Floor plan of a 200m2 house, your assessment?

I completely agree with you that the size might be reduced without major losses. I am currently trying to get an idea of the "how"...

Well... I showed that in #86... how it could be... :rolleyes:

Thank you :) That is the point. The examples you list we definitely do not want. Although - we do have a lamp from the hardware store. Self-made from installation pipes and connectors and with colorful cables from IKEA and simple light bulbs. Visitors find it quite successful. ;) If you had a few examples of creative low-budget projects for me, I would be very grateful.

I can recommend the book series from Callwey. Here you can find various annual winners ranging from very expensive and representative architecture to great projects created through a successful room layout and a manageable budget. Just search for "Häuser des Jahres"... It was a great investment for us.

Maybe you should reconsider your priorities of great view/accessibility. Be clear about what you want and what you can/must do without! Roughly thrown together (without knowing the dimensions of the house design): 154sqm including roof terrace, 2-story, living room without terrace access due to slope... €450,000, + earthworks slope €50,000, + special features like sauna, fireplace €50,000 + buffer

First of all, MANY THANKS for your input and your time! Lots of thoughts… The simplest question: yes, there really is an architect involved. However, many inputs come from us and the original design looked quite different… We do need to reconsider accessibility. Fortunately, it’s only preventive and we probably first have to define how comprehensively we want to take the topic into account now and what we only want to consider. We will create the list of things to give up. And last but not least: thanks for your draft. Really great that you took the time! I have to think it through in detail and will get back to you. Until then.

The important thing is first to define what you expect from the individual room areas. …

Thanks for your questions, which were very helpful in bringing our thoughts back on point.

[*]Sauna .. mainly for us, but also gladly for guests sometimes, so preferably in a not-so-private area. No access to the biotope needed.
[*]Since Corona, we have been working from home constantly and enjoy it. We have a workspace in the study (currently also a closet room) and I like to sit with my laptop at the dining table or on the sofa. I like the spaciousness and prefer to sit in a large room (not dedicated as a workspace) rather than 15m2 that I call a workspace. It should stay that way. However, I would need a better storage solution than before (e.g. a rolling cabinet that can be stored in a cupboard and then no longer visible). And folders & co would be thought of in a cupboard in the multifunction room.
[*]Sleeping ... yes, really separate. We also considered an extra retreat area, but that requires even more space than if it is integrated. It is also about everyone having a space where there can be some clutter that doesn’t bother the other. But your point about the heating is valid…
[*]Living ... also with guests? Yes. First eat, then move to the sofa.
[*]We definitely want a full great view in the living/dining area, facing SW. It also makes sense on the ground floor. Otherwise, if we had to save, a view outside would also suffice. Our apartment currently only has floor-to-ceiling windows (actually doors), and we like that very much.
[*]Actually, we would like the fireplace to be placed between the sofa and the dining table so that you can look at the fire from both sides. I'm just not sure how that works with the chimney. Use when it is dark and cold and you enjoy the flames. And of course also when guests are there.
[*]Currently we have one bathroom and two separate toilets. Very practical in everyday life, and we would like to keep the separation on the 2nd floor if possible. On the ground floor, it certainly makes sense to integrate the toilet. Our considerations, due to various comments, lean towards making only the WC on the ground floor barrier-free.
[*]We are rather minimal users with an everyday kitchen. No cooking with friends. Terrace connection of the kitchen via the dining area with a serving trolley. We originally considered direct access also from the kitchen, but opening from the dining area is more important to us.
[*]We have a whole list of storage needs and allocation. But it would probably be too much to list here.
[*]If guests, then rather for 1-2 nights or those who don’t want to go home after a long invitation. The 5-10 per year was an estimate. At the moment we have no guest room but would like to offer the possibility. Therefore, only a folding bed is planned, which is stored in a cupboard on the wall.

Do you see other possibilities to combine the living areas into sensible units? Basically, we are open to two levels. Due to building regulations, however, only a small part of the garden remains in the SW, hence the consideration to keep the ground floor small and rather build upwards.

Looking forward to your feedback or any further questions. Thanks!

Barrier-free accessibility in old age is quite a thing. There is a site called nullbariere.

Sockets high up, wide doors, no thresholds, no steps for example to the terrace, lift-slide door instead of a normal balcony door.

Thank you very much for your tip with the website - very interesting - and your hints! Above all, the concrete numbers make it easier to provide appropriate measures here.

The discussion on the topic of accessibility has led us to the conclusion that we do not want to plan for every eventuality. As far as possible, we will implement one thing or another, only provide for some things, or simply omit them altogether.

There will be an accessible toilet only on the ground floor, where shower, washbasin, and toilet are in one room that makes sense to us and can leave enough space. Should the issue ever become critical (hopefully never), the lower room would be converted into a bedroom with an exit to the outside and the bathroom would be right next door.

If you have any further input, I would be happy to hear it.

I can recommend the book series from Callwey.

I know some of these books; they are really great. Unfortunately, there is very little about creative low budget. And in many cases, it is architects who have built their own houses. Inspiring, but unfortunately only to a limited extent transferable.

What were the most interesting ideas you took away from the books?