Lateral thinking: the beauty of bungalows

We keep hearing about the importance of levelling up. Architects tasked with the responsibility of building new homes, however, might want to consider levelling across. With land prices at a premium, bungalows may not appear to be the most prudent use of limited space but lateral living has plenty to recommend it.

Originally built for early European settlers in India, the first UK bungalows — from the Hindi word bangla, meaning ‘belonging to Bengal’ — appeared in Westgate on the north coast of Kent in 1869. These early examples tended to be austere holiday homes constructed from prefabricated corrugated iron. Over in the US, grander structures became increasingly popular with the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century. Clad in folksy weatherboard and surrounded by ornate verandas, these ‘craftsmen’s cottages’ were ideal for sleepy afternoons in a rocking chair. In cities such as Mumbai, Los Angeles and Sydney, bungalows are now ubiquitous across every class of neighbourhood.