From Country Life in America. December, 1912.
A Semi-Detached Bungalow Development in California.

By Una Nixson Hopkins. Photographs by Frederick W. Martin.

Semi-detached houses make the most of each lot by bringing practically its whole area not covered by the house in one plot, permitting a splendid garden of considerable size which all of the householders may share in common, and improving the outlook immeasurably.

Houses of the semi-detached style are to be found at Forest Hills and Garden City, L.I., Roland Park, Md., and many other progressive suburban developments, but the last word in the application of the idea is Bella Vista Terrace, a so-called apartment house at Sierra Madre, Cal., designed by Irving J. Gill. It is in the heart of that section where the bungalow idea has flourished chiefly, and in conformity with that idea Bella Vista Terrace consists of seven semi-detached bungalows; bungalows in the true sense of the word, for they are only a single story in height.

In every large town or city there are some irregular pieces of land, which are not suitable for conventional buildings. Such a piece of ground was chosen for the apartment house illustrated. The plot here was most irregular, being situated on an eminence, sloping gradually, which gave good excuse for a series of terraces.

The cottages follow along the line of the two upper sides triangular fashion. They are flush with the sidewalk, practically, on the street side, though a narrow space has been left between the walk and the cottages for the planting of vines. About midway in the line of houses, from street to street on both sides, is a wide archway with iron gates through which one may enter on to the terrace. The effect, as one goes in, is that of entering an immense courtyard. The terrace walls are of broken granite, fringed at the top with a low, closed-clipped hedge.

A large pergola, with its concrete pillars rests on one of the upper terraces, being in line with the upper gateway. It is covered with boughs, and is brick paved and spacious enough for hammocks and chairs.

Near-by is a croquet ground, so that the features usually enjoyed in one's own garden have been provided here.

A general color scheme of white, red and green has been carried out with good effect.

The apartments are constructed of white concrete and the exterior woodwork is panted dull green. The iron gates at the entrance arches are also painted this green tint. The flowers, for the most part, are geraniums and cannas, while the broad expanse of lawn supplies masses of green in the foreground, Add to this a graceful line of trees behind the white cottages, against a background of broken hills and you have the picture. And the picture is the antithesis of anything one expects to see in relation to an apartment house.

Each apartment has its individual entrance ­ in fact two. One may enter from the street or by way of the terrace. And beside the two gates admitting one to the terrace there are flights of steps to the street below.

The upper streets, along which the apartments skirt, are picturesque in the extreme, looking like a bit of Algiers. In any case, one enters directly into a good sized loggia with repeated arches, then into a tiny hallway that leads to the living-room. These loggias are open, for the most part, in summer, but it is optional with the residents of the apartments whether or no they be enclosed in glass during the winter. Some like them open for outdoor sleeping purposes. Others prefer them enclosed and use them as living-rooms.

Beside the loggia, a living-room, which is used for dining also, a bedroom with a good closet, a bath and kitchen constitute the apartment. There are seven of them altogether.

The interiors of the apartments were made as simple as possible, so as to not provide any resting places for dust. The walls are perfectly plain without even a picture mould, and all of the doors and window casings are set flush with the plaster. There are no electric fixtures, the lights are simply set into the wall and cemented about.

The fireplaces have raised hearths and tile facing with a niche above, but without mantles. The windows are plain glass, therefore easily kept clean. As the living-rooms have two exposures, with windows on each side, there is practically a bay window, and a seat occupies the space beneath them.

A single apartment may be rented, or purchased outright. In most localities apartments are for rent only, and if a purchase is made it is for the whole building. But here it is possible to own one apartment and control it irrespective of the others. For one or two people, especially those who are away from home a good deal of the time, there may be some advantages in such an arrangement.

The owner of these cottages, Mr. E. B. Lewis, lives in one of them and oversees the place as a whole, so all of the households are in reality under his protection. Only a small portion of ground actually goes with each apartment in case of purchase, but the terraces and gardens are at the disposal of the householders whether they are landlords or tenants.

The owner of one of these cottages has no responsibility outside his own home, yet like Mr. Skimpool of Dickens fame, he may enjoy that which is about him at other people's expense.

For such an apartment house two heating plants are necessary, one for each wing. But this is no more expensive on the whole than for heating suites of rooms piled box-like one above another.