JOO BUNGALOWS of irchitectural Distinction BARUEAUUeHTENEE EUAN UALS i. oo a Ain lianas Aas SMALL HOMES OF ARCHITECTURAL DISTINCTION Plans and Service By THe ARCHITECTS SMALL Houssz SERVICE BUREAU THE HOME BUILDER’S LIBRARY le [ HE houses shown in this book have been designed by The Architects’ Small House Service Bureau. Although we have called it a collection of bunga- lows there is included a number of houses not exactly of this class, for they have rooms in the second story. Every design though has at least one bedroom in the first story and most of them are complete without the second story rooms. Some of the homes as shown differ in minor detail from the original drawings. For example, in certain of the de- signs porches have been added, the materials have been varied, the size and location of the windows. slightly changed, and so on. In the main, however, the essential features of the original designs have been maintained. In preparing these designs the architects have had con- stantly before them the three essential elements which combined make good architecture. These are: first, good plans, well arranged, commodious, free from extrava- gances; second, sound methods of construction, which if followed by the contractor will insure minimum depre- ciation; and third, fine appearances. With these principles always in mind the houses have been designed to be built at reasonable building costs. They represent the power of a great national association of architects, which has been devoted to the service of the small home builder. It is possible that you may not find your ideal home plan in the pages of this book. A home builder seldom finds his exact requirements in a design found in any plan book. However, The Architects’ Small House Serv- ice Bureau is ready to help you. In all it has prepared and made available to the small home builder more than three hundred plans of houses from three to six rooms in size. The designs shown on the pages of this book are merely representative of this large library. They have been selected as illustrations of fine small homes and for your inspiration and pleasure. If you are planning to build a small home and do not find in this book the design you have in mind, and if you will state your requirements to the publisher whose name appears on the front cover of this book, you will be told how at small cost you may obtain illustrations of other designs selected for you in view of your special require- ments by the technical staff of The Architects’ Small House Service Bureau. This service will save you time, trouble, and money. The Architects’ Small House Service Bureau is an or- ganization of leading architects from cities all over the United States, who have associated for the single purpose of aiding the builders of small homes to obtain at moder- ate cost many of the architectural advantages which build- ers of larger homes enjoy. Its’ purpose is to help the small home builder who for any reason is unable to employ an individual practicing architect. The Architects’ Small House Service Bureau of the United States and its nine regional Bureaus is the only public service body of its kind in the United States operat- ing under the control of The American Institute of Archi- tects and with the endorsement of the United States De- partment of Commerce. The Bureau is a professional organization set up to protect your interests. It is waiting to serve and help you, as it has helped thousands of other home builders, to build a home of better design, better construction, and more per- manent values. NOTICE THE PLANS AND EDITORIAL MATTER APPEARING IN THIS BOOK ARE FULLY PROTECTED UNDER THE COPYRIGHT LAW AND CANNOT BE REPUBLISHED Wit OuUn THE PERMISSION OFF iE EA WiliLORS, COPYRIGHTED 10927 THE ARCHITECTS’ BUREAU CONTROLLED BY THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS SMALL HOUSE SERVICE BUREAU ING: BY SMALL HOUSE OF THE UNITED STATES, SERVICE INC. ENDORSED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Trade Mark Registered 1OO-BUNGALOWS SECTION 1. FRAME CONSTRUCTION EXTERIORS OF SIDING, SHINGLES AND STUCCO Of Frame and Masonry Construction ARCHITECTS’ SMALL HOUSE ORIGIN OF THE MODERN HE bungalow got its name from India, but it got its style and its plan and everything about it that makes it liveable from our own American architects. In India it is a lightly built structure for resi- dence with verandas on all four sides and a widely projecting roof. Many will recall bungalows with these characteristics that were so common in this country some years ago. But the idea of a one story house is by no means restricted to India. One story houses have been built in European coun- tries for centuries. In France and England they were called cottages. In fact, we called our own small houses by this name until very recent years. The cottages of the Europeans have influenced our small house design strongly. Our own architects have made much of the intimacy and charm, the qualities of home, which the cottagers of the Old World put into their homes. Our architects have not failed to realize how different is our scheme of living, how essential that the arrangement of the house architectural In the second story is an extra Distinguished for its beauty. bedroom and large storage space. conform to the way the housewife does her work. The forms of walls and roofs, doors and windows, have been adapted to our use. The plan of the house is as Ameri- can as the Star Spangled Banner. The plan is an adaptation of most of the SERVICE BUREAU DESIGN 3-A-2 BUNGALOW accommodations found in two story dwell- ings to an arrangement in which most of the rooms are in one story. In well planned bungalows, there must be a distinct separa- tion between living and sleeping quarters. A bungalow in which one goes into bath room or bed rooms directly from living room or dining room is illy conceived. To achieve this necessary separation between the two parts and still to maintain economy of construction and saving in space requires skill. That is the architect’s work. The bungalow may and often does rep- resent the least expensive form of house, but in certain types of bungalows rooms are made to ramble out pleasantly, enclos- ing court yards or patios, and then costs mount up, as they must. Bungalows with extended foundations and much roof area necessarily are more costly. In this book we have shown both types—one for the man whose funds are limited and one for the man who can afford to spend more. Here are shown basementless houses and others with basements, a wide variety for choice. OnE HunprRED BUNGALOWS Ot emretenrns 2 lame ssrecnoam eS wy TLR ARO A LITTLE KINGDOM OF YOUR OWN A Group of Small Detached Homes Providing Apartment Equipment