Floor plan check for new single-family house with basement

According to what I read from the Hamburg BO, the 2/3 rule applies here.

but the house is not. I wouldn't worry about that, because

Baustufenplan Hamburg S1O (Single-story construction, to be integrated into the surrounding development)

I had the impression that the old construction stage plans are simply not accessible and would trust the architect here.

I had the impression that the old construction phase plans are simply not accessible at all and would trust the architect here.

That may of course be the case, that the construction phase plan is possibly even older than the FRG federal state of Hamburg (1949).

Actually, our idea was to be able to walk through a pantry via the kitchen front (yes, I know, modern gimmicks) and then locate it on the north side of the kitchen, but that would block the light axis in that area and make the windows on the north side useless.

That sounds rehearsed to me. Did the architect explain it to you that way?
Light axis or not – in this case, that wouldn’t be my top priority and it would have to give way to the pantry. Given the prescribed width, you have to extend lengthwise to generate sufficient size. A central entrance on the north with a generous entry area necessarily prevents a "not narrow" kitchen. For that reason, I would detach myself from this entrance and consider an entrance on the side instead. Something like this:

[ATTACH alt="flymac EG.jpg"]88851[/ATTACH]
(My program is very old and cannot represent everything perfectly. The architect has to provide the necessary chic – I’m only concerned with the layout.)

Also, the bathroom upstairs is up for discussion, because although we like the idea of the “separated” toilet, the shower/vanity area could make the overall room feel rather small, even though it is very large.

Yes, I wouldn’t do that either. The room is too narrow for the T and it then feels oppressive. There are also beautiful bathrooms without a hidden toilet. You can’t afford to be wasteful upstairs anyway.

The bedroom upstairs isn’t perfect yet either, because we actually wanted a separate dressing room, but due to the limited space upstairs (single-story construction without sloping ceilings) the bedroom is relatively small and we would like it to be a bit more spacious. On the other hand, the children’s rooms are generous enough.

In my opinion, the room is large enough. Try rotating the bed. Then the dressing area can grow a little bit. I left the “bump” opposite as is so you can see where the wall originally was. Also, I think it’s more pleasant if the door is not right next to the head of the bed. The window on the west would then have to move slightly north or be removed altogether. What bothers me more is the fiddling with the children’s room walls. Plus the bedroom in the south, where the children would actually benefit more. It’s all still quite uncoordinated.

[ATTACH alt="flymac-Bett.jpg"]88852[/ATTACH]

If I’ve forgotten something up there, I’m happy to provide it later.

Yes, the carport or parking spaces still seem unconsidered to me. Especially in conjunction with windows or light wells. I would always have those included in the drawings. Otherwise, there will be nasty surprises later.

One could also consider placing the staircase in the north:

[ATTACH alt="flymac EG2.jpg"]88853[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH alt="flymac OG.jpg"]88854[/ATTACH]
Then I find the layout upstairs smoother and more sensible. Kids get light, the bathroom gets the rising sun, and the parents have to manage somehow.

By the way, you should think carefully about the partition wall in the living room. On paper, it looks quite attractive, but in reality, it’s just a “darkening wall.” You definitely need to look at that in 3D!

Thanks for your input, Katja!

That sounds rehearsed to me. Did the architect explain it to you that way?
Light axis or not – in this case, that would not be my first priority and it would have to give way to the pantry. Given the specified width, you have to go in length to generate sufficient size. A central access in the north with a generous entrance area inevitably prevents a "not narrow" kitchen. That’s why I would move away from this entrance and consider an entrance on the side.

That is an approach we also had, but then the house looks quite unattractive from the street side and we also want it to look appealing visually. We will try it in the current concept with implementation of a pantry in the north and the kitchen then smaller than now, but in a U-shape without a freestanding island.

Yes, I wouldn’t do that either. The room is too narrow for the T and then feels oppressive. There are also beautiful bathrooms without a hidden toilet. You can’t be extravagant in the upper floor either.

I totally agree. Our current one has almost exactly the same dimensions and is designed "open" and we like it.

In my opinion, the room is big enough. Just turn the bed around. Then the walk-in closet can grow minimally. I left the "pups" opposite so you can see where the wall was at first. Besides, I think it’s nicer if the door is not directly next to the headboard. The window in the west would then have to move a bit to the north or be removed entirely. What bothers me more is the fiddling with the children's room walls. Plus the bedroom in the south, where the children would actually benefit more. It’s all still quite patchy.

Thanks for the suggestion. We will definitely turn the bed, the question is the walk-in closet. We have one now, which is accessible through the bedroom but not as a passage room. We were in one yesterday like in the sketch and didn’t like looking directly into the "narrow" closet when coming in (possibly still messy).

Yes, the carport or the parking spaces still seem unconsidered to me. Especially in combination with windows or light wells. I would always have those drawn in. Otherwise, there will be nasty surprises later.

Can you elaborate on that? If you place the garage on the east boundary behind the house, does that collide with the windows or light wells?

By the way, you should think carefully about the dividing wall in the living room. On paper it looks quite nice, but in reality there is simply a "darkening wall." You absolutely have to see that in 3D!

We don’t want that anyway, that was the architect’s suggestion. Friends of ours have it like that and I miss the open room feeling.

By the way, you should think carefully about the partition wall in the living room. On paper it looks quite nice, but in reality it's just a "darkening wall". You definitely need to see it in 3D!

What does it darken? As it currently is, a whole glass wall is drawn in on the side. So nothing will be darkened.

What is it darkening? There is currently a whole glass wall drawn in on the side. So nothing is being darkened there.

Early, when the sun is in the east, it gets darker in the living room. For me, though, it was less about the light and more about the feeling of the space. With such partition walls, it usually only looks nice on paper. Imagine, for example, the view from the terrace back into the living room – with and without...