Help needed with window arrangement!

Compromises always have to be made, that's right. The only question is where you make them, because too much living quality must not be lost. In my opinion, your last shown draft is still the best: The slanted wall in the wardrobe makes the bathroom shapeless and hard to use. That's why this one is already better. "Optimal" in floor plans is always in the eye of the eventual user. The position of the study room I suggested and thus the changed kitchen/wardrobe situation I personally found even a bit better, otherwise I wouldn’t have suggested it. But I don’t have to make the decision either. The "problem" with forums like this is that you will always find supporters and opponents of a draft. There will always be someone who would do something differently or finds something really bad. Whether the critic has a better solution is another question. At a certain point, open discussion no longer gets you any further; on the contrary: it just unsettles you even more. That is the point at which you should make your own decision. I still gladly support you (and many others do as well) if you want to move forward. Best regards

Just because the staircase is often placed at this location in this building type doesn’t mean it has to be the best solution for you. And the staircase is crucial for the design.

I am not complaining that you don’t make decisions, because you are constantly making decisions.

You decide that hiring an architect who deals with your wishes and the circumstances doesn’t make sense.

You decide that the floor plan is the best you can get.

Then why hasn’t the building application been submitted yet? Is it just general reluctance to decide, or maybe still a trace of common sense or idealism, e.g., that a functional cloakroom would be desirable, that a kitchen should be suitable for cooking, or that space shouldn’t be wasted unnecessarily?

And what is expected from the forum, delivery of service phases 1-3, an architectural competition?

WD

Somehow you are all right, but I still have to add something: Often you get in your own way and hold on to mistakes or standards because others do it that way or because "that's how it's done." Often you no longer see possibilities: for example, you could place the stairs on the south wall and move the kitchen or living room to the north. Or, or, or... But you just can’t imagine a small breakfast terrace in the north, where barely 3 meters of land are available. However, you would find this terrace nice in a house that is already 20 years old, well overgrown. A living room in the north would be a no-go, even though it is only illuminated in the evening or from the west. I’m not saying it has to be like that, what I want to say is: often you close yourself off to new or different things.

So, and now a comment on the last floor plan (although I now understand that it does not come from ): One drawback is that the basement is accessed from the kitchen. You could close off the living area a bit (this room has already gotten very long...), turn the stairs, and at least have basement access at the front in the hallway. The stairway for the children would be in the dining room, which I personally still consider acceptable. (For some, however, a no-go.)

And now a fundamental question: in our new development area, house examples were included in the exposé – 3 house providers that you could have chosen from presented their house types that comply with the development plan. Was it not like that with you? Would these companies not possibly have had 1 or 2 drawings ready that addressed the problem with your one- and two-story buildings?

Best regards, Yvonne

Hello everyone,
I haven't been in touch for a long time. But since there has already been such a heated discussion here, I definitely want to wrap this up, I owe you that. The decision has now been made for a split-level house after all. Here, the staircase can be integrated into the house more beautifully and harmoniously. So we have thrown the principle of living on one level overboard; we are aware that for every trip to the toilet you have to climb 7 steps, but for us the advantages outweigh the disadvantages:

[*]Clear and beautiful room layout
[*]You only have to walk half a staircase, which is also very comfortable to walk because there are no turns, etc.

[*]The bedroom automatically gains its privacy this way (which was always a problem in the other floor plan)
[*]and you are still not far from the kids (even more of an issue with our one-month-old baby)

What I don’t like so much yet: the access to the kitchen and the living room. When you come down the stairs from the bedroom, you first run into a wall (to the right it goes into the living room). Would it make sense to put the door here from the hallway into the dining room (so when you come down the stairs, you can continue straight into the dining room)? For that, the direct access to the living room would be lost. I would then make a second access directly from the windbreak into the kitchen. On the other hand, it is already possible now to look into the living room from the windbreak. This would no longer be possible after repositioning the door.

What else do you see, what do you like, what doesn't you like?

Hello!

First of all about split-level: I find it good on a slope or with smaller houses, e.g. modern townhouses, if you want to bring light and openness via the stairs and at the same time separate areas.

But with you, I somehow have in mind (I could be mistaken) that no double casement windows are allowed. Therefore, there remains the wall of the top level with a narrow window band to the north. However, nothing will reach the hallway below from it...

Regarding the rest of the floor plan:
If a roof is still planned over the entrance, this area will be dark, so no light from here either.
Regarding the kitchen: the spatial proximity to the entrance is not utilized, e.g. pantry or two-sided usable storage cabinets; whoever sits at the counter looks at the wall to the east. The dining area also deserves better planning of the window areas.
The living room is introverted; here too no indoor-outdoor relationships, which is a pity.
The other levels are okay; the master bathroom and the bedroom are relatively small compared to the house size. A guest WC is missing.

The house has become very large and also not very efficient. Was that what was wanted?

Regards
WD

Hello Wanderdüne,

first of all, thanks again for your constructive criticism! Now to the individual points:

First of all about split-level: I think it’s good on a slope or with smaller houses, e.g. modern townhouses, if you want to bring light and openness through the staircase and at the same time separate areas.

I generally prefer a plain ordinary house with two full stories, but if the city leaves me no choice, then I have to decide on one. And unlike the mixed-story house (continuous ground floor, south side with upper floor), I think you can achieve much nicer room layouts with the split-level because here the half stairs do not disturb.

I somehow have the impression with you (I may be mistaken) that no double casement windows are allowed. Therefore, the wall of the top level remains with a narrow window band facing north. But nothing of that will reach the hallway below…

Regarding the rest of the floor plan:
If there is still a roof planned above the entrance, this area will be dark, so no light from here either.

You are absolutely right, a window is planned at that spot as well. I found nothing in the development plan that forbids a roof window. We want to improve the lighting situation in the hallway / vestibule with built-in spotlights and the newly installed glass door from the vestibule to the kitchen (see attachment)

Regarding the kitchen: the spatial proximity to the entrance is not used, e.g. pantry or double-sided usable storage cabinets, those sitting at the counter look at the wall to the east. Also the dining area deserves a better planning of window areas.

As mentioned above, a sliding glass door will be installed between the vestibule and the kitchen. We would have liked a pantry as well, but the kitchen offers us enough storage space. The run at the door is about 4m and the island about 3m. The island will also be about 100-110 cm wide, which creates considerable storage space. And otherwise you only have a half staircase and the cellar.
The seats at the counter are meant for communicating with the person working in the kitchen. Of course, an additional nice view to the outside would be even nicer. I also don’t think the window layout is very successful yet.

The living room is introverted, no indoor-outdoor relationships here either, a pity.

I don’t understand that. What do you mean by that? On the south side there is a 2-meter sliding door, you can’t see that on the plan.

The other levels are okay, the master bathroom and bedroom are relatively too small for the size of the house. A guest WC is missing.

The master bathroom is small, you are right, it is also supposed to serve as the guest WC. In addition comes my wife’s statement: “I’m not going to clean three toilets!!!” It would only have made sense to create a large bathroom on the first floor if a guest WC with shower had been incorporated on the ground floor. Unfortunately, that is not possible due to lack of space. The bedroom is more than large enough for us.

The house has become very large and not very efficient. Was that desired?

The house now has a total of 146 sqm, which is 10 sqm more than before. But the office is not in the basement and the rooms are decently sized. What do you mean by not efficient? The stairwell was reduced to a minimum by this type of staircase, every other staircase and every bungalow requires more space for circulation than this floor plan!