DESIGN 3-A-3 ——-——_——————-23)- 6° ——$______--—_» Shae eT mwa Ki LIVING ROOM 16-6" x 1176" DESIGN 3-A-1 KITCHENS 1W6"« ioe J LIVING ROOM PL Rott LOO Re 5 CFILING HEIGHT oa DESIGN 3-A-7 LIVING ROOM 21-0" « 11-6" t 0 7 + = ERS oh ees Re CEILING HEIGHT 844" The walls, openings, and roof have been skilfully modeled to get fine balance. Additional decoration is unnecessary. Living room of gen- erous proportions, beautifuily light- ed with large windows. ierene vOut bees UpltAD) EpRees lo 1B RAR VY DESIGN 3-B-1 es twrey Foo LIVING LOOM ra'-o'« 13 -2* fire- bed, storage closets—the conven- A plan replete with luxuries; place, dining alcove, closet many iences of an house. apartment in a small LIVING ROOM 1I3°6" = 15°67 Shutters would greatly improve the appearance of this house The drawings call for them. REY ST! BED LOOM 10'0'k 10-6" ra Hatt rE EE A NT TT hes ea Bu 8 6 LIVING LOOM m+ ok 13'=0% Four main rooms, dining alcove, bath, and closets, all on one floor. An arched beam opening makes living room and dining alcove practically one room. DESIGN 4-A-2 OWE SHU ND RED BiG GA hows ARCHITECTS’ SMALL HOUSE SERVICE BUREAU DESIGN 4-A-9 SIX BUNGALOWS WITH PLANS ESSENTIALLY ALIKE The plan below belongs to this bungalow and the one at the right. es ia 280° —+ Oo OK ITCHEN pace) 13-O'#)/-O" BED ROOM 13-O% =| KITCHEN Ta AIG 0" LIVING ROOM 11°6"x 17-0" 34-0 Wi rrothe Pitter rhea OMMere sOrUni Ds RaiSe le eB ReArR TY 5 The Bungalows In This Book Represent a Selected Group From The Designs of The Architects’ Small House Service Bureau DESIGN 4-A-14 LIVING ROOM The owner increased the size of the dining alcove, making it a full size dining room. There is space and ventilation in the attic for a third bedroom. DESIGN 4-A-13 rape 266! s t a : ; 9 LIVING , ROOM ie" 2"x 3-4" —t FIRST FLOOR % CEILING HEICHT 8-6" 4 = Reminiscent of Pennsylvania Dutch architecture. To decrease costs the porch may be built open. An extra room in the attic. Shutters are necessary for its fine appearance. DESIGN 4-A-8 Zs : aay WER Se Prag retin =. ame WaMu vanias ili nih ay sRemoaase hl we Fu ne Cinna Ra FIRST FLOOR CEILING HEIGHT 8-o* san BYU CUT CER eee The main roof and cornice have been extended to embrace the porch, thus giving an appearance of greater breadth. A plan of few rooms but much useful space. 6 One Hunvpred BUNGALOWS Orher Designs With These Basic Floor Plans Appear Throughout This Book. LIVING ROOM yarn 169 Reaal a TI a DESIGN 4-E-1 This home has a plan similar to those on pages 4 and 5. Notice the clever arrangement of kitchen with built-in dining alcove in well lighted corner. An excellent example of the theory that a small home may he as comfortable and attractive as many a more expensive dwelling. DESIGN 4-A-15 ze ee KITCHEN |43 paul IK HT ALON iv : i DINING ROOM LIVING ROOM 10°6" = I1'0" Tee : i tel ed eh This home and the one below have similar plans with dining room and living room across the front. Each may have one or two additional bedrooms in the second story. DESIGN 4-A-26 r | ZO-\\ ; 25°8"_ DINING RGM LIVING ROOM Ho"x 1-4" Il-4°X 17-6" ee o ~ VON2C YH {= SS sg —} _ In order to keep construction costs at a minimum the fireplace has been omitted. It may be added if the owner desires. ree o nts bau. Due Re S lomeB RACREY How To FIGURE THE Cost OF OWNING A HOME How Much Can the Home Builder Afford to Pay for the Privilege VERY prospective home builder should analyze his home financing from the same unsentimental viewpoint that a banker would assume. He should know exactly how much his house and lot will cost, how much money of his own he will have, exactly how much it will be necessary to borrow, and the cost of securing these necessary funds. There are other items that also should be given due weight. Perhaps the most important of these is how much the home builder can afford to pay for his home. He must not overestimate his present finan- cial strength or the stability of his income. He must neither be too optimistic about probable increases in salary, or fail to take into account possible misfortunes of one kind or another. Finally he must meas- ure his home building expenditures in terms of what he can reasonably expect to save over a term of years. After all these questions have been an- swered on a purely practical basis, from studying all the facts and without bias, it is a relatively easy matter to determine how much one is justified in putting into his home and therefore how much it will cost from month to month and year to year, in the form of rent, to take care of all the expenses that go with home building and home owning. For every householder pays rent. Even though one owns his home without owing a dollar on it, he pays rent to himself and to others, just as surely as though he had paid it to a landlord. From knowing what one is justified in paying as rent, it is possible to determine how much one may reasonably invest in his own home. We can work backward from this basis— we can find out the total value of the house and lot that would be represented by the rent which the home builder is justified in paying, and then work out a financing scheme from that knowledge. Let us start then with the rent problem. Rent is made up of all the items that con- tribute to the whole cost of maintaining a home. Under this head may be listed the following : ExtTrRA ACCOMMODATIONS IRST, interest on the home builder’s own funds invested in his home. If this money were out on interest it would yield a definite sum, depending on how it was in- vested. If it were in a savings bank, it would yield 31%4% or 4%, and if it were in first mortgage bonds the return might be 5% or 6%. Whatever the basis of interest, this is an income which the home builder will not receive directly once his money is invested in his home. Theoretically this may be charged as one of the items of rent, but many people believe that this loss of income on their own equity is more than balanced by the extra accommodations they receive in living in their own homes. But let us of Living in His Own Home? charge it all to rent and then if any part of this sum should be credited out and charged to “extra accommodations” we can do so at the end. The second item of rent is that of interest on the borrowed money. This is a charge that the home builder is obliged to meet at regular intervals, depending on the provi- sions of the mortgage or contract papers. The borrowed money is a commodity for the use of which the home builder pays a service or rental charge in the form of in- terest. Obviously it is wise not to pay too much for the privilege of using this money or to engage to repay it more rapidly than will be reasonably possible within expected income. How Taxes ARE FIGURED HE third item in rent is taxes. The