images: paul arthur
homebuilding.co.uk 133TWo-sToreyeXTeNsioN
oncea dark,colddormer
bungalow,theownersofthis
propertyhavedoubledits
size.an old conservatory was
demolished and replaced with
a sunroom, while a two-storey
rear extension now includes
a striking covered balcony.
Changes to the front were
minimal (although new
windows and render provide
a modern look). The lack of
light internally was overcome
by removing walls and
introducing new rooflights.Remodelling the existing layout
Bungalows tend to be detached, or
sometimes semi-detached. While this
affords a degree of privacy from other
houses, with all accommodation on the
ground floor, rooms that you might
want to feel a little more hidden away,
such as bedrooms and bathrooms, need
to be given thought in terms of their
orientation and positioning.
When formulating a new plan for the
rooms in a single-storey property you
reallyneedtothinkaboutwhateach
andeveryroomwillbeusedforasa
startingpoint—roomsthatwillbefully
visiblefromtheroad,forexample,will
needextraconsiderationintermsof
suitablewindowdressingsandglazing
options,furnitureplacementand
lightingschemes.
It is notjustprivacythatneedsto
becontemplatedwhenremodellinga
bungalowlayout.Withsingle-storey
living,it is crucialtoensurethatthe
‘public’and‘private’areasofthehome
arewelldefined—justastheywould
beif theywereonseparatefloors.What
thismeansbasicallyindesigntermsis
thatthetypicallysocialspaces,suchas
kitchen,eatingandlivingareas,should
bedistinctfromthequieter,behind-the-
scenesrooms,suchasbedrooms.
Notonlywillthisenhancetheliving
experiencewithina home,butit also
makespracticalsense—a bedroom
next to a kitchen complete with a
cacophony of appliances all rumbling
and beeping away is not ideal. Aim to
locate the bustling, noisy spaces as far
away from bedrooms as possible.The most successful single-storey
floorplans tend to be based on a central
space (often an entrance hallway)
withsocialspacesleadingoffinone
direction,andprivatetotheother
—effectively creating two ‘wings’ in
place of two storeys.
Depending on the location of your
bungalow, it might make more sense
to split the layout into front and back,
positioning public rooms at the front
of the layout where they may be
overlooked by approaching guests, and
the private areas at the back, overlooked
by nothing more than the garden. Tailor
this to your particular project.
“Many people don’t feel comfortable
sleeping downstairs, especially in
bedrooms which face a street, meaning
there is pressure to keep as many
rooms as possible at the back of
the house, facing the garden,” adds
Simon Graham of Yard Architects.
“Compared to a two-storey house it can
be difficult to obtain the same sense of
privacy between bedrooms and livingThe Build