1

The Chicago Bungalow as an Efficient Model for an Urban Dwelling

The Chicago Bungalow, a significant housing style indigenous to the city

from which it is named, came to dominate and symbolize the new neighborhoods

that appeared across the cityʼs prairie landscape in 19151. Within its architecture

and design, this type of housing embodies principles of both The Athens Charter

of the Congrés Internationaux dʼArchitecture Moderne (International Congresses

of Modern Architecture, or CIAM), and the Congress for New Urbanismʼs (CNU)

Charter of the New Urbanism. Beginning with its publication in 1943, The

Athens Charter was considered a significant step forward in urban planning for its

time. From 1993 to today, the CNU remains the primary organization promoting

New Urbanism in the United States, and both the historic Athens Charter and the

contemporary Charter of the New Urbanism share similar fundamental principles

that have been put into practice in thousands of cities and buildings around the

world. The Chicago Bungalow was first constructed over a decade before the first

discussions of the CIAM began, and over seventy-five years before the start of

the CNU. Because of the significance that both charters carried in their

respective time periods, I believe that the Chicago Bungalow was built with

intrinsic qualities of new urbanism. Following an introduction to the terms,

theories, and the object of my argument, I will use specific principles from The

Athens Charter and The Charter of the New Urbanism to prove the historical and

contemporary validity of the Chicago Bungalow as an efficient model for an urban

dwelling. First, I will discuss the importance of the relationship between

2

residential architecture and its surrounding natural environment. Next, I will

explain how the design of the Chicago Bungalow considers public health, safety,

and security while allowing for adequate accommodation of the person and

automobile. From there, I will demonstrate that the Chicago Bungalow was

constructed with attention to its geographical location and physical surroundings.

Finally, I will use principles from the two charters to cement the role of the

Chicago Bungalow in historic preservation.

1. Introduction to terms, theories, and the art historical object.

The Chicago Bungalow, The Athens Charter, and The Charter of the New

Urbanism will be defined in depth in the following paragraphs. However, it is also

necessary to define the other key terms that will appear throughout this

argument. “Efficient” is used to describe an object that is functioning in the best

possible manner to produce the desired effects with the least waste of time,

effort, and valuable materials (including space). In this essay, the term

“accessibility” applies to physical objects (specifically, residences and locations)

that are easy to approach, enter, and use. Any use of “historical” refers to the

early 20th century, during the years of either the Chicago Bungalowʼs first

construction or the principles of The Athens Charter, depending on the context.

“New Urbanism” or “new urbanistic” does not apply solely to The Charter of the

New Urbanism, but can refer to the new urban ideals of either charter, again

depending on the context. Because the terms “dwelling” and “habitat” were used

3

interchangeably in The Athens Charter, they will both serve to define a place of

residence in this argument.

The Chicago Bungalow developed in the early twentieth century in stark

contrast to Victorian style architecture, the predominant residential style in

Chicago from 1871 to 19002. Growing out of the American Arts and Crafts

movement and sharing concepts with the Prairie School,3 the Chicago Bungalow

provided an alternative to the cityʼs industrial core (which was rife with crowded,

unsanitary and overpopulated apartment units and tenements) by offering more

space and light while adhering to the zoning laws and lot size regulations of the

city. The rectangular one and one half story single family Chicago Bungalow is

situated on a long, narrow city lot twenty-five to thirty-seven feet wide by one

hundred and twenty-five feet deep and is constructed of solid brick with face brick

and stone trim, and topped with a low-pitched roof with wide overhangs (figs. 1

and 2).4 Built with the desire to blend together the exterior with the interior, the

Bungalow has a large front porch covered by an overhanging roof that acts as an

outdoor room, providing a “civil and healthy seat close to nature.”5 The remaining

front porch area is enclosed in the form of a rectangular or angled bay and

serves as an extension of the front living room (fig. 3). A key characteristic of the

Chicago Bungalow is that it has many windows to provide air, light, and a feeling

of openness connecting the inside to the gardens and the outside landscape.

