Single-family house, moderate slope, rocky path to the first draft

Hello dear forum,
first of all, a big compliment to all participants in this forum, I have been reading along for a while now, only occasionally noticed through a small comment, and I am repeatedly impressed by the expertise that some of you have and also quite willingly share with the other forum members.
Thanks for that!!!
I am really looking forward to finally presenting our plan:

About us: family, 2 small children. We live a bit south of Karlsruhe. We have been looking for an existing property for a long time – now we were able to purchase a plot 12 months ago in a nice residential area. So we want to build, we are really excited about it, most people get the chance to design their home from scratch according to their own wishes and needs only once in a lifetime at most.

At the beginning it did not go very well – we looked for an architect, we were naive and inexperienced – thought if we say what we want it would work, the expert plans and advises. But we were not advised on any questions at all, the planning was at twice our budget and – probably the classic – we think we only want something normal (ok 1 room more than usual) but otherwise standard, so the house can’t be in the seven-digit range without a basement, without a basement replacement room etc... The architect says, we only get further if we reduce our 5-room wishes – then we thought maybe we don’t need to build after all. Then I started researching, here in the forum, then the separation from the architect :mad:. Now we have found a very experienced and creative architect who has drawn a draft for us – on which we should now work, think about it he says and then come back to him... ;)

Here we go – bring out your opinions, our wishes and ideas are in the questionnaire, we absolutely want 5 rooms, that is our luxury. We like the house, there will be a great terrace in front of the attic floor – only unfortunately it seems rather narrow to us – is the living area really open and spacious?

Relentless opinions? Criticism? Bring it on – we want to improve/optimize it until it’s the perfect little dream design. :)

Thanks GD

Development plan/restrictions
Size of the plot: 750 sqm
Slope: yes – see height measurements
There is no development plan. The development is based on the surrounding buildings. Buildings in the area have the following dimensions up to 3 stories and flat or pitched roofs…
Building window, building line and boundary: 3.50
Edge development: garage/carport
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: § 34 / 2 or 3 (surroundings)
Roof shape: surrounding development
Style direction: modern, open, bright
Orientation: south (small street)

Clients’ requirements
Style direction, roof shape, building type: modern, glass, bright, open
Basement, floors: 2.5 plus basement
Number of persons, age: 2 adults (37/38) 2 children (3/5)

Space requirements on the ground floor – living/dining/kitchen/terrace/guest toilet
Space requirements on the upper floor – child I, child II, guest/office I, small bathroom
Space requirements attic – parents’ bedroom, office II
Guests per year: 10x
Open or closed architecture: open
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, cooking island: open, island
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: option
Balcony, roof terrace: terrace on the ground floor, roof terrace on the attic
Garage, carport: garage for 2 cars
Other wishes/special features:
It is a narrow plot. The architect advises a set-back house towards the back so that we have a large garden in the south in front of the house and are not so close to the street. Because of that, it is very narrow (8.5 m), that makes us uncertain; the set-back dining area – we would prefer it further forward in the living room, but maybe it is too narrow there? Can it be widened there?

House design
Who made the plan: architect
What do you particularly like? Why? attic floor, roof terrace
What do you not like?

[*]The room layout in the attic – here we need two rooms facing south. I think that only works with another staircase.
[*]Narrow house
Price estimate according to architect/planner: not yet
Personal price limit for the house including equipment: completely without land, including additional costs 650-700k
Preferred heating technology: open to everything, gas and solar thermal hybrid?

If you have to do without, which details/extra features
-can you do without: basement – but need replacement room. The basement serves “only” for technology and storage – should therefore rather be half size.
-can’t do without: number of rooms, because my wife and I each want our own office.

Why did the design turn out the way it is now? e.g.
We worked it out with the architect, who clearly knows what he wants. We read magazines etc. and formed our ideas. I have already spoken with general contractors from the region, have no concrete offer yet but their first estimate was around 500-600k plus additional costs.
What do you think is particularly good or bad about it?
[*]Good: attic, south orientation, garden; bad: too narrow? basement maybe not needed at all, but we have already spoken with 2 general contractors who said the plot needs the basement…

What is the most important/fundamental question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
[*]Is the house in the south too narrow for an open living-dining area?
[*]Only make it 1 m wider in front, leave narrow at the back?
[*]Will the budget work?
[*]What do you think of the design? Smaller possible? Or without basement?

can you please draw the house on the property?

Hello, thanks for the hint, here is the location of the house on the property!
Best regards

Back there it should be possible without a basement.

Do you really want to carry everything from the garage to the house?

I would have positioned the house further forward. So that 2 floors get garden access. Not a basement, but a living basement.

It should be possible without a basement at the back.

Do you really want to carry everything from the garage to the house?

I would have positioned the house further forward. So that 2 floors get garden access.
No basement, but a residential basement.

Hello Haydee,

thank you very much for your input! Yes, we have thought exactly about that, we could position the house further forward – every general contractor said the same – but then we would ruin the garden in the south and the part in the north wouldn’t have any view. And we would be quite close to the street. Therefore, we are willing to accept the carrying for the garden and the distance to the street ;-)
Best regards
GD

PS: Sorry if my replies in my own thread do not always come immediately, I mostly can only access the forum in the evenings.

Mh how much can you hear from the street? I live on the main street. Hardly audible inside. If the wind is unfavorable, it can sound on your roof terrace as if cars are driving through. The pure south garden is often much too warm. You also get sun behind the house as soon as the garden is no longer shaded by the house. The children's play area has to be moved out of the south anyway. Connection costs back there are higher. How should the outdoor area be designed?