couches, angled island, powerpoint on island are good bt having dining table so far away frm kitchen not practical...I can imagine a tiff everytime the table is to be laid...who is going to ferry all the food and cutlery up and down?

I'd be going back to the architect/designer and asking why the vent wasn't on the plans then armed with that info, I'd be asking your Turkey of a Supervisor why if it wasn't on the plans he didn't flag and insist on being given the EXACT code that he's referencing (including the details so that you can review yourself) as last time you checked YOU WERE THE CLIENT - It's a shame you've had this happen - your home looks as though it will be stunning, but others have said it wont be so noticeable when the building is done completely. The placement kind of makes sense since heat rises so you'd want it to be as close to the highest point for maximum effectiveness but you should have been aware. Check on the builders itemized estimate to make sure that you didn't miss it by accident so that if you did accidentally miss that one line item on a list of a million you able to prepare your argument accordingly.

You need to decide what you want to use it for first, then the plant selections and hardscaping become evident. Since it's next to a driveway where there will be foot traffic and vehicle traffic you may just want to put a nice visual feature there instead.

I think it has loads of potential... it has a lovely garden too! if you are considering knock-down rebuild, then what about partially? it seems the back has a lot of additions on additions and the roof line gets lower and lower, a redesigned open living/dining space that opens out to the garden could really add a lot. The kitchen has a lot of potential i think. it's a good size and has some lovely features. that front formal lounge... could it become the master suite? with the front bedroom split into ensuite, robe and office? I think playing around with the zoning will improve it a lot. avoid corridors or it becomes rabbit warren-like and try and keep original rooms with any nice features intact I think.