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 kitchen, I’m considering a wide horizontal window above the western countertop, positioned relatively high – since we are all rather tall, the kitchen countertop will also be higher, and I would like the window to be about 20-30cm (8-12 inches) higher so the faucet doesn’t project into it. Even though I’m currently leaning toward fixed glazing, the appearance is also important. We are also on the taller side (I’m 186cm (6 ft 1 in)), have a higher countertop, and above that is an almost continuous horizontal window band; above the window are wall cabinets running along the entire length. I still think this solution works well, although we would have preferred fixed glazing for the windows. Sure, you might occasionally tilt a window open, but with a mechanical ventilation system and the terrace door right next to it, that’s unlikely for us. However, the glass surface is reduced by the larger frames of the three-part windows, which means you mostly look toward the upper edge of the windows. Today, I would prefer a continuous glass band without unnecessary framing. What has proven practical for us is the deep windowsill because our windows are mounted on the outside. This creates a nice windowsill that can also be used practically, even if only as a temporary shelf while cooking.
The view on that side isn’t great for us, so it’s not a big issue. However, higher windows might mean there’s no room left for wall cabinets, so this is something worth considering.
L
Lurchi20259 Jan 2026 11:10ypg schrieb:
It’s really all about the small details:
Toilet centered, exactly. Here the layout conflicts with the washbasin, which would need to be moved further down-plan.
For safety reasons, the guest toilet door should open outward. Many people are bothered by collisions, but I don’t really believe that this door will be used once a day when the front door also swings open. As I mentioned earlier, I had the idea here to position the toilet door more centered, with the washbasin then along the lower wall. This way, the toilet width could even be reduced to 1m (3.3 ft). It would need to be checked if that works with the door width and the toilet itself.
The light switches belong near the front door in the hallway: if there is a 60cm (24 inches) cabinet planned there, it will cause a conflict.
Here I would consider relocating the office door to the private corridor so the hallway is more open. Relocating the door to the private corridor won’t work if we make it narrower. I have already noticed the issue with the light switches and will discuss it again with the electrician I trust. Possibly it could be solved with a bench in the front area, leaving the wall free at switch height. I want to avoid a zigzag of the walls (i.e., reducing the wardrobe niche in the front area), and I also think the location of the front door opening in this direction makes more sense.
I would also suggest a window band in the kitchen. Fixed glazing is advantageous and doesn’t have downsides.
Check the kitchen layout against the dimensions. The island is currently quite small.
That’s not necessary. It is simply a double patio door with a mullion. You just need to know which side will be the main door.
* Edit: that’s only 1.50m (4.9 ft) wide, oops. OK, then a 1-meter (3.3 ft) door plus sidelights.
I would limit it to a maximum of 1.20m (3.9 ft) combined with a window band up to 2m (6.6 ft) height in this partition wall.
I would definitely skip the window above the sofa under the canopy – it doesn’t add value and only brings disadvantages (unless you’re a fan of “orchid windows”).
And even though there is currently a short sofa planned there (or precisely because it is just a footrest without a backrest), I would plan a 2-meter (6.6 ft) wide patio door there, just like in the children’s room. Or – sorry, to me windows start at 2 meters (6.6 ft) – the 1.75 (5.7 ft).
So, the window widths confuse me. That might look a bit cramped in the open-plan area. You don’t need extra shelf space there anyway because there are enough interior walls.
When our masons worked on our project, they didn’t charge extra for windows from 2 meters (6.6 ft) upwards. That seems common elsewhere too.
You have to be aware that the patio canopy of about 2.50m (8.2 ft) without an exterior wall is not very generous, and the terrace will probably need to be extended further out. But it’s not always sunny, so people tend to spend time outside the canopy as well. I was also still considering whether and where we want a second exit to the garden. The current couch is smaller anyway, and unfortunately the footrest is on the other side, so a patio door on the southern living room wall wouldn’t bother me. And who knows what the next couch (whose potential size was considered here) will look like? A 2-meter (6.6 ft) wide patio door there certainly wouldn’t be a mistake.
Lurchi2025 schrieb:
Maybe it can be solved simply with a bench in the front area, leaving the wall free at switch height. You should consider this carefully, as it would reduce the space for the coat rack and the closet. That cannot be overlooked. I wouldn’t want to give up a functional coat rack.
Lurchi2025 schrieb:
I actually want to avoid a zig-zag of the walls (meaning a reduction of the coat nook in the front area), and I think it makes more sense for the front door opening to be oriented this way. However, a zig-zag could be possible in the adjoining hallway.
I’ll post some examples:
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