Mrs Jack quite properly envisioned herself waking up gradually and slowly on a Sunday morning, while you put your clothes, trolled downstairs, bought a paper, and made the coffee - and brought it back up to be presented on a silver tray with an exquisitely prepared breakfast of Eggs Benedict and Melba Toast, while she relaxed on a on a steamer chair on the balcony. Perhaps with the traditional Bloody Mary.

Ferdinand

 

 

I imagine Mrs Jack’s vision soon turned into disappointment 

[Ferdinand]

@CADjockey

 

Thanks for posting so early in your design process - early enough when we can make suggestions in time for a fundamental rethink should you need it, but late enough that we have enough to react to specifically so avoid shooting at too much random. This has been probably one of the best threads I have seen on BH, which is probably linked to me not having posted yet :-).

 

Other people have posted specifics, some of which I agree with. My first impression on the plans was that it was very compartmentalised, and how much space was swallowed by spaces where you will not actually live, an circulation.

 

To me it has a feel of a house for a senior manager or independent professional from the 1930s or 1950s. For example a University Vice Chancellor or Area Manager who needs to be able to impress and entertain for the job, or an accountant, doctor, solicitor, school headmaster, or minister of religion who would need to have some business or 'public' functions at home while also housing a family. The layout is startlingly similar to a vicarage from that period - family rooms plus an office and a visitors' lounge or parish room. In 2018 I can see that that would be suitable for a similar setup such as a home-based artist, counsellor, designer, or homeworker, or for a family in a communty where 'public' and 'private' are still expected to be substantially separate (eg in some conservative religious communities).

 

I feel that in one sense you have bypassed the ideas developed in the 1960s to 1990s, and gone for the earlier period's style - eg in the kitchen - dining room, and shutting the playroom away. But also now, the Vicarage or the home-practising Doctor would have the potential public functions more separate in an annexe with a separate entrance, a loo, a waiting room, an office, and a seal-offable link to protect the family space.  That is not to say you need to do that, but what you may want to consider as potential future uses for you house (if you care).

 

Two metrics that may be useful are % of area which is mainly used for circulation space, which imo for a house this size should be 12-15% (have not tried to calculate this); and % of area which is used for rooms where you spend time (ie exclude storage, circulation, ancillary and service spaces) - for your design I make it that you spend all your time in less than half of the house. IMO that should be more like 65-70%. That suggests to me that you could get the same amount of effective living space for less house (and money), or more house for the same. 

 

I also wonder slightly whether you are doing all that is possible with the plot.

 

What would I do?

 

Downstairs, I would reconsider the layout. I think that lots have commented on that. I might consider putting the study/studio or gym into the garage block rather than the basement, specifically designed to also be a potential Grannexe or pleasant work space. If I was being really long-termist I might make it such that the plot could be divided later, and the garage block be a potential retirement bungalow that could be split permanently.

 

Upstairs, I would think about making it 4 doubles pus a studio-study-craft room with North Light, set next to the family bathroom. ie Potential 5 ensuite doubles; I think you have space for that. The 5th family bedroom adds value - beyond that not so much.

 

I agree on Jack and Jill bathrooms; there is nearly always space for a pair of ensuites. It is such a significant plot that I wonder whether you could do something dramatic such as having (or space for) 3 or even 4 garages. 

 

If you have a vague feeling of not-yet-happy-enough, then you need to let it steep, and get some more input. There are lots of good comments here, but I would also recommend visiting lots of similar-scale houses to get a feel for different possibilitiies. One way is to stay in various houses owned by the Landmark Trust, or view houses for sale, or read the BH blogs and ask to visit. Many of us do that sometimes.

 

I think it would be useful for us to see the one page spec of requirements about 'how you want to live' (not 'we want these rooms') you gave your designed/architect. That should have generated a dialogue between you and their experience, to help refine your thoughts. Post it here, or if you did not have one, then write one now resourced by comments here, and perhaps post *that* here. 

 

But it all comes back to what you want, and what you want to leave potential for.

 

Best of luck.

 

Ferdinand

 

Edited June 15, 2018 by Ferdinand

[jack]

1 hour ago, newhome said:

I imagine Mrs Jack’s vision soon turned into disappointment 

 

Correct use of past tense.

 

Actually, my wife hates hanging about once she's awake, even on weekends, so she bounds out of bed in the morning. I tend to take a more leisurely approach...

[newhome]

1 hour ago, jack said:

 

Correct use of past tense.

 

Actually, my wife hates hanging about once she's awake, even on weekends, so she bounds out of bed in the morning. I tend to take a more leisurely approach...

 

I think balconies in bedrooms are more of a holiday thing TBH. I never spend time awake upstairs. That’s the sleep zone. 

[Onoff]

1 hour ago, newhome said:

I never spend time awake upstairs. That’s the sleep zone. 

 

Must be a thing with Kent girls...

 

[newhome]

2 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

Must be a thing with Kent girls...

 

 

Yeah I knew someone would pick up on that,  and right on cue ..... 

 

I’m here on my tod though so if your wife only sleeps upstairs that may be more a reflection on you 

 

 

[Gone West]

3 hours ago, newhome said:

 

I think balconies in bedrooms are more of a holiday thing TBH. I never spend time awake upstairs. That’s the sleep zone. 

Our balcony faces west and it's nice to sit out there watching the sunset, listen to the birds singing and then if we're lucky watch the bats flying around. Good de-stresser after a day working on the house.

[Florence Galan]

It Depends on what area you have. When you have a nice view, the balcony is amazing. 
But when you go to the balcony and see cars /train there, you do not use the balcony.

Edited June 18, 2018 by Florence Galan

[CADjockey]

On 15/06/2018 at 11:29, Ferdinand said:

It is such a significant plot that I wonder whether you could do something dramatic such as having (or space for) 3 or even 4 garages

 

Yes it is, and the 'Architect' latterly included a 4 car garage which I reduced to a double plus one.

As in a double door for vehicles and an additional 3m wide for the ride on mower, tools etc. 

I felt a 4 bay was more that we need.

 

I have to say I'm still coming to terms with even being fortunate enough to be able to consider doing this,

and the house still feels massive. I think it would end up around 440m² . I might publish the main room sizes for comment.