ᐅ Floor Plan and House Positioning for a Bungalow with 120 sqm on a Corner Plot
Created on: 27 Nov 2025 08:58
L
Lurchi2025
Hello dear forum community,
I have been a silent reader for quite some time and would now like to ask for your help. We are currently planning to build our house and received the first draft from the architect of our general contractor (GC) yesterday, which I would like to share here for discussion.
In addition, I am hoping to get some input on the positioning of the house on the plot. So far, I was sure that we would position the house along the northern side street, with the driveway at the new eastern boundary. However, the homeowner prefers to place the house along the western main road because this would provide a larger garden, allow use of the “dead corner” in the northwest, and also offer visual and noise protection from the main road to the west. I am concerned, though, that the house might become too dark.
The site plan is oriented to the north, as is the aerial photo.
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 600 sqm (6460 sq ft)
Slope: no slope
Floor space index: §34 applies, but the floor space index should not exceed 0.4
Floor area ratio
Building envelope, building line and boundary
Boundary development
Number of parking spaces: 2 required, although we only need 1
Number of storeys
Roof type
Architectural style
Orientation
Maximum height / limits
Additional requirements
Homeowners’ Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: bungalow approximately 120 sqm (1300 sq ft)
Basement, storeys: only ground floor
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults (40/43), 1 child (almost 4)
Room requirements on ground floor: living/dining/cooking, bedroom, children’s room, guest room, bathroom, guest toilet
Office: family use or home office? Home office up to 2 days a week, the office should be integrated into the guest room
Guests per year: several
Open or closed architecture: rather open
Conservative or modern style: modern
Open kitchen with island: open kitchen with island
Number of dining seats: 6, expandable to up to 10
Fireplace: yes, preferred
Music/surround sound wall: no, but 5.1 system at the TV
Balcony, roof terrace
Garage, carport: long term a carport
Vegetable garden, greenhouse
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why or why not: Cooking together is very important to us, so we would like a sufficiently large kitchen, preferably with an island. The husband grills all year round, so the terrace and the entire outdoor area are very important to him.
House Design
Who created the design:
-Planner from a construction company The design comes from the architect of our GC but is unfortunately based on a rough sketch from us (we had no alternative with our GC)
-Architect
-Do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why? It is already based on our rough plan; I like the cloakroom space at the entrance (though it could probably be a bit smaller) and the size of the children’s room, although 1-2 sqm (10-20 sq ft) less would also be fine.
What do you dislike? Why? The bedroom feels a bit cramped (Is there enough space at the foot end of the bed? The bed is only 2x1.80 m (6 ft 7 in x 5 ft 11 in), but the headboard also adds bulk), the hallway is rather narrow at 1.20 m (4 ft), the terrace is too long and narrow, there is quite a bit of unused open space at the entrance to the open-plan area, and I would like some storage space behind the door in the guest room.
Cost estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal budget limit for the house, including fixtures and fittings: €430,000
Preferred heating system: heat pump with controlled mechanical ventilation
If you had to give up on something, which details/features
-could you do without: the cloakroom could be 1.5-2 m (5-6.5 ft) wide, the children’s room could be around 13-14 sqm (140-150 sq ft) if that means we could save a few square meters elsewhere
-could you not do without: a good-sized kitchen directly adjacent to the terrace
Why has the design ended up like this? For example:
Standard design from the planner?
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? First draft based on a rough sketch from us. This was based on floor plans from friends and acquaintances and standard designs found online.
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
I have been a silent reader for quite some time and would now like to ask for your help. We are currently planning to build our house and received the first draft from the architect of our general contractor (GC) yesterday, which I would like to share here for discussion.
In addition, I am hoping to get some input on the positioning of the house on the plot. So far, I was sure that we would position the house along the northern side street, with the driveway at the new eastern boundary. However, the homeowner prefers to place the house along the western main road because this would provide a larger garden, allow use of the “dead corner” in the northwest, and also offer visual and noise protection from the main road to the west. I am concerned, though, that the house might become too dark.
The site plan is oriented to the north, as is the aerial photo.
Zoning Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 600 sqm (6460 sq ft)
Slope: no slope
Floor space index: §34 applies, but the floor space index should not exceed 0.4
Floor area ratio
Building envelope, building line and boundary
Boundary development
Number of parking spaces: 2 required, although we only need 1
Number of storeys
Roof type
Architectural style
Orientation
Maximum height / limits
Additional requirements
Homeowners’ Requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: bungalow approximately 120 sqm (1300 sq ft)
Basement, storeys: only ground floor
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults (40/43), 1 child (almost 4)
Room requirements on ground floor: living/dining/cooking, bedroom, children’s room, guest room, bathroom, guest toilet
Office: family use or home office? Home office up to 2 days a week, the office should be integrated into the guest room
Guests per year: several
Open or closed architecture: rather open
Conservative or modern style: modern
Open kitchen with island: open kitchen with island
Number of dining seats: 6, expandable to up to 10
Fireplace: yes, preferred
Music/surround sound wall: no, but 5.1 system at the TV
Balcony, roof terrace
Garage, carport: long term a carport
Vegetable garden, greenhouse
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why or why not: Cooking together is very important to us, so we would like a sufficiently large kitchen, preferably with an island. The husband grills all year round, so the terrace and the entire outdoor area are very important to him.
