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Part 3 From the Ground Up
• Frank Lloyd Wright, American architect
• Walter Gropius, a German architect
and founder of the Bauhaus School
• Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, another
famous German architect and direc-
tor of the Bauhaus School
• Le Corbusier, a famous French architect
Geometric shapes and large expanses
of glass windows were the foremost
features of U.S. houses built in the Inter-
national style. Emerging technology
fostered the use of new building mate-
rials and opened new ways of thinking
about space, form, and beauty. With this
form of construction, flat rooftops were fl
possible and rooftop gardens became
commonplace. Many of these houses
were constructed of reinforced white
concrete. The exteriors of the houses had
little or no ornamentation, 6-19.
Asian Origins of American Bungalows
Home designers often blend elements of different cultures in their work. The history f f
of the bungalow illustrates how a home, considered by many as the essence of American
design, reflects influences from other parts of the world. Bungalow-style homes line the
streets of American cities from Los Angeles to Chicago. Although there are regional
variations in style, a bungalow is generally a one- or one-and-a-half-story home with a
low-pitched roof.
The bungalow originated in a tropical region that is now eastern India and
Bangladesh. These early bungalows were thatched-roof huts suited to the climate. They
were designed to minimize heat buildup and take advantage of cooling breezes. By the
early 1800s, the British controlled India. When British soldiers and merchants settled
in the area, they lived in single-family homes that incorporated elements of the Indian
huts. The huts, called “bangla” or “banggolo,” spread across India and then to the U.S.
and Europe.
In the early 1900s, California architects Charles and Henry Greene popularized
the bungalow. The Greene brothers, leaders in the Arts and Crafts movement, added
Japanese features to their bungalows. For example, interior and exterior spaces were
designed to fl ow into one another. This created an open and airy feel. One of the Greene
brothers’ masterpieces, the David B. Gamble House, completed in 1909 in Pasadena,
California, reflects such Japanese influences.
LINK TO SOCIAL STUDIES & CULTURE
6-19
This home is an
example of the
International style
of architecture.
American Plywood
Association