ᐅ Single-family home floor plan, 230 sqm, with carport on a square corner lot

Hello House Building Forum,

After several months and iterations, we have a design for our single-family home and are quite satisfied. Now we are very eager to receive your constructive feedback! Thank you in advance.

Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size | 540 sqm (5800 sq ft), fairly square
Corner plot, no slope
Number of parking spaces | 1
Roof style | all classic roof types possible
Maximum height / limits | not relevant, several multi-family houses in the neighborhood (neighboring development)

Homeowners’ Requirements
Style, roof shape, building type | gable roof, possibly triple gable (not shown)
Basement, floors | ground floor, converted attic, finished basement
Number of occupants, ages | target: 2 adults, 2 children (currently one-year-old)
Room needs on ground and upper floors | approx. 80-90 sqm (860-970 sq ft) each for ground and upper floors
Office | 1.5 offices required for home office
Guest sleeping per year | some family abroad, so relevant
Open or closed layout | rather open, but with adequate soundproofing for bedrooms (chamber music downstairs in the evening while children sleep upstairs)
Conservative or modern build | in between, should be a bit special
Open kitchen, cooking island | large open kitchen with breakfast bar
Number of dining seats | existing table 2x3 m (6.5x10 ft), extendable to 2x4 m (6.5x13 ft)
Fireplace | under discussion, probably no
Music / stereo wall | no
Balcony, roof terrace | no
Garage, carport | carport
Vegetable garden, greenhouse | garden with walnut, spruce, and ash trees present

House Design
Who designed it? | architect’s design, nth iteration with many personal ideas
What do you particularly like? Why? | staircase separated from living area (acoustics), large living room with window seat (party-friendly), terrace extending dining area (for warm summer evenings), parents’ area upstairs, no external heat pump (out of respect)
What do you not like? Why? | exterior not yet “attractive” from every angle – any ideas? All bedrooms next to each other
Price estimate according to architect/planner: base house costs from 0.8 million upward
Price limit for house including fittings: 1.2 million from demolition to kitchen/built-in furniture/garden landscaping
Preferred heating technology: air-to-water heat pump, possibly earth baskets (?)

If You Had to Cut Back, Which Details / Extensions
-could you give up? Much has already been rationalized away (fireplace, outdoor kitchen, attic)
-could you not give up? Priority on garden size

Why Has the Design Turned Out This Way?
A spacious family home with privacy, meaning large children’s rooms and a retreat space for parents, great importance on the garden with existing trees, an evening terrace in the northwest, otherwise focus on southeast garden. Inside, plenty of windows facing southeast. This will be enclosed by privacy hedges; the streets to the south/east have very little traffic, so this will be a nice, private, and quiet southeast garden.

What Is the Most Important / Fundamental Question About the Floor Plan Summarized in 130 Characters

• Especially ideas for the exterior: We want to build a “beautiful house” from the outside, not just a functional one.
• How best to calculate sun position/shadow cast from neighboring houses?
• Do you see any major no-gos including reasons and suggestions?

Best regards
fabreit