Architectural design - planning crisis!

Good evening!

I’m just hoping for some crowd help. We want to extend a two-family house – at the time, we had the choice between an extension or creating a usable attic by slightly raising the knee wall. I had major reservations about the first option because I have basically never seen an attractive extension. Then the architect sent me a design that I found somewhat great. However, it turned out that structurally it only works with so many compromises that it’s rubbish again. For a few days now, I’ve been looking at this view and finding it increasingly worse. It looks like a garage. But that’s not all – what was supposed to be a shaded area is unfortunately only 1.7m high. However, that matches the balcony because it was trimmed to the same width.

All parties involved, meaning us and the architect, generally get along well, but right now we’re a bit stressed with each other. How do you deal with such a situation? By the way, how the wild growth of windows on the garden side came about is also still a mystery to us.

Wow, the architect really got to be creative here ;) I would have asked about the structural engineering first. Or I would have already bailed at the cost of the chair. But that’s not the topic here for now.

are just a bit stressed with each other right now. How do you deal with a situation like this?

There is no patent solution. Maybe take a few days off and gain some distance.

As it turned out, it only works structurally with so many compromises that it’s rubbish again.
[..] getting worse and worse. It looks like a garage.
[..] what was supposed to be a shady spot is unfortunately only 1.7m high.
[..] wild growth of windows on the garden side

I think you basically have to consider whether you can save the current design or live with all the compromises. If the answer is no, then you have to start over, for better or worse. It’s just unfortunate that the architect made a preliminary design that is not feasible. Definitely don’t open the question of blame, but look for constructive solutions on how to proceed or how to redesign.

I am just hoping for community help. We want to expand a two-family house – at that time, we had the option of either an extension or creating a usable attic by slightly raising the knee wall.

Make it easier for the community help and show the house as it is, and the renovation plans in the usual format (Bundesfahne). It's hard to comment constructively on the cornice UFO – but the problem itself should not be systematically difficult to solve. What is it about: Is = two two-child-family house / Should = two three-child-family house, or what are the motivation and objectives of the renovation? You have to provide us with reasonable working materials.

I’m just hoping for swarm assistance.

What do you expect from the forum now? How to deal with zero points? That we say something about the exterior views? Something about the static structure? Something about the facade? Something about the "shadow casting"? Why an extension at all?

I think it's cool

Personally, the whole thing would be far too complex for me. Almost always, success lies in the simplicity of things. My recommendation therefore is restart and go completely back to the drawing board.