Floor plan draft for a 220m² single-family house

I really don’t like the strict separation of bathroom / dressing room and bedroom. Especially not the dressing room that you have to go through the bathroom every time. The idea of going through one door to the whole parental area is better.

I fully agree with you on the last sentence, but not so much on the first part. I undress before using the bathroom and then get dressed afterwards, so changing clothes is more connected to personal hygiene than to sleeping. It’s just that we are used to it the other way around because the wardrobes are always in the bedroom. So if the decision is between the options 1. dressing room by the bathroom or 2. dressing room by the bedroom, I would strongly advise option 1.

By the way, I find Kaho’s designs very good and at least worth considering as a stimulus for thought.

And there’s one more thing I have to get off my chest: For me and most people here, bright and sun-flooded rooms are desirable and beautiful. I would rather pull a blind down to watch TV than live in a dark living room. You seem to see it differently; well, I don’t have to understand that, I just accept it. But you keep referring to the precious leather couch. Here’s a little food for thought: how long does one keep a couch? How long does one keep a house?

Think about it...

What I want to say is: yes, it may be that existing furniture doesn’t fit perfectly into the new place, but for me personally it would be important to know how I want to live in the house, and for that I would, for example, also live with suboptimal furnishing for the first few years. You replace furniture more easily than a house (by the way: we have the same problem with our couch. It fits perfectly in the current apartment but not so well in the future living room. But we already know how we want to do it in the future and will just live in an interim solution for now).

And personally, I would never want to turn into a troglodyte just because the couch shouldn’t get any light. My furniture has to go through my life with me. Then it just shows that it’s being used. That’s exactly why I bought it. But that’s just a personal opinion. But I had to get it off my chest.

And one more thing I have to get off my chest: For me and most people here, bright and sun-filled rooms are desirable and beautiful. I’d rather pull down a blind for watching TV than live in a dark living room. Apparently, you see it differently, fine, I don’t have to understand it, I accept it as is. But you always refer to the leather couch that needs to be protected. Here’s a little food for thought: how long do you keep a couch? How long do you keep a house?

I know we see this differently than most. That’s not a problem. Nothing else but TV happens in the living area anyway. No one sits in the glaring light. I wouldn’t know when we ever sat on the couch without watching TV. The area is not used otherwise. I will clarify on Monday how much cost-saving potential the basement has. Of course, the objection made by 11ant regarding the exterior walls will be taken into account. Partial basement vs. full basement would look roughly like this (see attachments). The designation and the detailed layout of the partial basement would still change. No hobby room anymore, for example... I have to inquire about the cost difference. I hope there is more than €20,000 considering the area difference between 80m² and 128.62m² of basement. The 80m² basement was valued at €950 per m² = €76,000 at the time. The full basement is not listed separately but included in the overall calculation. I will inquire about that. The approach now is: - Optimization of the basement - Optimization of the roof terrace (especially now that the bedroom will probably move to the right next to the utility room, a balcony covering these two rooms is completely sufficient. However, I think the builder said it doesn’t make much difference cost-wise since the floor where the balcony would extend to the left already exists due to the current architecture. So you would only save some balcony railing and floor tiles. - We will not experiment with the area and dimensions of the house in the first adjustment step until we know where we stand after the adjustments. The notes about the utility room etc. were clear, and so I assume we will leave them for now. Of course, the corridor and kitchen could be a bit smaller; but that would entail other issues that would no longer be so unproblematic if the basic idea of style/symmetry is to be maintained (thanks ; valuable advice from you!). ---> if we just don’t get along with that, unfortunately, we’ll have to start again from scratch. It could go in the direction of a smaller house footprint but then perhaps including things like the utility room in a possibly more suitable full basement again. I don’t know if that fits. My wife really wants the utility room upstairs. We’ll see... Is the prevailing opinion here that the solution with the hipped roof doesn't fit? Because the house looks too much like Bauhaus without the hipped roof? I have received many strong warnings regarding flat roofs. One shouldn’t rely on statements like "today there are no longer problems with roof leaks after a few years with flat roofs." It is definitely the more expensive variant in the long term. I wouldn't mind a flat roof (but it is €6,000 more expensive than the hipped roof...) only the preference for the flat roof has suffered badly since, after the statically required revision, the roof overhang above the children’s room centered over the front door was removed. The exterior wall of the children’s room being flush with the "roof overhang" is visually unacceptable to us. It just looks like a block! I have attached the comparison of both appearances again. The first appearance is perfect; the second really doesn’t work at all. This detail absolutely makes the difference for us! The builder says the old appearance is not statically feasible as it was.

Yes, the orientation towards the sun in the living room is not important to him at all. Since this has now been emphasized so strongly several times, we have to accept it now, I think.

If you think about it, the architect has already implemented many of your wishes. I don't believe that another architect will achieve a drastically different result, given the many specifications that are basically already set. In this respect, I wouldn't demonize the current one or expect miracles from the new one. But of course, I could be wrong. Sometimes a completely new concept can also lead to abandoning some specifications, who knows.

Where I still see potential is if you remain open to all types of stairs. The straight one is quite limiting. In my opinion, spiral ones are much nicer and more flexible. I hope you'll show us what the brainstorming has brought. Naturally, we are curious.

