Floor plan of a single-family house with basement, 150 sqm, only single-story allowed

I had already clarified that at the town hall. They are actually quite "lenient" with us when it comes to changes or exemptions. Here the lady said that practically no exemption is made for number of storeys, and since the "text that precedes the development plan" (forgot the word) explicitly contains a justification for the single-storey design, she rules it out.

"Justification" is indeed the right word; that's what this document is called. Then quote from it here. Not least, why the justification sees the factual reason only up to the eaves line. In the justifications of Franconian vacuum cleaner knee braces it usually states that they serve the maintenance of the regionally typical local character.

Wishes of my wife: kitchen on the right side, living room on the left side (from the street view). We only have neighbors on the right and on the left there is initially no one "in sight" who would want to build. And they should rather see us cooking than in the living room.

Does your wife really have no more wishes? Those could be implemented and are understandable.

At the same time, we were advised against the middle bay window at the back because of the sun

You don't build a bay window just because you want to have one in your life, but only if it makes sense for good reasons or arises from a necessity. It’s not like ordering a sunroof for a car. The basis must be MY floor plan, which makes our life there better. In that respect, the statement "with or without bay window" has little content, unless you have always wanted one for some reason.

For the shower, preferably solutions where you don’t have to clean so many panes.

I can agree, because bending over to wipe down afterwards is (or will be) a horror for me. That’s why ours has always been half-high masonry with a glass pane on top and no door; so a certain minimum size is necessary. I personally find that an advantage or comfort daily, and you should list such things and definitely have them implemented. Gables and bay windows can occur but should not be a claim.

On the other hand, she does not want a separate storage room. My suggestion, instead of the dressing room upstairs, to make a children’s bathroom (currently we have all clothes, bed linen, rarely worn clothes, etc. in a 2.6 m long wardrobe), and to actually reduce to only one toilet on the ground floor, so that maybe next to the pantry there is also a broom closet, was also rejected by her.

I don’t know your wife, but these objections seem rather well-founded to me. Are broom closets still allowed in new buildings at all? Here too I believe your actual needs are not really clarified, exactly the mentioned requirements specification. How should the shower be, not color, but function, which things for cleaning/care do I need upstairs/downstairs (vacuum, laundry basket, etc...), from exactly that the floor plan will emerge, which is why furniture dimensions are enormously important. Why do I have/need/want a cellar? How will I use it or could it be done differently and more cheaply? Currently, I "fear" that you (and the planner) will sooner or later be fed up and just build, period. But that would be a shame, so you have to look at your daily life precisely, without dreaming, and consistently clarify needs and non-needs TOGETHER. Maybe you should take a closer look at your "we," because your wife says SHE very much wants a dressing room, to which you reply that "we" don’t need it. Aha... That can be seen as stubborn but also as a practically oriented, clear statement based on her needs there. With things like a storage room, I would check just the same whether we simply collect too much stuff. Maybe it will become a small WC attached to the bathroom to save costs instead of a "children’s bathroom" next to the already currently oversized bathroom upstairs. "Children’s bathroom" was once proposed as the un-word of the year, wasn’t it? Along with "sliding door," "pantry," and "direct garage access."

The document is unfortunately not publicly accessible, but she showed it to me.
It said more or less:
"For the southern plots, a single-story construction is suitable due to the adjacent rising terrain."
It should also be noted that the entire area, which was developed in the 70s and consists of about 50 plots, has only the southern five as single-story. The one right next to us is still vacant, the other 3 are built on.

Are broom closets still allowed in new buildings at all?

What do you see as an argument for such a ban?

"Kinderbad" was once proposed as the non-word of the year, wasn’t it? Along with "Schiebetür," "Speis," and "direktem Garagenzugang."

I wouldn’t go that far.

Unfortunately, the document is not publicly accessible, but she showed it to me.

If it hasn’t been digitized yet, I would request a "transcript issuance" in your place.

"For the southern plots, a single-story construction is suitable due to the adjacent rising terrain." It should also be said that in the entire area, which was developed in the 70s, consisting of about 50 plots, only the southern five are single-story. The one directly next to us is still free, the other 3 are built on.

You are only concerned with the knee wall, not the house height; with a plan half a century old, something should be possible. But that must be clarified before anyone proceeds with planning.

What do you see as arguments in favor of such a ban?

Of course it is exaggerated but as I wrote, too many of these current trends keep popping up in my considerations instead of looking for "real" needs.

I wouldn’t go that far.

