The Arts & Craft
Movement
And the Bungalow |
| Our
Plans | The Arts &
Crafts Movement | William
Morris | Frank Lloyd
Wright | Mission Style
| Georgia O’Keeffe
| Louis Comfort Tiffany
| Greene & Greene
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| Growing up on the beach in North San Diego County
I had always been drawn to the bungalows of the narrow platted
subdivisions of the beach communities as what defined a beach
house. I figured researching bungalows was the place to start.
Nearly every house built in the beach communities of California
prior to 1927 had its roots in the Craftsman tradition. The
bungalows of the 1920’s were a leading expression of the
Craftsman tradition. Many of these bungalows were interpretations
of the Craftsman bungalow style set forth by the architects
Charles and Henry Green of Pasadena. The Craftsman Movement
of America originated from the Arts and Craft movement of late
19th century England. Thanks to the internet and Amazon.com
I started to become way more familiar with the likes of William
Morris, Gustov Stikley and the Arts and Crafts Movement than
I ever imagined. As I weaved my way through the books and articles
the central theme of the arts and crafts movement, a return
to a simpler way of life in tune with nature, began to sound
a lot like stepping back in time to a simpler uncomplicated
era. I decided I might be on to something because that’s
how Gold Beach seamed to make me feel. |
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| As I read my books and print outs I was pretty
much blown away about what I was learning about the Arts &
Craft movement. By 1860, Europe’s Industrial Revolution
was moving full steam ahead. Mass production was churning out
affordable but low quality products for a growing middle class.
The Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 19th century was driven
by reactions created by the industrialization of Europe. The
Industrial Revolution was based in part on the concept of division
of labor. The idea was to divide a job into its various tasks.
Instead of having a skilled craftsman do everything, have a
variety of people perform different tasks to manufacture an
item. Leaders of the craftsman movement felt the division of
labor robbed workers of the pleasure of seeing their work through
from conception to completion. The traditional values of quality
and beauty were being replaced by a new motto of economy and
profit. The leaders of the movement sought to return to England
the values of the simple pleasures of traditional craftsmanship
and artistry. Arts and crafts and so the movement got its name.
The movement promoted the return to simpler decorative arts
and simpler architectural styles emphasizing handcrafts with
a closer connection to nature. When ever possible local material
from nature was the standard. As I was doing my research I was
taken aback by the thought that someone in England in the 19th
century would have thought about a simpler time. I guess we
all have probably always romanticized the good old days. |
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| The bungalow evolved from the Arts & Craft
Movement emphasizing a link between the house and the land around
it. Bungalows project a picturesque and homey feeling. This
homey feeling is what I wanted the Beachcomber to feel like.
A place where visitors could reconnect with the beauty of nature
and avoid the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives. As
I read on it became clear how bungalows followed the craftsman
principles with their exposed structural elements, light fixtures
and hardware that are decorative. This efficient use of design
and the use of natural, local material and colors helped reinforce
the home-earth relationship to create a design harmonious with
the natural setting. Yea I stole that sentence somewhere. The
bottom line is bungalows adopted what ever could be gleamed
from the local area as the cornerstones of the building project.
The bungalow stressed a return to simple handcrafted workmanship
and stressed the integrity and beauty of materials in their
native state. |
