Prairie Style Homes

Central Austin is filled with pre-war homes commonly referred to as bungalows, and are sought after by many for their charm, coziness and attention to detail.

The word "bungalow" comes from the Indian word "Bangla", which refers to houses built in a style Bengal. "Bangla" were cottages with low roofs and large porches built around them. The British took the idea of Indians, and began building their summer homes in the same way, and the bungalow, as we know, was born-all rooms on one floor, built around a central lounge. Once the first American bungalow was built in Cape Cod in 1879, the house style has taken off across the country.

During the 1900s, there was a mass migration to the west, with many people settling in California. The architecture firm of Greene and Greene created the one and one half story bungalow, which became very popular, and soon may be purchased by mail order catalogs such as Sears Roebuck &, and Montgomery Ward. The bungalows that now cover California are referred to as "California bungalows, if the style is popular across the country including here in Austin.

Although there are different styles of the bungalow, such as Arts and Crafts, Prairie Style, and Queen Anne, all share the same qualities and characteristics. Bungalows were built in the Battle of complex movement in Victoria, and return to warm, family oriented housing where the craft of home builder has been presented. Since bungalows have been created for the hot summer housing, they reduce heat with large overhanging eaves, many windows, and rooms without hallways, to create good airflow through the house . If the house has a second level, it is much smaller in area than the first floor. Most bungalows also have big porches and stone fireplaces leading to grand fireplaces inside.

Many arts and crafts bungalows are located around Austin, with a large number in the Hyde Park. The Arts and Crafts movement was launched in 1880 by a group of English designers, and it celebrated the use of handicrafts, simple forms and natural materials. Arts and Crafts homes, or homes of artisans, have low-pitched roofs, wide eaves with triangular brackets, large porches with square columns or any thickness. Inside, most Craftsman bungalows, have many windows, exposed beams and built-in cabinets and chairs.

bungalows others, such as the Norwood House on Lady Bird Lake in 1922 (currently in disrepair) are built in the Prairie Style. Prairie Style bungalows got their start in America in the 1900s and have been developed by a group of Chicago architects that became known as the Prairie School. Frank Lloyd Wright was the master of the Prairie Style home, characterized by broad, flat chimneys, the center of the house standing above the adjacent wings, and often with a Japanese touch.

The Queen Anne bungalow, also found in Hyde Park and elsewhere, is very decorative and has an asymmetrical layout. They are often found with wraparound porches, and stained glass windows, and sometimes one or two dormers popping out of a sloping roof average.

While the architecture varies, the feeling of the bungalow remains the same throughout the family, and packed with style in hand, and Austin is wedged full.