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?
L
Lurchi202530 Nov 2025 19:04Yes, I wanted to check that with the building authority / planning office.
I have now thought about it a bit and tried to draw a plan to reduce this long, dark corridor. Also, the issue of having the technical room directly next to the kitchen has been on my mind; my brother-in-law has it like that, and I find it very practical.
I have now thought about it a bit and tried to draw a plan to reduce this long, dark corridor. Also, the issue of having the technical room directly next to the kitchen has been on my mind; my brother-in-law has it like that, and I find it very practical.
The concept or house type with the second hallway along the edge is generally good, but there are some mistakes due to the absence of a scale or grid. The bathroom, estimated to be about 1.50 meters (5 feet) wide, probably offers little practical use.
Additionally, there are too many partially reduced rooms. Built-in elements can of course be planned, but only in a way that does not negatively affect other rooms.
However, I bet that the shed will also have to be sacrificed once the wider house type is transferred onto the plot.
A few days ago, I started drawing some walls but did not finish. For now, it remains a quick and rough draft… just to demonstrate how a slim building mass, which is also very simple structurally with a pitched roof, can be utilized.
My next step would be to open up the terrace corner for access. This will involve further changes.
Additionally, there are too many partially reduced rooms. Built-in elements can of course be planned, but only in a way that does not negatively affect other rooms.
However, I bet that the shed will also have to be sacrificed once the wider house type is transferred onto the plot.
A few days ago, I started drawing some walls but did not finish. For now, it remains a quick and rough draft… just to demonstrate how a slim building mass, which is also very simple structurally with a pitched roof, can be utilized.
My next step would be to open up the terrace corner for access. This will involve further changes.
L
Lurchi20251 Dec 2025 08:08Yes, unfortunately the bathroom issue was on my mind as well. I drew the kitchen, utility room, entrance, and guest bedroom to scale, but it became difficult in the private and living areas, and eventually I ran out of patience and ideas.
Thank you also for your design, @ypg. At first glance, I think it’s good; you yourself mentioned the access to the terrace. What bothers me a bit is the office located next to the living room. On one hand, I would have quite a long walk from the home office to the bathroom and front door, and on the other hand, I find it amusing to imagine my mother visiting and passing the couch in her nightgown in the evening—while my husband is still watching TV or playing on the console.
Thank you also for your design, @ypg. At first glance, I think it’s good; you yourself mentioned the access to the terrace. What bothers me a bit is the office located next to the living room. On one hand, I would have quite a long walk from the home office to the bathroom and front door, and on the other hand, I find it amusing to imagine my mother visiting and passing the couch in her nightgown in the evening—while my husband is still watching TV or playing on the console.
@Lurchi2025 Your concerns are understandable, but in the end, you won’t be able to prevent every conceivable and possibly even occurring scenario. Even with the largest and most perfect floor plan, you could be presented with numerous awkward or unpleasant situations that would make that plan head straight for the trash bin.
You are deliberately living on one level and therefore will always have some rooms adjacent that you might have preferred to be different. This could be changed by adding stairs, which are ruled out here for well-known reasons. There are plenty of such “conflict rooms”: bedroom/laundry room, bedroom/bathroom, dining room/children’s room, bedroom/kitchen, and even bedroom/living room—and each pairing can produce negative scenarios. For me, a home office with limited use next to the living space doesn’t really pose a problem.
Mom in the bedroom on the sofa with the spouse playing video games will happen just as rarely or never as other amusing-sounding scenarios, but of course living on one floor brings people closer than on two. We separated our bedroom with bathroom on the upper floor from the rest of the house, yet when guests are around, people mind to avoid such encounters or simply smile and accept them because they are not completely avoidable. Otherwise, you should have a somewhat separate guest area with shower/toilet, because it’s no different if Mom walks 4 meters (13 feet) down the hall from the guest room to the bathroom and sees her husband on the sofa than if he were singing a lullaby in the bedroom.
Really?
How far is the toilet from the living room or other areas? Something is always a bit further away, but how often do you actually go there and how “bad” is it to walk these extra 3–5 meters (10–16 feet) a few times? I think you might be imagining this a bit, as for every scenario like this I could name at least 10 equally amusing counterexamples. Of course, one can prefer more convenience or less, and that can simply be a gut feeling in one’s own home—but I don’t think the criticism is justified objectively. Why don’t you post a picture of Mom in her nightdress so we can better imagine the situation…
As I have reminded before, I recall the saying of my late family doctor and friend: “What happens often happens often, and what happens rarely happens rarely.” It would be different, of course, for distances in direct work flows such as in an office or kitchen, during meals, etc., where I would definitely see such requirements as necessary.
