Bungalows

A bungalow is a type of house. Its definition varies around the world but in the UK it is typically a single-story dwelling that is usually detached, with a sloping roof, and often modest in size. In many parts of the world bungalows also feature verandahs and loft rooms. Its compact, stair-free form and makes it particularly suitable for retirement homes and for people with impaired mobility.

The word “bungalow” derives from the Hindi word “bangala”, which means “Bengali”, since the architectural form was typical of the Bengal region. The word entered the English language in the seventeenth century when “bungales” were built to house sailors from the East India Company.

Today contemporary architects are playing with the traditional bungalow form by introducing features such as flat roofs and materials such as concrete and glass.

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  Japanese house has hidden courtyards for growing fruit and drying laundry

  Three internal courtyards in a timber-clad bungalow designed by Osaka-based practice Arbol in Akashi, Japan, provide space for growing food and drying clothes. More

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  Steel exoskeleton covers timber extension to Australian bungalow

  Takt Studio has added an extension with a steel exoskeleton and sloping roof to a 1950s brick bungalow in the foothills of the Illawarra mountains in Australia. More

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  WE-S Architecten adds diagonal brick extension to Belgian bungalow

  A long, thin extension clad in bricks by WE-S Architecten cuts diagonally through the plan of this bungalow in Pittem, Belgium. More

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  Splinter Society transforms Melbourne bungalow into Japanese-inspired home

  Australian studio Splinter Society has redesigned a Californian-style bungalow in Melbourne, as a Japanese influenced house with strong connections to its garden. More

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  TRIAS Architects raises timber Three Piece House on a red brick base

  A trio of timber-clad bungalows by TRIAS Architects form Three Piece House in Stockton, Australia, which is raised on a reclaimed brick base to protect it from the sea. More

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  New roof and clerestories bring light into renovated Texas bungalow by Murray Legge Architecture

  Removing interior walls and expanding the roofline of this bungalow in Austin, Texas, allowed Murray Legge Architecture to create a light-filled living space for a local newspaper editor and her family. More

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  Cuboid extension by EL Studio sits atop a Maryland bungalow

  New York firm EL Studio has placed a contemporary box-shaped extension on top of this suburban home in Maryland to more than double its size. More

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  Ström Architects completes contemporary bungalow that eschews "staid" retirement home model

  One end of this larch-clad retirement residence in the English countryside by Ström Architects cantilevers over a wall to protect a parking spot for a vintage Aston Martin. More

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  Cadaval & Solà-Morales completes black concrete retreat in Mexican countryside

  Black-painted concrete frames the two glazed boxes that make up this holiday home, designed by architects Cadaval & Solà-Morales for a growing tourist resort on the outskirts of Mexico City (+ slideshow). More

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  JRKVC's lakeside house optimises small footprint with hidden attic areas

  Ladders lead to sleeping platforms accommodated beneath the hipped roof of this simple Slovakian lake house, which local studio JRKVC designed without any corridors to utilise the available space (+ slideshow). More

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  Mariusz Wrzeszcz completes house in Poland with cedar walls inside and out

  Architects office Mariusz Wrzeszcz has completed a single-storey house in Poland featuring cedar-clad walls, and a glazed living room that opens out to a spacious terrace (+ slideshow). More

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  Bijl Architecture adds slatted sun-shading screen to a refurbished Sydney bungalow

  A slatted wooden screen wraps around the extended living space of this 1960s bungalow in Sydney, forming a protective surface that shields the interior from direct sunlight and views from the street (+ slideshow). More

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  Wim Heylen's brick and concrete bungalow references traditional countryside cottages

  The brick walls of this single-storey house in the Belgian town of Nazareth are interrupted by a series of floor-to-ceiling windows and a recessed opening used for storing logs (+ slideshow). More

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  Ipli Architects completes a concrete house for a concrete supplier

  Polished, bush-hammered and board-marked concrete all feature at this Singapore house, designed by Ipli Architects for a concrete supplier keen to show off the material of his trade (+ slideshow). More

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  Queensland bungalow updated with contemporary interior and house-shaped extension

  Architecture studio Vokes and Peters has created a new timber-panelled interior for a heritage property in Queensland, Australia, and built a new cottage-like extension at the rear (+ slideshow). More

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  Martin Fenlon puts contemporary face on historic bungalow near downtown LA

  US architect Martin Fenlon cites the Gehry House as inspiration for the renovation and expansion of his own home – a cedar-clad bungalow in Los Angeles (+ slideshow). More

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  Tasmanian house extension by Preston Lane features faceted wooden window recesses

  The windows of this extension to a 1920s bungalow in Tasmania sit within faceted timber reveals, contrasting with the white-painted weatherboard walls (+ slideshow). More

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  Tribe Studio adds contemporary brick extension to a 1920s Sydney bungalow

  Square windows and a matching door puncture the dark brick facade of this extension to a 1920s house in a Sydney suburb, designed by local office Tribe Studio (+ slideshow). More

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  Maison Terrebonne is a split-level home for a single occupant in Montreal

  Montreal studio La Shed Architecture has used the foundations of a demolished 1990s bungalow to create a new timber-clad home featuring split-level floors and an integrated car port (+ slideshow). More

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  Biagioni Pecorari adds brick water tower to remodelled house in Argentina

  A brick water tower now stands at the entrance to this 1980s bungalow in Santa Fe, Argentina, which has been remodelled and extended by local firm Biagioni Pecorari Arquitectos (+ slideshow). More