ᐅ First floor plan for an L-shaped house (190 m²) with a separate apartment (80 m²) and basement

Hello everyone,

We are currently planning a single-family house including a granny flat for my father. Additionally, two children’s bedrooms are to be planned for our desire to have children. All of this will be on a relatively small plot of land. The design idea comes from an architect, but with a lot of input from us (this is not a standard construction). The architect is currently preparing the draft, but we would like to get community feedback as early as possible so we can still make changes. That's why we have been drawing along with a design program in the background. The illustrations below show these plans. In the table below, we have summarized our construction project and would greatly appreciate your evaluations and opinions on our floor plan.

The attached draft is initially only the concept phase. But I thought the earlier you collect opinions, the better you can respond. As mentioned, this is primarily about the basic principle and idea, not about which window is where or whether the toilet is in the right place 😉. We are very curious about your suggestions for improvements! 🙂

Development plan / restrictions
Development plan	None
Bavarian Building Code (BayBO)	New BayBO (setback = 0.4 x height; at least 3 m (10 ft))
Plot size	420 m² (4500 sq ft)
Slope	Flat plot
Site coverage ratio	-
Floor area ratio	-
Building envelope, building line and boundary	Open building layout
Edge development	Allowed for garages
Parking spaces	1 in a carport; 2 open parking spaces
Number of floors	2 full floors
Roof style	Gable roof or hipped roof
Architectural style	-
Orientation	See floor plan
Maximum heights / limits	-
Other specifications	-

Client requirements
Architectural style, roof form, building type	L-shape, no other preferences
Basement, floors	2 full floors; fully basemented
Number of people, age	Couple in their 30s with plans for two children + father (1 person)
Space requirements on ground floor, upper floor	Main house: -Ground floor: Large open kitchen, dining & living area; shower bathroom; cloakroom -Upper floor: Bedroom with walk-in closet; Child 1; Child 2; office; bathroom -Basement: Technical room; utility room; storage; pantry; hobby room Granny flat: -Ground floor: Open kitchen, dining & living area; bathroom; cloakroom -Basement: Sleeping and workroom; storage room; WC with washing machine
Office: family use or home office?	Home office
Number of guest stays per year	2
Open or closed architecture	Both
Conservative or modern construction	Modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island	Yes; yes
Number of dining seats	6 fixed dining seats
Fireplace	No
Music/stereo wall	No
Balcony, roof terrace	No
Garage, carport	1 carport
Utility garden, greenhouse	No
Other wishes / special features / daily routine	- Special features: The granny flat should be completely separated from the main house and transition into a living basement. The upper floor should belong entirely to the main house. - Challenges: Basement windows, especially in the granny flat; preferably no windows with views from the granny flat into the main house garden - Main house living room: open space; possibly a soundproof door to the hallway (style: loft door); large lift-and-slide or folding door to the terrace area - Main house bathroom: We want a nice large shower bathroom on the ground floor as well. - Furnishing in general: The position of furniture is not final and has not yet been discussed. It is mainly about estimating whether everything basically fits into the rooms and if, for example, distances between the kitchen run and the kitchen island work.

House design
Who created the design?	Architect’s design, but with a lot of input from us.
What do you particularly like? Why?	Rooms are sufficiently large; open living area; wide terrace door; cloakroom is separate; bathroom on ground floor is accessible but not directly visible; stair position so that when going upstairs you directly face the lounge; building positioned so that a terrace and garden area can be created “inside” the L-shape, which is somewhat secluded.
What do you not like? Why?	- We are unsure if the kitchen and living area is too open (it is common nowadays for this area to be in an L-shape); - Also, we are skeptical whether the granny flat basement will get enough light due to the building position and the wish to avoid windows overlooking the main house garden
Price estimate according to architect/planner:	700,000 € (approx. 760,000 USD)
Personal price limit for the house including equipment:	800,000 € (approx. 870,000 USD)
Preferred heating technology:	Favorite (without having gone into detail yet): Ground-source heat pump and photovoltaic system; for cost reasons, probably air-source heat pump and photovoltaic system

If you have to give up something, which details/expansions
- You can give up:	Lounge (open space); parts of the basement (existing house is already basemented; without a basement the space would become too small very quickly due to the limited possibilities of the small plot)
- You cannot give up:	Open living area; shower bathroom on ground floor; office with two workstations
Why is the design like it is now? E.g.	Regarding the floor plan, there was detailed online research and visits to exhibition villages. Realizing the granny flat without restricting the main house’s privacy. L-shape design so that a somewhat secluded garden area can be created within. Orientation of the L according to cardinal directions and neighboring houses/road.
What makes it in your opinion particularly good or bad?	The legs of the L are equally wide, so there is no offset in the roof. Open living area with sufficiently large kitchen and kitchen island. Enough space for the terrace door. We are still very uncertain about the spatial separation in the granny flat. It should possibly be rentable much later (or self-occupied if the children take over the property 😉).

Attached are the draft floor plans (basement, ground floor, first floor) & site plan

I am just the financier.
270 sqm (2900 sq ft) of living space for under 800k plus additional construction costs as well as exterior work and garage/carport will be difficult.
Especially since you have expensive requirements.

Is the granny flat for the father? Is there also a plan showing how the house will be positioned on the plot? Show us the surroundings. With the 34 model, this is important to know.

The house does not fit on the plot. You should consider terminating the architect.

19.24 x 21.76 meters (63 x 71 feet) are the maximum dimensions, meaning the house can be up to 13.24 x 15.76 meters (43 x 52 feet). Is there a local regulation on parking spaces?

I assume the 5-meter (16 feet) distance to the street must be observed.

I wanted to delete post #4 but unfortunately, I was no longer able to do so.

The staircase in the granny flat somehow doesn’t work.