From Villa to Bungalow to Jazz Modern: New Zealand Houses between the Two World Wars

Abstract

To most of us, mention of the ordinary New Zealand house of the 1920s would evoke a picture of low gabled bungalows spread across our suburbs and small towns. The term 'Californian bungalow' would probably come to mind. But the questions of how and why this occurred seem seldom to be asked. In order to understand what happened in the design of ordinary New Zealand houses between the two World Wars we need to go back to the styles that existed before World War One, back in fact to the late Victorian scene.