Opinion on floor plan design - house on the north slope

Hello dear ones,

I would be interested in your opinion about our house design. It is a north-facing slope with access from the south, but a wonderful view of the vineyards to the north. We have really fallen in love with the view.

We designed it with an architect so that we can still live in it when we are older. I am not so satisfied with the entrance area and the upstairs hallway, but my husband likes that the children's rooms do not border directly on the bedroom. Currently, an internal heat pump is planned, about which I have no opinion yet on whether it is good or not.

Plot size: 440 sqm
Slope: approx. 4 m - facing north, south is towards the street
Floor area ratio: 0.4
Floor space index: 2
Number of parking spaces: 2
Roof shape: flat roof
Style: modern, Bauhaus

Anforderungen der Bauherren
Style: Bauhaus, flat roof
With living basement (home gym)
Number of persons, age: 4 (planned)
Room requirements on the ground floor: home office / guest, WC, dining, cooking, living, pantry
Open architecture, modern construction, open kitchen, cooking island
Number of dining seats: 6-8
Fireplace: no
Balcony, roof terrace: yes
Garage, carport: yes
Other: laundry chute, covered balcony, utility room with garden access,

Hausentwurf
Architect
What do you particularly like? Why? All requirements have been implemented, but I wonder whether it could be arranged smarter and better
What do you not like? Why? Entrance area, upstairs hallway, size of the technical room
Preferred heating technology: heat pump

The door conflict at the micro-entrance area cannot be the architect’s intention, just as the tight squeezing past the parked cars to the entrance cannot be. Aside from the fact that you might soon need one less children's room or have to look for a new wife, this is completely inappropriate; this despite all understanding of the desired house entrance proximity to the parking lot. I also doubt the actual functioning dimensions of the ground floor WC, apparently there is an affinity here for doors opening inward (office). After the entrance, one immediately bumps into the next door at the dining area, and which mini-tall cabinets in the pantry are supposed to be there, at most 2 x 40-45 cm compared to the shower; of course, the door as usual also opens inward. Bauhaus, that is Walter Gropius, impressed especially through functionality. Already at first glance, I say as a layman: fail. An architect who "sells" Bauhaus must understand not only the word but especially its meanings. This building would become very expensive, but ultimately it would be more like rolling dice with squares and rectangles and by no means the desired Bauhaus style. A cobbler should stick to his last, said Roy Black or was it John Wayne? What is the architect’s price estimate? Some information on the questionnaire is still missing. I know that a plan looks great at first, but this would be sent back immediately for these and other reasons: The bathroom on the upper floor is apparently supposed to have the tub as a show element, which is nice if the daily frequently used area next to it also works. The WC is in the furthest corner and without a window, in front of it a shower size that could rather be meant for a 2-room apartment upstairs. Due to the jumbo tub, space presumably ran out there? I find the sliding door chic here but impractical. Calling the planned huge hallway a play area is clever and can work well, but the two children’s rooms are then rather weak in terms of area. In the basement, one learns early not to have a direct view of the WC. Please don’t take this personally; it is also a criticism of the architect and not of you. To me, it seems like "wanted but not managed" and I would have him explain to me the consciously planned Bauhaus function. What were your wishes that he was supposed to implement here? Wanted but not managed.

All requirements have been implemented,

Which ones are they? It actually reads as if many things just happened, like the distance to the children's rooms.
View, living in old age, and Bauhaus were specifications. Or something else?

We designed it with an architect so that we can still live in it in old age.

Am I correct in assuming that the plan is to close the passage between the living room and the stairwell and then live in the open space with the adjoining storage rooms? To exchange a bathroom of over 12 sqm with a combined living and sleeping area where there is no space to move? What is the shower on the ground floor for? Where there is a shower, there should be at least one sqm of movement space so you can dry off and dress.
Do you actually see yourselves living in an open space when old? I have to admit: for me, the whole entrance situation under the carport is a no-go. Friends, parcel deliverers, groups of children, but also strangers have to walk past the vehicle to find a door. I mean: whoever plans a house like that wouldn’t drive a 10-year-old small car for whom a scratch doesn’t matter.

Number of people, age: 4 (planned)

Yes, you can tell that children still have no priority for you. That's understandable. A couple does not yet see the needs of a family or children and initially focuses only on their own needs.

Calling the oversized hallway a play area is clever and can work well, but for that the two children's rooms are rather weak in terms of space.

I see it the same way. I also like to plan common areas when it makes sense and the proportions are right. You could, if you wanted, shorten the hallway and add it to the children's rooms.
Because, as you can already see quite well in the design, the children's rooms are small furnished cells. For individual furnishing, 12 sqm is tight, and then it's sad to see that bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. get a lot of space even though people don’t stay there much. For children, however, the room is a retreat. A hallway cannot replace that.

The shortcomings I see:
I will leave aside the entrance and old-age situation because you plan for the next 15 years and not for the time 40 years from now.
Hallway area with very little storage space for coats and shoes. The separate stairwell separates the family. Entrance to the living room and this being a passage room doesn’t make sense because one prefers relaxation in the living room, and a passage room cannot provide that. You also have to cross the living room when carrying salad and barbecue supplies to the outdoor area.
This covered north terrace will be damp because on the north side and covered, nothing dries the moist air and dew. The balcony above darkens the living room.
Disproportion of the children's rooms, bathtub not accessible for the kids, dressing room too small. Bed in the bedroom stands uncomfortably.
Long way from groceries to kitchen/pantry.

What is nice is the west side and that the children's rooms face south.

I would probably swap living room and kitchen, plan a more spacious guest WC as an office, in case guests need to sleep over, and ensure a healthy ratio of living and sleeping areas. Also regarding the function.

(Here again an annoying reference to an unfilled questionnaire, which makes giving advice here more tedious for me).
I can’t do anything with the basement as it is now because the needs for that space are not defined.

We designed it with an architect so that we can still live in it in old age.

Aside from the fact that this is nonsense, I also don't see it fulfilled here (or I'm too stupid to find the trick). By the way, the groundhog sends its regards, this reminds me too much of the planning by / in (continued in ).

P.s. I can speak German and also grammar. But the word recognition and manual correction with the new software on the iPad is so awful. Sorry!

Agree with Ypg and Arauki11

What is the basement for? Is the room needed or just shoved underneath?
What is your budget? Will it remain six figures?

At your age, do you really want to exchange your spacious bedroom with bathroom for a small room and wet cell? If the staircase on two legs is no longer manageable, there is an increased space requirement. There are stairlifts that can be retrofitted.