basis on which real properties are taxed varies with the locality. One may learn the tax rate in his community, and the method used in applying this against properties there. Perhaps the type of house which it is planned to build in a certain district may be represented on nearby properties, and by learning the taxes on these, a fairly ac- curate estimate may be made of what the charges will be on a new home. The tax rate is usually applied against an “as- sessed valuation,’ which is usually a sum considerably less than the actual cost of the house and lot. In one large city the as- sessor looks over a property and approxi- mates its real value. He then turns in an appraised valuation equal to about 75% of his estimated real valuation. The tax rate, which in that city is about $70.00 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, is applied against 40% of the appraised value. In other cities the method differs. The home builder should make sure also of any special assessments that may have been laid against his property for munici- pal improvements such as sidewalks, sewer, lighting, street paving. These last are not really items of rent. They are more prop- erly classed as a part of the capital outlay involved in building a home. The fourth and fifth items are water rent, and insurance. These are met by the landlord and are presumably included with- in his rental charge. The home owner will have to pay them in turn. He will also be obliged to carry sufficient insurance to re- imburse the agencies who have loaned money in case of loss of the house by fire or tornado. He may decide to carry addi- tional protection to cover his own equity, and if he is wise he will do so. The total charge for insurance to cover the property can be learned from any insurance agent by giving him the location of the property, the type of construction that will be em- ployed, and the amount of coverage de- sired. The sixth item is the cost of maintenance. When the house is rented from a landlord, the standard provision is that the landlord shall maintain the house in good repair and shall do all necessary painting and decorat- ing, keep the plumbing in working order, and meet other incidental expenses of the kind. These expenses are, of course, ab- sorbed by the landlord out of the rent money he receives. The home owner pays them on his own property. However, when one owns his own home, expenses of this kind tend to be lower than they are in rented properties, as greater care is exer- cised. The home owner may make many of the repairs himself. The amount to be charged on this account varies with the age of the house. In a well built house one per cent may be sufficient for each of the first five years. After that the cost of maintenance will mount to a higher rate— 3% would be about the maximum. Finally, there is the item of depreciation and obsolescence to be accounted for in terms of rent. This is somewhat of a theoretical matter. It is based on the as- sumption that one should lay aside annually a sum equal to the presumed amount of depreciation and obsolescence of the house. Unlike an automobile, the depreciation is low at first and high in later years. The yearly sum written off as depreciation should be large enough so that when the house has served its usefulness and has become worn out through wear and tear, or is rendered undesirable by being out of style, there will have been built up a sum equal to that of the original investment. An average allowance of about 2% a year for a well built house is a fairly accurate basis on which to compute obsolescence and depreciation. Sounb But Not USEFUL NE can see in old neighborhoods houses of nondescript character and un- certain age that are in so bad a state of re- pair that it would be unwise to spend any considerable sum on them to make them livable. They do not yield enough income in rent to pay taxes on the land they occupy and cannot be made to do so without heavy expense. Their age is about forty years. Their sale value is not more than the cost of demolishing. Therefore they represent a depreciation at the average rate of 244% a year. Another house nearby of better char- acter structurally, having been built of good materials and, as it happens, rather ornately finished with expensive woods and with rooms of such generous size that one is struck with the difference between the modern home and those of sixty years past, is also practically a total loss. .No one will live in it—the cost of heating is too great, the plumbing anti- quated, the expense of furnishing and dec- 8 orating beyond ordinary means. It is not the servantless, self-operating house of to- day. It would yield nothing on being de- molished. The loss represented is 14% a year.of the cost of the house alone. The ground area remains, and in the case of these particular properties has greatly ap- preciated in value. Depreciation and maintenance are some- times confused, but they are really distinct items. Often there is an item of apprecia- tion. This applies only to the value of the lot itself. The wise home builder will not fail to give it proper weight in purchasing his property. Some house financing experts have said that the lot should be selected with the definite end in view of an appre- ciation in land values, such that, when the mortgages are paid off at the end of ten or twelve years, there will be represented a net worth of the house and lot equal to the sum originally invested in it. Let us assume then that you feel it pos- sible to own a $6,000 home including a OnE HuNnbDRED BUNGALOWS been said by competent persons that city residential property tends to increase in value as a normal experience by 10% a year. If this is true and the depreciation and obsolescence is set at 2%, then the ratio of the cost of the land and cost of the house should not be more than one to five. In this way the depreciation on a house always would be equalized by appreciation in the value of the land. Rent Cost REDUCED F, in the case of the $1,000 lot we have been considering, there were an appre- ciation of 10% per year, there would be an actual balance between the two items of depreciation and appreciation. There is no really accurate way of adjusting apprecia- tion, but, if it can be assumed that this item would offset the depreciation charge, then the net cost of rent as figured hereto- fore would be reduced by $100 per year. It is probably thoroughly understood by everybody that not one householder in ten Tue Cost PrRoGRAM 1—Interest: Interest on equity Total interest @ 5% —5% of $2,000......... de Cesasu Sue are capt ecepeee tate gaaee ree ee eee $ 100.00 Interest on borrowed money @ 6%—6% of $4,000__...-...-..