Lurchi2025 schrieb:
What bothers me a bit is the office next to the living room.
You are deliberately living on one level and therefore will always have some rooms adjacent that you might have preferred to be different. This could be changed by adding stairs, which are ruled out here for well-known reasons. There are plenty of such “conflict rooms”: bedroom/laundry room, bedroom/bathroom, dining room/children’s room, bedroom/kitchen, and even bedroom/living room—and each pairing can produce negative scenarios. For me, a home office with limited use next to the living space doesn’t really pose a problem.
Mom in the bedroom on the sofa with the spouse playing video games will happen just as rarely or never as other amusing-sounding scenarios, but of course living on one floor brings people closer than on two. We separated our bedroom with bathroom on the upper floor from the rest of the house, yet when guests are around, people mind to avoid such encounters or simply smile and accept them because they are not completely avoidable. Otherwise, you should have a somewhat separate guest area with shower/toilet, because it’s no different if Mom walks 4 meters (13 feet) down the hall from the guest room to the bathroom and sees her husband on the sofa than if he were singing a lullaby in the bedroom.
Lurchi2025 schrieb:
...rather long distances in the home office to the toilet and front door
Really?
How far is the toilet from the living room or other areas? Something is always a bit further away, but how often do you actually go there and how “bad” is it to walk these extra 3–5 meters (10–16 feet) a few times? I think you might be imagining this a bit, as for every scenario like this I could name at least 10 equally amusing counterexamples. Of course, one can prefer more convenience or less, and that can simply be a gut feeling in one’s own home—but I don’t think the criticism is justified objectively. Why don’t you post a picture of Mom in her nightdress so we can better imagine the situation…
As I have reminded before, I recall the saying of my late family doctor and friend: “What happens often happens often, and what happens rarely happens rarely.” It would be different, of course, for distances in direct work flows such as in an office or kitchen, during meals, etc., where I would definitely see such requirements as necessary.
Our experience with bungalows:
Interior walls made of calcium silicate blocks are quieter,
good sound-insulated interior doors,
avoid placing the utility room next to bedrooms,
very loud music travels through the floor slab throughout the house,
separate private and public areas to some extent,
encounters with guests at night are simply smiled off.
Interior walls made of calcium silicate blocks are quieter,
good sound-insulated interior doors,
avoid placing the utility room next to bedrooms,
very loud music travels through the floor slab throughout the house,
separate private and public areas to some extent,
encounters with guests at night are simply smiled off.
Everything would be changed anyway. As mentioned before, this is just an interim status, currently on hold due to lack of time.
It’s not a matter of simply adding a door or sliding wall.
However, it is true that a compact bungalow will involve some compromises. Occasional overnight guests or a visiting son-in-law will need to adapt rather than expecting the household routine to change. If someone visits independently of the rest of the family—whether wife, husband, or child—the others simply need to make way.
That’s how it is, wherever you go. A spare room is neither desired nor planned here.
And the long distance… which long distance? It’s a compact bungalow where you’re more likely to bump into each other (no negative meaning) than to speak of long walks.
Anyway: what would bother me more is the everyday coexistence of parents and child.
For now, the focus is on the idea of the gable roof with the two offset sections of the house: this has potential for parking spaces and allows the shed to remain in place.
It’s not a matter of simply adding a door or sliding wall.
However, it is true that a compact bungalow will involve some compromises. Occasional overnight guests or a visiting son-in-law will need to adapt rather than expecting the household routine to change. If someone visits independently of the rest of the family—whether wife, husband, or child—the others simply need to make way.
That’s how it is, wherever you go. A spare room is neither desired nor planned here.
And the long distance… which long distance? It’s a compact bungalow where you’re more likely to bump into each other (no negative meaning) than to speak of long walks.
Anyway: what would bother me more is the everyday coexistence of parents and child.
For now, the focus is on the idea of the gable roof with the two offset sections of the house: this has potential for parking spaces and allows the shed to remain in place.
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