Modern house, approx. 160 sqm, optimum in space and usability

I don't understand at all why everyone is so against the supposedly "few" windows here? The dining area is nicely open and there is also a large window area in the living area. Ok, you could argue about the kitchen but there is a window planned there as well. Overall, there are many more windows than in our new build (~ almost twice as much window area as in our new build) in the living/dining area. I would find that totally fine. That one side of the house looks quite "solid" and windowless, I wouldn't consider that a bad thing. You can also plant there, make parking spaces, etc.

The saying: being as private as possible means being against the neighbor or with the neighbor, I don’t buy into that.

The plot basically has a good location, facing south in the second row to a lake. Precisely because of that, we want to get the optimum (also for us) out of it here. A large south garden that on the west side has a huge house side with windows vs. a completely free north garden for whatever...

We also drove through building areas again. With north-facing plots that have enough space, it is quite common to find south terraces (pergola, slatted roof) there.
The terrace facing the street... maybe this is relativized by the fact that the street is the end of a dead end where three parties then live. Whereas the parties on the opposite side are completely oriented to the south (towards the lake).

We have another appointment with the architect over the weekend to work out an overall concept again (parking spaces, building structure, terraces). Possibly we also need another house design that is open on the ground floor to the north, south, and east areas and then has the utility rooms in the west with few windows.

Attached again is our original plan, where the terrace is directly 2-3m next to the entrance of the neighboring building. A second variant, where one has privacy through the garage, a southeast terrace, and a north garden for free use.

We had also already considered selling the plot.

If you’re not in a hurry to build the house, you might actually still look for another plot and then sell the current one. If the surrounding development is problematic for you, I would find that better than building an expensive house now in which you don’t feel comfortable and constantly feel watched. Especially since you probably can be observed on the terrace or in the garden as well.

I would place the house pretty much in the middle of the plot, but as a crossbar (and not lengthwise), so that ideally you get an open-plan room with windows facing north and south. The west side, due to the central positioning on the plot, is no longer directly next to the west neighbor and can definitely have a window as well. Then I would make a nice terrace in the north, where you can enjoy the west sun coming over the biotope (possibly with privacy screen to the east towards the barns) and a south terrace that you shield off towards the west. That one can be quite far to the east or in the middle in front of the house, but definitely not on the west boundary! You can simply close off the west side in the garden with espalier trees, possibly additionally with a carport. Then the west neighbor neither looks into the house (because it's offset) nor into the south garden (because of the trees). Pergolas with frosted glass roofs also help to block views "from above." So I think your plot is great and I meant it seriously that many people would be happy to have something like that.

I don’t accept the idea of the shoe fitting that to be as private as possible means being against the neighbors or opposing them.

I wouldn’t have meant it that way either. Rather, my point is that the main thing should remain the main thing and not have the tail wag the dog. I primarily see windows as serving the view; the light can’t help that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection – as a matter of fact, unless you build the house too tall for that, there will still be southern sun even in the north garden (and even more so if the house stands further “downplan”). Besides, I too would have most likely thought of a building standing crosswise here. If I feared windows on all sides that can be looked into, I would have to do like the Schildbürger and carry the light into my apartment in sacks ;-)

Thank you for the great tips. I tried to incorporate that into a sketch. From a planning perspective, we would/could now further open up the window area towards the north. For example, a tilt-and-slide element from the east side to the north side.

Great garden by Würfel here in the picture. Lorenz with honorable trees :)