Every beautiful house eventually comes down to one question:
What is holding it up?
Start with the soil. Sand, rock, clay, fill, high groundwater, waterfront conditions, and poor bearing soils may require very different foundations.
A geotechnical investigation can prevent expensive guesses.
Then understand the structural system: slab, crawlspace, piles, footings, concrete block, poured concrete, wood framing, structural steel, engineered lumber, or combinations.
Different regions and hazards favor different systems.
Structure affects the floor plan.
Large open rooms and missing columns require loads to be carried elsewhere, often through larger beams, steel, thicker concrete, or more engineering.
Every time someone says, “Can we just remove this column?” an engineer has to answer how.
Think about future flexibility too. If every interior wall becomes structural, remodeling later becomes harder.
You probably will not think about the foundation after moving in.
That is exactly what you want.
Spend the engineering money before construction and let mathematics handle this part of the dream.