How to Draw a Bungalow House Plan
Bungalow houses feature a single story, a sloping and gabled roof with eaves, an assymetrical porch or veranda that may wrap around the front and one side of the house and a continuous, open-concept floor plan with no stairs. It's an extremely popular floor plan in the United States, according to the Cool House Plans Company. This design concept is particularly useful for those with limited mobility or those with young families. The houses are generally smaller in terms of square footage, but are elegantly designed to be most comfortable. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Large sheets of drawing paper (minimum 36 by 48 inches)
- Pencil
- Ruler (minimum 12 inches long)
- Lot measurements
Instructions
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Write down a list of all elements you desire to be built in your new bungalow house. For example, write down how many bedrooms you will need. In general, bungalows are either two or three bedroom homes, as the square footage is smaller as it is only on one level. Also list all other living spaces you will need for your family. Do not forget storage, a garage, outdoor spaces and a foyer.
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Use a suitable scale for the size of your lot. A common scale to use is 1/4 inch equal to 1 foot (1:4). This means that if your lot is 100 by 120 feet, your house plan must fit within a boundary of 25 by 40 inches. This scale will fit easily onto your paper size with enough room around the drawing so nothing is cut off should you have it copied or scanned. Draw a rectangle representing your boundary line, which is the exact measurements of your lot size.
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Write the areas of your home within the larger rectangle in the location you desire in your actual home. For example, write "entry" near the front center of the rectangle, "foyer" behind that, living room to the left etc. This will give you an idea of flow for your home. Bungalows are open concept and continuous in terms of floor plans, so there are few walls between common living spaces. The living room will flow into the dining room, the dinig will flow into the kitchen and then out into the outdoor living spaces.
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Draw light lines around each written area to form rooms for each purpose. Keep each one open to one another, while giving each its own boundary. For instance, the living area may have a wall of windows or a few bay windows, while the dining area may have french doors that open onto a patio. Each room may have three walls or only two whether it opens into one other space or two. Decide where you want more intimacy or closure, and ensure these spaces are on the corners of the rectangle.
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Draw in all windows and doors. Evaluate all the spaces you have drawn in terms of your comfort and your family's daily routines. Ensure the continous flow makes sense for you. Do not forget to add personal touches such as a wraparound porch and patio, a breakfast nook beside the kitchen or extra storage in the master bedroom or ensuite bath.
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Tips & Warnings
Arrange your rooms by purpose to avoid disturbances such as placing the kitchen next to the bedrooms. An open concept plan can be beautiful and comfortable, but it does offer less privacy, so ensure bedrooms are properly sectioned off for security.
All house plans must be evaluated by a professional contractor, architect or engineer to ensure solidity in the design and adherence to building code. Have your plan evaluated for safety.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit family home image by palms from Fotolia.com