----.0---ceceseeeceeesceeeeeeeeeeeee 240.00 $ 340.00 2—Taxes (This varies with the city and ward, but in this instance we are applying the method of one city as outlined previously herein.) 75% of $6,000 (appraised value)................-..----. 40% of $4,500 (assessed valuation).. S7Omperssls000NOTE S180 0s eames mene Total taxes 3—Insurance: 4,500.00 - 1,800.00 126.00 126.00 Fire—80% of $5,000 for 3 years @ $7.50 per $1,000...............---cee--ceecceeee $30.00 Porsd vy Carne ce nce oecec teat app core eee Tornado—60% of $5,000 for 3 years @ $4.00 per $1,000 For x yearicncc eet. ceec tte oreoeae cteag no eaves Total msurances yearly sec seectes ceases ee 4—Water rent (average yearly) .....1.--.-...-scccsssceeeccceneees 5—Maintenance—1%4% average yearly (on both house and lot)—1%% of $6,000. 6—Depreciation and obsolescence (on house only) —2% of $5,000......0....22.2---1-1e-2eececeeeceeeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeee Total) yedrlys expensen sce eee eee Total monthly expense (rent)...--............-..-...- 56.17 garage. Of this $6,000, $1,000 is represent- ed by the value of the lot, which you own, and you have in addition $1,000 in cash, so that your total equity is $2,000. You will find it necessary to borrow $4,000. Assum- ing that you may borrow this on a first mortgage your computations will follow ap- proximately the cost program outlined above. INCREASED VALUES HUS the total cost of rent comes to $674 a year or about $56 a month, which on the face of it is not such an extraordi- narily large sum for the privilege of owning a $6,000 home. And remember this does not take into account at all the extra value you get in a home designed and built as you want it, on a lot located where you prefer to live. Furthermore, this does not necessari- ly represent the amount of money one would have to pay on account of owning his own home. For example, the charge for deprecia- tion and obsolescence on the value of the house may be offset completely by appre- ciation on the value of the land. It has thousand actually builds up a fund to meet depreciation and obsolescence. From this reasoning the average net cost per month for rent would be $47.83. It is understood, of course, that this does not represent the actual “pay-out” per month. Interest on the home builder’s equity would, for example, not be paid out. However, if this interest were deducted from rent it would also have to be deducted from in- come so that the net experience would be the same. Furthermore, there might be a saving on “maintenance,” but it would be conservative to figure this item in about as stated. On the other hand “pay-out” may be sub- stantially increased through savings which the home builder may make and apply on his property, thus increasing his equity therein. He may find it necessary to accu- mulate funds for the purpose of reducing the mortgage so that at the end of ten or twelve years he will own the property out- right. For example, in this home we have been considering, the home builder may do his financing through a Building and Loan As- sociation, under the rules of which he will agree to pay into that Association $12.50 per month per thousand borrowed. In this case he will have borrowed $4,000. There- fore, the dues to the Building and Loan As- sociation will be $50.00 a month. This money represents not only amortization and pay-off on the principal sum borrowed, but also the interest thereon. Therefore, to determine how much money would have to be paid out on a scheme of financing of this sort, we would take all of the items in the above list with the excep- tion of the interest on the borrowed money, for this would be accounted for in the money paid to the Building and Loan As- sociation. We would also eliminate the de- preciation and obsolescence allowance un- der circumstances where it seemed logical to assume that there would be appreciation to balance depreciation. Under such circumstances, and applying this process of financing in the case we are considering, the home owner’s monthly pay- out on all accounts would amount to $77.83 per month. It must be remembered, how- ever, that this sum not only represents the cost of housing one’s family, but also in- cludes savings which at the end of ten or twelve years will wipe out the sum origi- nally borrowed. Goop PLaNns NECESSARY HIS is simply a typical case and prob- ably will not fit accurately anyone’s par- ticular problem. It is cited to show the process by which one may arrive at the cost of home owning so that he may go about determining the proper extent of his in- vestment. It has been argued, and wisely so we think, that the cost of rent as above de- duced should have credited against it also a sum which would approximate the extra value that the home owner gets. The pro- posal is that the home builder estimate as well as he can in money the actual worth of the extra pleasure and accommodation he derives in owning his own home. Some have said that this is easily equal to the interest on the home builder’s equity and that it should be charged to pleasure and not to “rent” no matter how wisely it may have been spent. If this is true, the cost of home ownership is reduced still further. In any event, the home builder must work out for himself a financial statement includ- ing the items we have listed and properly adjusted to the circumstances and thus finally arrive at the net cost of owning his own home. If this net cost seems too large in propor- tion to the home builder’s income on the basis of the size and quality of house which he has assumed he could build, the only way by which he can own his own home would be for him to reduce the cost of home build- ing either by buying a less expensive lot or by building a less expensive home, or by both. Having found the approximate sum which it is wise to invest, the next step is to get a good set of plans and specifications. Let us emphasize the fact that these must be chosen wisely on the basis of what the home builder has deduced from the fore- going analysis would be the maximum he should allow in his budget for “rent.” rH Pee LWOU ba Skteiet DIB yRee Gt leieB oR ACR. Y. HOUGHTFUL mothers know many tricks to let clothes out so they may fit growing girls and boys who shoot outward and upward. This house is designed for such extensions. As the family increases in size it may grow with them. Not all houses can be thus enlarged without involving great expense in rearranging stairs, hallways, doors, and windows, the plumbing and heating systems. Frequently a room or two tacked on after the house is built looks like an after- thought, spoils the appearance. But in this home the architects provided in both the plan and exterior of the original design for future enlargement. sion