Comments on floor plan design welcome

We have built before. A prefabricated house. My experience from back then is that the architect did not contribute any ideas of his own. He implemented what we wanted. Therefore, this time I want to go to him with very concrete ideas.

Yes, you could say: the wrong architect. But if he is the one the house building company works with, and I want to build with them, then I am quite bound.

I see a lot of experience here in the forum. And the knowledge of many helps me more than that of a questionable architect.

I have drawn up my ideas.

I can only point out again that you should go to a capable architect with a written room program (no drawing, for God's sake no drawing). Everything else is a waste of time. If you continue like this, the children will have moved out beforehand - then you have almost 300sqm for two people.

I would never build with an architect who is not pleasant to me or who does not implement my wishes appropriately and competently. You are the one paying and the customer! If the construction company couldn't understand that, they wouldn't be my construction company; it would feel too complicated for me, as if I had to submit to the principles of these two. Nowadays, there is really a wide selection of good architects, and as I said, I would have my floor plan created beforehand by an interior designer according to my wishes. Then your architect can implement THAT for the construction company. With my first house, it was similar because the architect was "only" supposed to sign at the time, but then started meddling, and in the end, his changes annoyed me for 30 years. A good (interior) architect pays off.

We have built once before. A prefabricated house. My experience back then was that the architect did not contribute any ideas of his own. He implemented what we wanted. Therefore, this time I want to go to him with very concrete ideas.

The idea of approaching the architect with something prepared is absolutely correct. The ideal preparation is a description of one's own life preferences, likes, dislikes, and goals – regardless of how and whether they contradict each other. To that, add framework conditions such as the plot of land and budget. It feels to me like the process is as if you were going to a restaurant with a recipe, to a tailor with a pattern, or to buy a car with a construction drawing.

Hi, you have about 150 sqm of built-up space on each floor. Why build so large with two almost adult children? For old age, you have 150 sqm that you might not even be able to use anymore. Otherwise, your design is much more cost-efficient than the first version, but still way too convoluted for my taste. Structurally, I don't know, with the span if you can realize the open kitchen-living area on the ground floor when you will have (load-bearing?) walls upstairs. Possibly only feasible with expensive structural interventions (beam or similar).

Thank you. The next step will be to contact the house building company to talk to them.

Are the estimated costs realistic?