Welcome, jabourns, and best of luck on your hopefully new hive!
I think the bees will set up their hive the way that they feel is best, most practical, most efficient, safest (whatever their guidelines are). In my hives, the broodnest has always been near the entrance, the stores in the back (my entrances are on one end of the topbars).
I remember the urge to orchestrate things last year (my first year) and now humbly realize they know far, far better than I.
Good luck!