Two preliminary single-family house designs, feedback

Hello everyone,

I have been a silent reader for quite a while and now finally have something to show :)
We have been drawing floor plans ourselves for some time now. We have now received the first preliminary drafts from the architect.

A single-family house is desired. We have a long list of requirements ;) The most important were: 2 children’s rooms, separate children’s bathroom, guest room on the ground floor (for the fiancé’s parents who occasionally come from abroad), large open kitchen.

At first, we received two versions from the architect. V1 is basically our design, V2 is something new from the architect. The drafts are not perfectly, but almost oriented to the north:


V1 Ground floor
The street is on the right. There are already houses on both adjacent plots (the plot is a building gap).


V1 Upper floor


V2 Ground floor
Here you can see the slope, from southeast to northwest. Each line = 25cm height difference.


V2 Upper floor

So far we still favor our version (V1). To us, the layout seems more practical, even though the wide glass front and terrace in the architect’s draft is of course an eye-catcher.
The plan is without a basement. In general, something will probably be added on top to create additional storage space & the possibility of expansion (not a full storey, as only 2 full storeys are allowed). Either a gable roof with increased knee wall, or the roof as a flat roof and then only part of it built up with full storey height and also flat roof.

We would appreciate some feedback :) Especially criticism/improvement suggestions regarding draft V1. Thanks!

Hmm, difficult without views. How do you imagine the realization of the window position on the left in the dining room in V1? Adding soil to the terrain?

Does the street also slope towards the north?

I also prefer V1 just from the floor plan (I always find it good when the living area is separated from dining/cooking, it creates 2 very usable spaces). I just think the utility room is too small with the garage passage. And, I can't really estimate how the buildings are positioned in the terrain.

Difficult - both proposals have their weaknesses and strengths.

In the architect's design, I like the consistent orientation to the south & west better, although I would also align the lower wing with the building line and thus open the terrace further to the south. You also have the nicer garden & terrace in the architect's version - something that is very important to us.

In your version, I also like the separation of dining / living better - I think both designs can still be optimized.

Given the slope location, I would consider adding a basement to the lower wing, then you would have space there for an office with natural light and storage.

Otherwise, I find the planning with a utility room on the sleeping floor very sensible and purposeful.

Thanks already for the feedback :) Unfortunately, we don't have any proper views yet, only for version 2. But the slope is also not taken into account there, so it's not very meaningful.

My problem with basements is mainly the cost, hopefully, attic conversions will be a bit cheaper (+ nicer living space). Also, I want to be able to go from the dining room out into the garden. If there is, for example, an office with a window under the dining room, there is the height difference. I actually don't want these basement window shafts. I always imagine some effort to keep them clean, plus no nice view and more effort regarding waterproofing against water.

A mix of both would be nice; the architect wants to try that again now. From my experience as a layman, that could be difficult though ;) These floor plans are quite tricky when it comes to modi

The architectural design looks as if there are different needs - see the guest room. Was this originally a bungalow design that now has an additional floor? There are now four bathrooms, and the guest room is difficult to furnish. At least not as a PC workstation. V1 has its flaws, but I find it more sensible for a family. I would arrange the dressing room, utility room, and bathroom on the upper floor differently - at the moment, everyone has to pass through the bedroom from the bathroom...

I prefer V1 - although the glass front of V2 would, of course, appear quite impressive.