Brettski,
I think between Rocky's suggestion to turn the house and Eddie's drawing you might just have something close to what you want.
I, as you know, like two story views. So having the living quarters up works well for me. My biggest complaint is the amount of space a staircase takes, so I put mine outside and put all of the living space upstairs.
Installing opening windows where Eddie has indicated side lights will provide a lot of ventillation as well as light. The greatroom's high windows would be a problem for me as the sun's glare and heat would be a killer. I don't remember your east west orientation so it might work for you, but should be considered. Along those same lines, remember to also consider where you plant in relation to view windows.
