Ranch houses and bungalows are classic residential home designs that may be found all over america. While the ranch home dates into the post-World War II suburban building boom, the bungalow has a marginally more ancestry, having won widespread popularity from the early 20th century. Both styles have convenient although quite different attributes; both are undergoing a revival in the early 21st century.
Bungalow History
Bungalow homes were derived from south Asian houses: little, single-story detached homes with verandahs and gardens. After arriving in the United States, the bungalow became the dominant residential housing style for several decades, starting around 1900. The very first American bungalows were constructed from the Northeast; out of there the style spread into the rest of the country.
Ranch Homes
Ranch homes took their form from several sources, such as Spanish haciendas of the Southwest and the Prairie Style houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The first ranch homes were constructed in the 1930s in California; the style took off in the 1950s, when a building boom took place in suburban tracts across big American cities.
Bungalow Design
Bungalows have a squarish layout and are usually built in one story, often with a single upper area or attic under a gently pitched roof. On the ground floor a major living area with small windows overlooks the arrangement, with sleeping rooms leading off from the room plus a kitchen area at the back of the home. Bungalows make efficient use of interior space, with little closets and built-in closets and shelves. They also manage more privacy, as the home can easily be kept out of view from fences and hedges.
Ranch Style
Ranch homes, also called”ramblers,” often cover more room with a rectangular, elongated floor plan. Long halls and bedrooms are put some space from the living area; the ceilings are normally higher and the windows are larger and more numerous than those of bungalows. Many ranch houses have attached garages integrated into the layout; some also have vaulted ceilings and sliding-glass doors resulting in three-season or all-weather patios. Ranch homes tend to have more spacious yards and other environment, since they were constructed in suburban areas with larger lots than were available in towns.
Factors
Ranch houses provide more interior space, more light and more convenience for big families than bungalows. Since they are sited away from more expensive lots and real estate taxes of central cities, they also tend to be cheaper for first-time home buyers. Bungalows are easier to care for, more streamlined and more private; these features make them perfect for singles, young couples without children and retirees.