Miamis bungalows, with their wide porches, overhanging eaves, and natural ventilation, have a place in South Florida history. The homes, perfect for our subtropical environment, sprouted from 1914 to 1920 in Edgewater, Riverside, Shorecrest, Shenandoah, Little Havana, and Miami Shores. As Miamis landscape is transformed, these bungalows are vanishing. To help to preserve them, the Historical Museum of Southern Florida opened a Miami Bungalows exhibit on May 18.
The exhibition came about because of the huge transformation taking place in Miami, specifically the downtown area, said guest curator Jose Vazquez, assistant professor of architecture at Miami Dade College. We wanted Miami to understand their architectural significance, and to document these structures that will be lost forever. Thousands of bungalows remain throughout South Florida, many listed on Dade Heritage Trusts Most Endangered Historic Sites. Developers are allowed to knock them down for new buildings, but the Trust managed to save one bungalow from demolition: Little Havanas Hubbard-Alvarez house, which features a second half-story used as a bedroom/sleeping porch. The museums exhibition runs through September 9.
May 23-Sept. 9