House Design
Who created the design:
-Planner from a construction company The design comes from the architect of our GC but is unfortunately based on a rough sketch from us (we had no alternative with our GC)
-Architect
-Do-it-yourself
What do you particularly like? Why? It is already based on our rough plan; I like the cloakroom space at the entrance (though it could probably be a bit smaller) and the size of the children’s room, although 1-2 sqm (10-20 sq ft) less would also be fine.
What do you dislike? Why? The bedroom feels a bit cramped (Is there enough space at the foot end of the bed? The bed is only 2x1.80 m (6 ft 7 in x 5 ft 11 in), but the headboard also adds bulk), the hallway is rather narrow at 1.20 m (4 ft), the terrace is too long and narrow, there is quite a bit of unused open space at the entrance to the open-plan area, and I would like some storage space behind the door in the guest room.
Cost estimate according to architect/planner:
Personal budget limit for the house, including fixtures and fittings: €430,000
Preferred heating system: heat pump with controlled mechanical ventilation
If you had to give up on something, which details/features
-could you do without: the cloakroom could be 1.5-2 m (5-6.5 ft) wide, the children’s room could be around 13-14 sqm (140-150 sq ft) if that means we could save a few square meters elsewhere
-could you not do without: a good-sized kitchen directly adjacent to the terrace
Why has the design ended up like this? For example:
Standard design from the planner?
Which wishes were implemented by the architect? First draft based on a rough sketch from us. This was based on floor plans from friends and acquaintances and standard designs found online.
A mix of many examples from various magazines...
What do you think makes it particularly good or bad?
Lurchi2025 schrieb:
In the meantime, we have shared our criticisms and wishes with the architect. Let’s see what she comes up with. A draft that is more of a reject should be discarded accordingly (and not patched up) – otherwise, you’re just throwing good time after bad. Don’t patch a failed draft; instead, create a new preliminary design from scratch. Patches are breeding grounds for problems—the opposite of clean code!
No matter how many generous attempts you make, not a single one can replace a properly prepared preliminary design!
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
L
Lurchi20254 Dec 2025 14:55Thanks for the hint @11ant. The architect’s wording was also chosen accordingly, indicating that the current design is not satisfactory, that we want it to be much more open overall, and that we will go back to the drawing board. It is still a fairly early stage, and ultimately you have to find out what you really want.
Lurchi2025 schrieb:
Thanks for the hint @11ant, the architect’s wording was also chosen accordingly, indicating that the current draft is not satisfactory and that we want a much more open approach overall. This will only help to a very limited extent, because a “female architect” working for the general contractor (GC) will interpret that as “we really don’t like this, please consider our suggested changes” and unfortunately not as ...
Lurchi2025 schrieb:
and let’s go back to the beginning again. It’s still a fairly early stage and ultimately you first have to figure out what you actually want. ... “please go back to design phase 2” (because that phase does not exist for the permit-ready designers employed by the contractor!). So instead you will simply get a reshaped draft rather than a conceptual design you can properly build on. Draftspersons—as the name implies—draw, they don’t design. It is a vocational profession; the content of architecture studies is not part of their training at all. You are therefore addressing the “wrong” person. I don’t see much result here except the next misunderstanding. Really go back, meaning press the pause button with the GC, and hire an independent architect. Only a genuine relaunch into the true early phase of the conceptual design will get this mess out of the mud.
You should never bring in a GC before the design development phase, but I say that against the wall several times a week anyway.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
ypg schrieb:
I experimented a bit more and... tada... something has come together that is more or less planned. There are some modifications, but basically it’s the same, yet somehow different. Everything I tried to design just kept getting bigger. This one is now around 125sqm (1,345 sq ft). However, I find the open living space combined with the entrance more coherent.
I could also imagine the orientation suggested by @hanghaus2023 in #11.
The hallway would need some adjustment in width. It’s currently a bit narrow. I anchored myself to the middle wall. And you have to consider the preferences of the other participants here: nice pictures on the walls, perhaps a mirror, and a long runner connecting the doors to enhance the narrow hallway positively.
The hallway closet is 2 meters (6.5 ft), bedroom wardrobe 3 meters (9.8 ft), dining table 1 by 2 meters (3.3 by 6.6 ft), sofa 2.7 meters (8.9 ft). Open living area approximately 50sqm (540 sq ft), children’s room 16sqm (170 sq ft).
My trend is still a pitched roof with canopies.
One idea to break up that long hallway: a large kitchen island with plenty of work surface, tall cabinets along the bottom of the plan, an additional pantry, and a room-dividing U-shaped fireplace.
Würfel* schrieb:
Large kitchen island with plenty of workspace, floor-to-ceiling cabinets at the bottom of the plan, an additional pantry, and a room-dividing U-shaped fireplace. Looks good too! The original poster will need to check if there’s enough space to extend the dining table. However, the layout is already quite spacious—room for three dining tables… what was I thinking? 😀