can be made without interference with the original lay-out of the rooms and the construction of the house, and the appearance instead of being injured: will, if anything, be improved. Construction: wood frame, exterior finish stucco or shingles, roof of shingles. Compact SMALL Housg DESIGN 3-A-15 T IS possible to obtain any number of plans for three room houses that pro- vide the bare bones of living. But here is much more than that. The house is small but it provides many luxuries. There is a fireplace in the living room more than eight feet wide, with a broad brick hearth. To increase the sleeping ac- commodations without adding to space or expense, a closet bed has been devised to open into the living room. Construction: wood frame, exterior finish stucco, roof of shingles. -Bed RooM- 15'O" X10°4" BORREER ed Hearth -LiviNG Room: |l Wwe" x 1e6'2" im NE) -KiteHEeN- j UN WE"'XI6 4% The exten- A Home TuHat Can Grow To Be Built as the Cathedrals Were—Little by Little as the Money Comes In BED ROOM Us 189 it 3349-4 it Hevos fund BED ROOM FUT URE DINING ROOM DEN OR'LIBRARY S-BAU-@ PUTURE STAIR | FIRST UNIT eile 2 LIVING ROOM 1@°@" K13-O 29’-11” DESIGN 3-A-12 The black lines show how this house can be built at first, without the two bedrooms at the rear. Even then it will be a com- plete house. The dotted lines show future extensions and how the rooms may be used. ie. e* Weg? on the front of the house. But why should it not be placed in this position? It is the workshop where many hours are spent during the day and deserves adequate light, ventilation and sun- shine. There is plenty of space be- neath the broad window for a kitchen table and seats—the informal dining nook. Notice the similarity of this plan with that of the one above. Another house with a similar plan is design 5-C-5, on page 19. 1 be: few homes is the kitchen located 10 OnE HUNDRED BUNGALOWS HE living room is open on three sides and has a ceiling with exposed rafters, which with the rough stone fire- place, are in keeping with the rustic exterior. The shel- tered porch, screened in, offers additional sleeping quarters. The enclosed porch may be used for dining. Its many windows and easy access to the bathroom make it also an ideal sleeping porch. Construction: wood frame, exterior finish of rough sawed boards or shingles. Instead of plaster inside some form of wallboard could be used. The foundations may be of local stone. No basement excavation is required. a DED ROOM LIVING ROOM_|_ 19OX 13:0" | cabin itself. =| room, ARCHITECT -) n LIVING ROOM (7'-6"x 13-0" PORGH —~a-—., - 1-0" x 12'-6 MALL HOUSE SERVICE BUREAU DESIGN 4-B-7 HE plans call for foundation walls of stone and upper walls of wood studs faced with square edged boards and wooden battens. The owner substi- tuted log siding for exterior treatment, both for the foundation and for the The photograph shows how the logs were used to form an inter- esting pattern. The high foundation gives adequate space for a garage and huge* storage THE Homer BurtpeER’s LIBRARY 1] EORGE WASHINGTON and Thomas Jefferson built their homes in the same Colonial tradition as was followed in the design of this house, only theirs were stately mansions while this is a small, compact, modern cottage. As the perspective shows, the designer intended the porch cornice to be higher and continuous with the cornice of the main roof. There is also a slight variation in the design of the lattice and arrange- ment of windows. Construction: wood frame, exterior finish siding. WHAT IS ARCHITECTURE? MONG many definitions of architecture is this one: ‘‘Archi- tecture is putting into building certain qualities—namely, logic, strength and beauty.” Do these seem too high sound- ing words when applied to small homes? Not when translated into familiar terms. Logic means making the house convenient, liveable, adaptable to both the family and the site. It means straightforwardness of plan that results in economy. Strength, of course, means building with good materials. It means honest construction, durability, long life, low depreciation. Beauty results from naturalness, from simplicity and from good proportions. It depends upon careful attention to the small details as well as to the larger ones. It is the quality that makes the house a pleasure to see and to know, and to live in through the years. These three combined make good architecture. Without any one of these a house is a mere building. It is not architecture. The charm of this style is unmistak- able. In keeping with it ts the hos- pitable porch across the front in the Southern man- ner. LIVING ROOM 96 © 120° STORAGE OnE HuNDRED BUNGALOWS DESIGN 4-A-38 — 42-6" — FIRST FLOOR PLAN CEILING HEIGHT VARIES. This has proven an exceedingly popular design. The unique exterior is, of course, one reason, and the plan is another. Construction: wood frame, stucco finish, roof should be of tile if possible. An Unusuat Livinc Room HE feature of this bungalow is the studio type living room, having a vault- ed ceiling, with exposed beams. Across the front of the room a triple arched win- dow floods the room with light, produces a most impressive effect. Extending from the living room is the dining alcove. To give this a more intimate air, the ceiling has been dropped to eight feet and a low beam separates it from the living room. These two rooms complete the front or liv- ing half of the house. Between them and the sleeping portion the division is almost as distinct as in a two-story house. The owner of the house illustrated above used spiral columns between the windows and wing walls at the sides. These are added features, not shown on the original drawings. See the perspective drawing above. THE Home BUurEeDeR s DESIGN 4-A-11 LIVING ROOM a 2 8 4 nF aaa Fa ay ae i a i eS a eT Ey say moo a ae LIBRARY 13 SBOE. _— 6 TAF 5 toe 27 YA Se ST a mn Sat A nee eee AT LL iB os om ee 21t6" K 13-0" The columned porch across the front of the entire house is suggestive of the fine old plantation homes of the South. Construc- tion: wood frame, exterior finish wide sid- ng. Prom 4 its vy pea DESIGN 4-A-7 At the right is a house that is much larger than the floor plan discloses, for there is space in the attic for two extra bedrooms. Construc- tion: wood frame, exterior finish stucco, siding in the gable ends, roof of slate or shingles. LIVING ROOM EPC ea fe a) Lapel exit: Sac L POUR My NUNN RM eH menGR nant si mtandanernciinin. ona DESIGN 4-A-3 KITCHEN He<7 ni 17a" frame[|PORCH TOASTS A bungalow after the manner of the English cottage. To carry out the English spirit the windows have casement sash. Construction: wood frame, exterior finish stucco, half timber work in the gable ends. eran be TRE koe a TI 14 OnE HuNnpDRED BUNGALOWS The One-Hundred