Floor plan design for a 175m² single-family house with 3 children

The TV is not supposed to go on the fireplace wall, but on the office wall.

Can’t you just take the TV into the office and implement EXACTLY WHAT you like there? Then the living room can be a nice living room with a view outside and not the other way around, and not a room overloaded by TV + special staircase + micro-fireplace + favorite giant window. Often rooms are overloaded with usage intentions, and that’s exactly what I see here. As already said, the fireplace will be significantly bigger; you need fireplace tools and stuff, and you should have some wood next to it. Depending on the fireplace and personal preference, the fire can then be too close, too hot, etc. So I stick to my point that you have too much depth and too little width. There is emptiness between the sofa and the window, just like between the seemingly endless kitchen furniture row/island and the window. Exactly this space is missing elsewhere, and like in real life, a few centimeters can already be decisive. I see you have now turned the sofa, but it’s directly in front of the SHT facing the wall; at the dining table, the fireplace burns your back. You should actually take a look at gas fireplaces, but only high-quality models. Nowadays, they have very good heating properties, and you could go longer AND — very important — individually control the flame/heat. This is no cheap stuff these days; take a look at commercial sectors/hotels. If I had gone for gas, a long tunnel gas fireplace would have been my first choice; but I already have a nice wood fireplace from Monolith here, so that will be installed in the house. I would place a fireplace rather on the wall panel between the two glass areas. There is space, and you can see it from everywhere. A fireplace in that spot won’t bring you joy in the long run, more likely annoyance. Then you won’t have a “decent” TV area and will take a compromise, and it will drag on and eventually turn into a jack-of-all-trades. I strongly recommend loosening these fixed decisions (5m-window-must, staircase-must-be-so, etc.) and closely examine your habits. You’re building a house and like to watch TV but have a “mediocre” solution… better to let go of a few other things and do fewer things really well. That’s my credo. First plan the usage, then put the windows in the right place, first clarify the living room usage and then… etc. You have the possibilities for that.

Feel free to tell that to my wife. That exact argument I made, but unfortunately it didn’t take.

That’s EXACTLY how you shouldn’t plan a house, when someone insists on a certain implementation. That affects the whole thing, and you can mess up the whole house just because you got stuck on one silly thing.

I’m just wondering, since mentioned that they plan 5 meters as 2 elements. Do you know how heavy 5 sqm of glass are? Does that even exist?

Here we have 5 meters as 2 elements (wood-aluminum), that already weighs quite a lot. You just have to know that in advance. Anything other than lift-and-slide would not have been an option for us. It’s simply great to be able to open the entire area. Also—just like —the staircase starting in the open living space. With children, I would never ever do that! It’s nice (in our taste) but it’s also loud! Perfect for two people, I would do that anytime again, but not with kids! And say goodbye to the cold hallway where you first have to walk to the staircase. In a house like this, nothing is cold anymore and the hallway is just as pleasant as the open living space. Fireplace... well. The person sitting at the table with their back to the fireplace will quickly move away from there. That’s too close! Also, you almost run directly in front of it when coming from the hallway. By the way, the placement of the dining table looks like a “leftover spot” as in: the table has to go somewhere. In combination with the kitchen and the large door, that should look planned! Unfortunately, it does not. I keep reading “my wife thinks that looks nice,” “my wife would like,” “my wife wishes for”… unfortunately, she wishes for many things very suboptimally. The orientation of the TV setup on the office wall I would—also because of the incoming light!—urgently reconsider. The seating position is not comfortable (this has already been mentioned several times). Storage on the upper floor is a mess at that spot, but that has also been mentioned several times. Get rid of the ingrained ideas (or have your wife do that)!

It is nice (to our taste) but it is also loud! Great for two, I would do that anytime again, not with children!

Ah, what wasn't mentioned at all: not only is the TV spot - as already said - without privacy, the sound carries everything upstairs, where the children have their rooms. Upstairs, there is no extra hallway that could shield anything.

"my wife would like"

I scroll back once more... the children are planned, they are not yet born... there is a difference whether you plan just for yourselves as a couple or as a family. With three children, the goal is "a family with children" and not "if one comes, it's okay"... pumps or sneakers... You should rather plan towards sneakers, ballerinas are still okay... there are also all kinds in chic and modern. It doesn't stop at 3 children in the house - they also want to have visitors sometimes, pizza parties in the kitchen, or a TV evening with friends. Where are you supposed to be during that time?

In addition, despite large windows, I would install a "normal" door to the outside and not just lift-and-slide doors, as these are, in my opinion, more difficult to operate/become.

Yes, the five-meter element should be designed not as a lift-and-slide, but as a folding element. Preferably with a mullion and a hinged door as the kitchen exit.

I also find the children's rooms quite small. I am a fan of small bedrooms and large children's rooms. I have considered moving the bedroom downstairs. There was a design here in the forum that I quite liked.

Hello everyone,
thanks again to everyone for your opinions and suggestions.
As is well known, tastes differ. I am very grateful to everyone who has expressed their opinion here for the impulses.
In the end, we have now decided on our floor plan, similar to what I posted. We know the advantages and disadvantages as well as possible given our situation, and we are very curious about the feedback from the building authority regarding the application.
According to the application documents, our planning should comply with the development plan ([eingeschossig]).

Whether and to what extent we like the living room in the end, whether the fireplace burns our back, whether the hallway has too many passages, or whether the large window element will be implemented as planned will become clear over the next few months.

I will gladly keep interested parties updated and send an update in the thread from time to time.