Colonisation and population displacement be they
by necessity, by the pioneer spirit, by disaster or by war has always demanded
low-cost, simply and quickly built housing. A wooden pre-cut cottage shipped by
boat by English craftsmen to fishing villages in New England in the 17th
century often cited as the first prefab home in the United States is an example
of transportable housing.
The need to build houses quickly and simply
was a major challenge at the turn of the twentieth century. In Europe, war and
urbanisation were the driving forces whereas westward immigration, land
harvesting for agriculture were catalyzing factors in the United States. During
the 30’s and 40’s government programs such as the Highway Act and the G.I. Bill
stimulated migration patterns and increased the need for affordable housing for
returning soldiers wishing to re-establish themselves after the horrors of war.
Industrialization and prefabrication were fairly marginal in mainstream
construction at the time, and many companies looking for outlets invested
creatively in the outlets offered by government programs.
One of these experiments was the fascinating
«suitcase house» proposed by the
Palace Corporation in 1945. The suitcase house was an easily assembled, demountable
and transportable form of housing suited to the needs of migrating populations,
of the armed forces, of farming communities, of returning soldiers and as
advertised, newlyweds.
It was meant as a low-cost quickly built
alternative to stick framing. Unfolded in 20 minutes, ready to be occupied. It
was designed as a lightweight structure composed of steel studs covered in
«homasote» panels giving it a transport weight of 10 pounds per square foot.
The structural core was rigid frame that contained all the other panels
necessary in its unfolding. Although «aesthetics» was not the main objective,
the structure was proposed as a quick and easy solution to a major problem.
The «homasote» boards were first introduced
in 1916 as a versatile construction panel. Lightweight, thin, easy to install,
the precursor of today’s gypsum panels, they were a staple component of turn of
the century prefab homes. The «suitcase» house was never a commercial success. It
was a product-centric look into the future of housing. The notion of housing as
a product is where more research needs to take place. How do we consider site,
local building culture and customs and provide a low-cost, quickly built,
adaptable form of housing? The suitcase house framed within this question only
partially addressed the problem of temporary housing.
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| The suitcase house _ http://libraries.mit.edu/archives/exhibits/suitcase/img/suitcase-sm.jpg |
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