Bungalows In This Book Were Selected From Designs By The Architects’ Small House Service Bureau HE design at the left does not have an unusual plan excepting in the conven- ience it affords. Long test of time by many home builders has proved its useful- ness. See how living quarters are separated from the bedrooms and bath. It is an old and tried plan given a new exterior, to which the laws of architecture have been applied. Many adaptations of this plan ap- pear throughout this book. on DESIGN 5-A-6: DROOM 10}10°X 10-10" LIVING ROOM 2-4x 13-2" DESIGN 35-1)-39 HE five room bungalow shown below is of a type that will meet the needs of many a young housewife obliged to perform all the opera- tions in the management of her home. It will not O the right is an unusual plan overtax her strength, nor be too cumbersome to finance for the man whose means are limited. BED Room If worxis37 TI DINING Room: Issx 106" for a five room house. The ex- terior walls of shingles may be stained a silver gray, the rough board shutters brown. The roof may be of variegated colors ranging from rich brown to light green. The rustic character is accentuated by the forms given the door and shutters. DESIGN 5-E-4 t | DINING ROOM N-@ «12-0 LIVING ROON (3-0 x 20-0 BED ROOM 12-6 X13-0° AP ae) HomMeE BurEepmer S LreBRARY 15 THIRTY THINGS To Buy BESIDE FRONTAGE There ave Titles Bounderies, Taxes, Transportation, Neighbors ing project “on solid ground,” literally as well as figuratively, you should “look beneath the surface” of the real estate deal —figuratively as well as literally! [I YOU want to base your home-build- A home is more than just a house. By the same token, a proper home-site is more than just so much dirt. It may or may not have the qualities that make it desir- able as a permanent location for a dwell- ing, and profitable as an investment in real property. So here is a list of thirty items by which to judge whether the lot you are thinking of buying is mere real estate or a good home-site : 1. Buy the knowledge of a dependable real estate expert; that is, patronize a deal- er of high standing in the community. 2. Buy an appraisal. Consult a second disinterested real estate man or a profes- sional appraiser and pay him his relatively small fee for making an analysis of the value of the property before you purchase White, 3. Buy an absolutely clear title. You may require the seller to establish his title to the property before you buy it, or you may employ a lawyer or a title guarantee company to search the title for you. This is vitally important and is worth the ex- pense. SUNLIGHT AND EXPOSURE 4. Buy exact boundaries. Don’t take the seller's word as to property lines, but see that they are accurately established at the time when the title is searched. 5. Buy sunlight, not smoke and dust. If you are going to the trouble of acquir- ing your own permanent home, you might just as well have it in a location that is sure to be healthy for your children. 6,. Buy exposure to the winds that pre- vail in summer. When looking over the lot, keep in mind the house you intend to place on it and try to see whether or not it will be comfortable. 7. Buy enough land. The minimum should be from 40 to 60 feet of frontage. Old-style 25 and 28 and 30-foot lots in crowded districts are poor investments. The wider your lot, the greater your chances for a price-increase. 8. Buy solid earth. In filled-in tracts, or “made” land, there always is a danger of poor drainage or a chance that the house will settle. Either settling or bad drainage will damage the structure. 9. Buy high land. This is necessary if drainage is to be satisfactory. A low ly- ing lot may mean a waterproofing problem. 10. Buy level land. Filling a lot to bring it up to the desired level is almost as costly as excavating. : 11. Buy land of good shape. A lot of irregular outline may prove difficult to sell. Set your ideal high—you probably will have to modify it, but it's safer to modify a high ideal than a low one. 12. Buy good soil. Remember that ex- cavating in rock may prove more expen- sive than you wish to undertake, that quicksand or other defects of the soil may result in damage to your house, but that under-surface sand or gravel may be an advantage if it is of such quality that it can be used for the mortar, plaster or SULeEGO. 13. Buy land fully developed or already under development. It is safer, though more expensive, than acreage which may be developed in the distant future. 14. Buy water and gas mains, graded and paved streets, sewers, walks and curbs already installed, or else add the estimated cost of taxes for these improvements to the price of your lot. Property with all these utilities in and fully paid for should not cost you more than 30 per cent of the total investment you plan to make, though 20 per cent would be a much safer figure. Land without these improvements should not cost more than 10 per cent of the total. 15. Buy moderate taxation. If you have any choice as to the state, county or city in which you intend to build your home, acquaint yourself fully with the taxing policy of the authorities and estimate what the taxes will add to the cost of maintain- ing your dwelling. 16. Buy good transportation to vour work, church, schools and shopping cen- ters. Measure the distance, not in miles, but in time it takes to get there. The ideal home-lot is three or four blocks from transportation lines and stations. 17. Buy good collateral on a building- loan; that is, choose a lot on which a bank or building and loan association will ad- vance you at least 50 or 60 per cent of its value. If they won’t lend you more than 40 per cent you may question whether or not you are paying too much. 18. Buy fire and police protection. See that your neighborhood is well served by these city departments. Wuo Is Your NEIGHBOR 19. Buy partnership in the community. “Restricted residential districts” may serve as protection against persons with whom your family won't care to associate, pro- vided the restrictions are enforced and are not merely temporary. 20. Buy the right to build according to your own standard of living. The build- ing restrictions may call for a more ex- pensive house than you can afford to build and maintain. 21. Buy a_ well-balanced investment. That is, don’t put much more or much less than one-fifth or one-fourth of your total funds into the lot. The construction should cost you three or four times the purchase price of the land. 22. Buy a sound investment, so far as you and your appraiser can judge future values. Population and transportation are the two chief elements in increasing home- site values. Be sure your property is in the line of residential, not industrial or commercial, growth of the city. 23. Buy freedom from easements; in- vestigate thoroughly to find out whether or not any one has any right to lay pipes or erect poles or make a right-of-way on your lot. 24. Buy good location within the block. Remember that a corner lot may be double- assessed for streets and sidewalks and that it will require longer fences. See that your lot is such that your neighbor’s kitch- en or garage won’t be a nuisance. 