9 Modern Beach Bungalows
Although the bungalow as a building type originated in the Bengal region of South Asia, it's made it's way across the globe and has become known as a small, detached house that has a relaxed, beachy feel. Here, we take a look at unassuming but decidedly modern beachside retreats that express themselves with a variety of materials and shapes—from local stone to wood siding.
1. A Transformed Bungalow on Fire Island
Dubbed Casa Cuatro, this stone-covered house designed by Barbara Bernal sits above a 180-foot cliff that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. The locally quarried stone makes the house blend in with the landscape and acts as a thermal-mass wall, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it through the evening.
Students were asked to balance issues of culture, sustainability, mobility, and construction in the design of a vacation cabin prototype for California's State Parks in which the prefabricated homes could be easily constructed and quickly relocated. The homes could be placed anywhere from an oceanside park to mountain ranges, and were designed with simple materials and construction techniques.
A prefab house designed by ArchiBlox on the northern beaches of Sydney sustains high winds and spray from the surf, so the firm wrapped the exterior in marine-grade Colorbond Ultra steel. Panels of Queensland blue gum, a native Australian hardwood, clad the street-side facade, which is protected from the harsh climate.
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