Context could help you to manage the layout. In the past, i would use the Page manager of Chaos Tool Suite and Panels to control the layout but now i have completely move to the Context module. You can decide which regions should be hidden.

However, i found that it may not work for certain regions and so i raise it in the Context project page. I will keep my eyes on it.
Context – Disable regions
Continue reading Drupal 7 – Disable certain regions by conditions using Context →