This also includes the sudden appearance of the "children’s bathroom," which never existed before as a counterbalance to the dressing room??? Again here: real need? It almost scares me a little that now the first draft is supposed to be leading again, which was clearly commented on here and even had elaborate counterproposals, where in my opinion one now drifts away again with detailed discussions, although this draft was quite well liked by both woman and man. I want to point out the erratic nature and the possibly lost thorough consideration of the actual needs as a result. Words like "stubborn," "we don’t need it, I say" probably do not lead to a long-term satisfying result. I read too little, for example: "We need a sofa for 8 people in front of the TV because we watch football twice a week or I like gaming or reading Kant and want a separate, quiet room for that, we sometimes sleep separately, I work shifts and sleep during the day, I go hunting and want a freezer and so on, all those things that should be reflected in an individual floor plan. That can then also be a children’s bathroom or even a children’s sauna (I have seen that), but always based on the actually established need and not 'I want a broom closet' without a plan what should reasonably go in there. I hope the OP understands it in this way, too. Lazy compromises with woman/man are a really bad starting point for construction – equally for both sides. Whether it is stubbornness or justifiable/affordable need, I would want to establish that on both sides.

Does your wife really not have any more wishes?

She rather has "implicit wishes" that she can only articulate if they are not fulfilled. It's difficult to explain. We currently live in a 3-room apartment without a basement, and somehow she is always afraid that the rooms are not big enough. It's not easy to put into words, as she tries to argue mostly on a "feeling" basis (which I have a hard time being receptive to). Her spatial imagination is also rather limited, so I always have to show her examples.
For example, she refused to put the stairs next to the entrance door in the bay window (like in the previously linked Aura house). Initially for reasons that it would then look "tight." After I showed her pictures, it was because you then can't go into the "office" if you have dirty shoes, but have to walk through the entire hallway first. The "office" is in quotation marks because officially I am supposed to plan my home office there, but for her it is already clear that things will be stored there that are needed frequently but not always. Certain shoes, thick winter jackets, the vacuum cleaner. Also a cabinet for everything you need on the ground floor. Sometimes we already call it a "utility room."
That is why I am already planning my office in the basement.

You don't build a bay window because you really want to have a bay window in your life

My wife wants one. This is gladly taken up because of the single-story design, as it increases the area on the ground floor. I like it too. I imagine a bay window "for practical reasons" is generally difficult. I suspect it is usually built only for aesthetic reasons.

But that must be clarified before anyone plans further.

That was clarified, as written. She also said I can still try with the building preliminary inquiry, but for her the answer is clear, even though she can fully understand my arguments (old building plan, dormers were allowed later to create living space, with dormers the house is even lower which looks odd next to a two-story house, etc.).

Of course, that is exaggerated, but as written, too many of these current trends pop up in my considerations instead of looking for "real" needs.

I cannot understand that. Everyone I know who has a broom cupboard loves it. You can store exactly those things there that you use daily but don't want to see. That is nothing new.

That also includes the sudden popping up of the "children's bathroom."

I explained that. Two bathrooms in the house are clear. Currently, one is on the ground floor and one upstairs. You can "shift" the second bathroom upstairs and thereby create space on the ground floor where things can be "stored" that my wife planned to have in the dressing room, which would then no longer exist. Currently, we don't need it, of course. In 10 years, with a teenager, it might be more convenient. And putting water somewhere quickly is not easy and you regret not having planned it earlier.

Thinking through the real needs

It is difficult to know these for the next twenty years. I know what I know but not what I do not know.

I am almost a little shocked that the first draft is now supposed to be leading again

As I wrote several times, I am first waiting to see what comes of Katja's plan. In the end, I would lay the (at least two) plans side by side. I would not discard an idea for the supposedly worse variant undocumented for that reason.

"We need a sofa for 8 people in front of the TV because we watch football twice a week or I like to play games or read Kant and want my own quiet room for that, we sometimes sleep separately, I work shifts and sleep during the day, I go hunting and want a freezer and so forth, all those things which should be reflected in an individual floor plan. That can then also be a children's bathroom or even a children's sauna (I've seen that), but always based on the truly determined need and not 'I want a broom cupboard' without a plan for what should reasonably go in there.

That is a very good point, but I really cannot deliver that. As you have noticed, my wife likes to stash things somewhere without putting them in the basement. Otherwise, I have a few things, but these will exclusively be reflected in the basement, where I have my freedom (small workshop, electronics corner, etc.). Even my office will probably go downstairs.
Of course, we are quite limited in such "quirks" by the current 3-room apartment without a basement.

While typing, the following occurs to me: We practically never have overnight guests because we are very "local." Our guests go home overnight. But what we do have are many siblings with children, so it would of course be good if the close family (parents and siblings with partners and children, about 12 adults and currently 6 children) finds room at a birthday. But that is always somehow manageable.