New construction 200 sqm + basement with mansard roof

Hello everyone,

after reading along for a long time and some planning rounds, we would like to hear your opinions on the current planning status.
The plot outside the gates of Hamburg is already available, but it is very long and narrow (widest point 20m).
There is no development plan, only a building envelope running diagonally across the plot with a width of 20m.
Due to the relatively high groundwater level caused by the marshy soil, the basement can only be about 1.50m deep, possibly only 1m. This will be clarified this week when the soil report arrives.
At the beginning of our planning, we still planned with 1 office and 2 children's rooms; meanwhile, the professional and personal situation has changed somewhat, so we now actually have to plan with 2 offices and 4 children's rooms...

Development Plan/Restrictions
Size of the plot: approx. 1000m², width 16-20m
Slope: slightly sloping, approx. 1m
Floor area ratio/FAR: no specification
Building envelope, building line and boundary: yes, building envelope diagonal across plot, 20m wide, otherwise normal 3m distance
Number of parking spaces: 2 (1.5 per residential unit)
Number of floors: max 12m
Roof shape: no specification
Style: no specification

Client Requirements
Style, building type: classic, townhouse
Roof shape: mansard roof (very typical for the area)
Basement, floors: basement + ground floor + upper floor
Number of people, age: 6 (two adults, 2 children + twins coming soon :D)
Room requirements on ground floor: living room, separate kitchen, 2 offices (since both working from home, one as a combined guest room), guest WC, good wardrobe space a must for 6 people
Room requirements on upper floor: bedroom, dressing room, master bathroom, children’s bathroom, 3 children’s rooms min. 15sqm
Office: 2 due to parallel home office use
Guest sleepers per year: about once a month
Open or closed architecture: closed
Conservative or modern construction: conservative / classic
Open kitchen, cooking island: closed without island, but a freestanding side-by-side fridge would be great
Number of dining seats: 8-10
Fireplace: yes
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: yes
Garage, carport: yes, double carport
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/special features:
- Master bedroom may only face the garden
- Possibility to set up an apartment in the basement later
Style, roof shape, building type: townhouse style with mansard roof. We like the mansard roof because it hardly restricts the upper floor with sloping ceilings and it visually reduces the height somewhat. Due to the basement protruding from the ground, the house otherwise looks very tall with 2.5 full floors.
Basement, floors: ground floor, upper floor and basement

House Design
Who created the plan: individual planning by the architect of the planned general contractor
Offer for the house (incl. painter, floors and preliminary sampling): approx. 850,000 EUR

What do you like especially? Why?:
The ground floor is generally good, the staircase is open to the hallway, double doors to the living room, kitchen can be opened to the living room by sliding door, we also really like the mansard roof
All children’s rooms are about the same size
Laundry shaft

What do you dislike? Why?:
- The house is already quite large but some rooms still seem too tight, especially on the upper floor
- Master bathroom too small; what we wish for would be a 1.8m bathtub, washbasin with 2 sinks and a shower 1.4m*1m. The separate toilet is "nice-to-have" but could also be integrated in the bathroom if that solves the problem...
- Dressing room borderline narrow, but the bedroom cannot be made smaller
- Actually still missing another children’s room. The idea now is that the little ones share a room at first until eventually an office from the ground floor moves to the basement... or a child ;)
- Kitchen on ground floor a bit too narrow, we cannot fit the freestanding side-by-side fridge
- Window in the office /
- Window on the east side (street side) unfortunately not very symmetrical from outside
- You have to walk around the house to get to the carport, no direct access from the basement to the carport or garden. But if the carport were on the north side, the house would shift too far to the south side. There is a large/tall 5-family house at least 3m away there, so more distance on that side promises more sun.

Preferred heating technology: ground-source heat pump

If you have to do without, what details/expansions
- can you do without: actually nothing :rolleyes: maybe the fireplace
- can you not do without: basement, laundry shaft, min. 15sqm in the children’s rooms, children’s bathroom, shower in guest WC

Why did the design turn out the way it is now?
2 years of planning have gone into it by now :D
Started with our own sketches, then last year the first attempt with an architect whose designs we didn’t like enough so we didn’t work well together.
The design by the architect of our favored general contractor hit the mark much better on the second attempt.
Basically, we are quite satisfied, most of our ideas could be included except for the points mentioned above.

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
How do you get more space for the master bathroom upstairs? We simply can’t find a solution without making the whole house 20cm longer or wider...
Where else do you see optimization possibilities?

The plot outside the gates of Hamburg already exists, but it is very long and narrow (widest point 20m).

May I ask which gates they are?

South of the Elbe, Hanseatic city of Buxtehude

I feel the house has something of a barn and wanted to paint the basement. With 6 people you need it. My girlfriend has 2 children's rooms for 4 children. The teenager has his own and the 3 younger ones 9/4/1 share a room. The 9-year-old does not want to move out. That can also happen. The living room is only used by the children for playing.

I would include the basement.

Be sure to draw in all existing and desired furniture. The dining area on the ground floor is too narrow. With a 1x3 m table you need at least 2.6 m x 4.8 m.

On the upper floor I would do without the separate toilet.

I would shift something on the upper floor. The bedroom and child 3 look awkward. Plan 4 almost equally sized rooms upstairs. That will be the children’s floor. A large family bathroom with toilet + 1 separate toilet. On the ground floor guest and a shower bath. In the basement a future parents’ suite with sleeping area, dressing room, bathroom.

and yet some rooms feel too cramped, especially on the upper floor

I don't think so. They are all quite comfortable.

Dressing room borderline narrow, but the bedroom cannot be made any smaller

I am a big critic of dressing rooms that are too narrow. This one is not too narrow. There is even room for a mirror and a chair. Nice and spacious, airy.

Parents' bathroom too small, we want a 1.8m bathtub, washbasin with 2 sinks and shower 1.4m*1m.

I also find that nicely done. If you need a separate toilet with 2 people... okay :)

3 children's rooms min. 15sqm

They fit. I was looking for the 4th one (congratulations on the double expectation)

Parents' bedroom must only face the garden

Who says that?

Possibility to set up a granny flat in the basement later

I don't see that, though. Who is supposed to go there? No exit, windows facing your garden side, and always passing private rooms...

Actually, one more children's room is still missing. The idea now is that the little ones share a room at first until eventually an office from the ground floor moves to the basement... or a child ;)

Ah yes, good solution. Can't you just plan a kids' floor upstairs from the start and have the bedroom downstairs in the basement? Or is that too much like a basement apartment for you? You could make a terrace door next to the terrace under the living room window with a slope...

Kitchen on the ground floor a bit too narrow, we can't fit the freestanding side-by-side fridge

Have you already tried swapping the kitchen with the study? And then shifting the rest accordingly? The double door could then be placed at the stairs.

You could rotate the carport and then access it from the northern corner of the plot.
I like the half-hipped roof. The house looks good.

The living room is only used by the children for playing.

Sure, with four kids, the parents are ready for bed at the end of the day ;-)

I don't mind the clipped hip roof.

Uh, where do you see one?