25. Buy a real share of parks, play- grounds and schools. An ideal location is about half a mile from these. 26. Buy freedom from traffic dangers and noises. A through street may prove a menace to your children and to the daily comfort and the nightly slumber of the whole family. 27. Buy a chance at future favorable development. Examine the chances of pub- lic utilities, parks or boulevards being brought closer to your property in the fu- ture—and then be sure that such develop- ments would be to the advantage and not to the detriment of the property. 28. Buy “a sure thing.” If at all pos- sible, it would be well for you to rent and live in a neighborhood for a year before undertaking to buy and build there. ALL You See Is Yours 29.. Buy beauty. Too many trees are better than too few; natural objects of beauty will save you the cost of develop- ment and will help you dispose of the property advantageously when the time comes. 30. Buy a home, not a speculation. You would accept many things in buying just to make money which you wouldn’t con- sider if you were buying for permanence. Set your ideal high—you probably will have to modify it, but it’s safer to modify a high ideal than a low one. Of course, a home-lot possessing all these thirty advantages may be more than an ideal—it may be a physical as well as a financial impossibility in your town. But these are the things you should have in mind before you buy. Don’t let any one “talk you out of them.” ONE HuNDRED BUNGALOWS BASEMENTLESS!--A MAJOR SAVING IN FIRST COSTS HE house at the right and the one below have similar plans, but the exteriors are different. One is influenced by Spanish forms and the other is in the Colonial style. These designs, as well as 5-D-17, illustrated below, should be of especial interest to home builders seeking ways of cutting building costs for the heating plant is in the first story. Construction : 30th wood frame, 5-D-42 with exterior of stucco, roof preferably of tile; 5-D-43 with exterior finish shingles or wide siding, roof of shingles. Nez, ty ss ale Fy i tes ABOVE: DESIGN 5-lD-42 5 a ReIGN 45-D-43 BELOW: DESIGN 5-D-4 Gee ! 9-6 + 12'0 0 BLD 200M 10°0"'*12' 0 PORCH 6°6°3 140" LIVING ROOM 14-0 2 18'O° ROOM 100"% 1124" ¥ DINING ROOM © 80" X 1124" ro) é Ze? DESIGN 5-D-17 Sa, ioe dh SIMPLE straightforward comfortable home all on one floor and with no base- ment. The heater is located in the hallway and all the rooms have been arranged so that air will circulate freely among them. The heater may be either hot water or warm air. The home builder may wisely consider how this type of house meets his problem. Construction: wood frame, exterior finish wide siding or shingles. er pe EOMM be bette Din Re Sele TB ReAGRY 17 DESIGN 5-D-40 SLD Loc 10.0112.0° KITCRUN 4-0 1100, FORC! A DIVING 200 . WO" x 120° 4 ; shesort a | SED LOOM LIVING = 2OON 20x 12-0" 13-4" x 16-0" | an ees DOLL 6-07 1 19-0" ——— F you are planning to build a home of the most inexpensive type, costing, let us say, not to exceed $4,500, you may be in- terested to learn that one of the most cer- tain ways to reduce costs is to omit those things which you do not absolutely require. Among other things of this kind is the basement. Through omitting the basement you may be able to save as much as 15 per cent of your total building cost. On the first thought a cellarless home seems to be a radical departure from the accepted principles of home construction, but this idea is by no means a new one. In fact, the complete basement, which we have installed in most of our modern small homes is a rather recent development. The cellarless house for present day use has been approved by many architects, includ- ing Ernest Flagg—the architect who planned the Singer building—and also by the Architects’ Small House Service Bureau. It will not do at all to build a cellarless house without taking into consideration matters of ventilating the space under- neath and removing the top soil and fol- lowing out other principles of sound build- ing. When a cellarless house is built as it should be, the results are satisfactory. fig eN a. 4) say PEE IY ear : ‘ Rae pf oa &, , : 2 wu wey, Gs Ban 3 whe en Se whom ic oy en HE close clipped gables, the severity of line and mass, the tile roofs and heavy porch posts give these two houses the Spanish mission char- acter which is so much in vogue in Southern lands. The omission of the basement and the provision for laundry trays, fuel bins, and storage space on the back porch make these bungalows partic- ularly suitable for southern lands, but they need not be restricted to warm climates alone. is provision in the hall for a heating plant of adequate size to heat the whole house in coldest weather. There Construction: wood frame, stucco exterior, roof preferably of tile. as both houses have practically the same room arrangement. Only one floor plan is shown Sid ey % , a a \% < 5 seat h - 4 ra eh Tk as aN Nai ¥ % Ne ee 4 Pe 4s Wiig AL DESIGN 5-D-41 OMITTING THE BASEMENT TO LOWER COSTS Often home builders think that a home must have a cellar to be comfortable in every way, but a home built properly with- out a cellar is dry and warm. Insurance men have shown us also that since many a fire starts in the basement, where it gains great headway before it is found, a cellar- less house is less in danger from fire than a house with a basement. A cellarless house also may be very beautiful, for being built close to the earth, it hugs the ground and gives an air of shelter and protection. A house that is built close to the ground has an appear- ance of always having belonged there. It has a more homelike atmosphere. But certainly to the prospective home builder who must build inexpensively, cellarless houses will appeal chiefly for their economy. As to the necessity of providing the cel- lar as a place to locate the house heater, there are various forms of ground floor heaters on the market which heat five or six rooms very comfortably. It may be said for the house you are planning to build that one of these ground floor heat- ers will not only save you part of the cost of the basement, but will heat your house adequately. In any case, it is certainly ad- visable for anyone who is planning to build to investigate the cellarless plan. It is not intended that these statements shall be of a