Single-family house with a ground-level granny flat on a slope

Did they also send you a preliminary planning contract for 2000,- beforehand before you had exchanged even a single word with the architect?

Architects typically do not proceed this way - rather general contractors with an external draftsman.

we logically want to have as much space as possible on one level.

Logically, in my opinion, due to the smaller unit for the seniors (but because "logical" is dumb and an upper floor is larger than the lower one), it would be better to make a maisonette with a more compact building volume having uniform storeys, enabling a stairlift from the entrance and parking level to the upper living level, so that the senior living unit can be located on the upper living level, and/or to arrange garden exits on different levels. An architect experienced with sloped sites is crucial here, if not the key to success. The general contractors - especially the big names - in my opinion, can only build that, but not plan it.

Question: Why don’t you go to a freelance architect? With such a slope, that would be my first step

Here are 2 cross-sections
Cross-section 1 is your design
[ATTACH alt="Schnitt1.JPG" type="full"]61291[/ATTACH]
Cross-section 3 my design
[ATTACH alt="Schnitt3.JPG" type="full"]61292[/ATTACH]
These are just diagrams not completely to scale.

yellow is the excavation
green is the backfill

This is just to show you how to build on a slope. The earthwork mass balance is roughly balanced with fewer retaining walls.

This will not only be cheaper but also better usable.

Find a good draftsman with approval rights, then we can manage it. This is more promising than waiting for the contractors’ designs.

Question: Why don’t you go to an independent architect? With a slope like that, that would be my first approach.

I have been trying to take that approach for weeks. Either they have no time or no experience with slopes. Hopefully, on Thursday we will have our first meeting with someone who brings both. Architect Fritz from HN

Here are 2 sections
Section 1 is your design

Section 3 is my design

These are just diagrams not exactly to scale.

yellow is the excavation
green is backfill

This is just to show you how to build on a slope. The earthworks mass balance is roughly even with fewer retaining walls.

This will not only be cheaper but also more usable.

Find a good draftsman with template authorization and then we’ll manage that. That will work better than waiting for designs from the contractors.

Just like it is depicted in your design, that’s how I want it. I just thought I’d have to go down 2 m from the north wall because I can’t get up so high with the driveway. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten as far as presenting my ideas to an architect yet.

Today I was on site with the earthworker/landscape gardener who also owns the garage down at the bottom. He knows the terrain and understands our wishes. As soon as we start planning with an architect, he will be able to say more. But I have to reckon with 800 m3 of excavation (which is still half of what was originally forecast when people thought I wanted to build into the slope)

We built a house with Wir Leben

Cut 3 is my favorite.
What a landscape architect recently said on TV
You have to create spaces and reasons to use the garden

In my opinion, it should be at most 500 m3 and store it sideways and rebuild it. You're looking at max. 20k.

You said earlier that you might want retaining walls in the north with 2 levels.

"The retaining wall in the north is already from the neighbor. We had imagined leaving 2 m of space, then 1.5 m down, and if that's not enough, then do it again."

That's how I sketched it.