Special to the Gazette, July 06, 1995
by Bruce J. Wentworth

Throughout the Washington area there are people living in charming homes that are known as bungalows. The term describes a small one story house. You may have wondered about the origin of the word. Bungalow derives from the Indian Hindustani word "bangla" which means "belonging to Bengal."

The first bungalows were built in India by the British as informal one-story rest houses for travelers. The houses were typically low to the ground and had wide overhanging eaves which covered large porches. They were based on native Indian homes which were one floor dwellings with wide porches or verandas to provide protection from the hot Indian sun.

The first bungalows began to appear in the U.S. around the turn of the century. They were built in California and most landmark examples of the style are located in southern California. The style dominated housing between 1905 and 1930. Very few bungalow style homes were built after 1930.

The economic and cultural changes occurring between 1890 and 1930 had much to do with the popularity of the bungalow style. The popularity of Victorian style architecture was waning and the simplicity of the bungalow was a refreshing change. The continued and rapid development of the country placed great demands on housing, and the bungalow met many of these needs.

Bungalows were new, modern and less expensive to construct than Victorian homes. Their practicality and affordability made them well suited to young families and first home buyers. The bungalow was the house of choice.

Design Characteristics

Bungalows are often associated with the Craftsman movement. Simplicity in design, modest decoration, and natural materials were essential characteristics of the Craftsman style.

Overhanging eaves with exposed rafters sheltered the interior from sun and rain. Bungalow style was flexible enough to be adapted to many tastes and climates. At the peak of this styles popularity Sears Roebuck offered bungalow style homes in its mail-order catalogs. Each house was delivered to the site with pre-cut lumber, nails, doors, and all the other necessary building components, as well as a sheet of instructions. Local craftsman would erect the homes using the kit. Through the efforts of Sears and other building supply companies the bungalow style spread in popularity throughout the country.

Porch Roof Supports

Porches and the posts supporting the porch roof often had a unique design. Typically short, square upper columns rested on massive piers or solid porch balustrades. The piers frequently began directly at ground level and extended without a break to a level well above the porch floor. The piers often tapered as they rose to accentuate their structural purpose and were constructed from a variety of materials including stone, brick, concrete block, stucco, clapboard, or shingle.

Exterior Materials

The exterior materials of the bungalow varied according to the geographic location of the site. On the west coast the exterior walls were usually covered with stucco and roofs were clay tile because those materials were indigenous to the area.

In other parts of the country, the exterior surfaces of bungalows were covered with materials that suggested warmth and informality, such as cedar shingle or clapboard. Clapboard was the most common exterior siding and shingle the second most. The wood was usually stained a natural shade of brown. Bungalows were also built of stone, brick, or concrete block molded to have a decorative appearance.

Roofs were low pitched with wide overhangs to shade from the sun. Usually the rafters extended out from the house and were exposed. The ends of the rafters were sometimes cut with a decorative angle or scroll cut. If there was a dormer it was in the front and sported a gable roof.

Perhaps the most distinctive decorative elements on a bungalow were the knee braces that projected from the end of the front gable. Although meant to suggest the extension of the beams which support the roof rafters, they were usually applied decoration. They could be assembled in a variety of ways depending on the level of decoration desired.

Cobblestones, with their rounded shapes, would occasionally be used for the building foundation and chimneys. There were a few rare examples of more exotic decoration such as Tudor false half-timbering or balustrades showing Swiss influence in their design.

Interior Design

Interior spaces were informally designed and detailed in contrast to earlier Victorian interiors. The interiors stressed a more relaxed feeling, were more brightly lit with natural light, and had handmade rather than machine made furniture. There are some notable buildings such as the work of the well known architects Greene and Greene who designed Craftsman style homes which were exquisitely detailed.

Interior spaces were usually simple, forthright and functional. The front door usually opened directly into the living room which connected with the dining room. 

The fireplace was the focal point of the living room and was usually built of stone or inexpensive brick. Although the design of the fireplace was important, it was never meant to have a formal appearance.

The kitchen was usually small. There were few bedrooms. Many of these homes have had their interiors modified to accommodate newer living requirements.

Most bungalows had an abundance of windows for ample light and ventilation. Rooms often had glass doors which opened onto porches which served as exterior living rooms in good weather. The large windows also brought the outdoor feeling into the house. In some cases, the porches would be used as sleeping and living spaces.

Ceilings were often specially treated in the major spaces through the use of exposed oak beams.

Occasionally, simple paneling or wainscoting was used to enhance the interior. The wood was often stained to emphasize the natural beauty and quality of the material.

Local Examples

One area in Metropolitan Washington known for its bungalows is Takoma Park, Maryland. A visit to Takoma Park can be like going back in time. We had the opportunity to design an addition for a small bungalow in that neighborhood. 

The owners requested that the addition provide more living space but also be aesthetically integrated into their house. By carefully studying the existing house and the characteristics of the style, we were able to design an addition that satisfied the clients needs. The proportions of the room and window design were planned to develop a pleasing scale and appearance and meet functional requirements.

The design created a new entrance by moving the front door around to the side of the house. A new living room was then extended to the north. 

It provided ample ceiling height by opening up the room to the roof rafters. A new foyer hall allows people to circulate to various parts of the house without passing through the living room.

The exterior of the addition had new cedar shingles and wood trim in the same style as the older section, although the new portion was richer in overall ornament. The Takoma Park Historic Preservation Board said it was one of the best examples of an addition to a historic bungalow they had ever seen.

This bungalow addition is an excellent example of what can be accomplished by using a design-build firm. 

A design build firm with an in-house architectural staff can benefit a renovation in many ways. First, the architect can use his knowledge of architectural history and style to create a design that not only fits the clients needs and wishes, but complements the existing structure. 

Second, using an architect and builder who work together from the beginning of the project aids in everything from keeping the project within budget to making sure the design is faithfully followed to dealing immediately with any changes or problems that arise. In the case of the Takoma Park bungalow, the clients were able to keep the style they loved but adapt and enlarge the space to fit the changing needs of today¹s lifestyle.

Wentworth-Levine Architect Builder Inc. specializes in residential design, renovation, and restoration. The firm is located at 2620 Garfield Avenue, Silver Spring, MD. Bruce J. Wentworth, AIA can be reached at 301-585-4848.