The CIAM was founded in 1928 to advance the cause of architecture as a

social art. Believing that urban development should be guided by the four

4

functional categories of dwelling, work, transportation, and recreation, the CIAM

published The Athens Charter in 1943 to outline the problems (referred to as

“observations”) facing the cities of the day. In addition, The Athens Charter

proposed solutions, or “requirements,” to those issues. Considered a new

urbanism at the time of its publication, The Athens Charter claimed to “unlock all

doors to the urbanism of modern times.”6 The principles that I will be using are

from the Charterʼs requirements for “Habitation,” and each of these principles

apply to residential housing and planning. Assigning these principles to the

Chicago Bungalow will demonstrate its relationship to historical urban planning.

In 1996, CNU ratified the Charter of the New Urbanism in which they

assert specific principles to guide public policy, development practice, urban

planning, and design. Dividing their guidelines amongst three groups--the region:

Metropolis, city and town, the neighborhood, district and corridor, and the block,

street and the building--they advocate the restructuring of public policy and

development practices in a way that will provide cities with a coherent physical

framework that is necessary to sustain economic vitality, community stability, and

environmental health.7 This charter has become a model for urban planning

around the world and is often associated with new developments. Yet in many

established urban neighborhoods, such as those of the Chicago Bungalows, a

majority of principles laid out by the CNU already exist. By using specific

principles of the CNUʼs Charter of the New Urbanism to explore the architecture,

5

design, and theory of the historic Chicago Bungalow, I will demonstrate its place

in contemporary urban planning practices.

A significant number of points made in The Athens Charter in regards to

the “habitation,” or dwelling, support the design of the Chicago Bungalow.

Additionally, they parallel many principles of the Block, Street and Building as

defined in the CNUʼs Charter of the New Urbanism. Together, these principles,

which have been selected from both charters because of their relation to

residential architecture and planning in an urban environment, showcase the

inherent new urbanistic qualities of the Chicago Bungalow and support the

argument that this type of housing (which also fits into historic preservation,

another key element in both charters) is an important example of a successful

urban dwelling in a historical context. I have paired the principles by their

relationship with one another and the Chicago Bungalow, and have organized

this essay into four sections that will further support and explain these

relationships.8

2. The importance of the relationship between residential architecture and landscape design and the surrounding natural environment.

“Henceforth, residential districts must occupy the best locations within the urban space, using the topography to advantage, taking the climate into account, and having the best exposure to sunshine with accessible verdant areas at their disposal.”9 “Architecture and landscape design should grow from local climate, topography, history, and building practice.”10

6

As stated previously, the design of the Chicago Bungalow has strong roots

in the American Arts and Crafts Movement and in the Midwestern-based Prairie

Style of architecture. All three of these architectural styles rejected the ideals of

Victorian planning and sought to merge nature and simplicity with architecture.

One major defining element of a Prairie Style residence is its emphasis on

horizontality, with a low-pitched hipped roof with wide, overhanging eaves and

walls with brick courses or concrete bands. Additionally, ornamentation is

restricted so as not to distract from the beauty of the surrounding natural

environment.11 Bands of regional limestone on the Chicago Bungalow often

separated the foundation, brick walls, rows of windows, and roof eave and

emphasized horizontality in the house, bringing it closer to the earth. The Prairie

Style was meant to reflect the prairie landscape on which it was built and many of

its same elements can be seen in the Chicago Bungalow, again proving its

consideration to the flat Midwestern landscape for which it was designed. In

1909, furniture manufacturer and leading recruiter for the American Arts and

Crafts movement Gustav Stickley stated that, “the bungalow is planned and built

to meet simple needs in the simplest and most direct way.” It is “a house

reduced to its simplest forms, which never fails to harmonize with its

surroundings, because its low, broad proportions and absolute lack of ornament

give it a character so natural and unaffected that it seems to blend with any

landscape”12.

7

The solid construction of the Chicago Bungalow takes the climate into

account by utilizing concrete, stone brick, and tile as major materials on the

exterior and interior of the house. These materials stand up to Chicagoʼs

infamous strong winds, frigid winters, and overall to the humid continental climate

zone in which the city lies. Standardization and expert craftsmanship ensured

consistent construction. From the beginning, these buildings were fitted with the

latest in plumbing and heating technology, and the large and numerous windows

worked to cool the home in the hot Chicago summers. Though the pitch was low

in keeping with the buildingʼs consideration to its surrounding flat environment,

the roof on a Chicago Bungalow has enough of a slope to prevent snow from

piling up and causing structural damage during harsh Chicago winters.