Attached are the rooms upstairs swapped.

...The contractor says the old look is not structurally feasible as is.

Really? Does the whole thing collapse structurally because of 20cm more roof overhang? I have no idea about structural engineering, but you just can’t understand that, right? Put a lid on a box. Whether the lid overhangs 5 or 10 cm, it doesn’t fall off because of that. But it must be so if he says so.

If you think about it, the architect has already implemented many of your wishes. I don’t believe that another architect would achieve a drastically different result, given the many specifications that are actually already set. In this respect, I wouldn’t demonize the current one or expect miracles from the new one. But of course, I could be wrong. Sometimes a completely new concept can also lead to discarding some specifications, who knows.

I see it the same way. I have also been very restrained with my perhaps partly justified criticism here and have made it clear that we already have a number of specifications. I am aware that an architect can only plan what he has developed together with the client. So, I have nothing to criticize about the spatial program, at most to refine it. Until the middle of the week, I always felt very well taken care of. No rework or change seemed too much to them or caused a frown. Patiently and attentively, we worked our way forward together.

Well, now came the setback that the clarification of static aspects between the freelance architect working for the company and the general contractor perhaps should have taken place intermittently... annoying... but certainly no reason to throw everything overboard now. I see it exactly that way. Even if the impression now is that coordination there may generally be in need of optimization. And that I am now going over the upcoming—not just minimal—details with a completely different architect and no longer with the one we decided on, I have to get used to that too. Well, he is employed by the general contractor and will probably now have to see how he can fit everything into the GC’s program so that it is also feasible....

It’s not as if we only spoke with two architects or GCs beforehand. We talked to three freelance architects and three GCs and then deliberately chose this provider. I don’t believe that we will get the planning better with someone else now. Everywhere, the budget combined with our wishes was at least considered borderline; other providers proposed 2-3 drafts, which, despite several discussions, were always far from how it should be (sender and receiver problem) – even with freelance architects working with individual trades, we never had the courage to go down this path, and none signaled through their behavior that they were our guy. One of them even said openly that in the local market situation and the shortage of craftsmen, he would advise me to build a single-family home with a general contractor even if he didn’t get the order....

It will work out. Yes, we have many requirements, but we are also willing to compromise in places where others are not. In sum, this will surely lead to a result. One just must not lose one’s nerve and must remain persistent. If things like the changed offset vs. no offset at the front are disturbing, I just have to make that clear and demand another solution. To be honest; this detail alone is more important to us than whether ironing space is in the utility room or in another room upstairs. We wouldn’t want such a bulky protrusion on the front of the house for that. With the hipped roof solution, that would have been possible, but if it’s the flat roof, then definitely not. Lastly, the hipped roof didn't fare well here at all. Visually, I would also prefer the flat roof, but durability is also a point. And that’s the decisive thing – to distinguish where you are willing to compromise and where you are not.

Where I still see potential is if you stay open to all stair shapes. The straight one is already very limiting. Spiral ones are in my opinion much nicer and more flexible. I hope you’ll show us what the brainstorming brought. Of course, we are curious.

I have now printed out all your designs and am dealing with them quietly. The little one is now asleep, and I have time. It’s a matter of respect that I of course inform about the result. Of course, I’ll post later what is ultimately realized. I am infinitely grateful for the numerous hints. Regarding the stair shapes, there is openness.

Speaking of stairs. The general contractor simply reduced the stair width from the architect’s planning, which was painstakingly worked out at 1.10 m, back to a standard width of 1 m. He said that’s definitely enough! Just like the 1 m corridor, which was actually planned at 1.40 m. I can half agree on the corridor because upstairs on one side there is only the railing, so it’s quite open. But is the stair width of 1 meter really sufficient? I know it has been written here that it is enough, but I have serious building concerns. We also have 1.10 m here with us, and even there various bulky items have already bumped into the wall.

Really? Because of 20 cm more roof overhang, the part statically collapses? Well, I have no clue about statics, but that’s hard to understand, right? Put a lid on a box. Whether the lid overhangs by 5 or 10 cm, the lid doesn’t fall off because of that. But it must be so if he says so.

I don’t believe that yet either. The problem is that you can’t reduce the children’s room towards the back to restore the overhang in this way. Then the room becomes a real narrow corridor. That won’t work.

Without having read the last 2 pages and without flipping back to the floor plans, I just want to mention that yesterday I thought you could easily cut one meter on both the left and right sides of the house without any losses. The rooms on the upper floor are then arranged not across, but in depth, so that the entire balcony section across the width is eliminated. Then you have huge projections in the masonry, even though you are already working with a different facade design to loosen things up. That is somehow redundant.

Personally, I would have also included the existing building in the project

Regarding the living room - one person may like the sunlight, another needs it less. That’s what he thinks, because the sun is responsible for a lot in the body, including the mood. To understand this, you probably have to get a bit older to experience "mood swings." In this respect, everyone has to make their own experience. The good advice is not well received

Nevertheless, I would say that the living room takes on a different role with future children. The projector will eventually become way too complicated or the sofa will become a lounging place with chocolate crumbs... But leather can be wiped off!