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:
Unfortunately, there are still some issues that have not been well resolved, and sometimes I even have doubts about the architect. [...] , but somehow… it’s all not quite right. I assume it’s an architect from the construction company—although, unfortunately, not all independent architects are better.
ypg schrieb:
You can reduce sound transmission by making the wall thicker. That has little to do with wall thickness; there are smarter ways to damp vibrations than just adding mass.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
L
Lurchi20258 Jan 2026 15:44Over the holidays, things were quite quiet for us, as life kept us fully occupied. We have now received the next version of the floor plan, based on the last draft. The kitchen has stayed in its place; my husband insisted against swapping it with the living area because of the shorter routes for groceries and to the home technical room (HTR). We also don’t think sound transmission will be that severe—currently, our bed is directly against the living room wall, and I don’t notice any loud bass vibrations, even with the extremely thin walls typical of former East German prefabricated buildings.
Additionally, we wanted a 4m (13 feet) wide wardrobe in the bedroom; we have one now and would like to keep it.
We are almost satisfied with this design so far. My husband likes it as is, but I would move the wall between the hallway and living room towards the right side of the plan because 1.50m (5 feet) is a bit too wide for the hallway—I'm considering about 20cm (8 inches) less, so around 1.30m (4.3 feet). Previously we had 1.10m (3.6 feet), which felt too narrow to me.
In the living room, 4.50m (15 feet) width is sufficient. In the dining area, I would like to gain a few extra centimeters with this adjustment. Accordingly, I would also like to move the exterior wall on the left side of the plan in the living/terrace area. The minimal additional space (yes, we are talking about just 0.8m² (8.6 square feet)) I would try to add to the south-facing living room and children’s room—this way, the children’s room won’t be such a long corridor-like space.
Maybe you see other points to consider?
Additionally, we wanted a 4m (13 feet) wide wardrobe in the bedroom; we have one now and would like to keep it.
We are almost satisfied with this design so far. My husband likes it as is, but I would move the wall between the hallway and living room towards the right side of the plan because 1.50m (5 feet) is a bit too wide for the hallway—I'm considering about 20cm (8 inches) less, so around 1.30m (4.3 feet). Previously we had 1.10m (3.6 feet), which felt too narrow to me.
In the living room, 4.50m (15 feet) width is sufficient. In the dining area, I would like to gain a few extra centimeters with this adjustment. Accordingly, I would also like to move the exterior wall on the left side of the plan in the living/terrace area. The minimal additional space (yes, we are talking about just 0.8m² (8.6 square feet)) I would try to add to the south-facing living room and children’s room—this way, the children’s room won’t be such a long corridor-like space.
Maybe you see other points to consider?
The shed would then have to be removed, right?
Yes, the house is very large, so the distances do play an important role 😉
For the child’s room, move the door to the right according to the plan, then it will fit.
Lurchi2025 schrieb:
because of the shorter distances for shopping and to the utility room.
Yes, the house is very large, so the distances do play an important role 😉
For the child’s room, move the door to the right according to the plan, then it will fit.
Minor details I’ve noticed:
The exit from the kitchen is probably a double door. Considering the width, I would think about whether I really want a double leaf door, which would likely consist of two narrow panels; maybe rather a 1m (3 ft 3 in) door and the rest foldable inward if needed. This exit will certainly be used often and should be comfortable.
Above the kitchen countertop, I would prefer a really wide strip window, ideally with a nice windowsill for placing items.
For the guest WC, position the toilet centrally in front of the window.
The countertop near the entrance from the hallway could be a little shorter or rounded/angled, so there isn’t a corner that people might bump into frequently.
Consider the front door with a glass panel, so more light can come in from there as well.
At the dining table, maybe on one side have a slim, almost fixed dining bench, since otherwise I see a narrow passage to the sleeping area. I would also prefer a normal glass swing door there, firstly because it’s cheaper and also more practical.
These are just a few thoughts, otherwise it looks good overall.
The exit from the kitchen is probably a double door. Considering the width, I would think about whether I really want a double leaf door, which would likely consist of two narrow panels; maybe rather a 1m (3 ft 3 in) door and the rest foldable inward if needed. This exit will certainly be used often and should be comfortable.
Above the kitchen countertop, I would prefer a really wide strip window, ideally with a nice windowsill for placing items.
For the guest WC, position the toilet centrally in front of the window.
The countertop near the entrance from the hallway could be a little shorter or rounded/angled, so there isn’t a corner that people might bump into frequently.
Consider the front door with a glass panel, so more light can come in from there as well.
At the dining table, maybe on one side have a slim, almost fixed dining bench, since otherwise I see a narrow passage to the sleeping area. I would also prefer a normal glass swing door there, firstly because it’s cheaper and also more practical.
These are just a few thoughts, otherwise it looks good overall.
L
Lurchi20259 Jan 2026 07:23ypg schrieb:
The shed would have to be removed then, right?Yes, probably. Although a double carport is marked here, we are only planning a single carport. Still, it will likely be too tight. Without the building line along the street, it would fit. Yes, the house is very large, so the circulation paths play an important role 😉Typical male logic ;-) But I want to give him some say, after all he also likes spending time in the kitchen. For the child’s room, move the door to the right according to the plan, then it will fit.That was my plan too, so that at least some cupboards like Billy shelves can fit behind it. What do you think about my ideas regarding the hallway? Arauki11 schrieb:
A few minor things that caught my eye:
The exit from the kitchen is probably a double door. Given the width, I would consider whether I really want a double-leaf door, which would probably consist of two narrow parts; maybe rather a 1m (3 ft 3 in) wide door and the rest folding inward if needed. This exit will be used frequently and should be comfortable.