Many Bungalow neighborhoods were also built around a large central

park. Portage Park and McKinley Park, just two of the many Bungalow

neighborhoods, both derive their names from the public city parks that they

surround. Again taking cues from the earlier social reform movement,

neighborhood developers understood the importance in having a community

center that would not only provide its residents with access to lush outdoor

spaces within walking distance from their homes, but that would also connect

them to nearby recreational facilities. With these accessible verdant areas at

their disposal,13 Bungalow residents were able to enjoy even more space than

their homes naturally afforded them.

8

3. Residential zones must consider public health, safety, and security.

“The selection of residential zones must be dictated by considerations of public health.”14 “The revitalization of urban places depends on safety and security. The design of streets and buildings should reinforce safe environments, but not at the expense of accessibility and openness.”15

Behind each street of a Chicago Bungalow home is a public service alley

where residents can dispose of their garbage in order to the front of their home

clear of waste. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, social

reformers advocated the use of alleyways for trash disposal as a way to keep

children from playing in unsanitary streets and contracting illness and disease.

When discussing the function of the alleys behind Chicago Bungalows in his

essay “Defining the Chicago Bungalow,” AIA architect and consultant to the

Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative Scott Sonoc states that,

“Alleys in Chicago allowed for the absence of curb cuts along streets and sidewalks and provided a place for public garbage removal away from the fronts of the houses. The Chicago street and alley land sub-division provided increased safety for residents by allowing neighbors to watch the activities on the street from front windows and porches.”16

The decision to include alleyways in Bungalow neighborhoods meet the

considerations for public health and safety as The Athens Charter requests, and

the unobstructed views into the front yard meet the standards for safety of street

and building design as suggested by The Charter of the New Urbanism.

The front and back yards of the home also opened up the Chicago

Bungalow to more unrestricted light and airflow while maintaining accessibility

9

and openness. While providing fresh air and green spaces to again consider

public health, the front lawns, uninterrupted by driveways, also encouraged the

building of a strong community. Again, Sonoc asserts that, “each home and front

lawn joined with the others (fig. 4) to create a street that was pleasant, civil, and

safe for parents and children to talk and play. Neighbors joined block clubs and

communities were formed upon shared beliefs and common goals.”17 These

elements of the Bungalow design clearly emphasize that “the design of streets

and buildings . . . reinforce safe environments, but not at the expense of

accessibility and openness.”18

4. Adequate accommodation of the person and automobile must be imposed in residential areas with respect for the form of the terrain and for public space.

“Reasonable population densities must be imposed, according to the forms of habitation suggested by the nature of the terrain itself.”19 “In the contemporary metropolis, development must adequately accommodate automobiles. It should do so in ways that respect the pedestrian and the form of public space.”20 The desire to own a spacious single family home was prevalent amongst

working class Chicagoans in the early twentieth century. Affordable Chicago

Bungalows allowed new citizens to carry out their dream and move out of the

cramped tenement neighborhoods into which many of them had immigrated

directly. Regulated lot sizes controlled population densities in the

neighborhoods. Typical Chicago Bungalows had three to four bedrooms in their

10

fifty-nine foot by twenty-nine foot home, maximizing the number of people who

could live comfortably without sacrificing open land and space.

Respecting that open land and space, back alleyways and garages

adequately accommodated automobiles. From the wall of the garage to the

house, the back yard was approximately forty feet long by twenty-five to thirty

seven feet wide, leaving ample space for children to play, gardens to be

established, or for outdoor entertaining (fig. 5). The access to the garage from

the alley also prevented the dissection of front lawns by driveways and allowed

for the essential narrow lot size.

5. Residential architecture must be constructed with attention to its geographical location and physical surroundings.

“A minimum number of hours of exposure to the sun must be determined for each dwelling.”21 “Individual architectural projects should be seamlessly linked to their surroundings. This issue transcends style.” (20th principle of The Charter of the New Urbanism) Architecturally, the expansive front windows were designed to bring a

maximum amount of light into the home. The generous front lawns of the

Bungalows kept the areas in front of the windows free of obstructions, and the

homes were typically built in rows of similar Bungalows, preventing tall buildings

from overshadowing the smaller ones. The incorporation of art glass (fig. 6) into

window panels resulted from a proper understanding of the amount of light that

would permeate the interior of a Chicago Bungalow. In the case of these

11

residences, art glass typically contained geometric and plant-based motifs,

similar to those of both American Arts and Crafts and Prairie Style architecture.

