Chicago’s stock of classic bungalows was constructed during an era when many of the creature comforts we take for granted today were the stuff of science fiction. There was no residential air conditioning in the second and third decade of the 20th Century. Walls lacked insulation and windows were single-pane, as home heating was very affordable.

Correcting these and other flaws of bungalows for this and future centuries can be comparatively straightforward, but often proves challenging. The team behind the Better Bungalow — a classic Chicago bungalow updated to serve as a model for future bungalow retrofits — found this true once it tackled the job of retrofitting a legend.

Built-in issues
Their role in raising countless Chicago families notwithstanding, bungalows weren’t laid out with the efficiencies designers have learned over time to include in modern homes. “The floorplans often put the small kitchen at the back of the house, separated from the living flow, and the back of the house was usually more of a rudely functional space,” says Tom Bassett-Dilley, founder and CEO of Oak Park, Ill.-based Tom Bassett-Dilley Architecture (TBDA), the firm behind the creation of the Better Bungalow. Go to Forbes to read more!