sweepingly general nature. The idea of the cellarless house is simply presented for careful thought to the one who must build at the least expense. The answer as to whether or not the basement will be used depends very much on the particular case. Certainly it will not be satisfactory to everyone, but before you pay out money for a cellar, prove to yourself first that the cellar is worth what it costs. The three bungalows opposite and the two on this page are designed for mild climates. They do not have basements and the plans do not provide for them. The heating plants are located on the first floor. However, basements could be arranged to accommodate central heating plants. In any case, if the walls, floors and ceilings were thoroughly insulated, as they should be in every home, these houses may be kept warm in cold climates and cool where it is sultry. There is no reason why these bungalows could not be constructed in any section of the country. As designed they are suitable for warm climates, and they can be made comfortable for the severest climates. 18 OnE HUNDRED BUNGALOWS SE SSS ——TATTATUUT WTA Wale LINC TANS 1A reel TUNER TAY Kons SPM a ui Ae VAM SE: ——— 7, TEOUTTTR iia i NA we UN gare alle Yate bid A wit ' Ea ARCHITECTS’ SMALL HOUSE SERVICE BUREAU DESIGN 6-C-2 HoMES ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR NATION T IS frequently said that our American cities are being over- 1 built. It is certain that in some cases there has been too much building of apartments but an expert on housing betterment recently stated that he knew of no growing city in which there is a surplus of private dwell- ings for families of modest means. Yet this group of our population is the “back-bone” of our nation. If their children are condemned to grow up in tenements or in ugly, un- sanitary, ill-kept rented houses, our national progress is definitely retard- ed. Residence in apartment houses may do no harm to bachelors and to childless families, but the growing child needs for its best development a true home with plenty of sunshine and fresh air, privacy, and plenty of room indoors and out for wholesome play. The tenement or apartment child must live in the noise, dust, and con- fusion of crowded buildings and crowded streets. If it plays in the home the neighbors are annoyed; if it plays in the street it is in danger and the mother has no opportunity to choose the child’s associates or supervise its play. But in the private dwelling the conditions of life can be controlled. There may be light and air on all four sides so that any room may be a healthy playroom. The child can work with a hammer and saw without disturbing neighbors and the mother can choose the child’s playmates are not many. DED ROD HG lo-e For a Forty Foor Lot Possible plans for the most economical types of small homes The plan of the design shown above is one of the most useful and hence is shown frequently in this book, with minor variations. and direct or supervise its play until it is old enough to go safely to the community playground. There is more opportunity also for par- ents and children to engage in common activities and get to know each other better, so that the child may have the advantage of intimacy with its parents and share with them the memory of many common inter- ests and of common undertakings. => The better home, therefore, should be | attractive in its architecture, a home | of which the family may well be proud. This home should be well-built or otherwise it will be a source of con- tinuous irritation and care. There should be attractive planting ground around it, for the charm of the home lies largely in .its surroundings. It should be designed for convenience of household operations, for other- wise the energy of the home-maker will be drained through needless and irritating drudgery. It should have the equipment which makes for effi- ciency in household operations. It should be furnished for comfort, for otherwise its members will spend their leisure elsewhere. It should provide for privacy because the de- velopment of family intellectual and spiritual life is dependent upon op- portunity for undisturbed study and meditation. Equally important is the possibility of home-ownership. The tenement or apartment dweller is a nomad, a wanderer. All too frequently he fails to put down roots in the neighborhood in which he dwells, does not take interest in the church or the lodge or citizens’ asso- ciation, or in the affairs of government. The home-owner on the other hand has a stake in the community. He is interested in the affairs of his district. Widespread home-ownership is necessary if there is to he soundness in our public affairs. erp LOWE betel lyD bP RaaSm LAR BRA Ry y: 19 Ka sy ve ese rf Ley Dy: : . api ~— 5 + sa Sa hae Ree s SRD weet, ey RIS : 232,122 | | PORTA | | yy Ue : Le Mujch bh (US bi f fers itl t fh. Wi, by aaa ee oH " Em | PAM a TN MN Tilt My he nifh hong Uoidle i a Macias ee WH AININ (david Z iyi |} a a » ss ae fi ae N) ok) f pve se pH ia i} iO rare Minaya ait SRN cea \ ‘f x 4 MR ie Soe la C2 TIT 7, + VIE A YT / CC TT wegen oer RN ll I} DESIGN 5-C-9 HE home builder who insists on having a dining room may as well pass this pretty home by, for this plan has no such room. It has, however, a large living room in one end of which may be set the dining table. A dining alcove may be arranged in the kitchen, or the space marked “Fernery” may be so used. The first story of this house as is practically complete in itself. There is space under the roof for two bedrooms, toilet, and two storage rooms. Exterior finish wide siding or shingles. HMM TN) lp iin hel WHS ce dn a Within (He IN s4 1h aid, ! MARR 3 GMO ui , na 4 "a, Y J. Mh V Wed v4 4, aS 467/ (ss fs M6 XK lose" } ‘in le ” r, 44 Vij ‘ Z Bee il “ao A Siataepen (7! jo. ot WN ag [ oe ~ / Soo ant ang) Cums ngs i) BAS cal f ae pat GaN: ma ne n/p (AINE en y sae te naa aaeaew Ye my)! |||/ onion mxiees in mays alle eb Ny Y, a Oars! Fu ae ee Ne cid oe FUL vN ne if pH Deiat tare ae i] am gehes TATTN ( Maw M nN TTR. fis See we niles ‘nual! | Wl | /h W\\\ Hy) Attia {/) H}S=C- 54 DESIGN 5-C-5 HIS home design, like the one above, is complete as a one story house and has additional space in the second story. The home builder may wait until a later date to finish these rooms. When these are added, the owner may convert the first story bedroom into a dining room. A convenient little breakfast room remains for informal service. Exterior finish wide siding, roof of shingles. Houses with plans similar as to first floor arrangement will be found on page 9. OnE HuNDRED BUNGALOWS hoe 26 ot ea. 4 Ae FATS Nee | P| <0 it yA " MIM qR it ey Ahh = eI aes =a am tt eee iingth wht, aaah (i Uy ic, Se DESIGN 5-D-4 [LIVING Se 9-0