These windows shine remarkably in the sunlight, providing a decorative frame

from which the resident could admire the surrounding landscape in the summer

or be diverted from a barren landscape during the winter months. This Prairie

Style element is very popular in Chicago Bungalows, as architectural historian

Robert Winter notes that, “with the possible exception of Vancouver, British

Columbia, nowhere else can so much art glass be found in bungalow windows.”22

Chicago Bungalows were not only encouraging engagement with the

outside world through the incorporation of windows. Many of these homes were

designed with built-in concrete brackets for window boxes to be displayed below

the main windows, bringing the natural world closer to the interior of the home.

Today, Chicago Bungalow streets are lined with mature trees in grass-covered

parkways, providing a canopy of shade in the summer23 and linking the

architectural projects to their surrounding as The Charter of the New Urbanism

advises.

In designing the plans for the interior and exterior of the Chicago

Bungalow, architects worked to fuse the outside environment with the inside.

Also in “Defining the Chicago Bungalow,” Sonoc states that “. . . natural gardens

with irregular plantings of local origin better expressed the views of . . . the

Chicago Bungalow, which was built with inside rooms and outside landscaping

blending together.”24 Additionally, shrubs were often planted close to the house

12

to ensure a seamless transition between wall and ground. The view from the

interiors of the Chicago Bungalow focused on natural gardens and seasonal

plantings in the window boxes.

6. The role of the Chicago Bungalow in historic preservation.

“Architectural assets must be protected, whether found in isolated buildings or in urban aggregations.”25 “Preservation and renewal of historic buildings, districts, and landscapes affirm the continuity and evolution of urban society.”26 The eight principles in sections two through five of this essay support my

claim that the Chicago Bungalow is an important historical model for a successful

New Urbanistic dwelling, and these two final principles establish the place of the

historic building in the future of urban society. The use of two different charters

of urbanism27 proves the Chicago Bungalowʼs significant place in urban history.

The application of principles from The Athens Charter confirm the Chicago

Bungalow to be an “architectural asset,” and the National Trust for Historic

Preservation cements that concept by recognizing the Historic Chicago Bungalow

Association as being a valid initiative to “foster an appreciation of the Chicago

Bungalow as a distinctive housing type, encourage sympathetic rehabilitation of

Chicago Bungalows, and assist bungalow owners with adapting their homes to

current needs, which in turn helps to strengthen Chicago Bungalow

neighborhoods.”28

13

Now that the Chicago Bungalow has been recognized as both an

architectural asset and a historic building, the twenty-seventh principle of The

Charter of the New Urbanism states that its preservation will “affirm the continuity

and evolution of urban society.” Preserving the Chicago Bungalow as an

important piece of historical architecture will not only affirm the above, but will

also continue to showcase the design as an efficient model of a urban dwelling.

7. Conclusion.

Whether considering the new urbanism principles on residential

architecture and planning of The Athens Charter or the New Urbanism of todayʼs

actively utilized Charter of the New Urbanism, it is made evident that the Chicago

Bungalow embodies defining qualities of both. Built before either charter was

published, the Chicago Bungalow was designed and constructed with these

principles of new urbanism in mind decades before they had been adopted as

efficient guidelines for urban planning. Through its architectural detail,

connection with nature, and respect for the environment and space in which it

was constructed, the bungalow is inherently new urbanistic. In continuing with

the requirements and principles of the two charters, the Chicago Bungalow, as

not only an efficient urban dwelling but also as a historic building and

contemporary architectural asset, “affirms the continuity and evolution of urban

society.”29

14

Illustrations

Figure  1,  Five  Room  Brick  Bungalow  Building  Plan.    The  Chicago  Bungalow,  50.    

 

Figure  2,  Five  Room  Brick  Bungalow  Building  Plan.  The  Chicago  Bungalow,  51.  

15

Figure  3,  A  Chicago  Bungalow  living  room  is  open  and  airy,  merging  the  interior  with  the  exterior.  The  Chicago  Bungalow.  

Figure  4,  Row  of  Bungalows  in  Marquette  Park.    This  photograph  showcases  the  shared  front  yards  and  the  spatial  closeness  of  the  bungalows.    The  Chicago  Bungalow,  53.  

