ᐅ Dissatisfied with the architect’s design plan

Hello everyone!

We have now had several meetings with our architect and are unfortunately quite dissatisfied with the designs. These are the 5th drafts and still far from what we envision.

Here are the designs for now.

I am particularly bothered by the awkwardly shaped rooms. According to the architect, this is necessary due to the structural requirements of the urban villa...

And the Questionnaire

Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 914 sqm (9835 sq ft)
Slope: Yes, visible on the plan
Building window, building line, and boundary: see plan
Edge development: see site plan

Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type
Basement, number of floors
Number of occupants, ages
Space requirements on ground floor, upper floor
Office: family use or home office?
Overnight guests per year
Open or closed architecture
Conservative or modern construction
Open kitchen, kitchen island
Number of dining seats
Fireplace
Music/stereo wall
Balcony, roof terrace
Garage, carport
Utility garden, greenhouse
Additional wishes/special features/daily routine, feel free to explain why certain things should or should not be included

House Design
Who created the design:
- Planner from a building company
- Architect
- Do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why?
What do you dislike? Why?
Price estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal price limit for the house, including fittings and finishes:
Preferred heating technology:

If you have to give up certain details or features
- Which ones can you do without:
- Which ones are essential:

Why did the design turn out as it is now? For example:
Standard design from the planner?
Which relevant wishes were implemented by the architect?
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?

Angled walls are not necessary in a townhouse and nowadays are never strictly required from a structural perspective. Instead, there are beams and girders for that purpose.

In my opinion, the intricate room layout is more due to the architect starting with an angled design on the ground floor and then directly copying it to the upper floor, so that the load-bearing walls line up exactly – this makes the structure simpler and more cost-effective.

Unfortunately, I don’t understand what you mean by “angular.” Would you prefer a more open layout? The only “angular” part is really the entrance to the dining room / hallway area. If you remove the angle, the hallway feels uncomfortable and cramped.

My issue is the “stairwell.” It makes the whole space feel rigid and somewhat eerie.

However, I have no experience with split-level designs.

I am also asking what exactly you mean by "angled"? Do you mean the projections and recesses in the walls of the rooms, for example, the living room or bedroom?

If so: We also built a townhouse, somewhat smaller than yours (160 m² (1722 sq ft)) and we don’t have that! It wasn’t a structural issue.