Residential Floor Plans: Designing Stories for Everyday Life

When we begin working on a new home, we don’t simply draw walls and doors. Each residential plan is a story — one that reflects the lives, routines, and atmosphere of the family who will live there. Designing a floor plan is like writing a script: every room, corridor, and corner has a role in the narrative.

From First Ideas to Structured Plans

The process starts with conversations. We listen to our clients’ lifestyle, daily patterns, and habits. Do they host large dinners? Do children need open play areas? Is there a preference for quiet, private corners? These insights become the foundation for our first sketches.

Through sketches, we explore various room arrangements and re-arrange zoning until the plan feels natural. This is where the story starts to take shape — the placement of a kitchen island, the width of a corridor, or the relationship between terrace and living room can transform the flow of life within the home.

Floor Plans as Stories

We believe every space carries meaning, and in residential design, each room becomes part of the family’s narrative:

• The living room is not just a rectangle; it becomes the stage for family evenings, birthdays, and conversations that last late into the night. Its size, light, and orientation shape how people gather and connect.

• The kitchen is more than a place to cook. It can be a creative hub where recipes are tested, children do their homework on the counter, and friends join in for informal meals. Open-plan kitchens encourage interaction, while closed ones protect quiet and focus.

• The bedroom is a sanctuary, a private retreat where the atmosphere must feel calm, safe, and restorative. Even the positioning of a window or the angle of a bed can influence how restful the space feels.

• The entrance hall sets the tone of the entire home. A generous hall feels welcoming, while a narrower one creates a sense of intimacy and transition from outside to inside.

• The balcony or terrace isn’t just an outdoor space — it can be a morning ritual spot for coffee, a small garden, or a private corner to unwind.

By framing spaces in this way, we transform the technical process of drawing into an act of storytelling. The plan becomes not only a functional layout but also a reflection of how life will unfold within it.

Expressing Atmosphere

Even in technical drawings, the atmosphere can be expressed. Line weights, shading, and proportions give a sense of openness or intimacy. A wide hallway feels generous; a smaller passage creates comfort and enclosure. These subtle design choices allow clients to “feel” the home before it’s built.

Exploring Multiple Options in Archicad

For every project, we prepare several variations of the residential floor plan. Each option tells the story differently — whether through open, flowing spaces or more defined, intimate zones. To help our clients imagine possibilities, we also use different graphic styles: some hand-sketched for a softer, conceptual feel, others more technical to highlight precision.

All of the options below were developed entirely in Archicad — without using any additional software. This allows us to keep the workflow fully within one platform, ensuring accuracy and speed while still offering a variety of visual expressions.

We’d love to hear your opinion. Below you’ll find several plan options for this project, each drawn with a unique graphic approach.

Which version do you prefer?

Please cast your vote in the comments — your feedback helps us understand how people read and connect with residential floor plans.

A Plan With Personality

Each residential floor plan is unique, a reflection of the people who will inhabit it. By treating design as storytelling, we ensure that the architecture is not only functional and precise but also deeply personal.

Acknowledgment

This post wouldn’t be possible without the creativity and hard work of our amazing team. We’re proud to have such talented people at CUBICAE who bring ideas to life and make every project special.

A heartfelt thank you to:

• Mariana Voloshyn – Behance Portfolio

• Julia Lebedeva – Instagram @yukato_kota

Your contributions to the development of these residential plans have been truly inspiring.