I'm not really answering your question, but a couple of things jumped out at me as improvements to both plans:
since your MBR is so long, add a "vestibule" to the entry so that you can't see straight into the bedroom from the hall -- kind of like what you see at the laundry on the 2nd floor plan.
The bathroom entry thru the closet in the 2nd plan is plain wierd and seems like a lot of wasted space in that bath, though I can't read the dimensions.
There's also a door swing issue for one of the kid's BRs (closet and entry) -- that sort of stuff makes me crazy. (More so in second plan than first, though problem exists in both plans)

It's odd to change the plan without discussion. Looks like the nice addition of a study space at top of stairs messed up the rest of plan. What happened to the large master bath shower and linen closet? Now the double sinks look cramped, too. And entering bath thru' reach-in bedroom closet is not workable at all. I'd say first version is better. That said, why is master bedroom so large? And would office work better in front of (closer to stairs) bedroom, rather than the reverse?

One benefit I see to the second plan is the master closet location. For me, I can imagine taking a shower and then having to exit the bathroom, walk all the way around the bed and then enter the closet for the first plan. I would hate that.

If each of the secondary bedrooms require its own bath, then I prefer the first layout. Perhaps melding the first layout with the changed master closet of the second plan would be better, keeping the laundry room as drawn in the first plan.

If EACH bedroom did not require its own bath, I would switch the closet and the bathroom in the back bedroom and make the bath into a hall entry bath for the two bedrooms to share. Then I would change the bathroom in the front bedroom to a walk in closet since the closet space in that bedroom is small. If you are concerned about kids sharing a bath, you could separate the sink (semi-public space) from the tub and toilet (private space) with a door. That is the compromise we are making in our new build.

Are you set on having a bathroom for each of the two bedrooms, or are you OK with one? If you are OK with one, there is a lot of wasted space.

I like the addition of the window to the hall in the second plan. I do not like the bath entry through the closet in the front bedroom. I don't like that you've lost your master shower and linen closet.

I agree that it is strange that the architect would change the plan without prior discussion.

Are the two plans identical in the footprint they take up? Plan #2 looks longer, but I can't see dimensions.

I like everything about Plan #1 better except the route between bath and closet in the master suite and the long trek from office to toilet.

I like Plan #2's study (and window) for the upper hall. HOWEVER, Plan #2 is not an improvement elsewhere: No shower or closet in your bath and a strange closet/bath for one BR.

Could you position your bed under a shed dormer on the outside wall? The MBR and its closet are oversize, IMO. What furniture do you plan to use in your MBR?

Do you require two ensuite secondary BR's? As I recall you have one child and few guests.

There some door conflicts in both plans. Most are easily fixed, but it makes me wonder about your architect's attention to detail.

I like plan 1 better. But I would have a tub in at least one of the secondary bedrooms. And I would have the master closet off of the bathroom, not the bedroom. There are too many door in the master bedroom. You're master bedroom is huge, what are you going to do with all that space? Considering what a large room that is, I would leave space for larger nightstands. Is that a king sized bed drawn on the plan?

Two nitpicks about #2: I think you'll really regret losing space in your master bath, looks awfully small compared to your master bedrm.

Also, the twin bedroom can only get to the bathroom through the closet? You didn't gain much room in the LR, yet there's some wasted space now in the twin bedrm's bathroom.

I really like the layout of #1.

I'm not crazy about either plan. You have a lot of space upstairs, but there seem to be some problems, some already mentioned above.

In looking back at your first floor plan on your other thread, I see that the Office is over a screened porch. Since I think you said you are in New England (if not, where are you?), I think it would be difficult to insulate the office well enough for it to be comfortable to work in during the winter with two outside walls and the floor needing to be extremely well insulated by someone who really knows how to do it right--still not sure if it would be warm enough. Additionally, it seems to me that most people would prefer to have the office be able to function as a bedroom, if needed. Even though you may not need it now, things could change. And even if you think this is your forever home, that could also change. Either spouse could die when younger than expected. The remaining person may have to sell, so it would be helpful to have a plan that has the most flexibility in how the rooms could be used.

So here are some things to think about or try out; some may work for you, some not. I'm going to reference your first plan.

I'd put the office roughly where the master bath is with the door as far to the left as possible, shift the master bath to the right with the door as far to the right into the bedroom, and make the office the WIC. If it is too cold in there, you could use a space heater for those times when it's cold, since you wouldn't be in there that long.

I think the dormers need to be reworked so that there is a single large dormer for the bed to be opposite--I think it will feel strange the way it is opposite the short wall. I'd make a little "vestibule" so that the MBR door is opposite the new office door. So there would be about a 4' wall parallel to the top of the stairs about 7' to 8' in front of it, with the MBR and Office doors opening off of it.

To have a bathroom for the Office/4th bedroom, as well as the twin room, I'd use the Laundry with the door moved in about 4' to create a little "vestibule". I'd have the entrance to the twin bedded room open to the left off of this vestibule through the present BR closet.

I'd make a wall across the hall to the left of the door to the double bedded room, put a wall where the present entrance to the twin room is, and get rid of the long bathroom wall. Then I'd put a wall down the middle of this space by extending the dark black line that's next to the length of the stairs. This will give you a WIC for each of the bedrooms with about 4' on each side of each closet with room for shelving in between, and you could put a shallow linen closet facing the hall and to the left of the door to the double bedroom.

The former WIC for the double BR can be the Laundry. You can put a large (16 or 21"?) Solatube or SunTunnel for light. You can add about 1'6" to 2' from the bathroom, because 5' to 5'6" is wide enough for the bath. In the bathroom, put a 5' tub/shower across the right end, the vanity to the left of it, and the toilet to the left of it.

From looking at your first floor, I'm not sure how much leeway you have in moving windows. However, I'd really try to work on both floors together to get better placement on the second floor, but still have pleasing elevations. In the twin BR, you should be able to add an additional foot or so from the new bathroom, and I'd REALLY try to center the BR window between the twin beds so that one bed doesn't have to be scrunched up against the wall

Hope some of this helps.

Anne

Without seeing the 1st floor, I'd bet that the issue in the original plan was the bath at the front center of the house.

Based on the direction of the stairs, I'm assuming that the front door is located at the bottom of the stairs, in the center.

Putting a bath directly above could lead to some challenging placement of supply & drain lines.

Moving that bath to the old locale of the laundry room, and putting the laundry room on the adjoining wall allows one to locate the majority of plumbing runs in one wall.

A couple opinions on the 2nd plan, if you're looking for any. I doubt that 'study' area would ever get used. Seems like wasted space. It also seems like a long walk from the top of the stairs, around the staircase, to the bedroom door. I'd put the bedroom closets back-to-back where the 'study' is, and have the bedroom doors near the top of the stairs. The laundry room could also then be moved off the hall where the single bedroom's walk-in currently is. This would give the master bath it's space back, and still allow the laundry room to share a wet wall with the adjacent bath.