How to read your plot before you design anything

Most families start with a floor plan they like. Architects start with the land. Before a single room is drawn, the plot has already decided how wide the house can be, how high it can go, where the stair can sit and which rooms will get light. Ten minutes of checking now saves weeks of redrawing later.

1. Measure the real plot, not the deed

Deeds and mutation papers often round the size or describe the land as it was years ago. Boundary walls lean, neighbours encroach, and a 'five katha' plot can turn out to be four and a half. A proper digital survey gives you the true width, depth, angles and levels, and every later drawing depends on it.

2. Road width sets your height

The width of the road in front of the plot is one of the main things the approving authority uses to decide how many floors you may build and how much land you must leave open. A plot on a 12-foot lane and one on a 30-foot road of the same size can end up with very different buildings. Measure the road from boundary to boundary, not just the paved part.

3. Setbacks take more land than you expect

Rules require open space at the front, back and sides of the building. On a narrow plot, side setbacks can take several feet off each side of the usable width, which is why a 30-foot plot rarely gets a 30-foot-wide house. Ask for the setback figures that apply to your area before falling in love with a plan.

4. Follow the sun and the wind

In Bangladesh, the south breeze and the low winter sun are worth designing for. Bedrooms on the south and east stay cooler in summer; a stair or toilet block on the west shields the house from afternoon heat. Note which side faces the road, which side has the open view, and where neighbours are likely to build tall.

What to bring to your first meeting

With these in hand, an architect can tell you in one sitting what fits on your land:

• Deed, mutation and any earlier survey or plan
• Photos of the plot from each corner and of the road
• The road width and the plot's direction (north arrow)
• How many floors you want now, and whether you'll add more later
• A rough budget for both design and construction