Above the kitchen countertop, I would prefer a really wide horizontal window strip, ideally with a nice windowsill area for placing things.
Place the toilet in the guest WC centered in front of the window.
The countertop near the entrance from the hallway might be a bit shorter or rounded/angled, so there is no sharp corner where you might bump into repeatedly.
Consider a front door with a glass insert to bring in more light from there as well.
At the dining table, perhaps a slim, almost fixed bench on one side, because otherwise I see a bottleneck in the access to the sleeping area. I would also prefer a normal glass swing door there, firstly cheaper and also more practical.
Those are a few thoughts, otherwise it looks good. Thanks for the suggestions; I’m thinking along similar lines. We haven’t yet dealt with windows and patio doors since the plan itself needed to satisfy us first. In the kitchen, I’m considering a wide horizontal window strip above the western countertop, placed rather high — since we’re all quite tall, the kitchen worktop will be higher and I’d like the window about 20-30cm (8-12 inches) higher so the tap doesn’t protrude into the window. Even though I’m currently leaning towards fixed glazing, the appearance is also important. I see the patio door similarly: a main element about 1m (3 ft 3 in) wide is probably better; I don’t want to have to open both sides all the time. Regarding the guest WC, I’m still thinking about moving the door about 40-45cm (16-18 inches) upwards on the plan so that a washbasin can run behind the door across the full width of the room.It’s really all about the small details:
Toilet centered, exactly. Here the planning conflicts with the washbasin, which would need to be moved further down on the plan.
For safety reasons, the guest WC door should open outwards. Many people dislike the door collision, but realistically, I don’t think this door will be used more than once a day, especially since the front door swings open as well.
Light switches should be placed next to the front door in the hallway: if a 60cm (24 inch) cabinet is planned there, it will cause interference.
Here, I would consider relocating the office door into the private corridor, which would give more freedom in the hallway.
I would also suggest a band window in the kitchen. Fixed panes are advantageous and have no downsides.
Check the kitchen furniture dimensions. The island is quite small at the moment.
You don’t have to. This is simply a double terrace door with a mullion. You just need to decide which side will be the main door.
* Addendum: it’s only 1.50m (59 inches) wide total, oops. Okay, then a 1-meter (39 inch) door plus a side light.
I would limit it to a maximum of 1.20m (47 inches) combined with a high band window/glass strip up to 2m (79 inches) tall in this partition wall.
I would definitely omit the window above the sofa under the canopy—it doesn’t add anything except disadvantages (unless you really like “orchid windows”).
And I would plan a 2m (79 inch) wide terrace door there, even if currently there is only a small sofa planned (or especially if it’s just a footrest without a backrest), same as in the children’s room. Or—sorry—in my opinion windows start at 2m (79 inches), so 1.75m (69 inches) minimum.
The window widths confuse me somewhat. In the open-plan area, it might look a bit stingy. You also don’t need space for furniture against those walls as there are enough interior walls available.
Our masons didn’t charge extra for windows from 2m (79 inches) upwards. That seems to be common practice elsewhere as well.
You have to be aware that the terrace canopy at around 2.50m (98 inches) without an exterior wall is not very generous and the terrace will very likely need to be extended further outward. But it’s not always sunny anyway, so people tend to spend time outside the canopy as well.
Arauki11 schrieb:
In the guest WC
Toilet centered, exactly. Here the planning conflicts with the washbasin, which would need to be moved further down on the plan.
For safety reasons, the guest WC door should open outwards. Many people dislike the door collision, but realistically, I don’t think this door will be used more than once a day, especially since the front door swings open as well.
Light switches should be placed next to the front door in the hallway: if a 60cm (24 inch) cabinet is planned there, it will cause interference.
Here, I would consider relocating the office door into the private corridor, which would give more freedom in the hallway.
I would also suggest a band window in the kitchen. Fixed panes are advantageous and have no downsides.
Check the kitchen furniture dimensions. The island is quite small at the moment.
Lurchi2025 schrieb:
I see the terrace door similarly; a main element about 1m (39 inches) wide is probably better—I don’t want to have to open both sides every time.
You don’t have to. This is simply a double terrace door with a mullion. You just need to decide which side will be the main door.
* Addendum: it’s only 1.50m (59 inches) wide total, oops. Okay, then a 1-meter (39 inch) door plus a side light.
Lurchi2025 schrieb:
What do you think about my thoughts regarding the corridor?
I would limit it to a maximum of 1.20m (47 inches) combined with a high band window/glass strip up to 2m (79 inches) tall in this partition wall.
I would definitely omit the window above the sofa under the canopy—it doesn’t add anything except disadvantages (unless you really like “orchid windows”).
And I would plan a 2m (79 inch) wide terrace door there, even if currently there is only a small sofa planned (or especially if it’s just a footrest without a backrest), same as in the children’s room. Or—sorry—in my opinion windows start at 2m (79 inches), so 1.75m (69 inches) minimum.
The window widths confuse me somewhat. In the open-plan area, it might look a bit stingy. You also don’t need space for furniture against those walls as there are enough interior walls available.
Our masons didn’t charge extra for windows from 2m (79 inches) upwards. That seems to be common practice elsewhere as well.
You have to be aware that the terrace canopy at around 2.50m (98 inches) without an exterior wall is not very generous and the terrace will very likely need to be extended further outward. But it’s not always sunny anyway, so people tend to spend time outside the canopy as well.
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