16

Figure  5,  a  Chicago  Bungalow  Backyard  with  view  of  garage  and  alley.    The  Chicago  Bungalow,  95.  

Figure  6,  Art  glass  in  a  Chicago  Bungalow.  The  Chicago  Bungalow.  

17

Works Cited “About the Prairie Style.” Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust Website. 2011.

<http://gowright.org/research/home-studio/about-the-prairie-style.html> (accessed March 30, 2011).

“Historic Chicago Bungalow Association.” National Trust for Historic Preservation Website. 2011. <http://www.preservationnation.org/contacts/statewide- local-partners/historic-chicago-bungalow.html> (accessed April 3, 2011).

Le Corbusier. The Athens Charter. New York: Grossman Publishers, 1973. Leccesse, Michael and Kathleen McCormick, eds. Charter of the New Urbanism.

New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Pacyga, Dominic A. and Charles Shanabruch, eds. The Chicago Bungalow.

Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2003. Winter, Robert. American Bungalow Style. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996.

18

Notes

1 Dominic A. Pacyga and Charles Shanabruch, eds. The Chicago

Bungalow (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2003), back cover. 2 Scott Sonoc, “Defining the Chicago Bungalow,” in The Chicago

Bungalow eds. Dominic A. Pacyga and Charles Shanabruch (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2003),11.

3 In the mid- to late nineteenth century when mass production came to dominate most industries, the Arts and Crafts style promoted the maintenance of artistic skill and the individuality and personalization that resulted from hand crafting goods and products. Gustav Stickley is known as the leader of the Arts and Crafts Movement in America. The Prairie Style, gathering its name from the flat prairie lands of the Midwest where it originated, sought to create a new style of architecture that was uniquely American. Frank Lloyd Wright is the architect most associated with the Prairie Style, which is characterized by its emphasis on horizontality to blend in with its surroundings.

4 Scott Sonoc, “Defining the Chicago Bungalow,” in The Chicago Bungalow eds. Dominic A. Pacyga and Charles Shanabruch (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2003),16.

5 Ibid, 18.

6 Le Corbusier, The Athens Charter (New York: Grossman Publishers, 1973), 25.

7 Michael Leccesse and Kathleen McCormick, eds, Charter of the New Urbanism (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000), v.

8 Authorʼs Note: any of the principles not included are not directly related

and do not apply.

9 23rd Requirement of The Athens Charter.

10 24th principle of The Charter of the New Urbanism.

11 “About the Prairie Style,” Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust Website (2011): http://gowright.org/research/home-studio/about-the-prairie-style.html (accessed March 30, 2011).

19

12 Jan Cigliano, “The Bungalow and the New American Woman,” in The

Chicago Bungalow, eds. Dominic A. Pacyga and Charles Shanabruch (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2003), 84.

13 Le Corbusier, The Athens Charter (New York: Grossman Publishers, 1973), 61.

14 24th Requirement of The Athens Charter.

15 21st principle of The Charter of the New Urbanism.

16 Scott Sonoc, “Defining the Chicago Bungalow,” in The Chicago Bungalow eds. Dominic A. Pacyga and Charles Shanabruch (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2003),16.

17 Ibid, 15-16.

18 Michael Leccesse and Kathleen McCormick, eds, Charter of the New

Urbanism (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000), 133. 19 25th Requirement of The Athens Charter.

20 22nd principle of The Charter of the New Urbanism.

21 26th Requirement of The Athens Charter.

22 Robert Winter, American Bungalow Style (New York: Simon & Schuster,

1996), 156.

23 Scott Sonoc, “Defining the Chicago Bungalow,” in The Chicago Bungalow eds. Dominic A. Pacyga and Charles Shanabruch (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2003),15.

24 Ibid, 15.

25 65th Requirement of The Athens Charter.

26 27th principle of The Charter of the New Urbanism.

27 The Athens Charter and The Charter of the New Urbanism were

established under very different economic, cultural, and global circumstances and manifest particular qualities of a specific style of architecture—the Chicago Bungalow—that predates both publications.

20

28 “Historic Chicago Bungalow Association,” National Trust for Historic

Preservation Website (2011): http://www.preservationnation.org/contacts/statewide-local-partners/historic-chicago-bungalow.html (accessed April 3, 2011).

29 Michael Leccesse and Kathleen McCormick, eds, Charter of the New Urbanism (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000), 173.