Prefabricated Homes (U.S. National Park Service)
Prefabricated Homes (U.S. National Park Service)
Houses have been built in one place and reassembled in another throughout history. Possibly the first advertised prefabricated home was the &#;Manning Portable Cottage&#; conceived in by London carpenter H. John Manning. This house was built in components, then shipped and assembled by British emigrants. Prefabricated homes were produced during the Gold Rush in the United States during the 19th century to enable California prospectors to quickly construct homes. Also known as kit houses, pre-cut houses, ready-cut houses, mail order homes, or catalog homes, they remained popular into the first half of the 20th century. Kit house manufacturers sold houses in many different plans and styles, ranging from simple bungalows to imposing Colonials. For a fixed price, manufacturers supplied the materials needed for construction of a particular house with the exclusion of brick, concrete, and masonry (such as would be needed for laying a foundation, which the customer would have to arrange to have done locally). One American company heavily invested in the kit house concept was Sears, Roebuck and Company. Sears Catalog Homes were ready-to-assemble kit houses sold through mail order by Sears. Sears closed their Modern Homes department in . More than 370 designs of Sears Homes were offered during the program's 32-year history.
While Frank Lloyd Wright is best known for his unique, one-of-a-kind showplace homes, the architect also gave considerable thought to designing beautiful yet affordable homes. The degree of detail he brought to such designs as Fallingwater and Taliesen is also evident in the evolution of his &#;American System Built&#; (ASB) homes. Although not designated as National Historic Landmarks (NHLs), these simpler designs aid in understanding the breadth and reach of Wright&#;s body of work. Wright began designing his own American System Ready-Cut structures with &#;prefabricated&#; construction integral to their concept in . Here, however, prefabricated meant &#;ready-cut&#; parts, rather than whole wall units, cut to size and shipped to the site where they would be assembled. The buildings were often referred to as &#;prefab homes,&#; but they really were not, since no part of the homes were constructed off-site. The lumber was cut at the factory, packaged along with all other components, and delivered to the work site for construction. The designs were standardized, and customers could choose from seven models. Wright&#;s firm produced over 960 drawings for the American System- Built Homes project, the largest number of drawings for any project in the Wright archives. More than a dozen suburban dealers were licensed to sell ASB Homes. Wright designed more than three dozen different housing units from bungalows, to two-story houses, to duplex apartments.
Toward the end of his &#;Prairie&#; period, Wright began experimenting with modular poured concrete construction. This phase of residential design was focused in Los Angeles in the s, and resulted in four &#;textile block&#; designs. The face relief patterns vary for each of the four textile-block projects. The method of construction consisted of casting three-inch thick concrete blocks on site in Wright-designed molds, next to and on top of one another without visible mortar joints. In all but one of the homes, steel reinforcing rods were run horizontally and vertically in edge reveals of the blocks, then filled with thin concrete grout, "knitting" the whole together.
Wright introduced his Usonian "Automatic" modular concrete homes in the early s. "Automatic" was used to suggest that the owner might participate in the actual construction of the home, laying or even making the blocks. The Usonian Automatics advanced concepts he introduced in the s with his textile block designs.
Wright's early block houses had wood roofs and later houses introduced ceilings suspended from concrete beams. He designed coffered blocks in a &#;waffle iron patterned&#; ceiling.
A Brief History of Prefabs
The bombing of towns and cities in Britain during the Second World War resulted in a desperate need for housing. Over 200,000 homes were destroyed by aerial bombing raids from Wallsend in the north to the Isle of Wight in the south.
Number 22, 1 to 37 Sunnyhill Prefabs in Stroud, Gloucestershire. © Historic England Archive. BB96/.What does &#;prefab&#; mean?
Prefabricated houses, known as &#;prefabs&#;, were an interim solution until the country could return to constructing permanent homes with traditional building materials. They were intended to last no more than a decade.
Dignitaries pose in front of the 100,000th temporary house to be erected in Great Britain since the Second World War in Wandsworth, London. © Historic England Archive. P/H/001.Their progressive designs and modern appliances often offered their occupants an improved standard of living, resulting in long-lasting affection.
What were prefabs made of?
Early temporary prefabs were constructed using a timber frame and asbestos cladding or cement, while some later buildings used aluminium.
Designed by the Selection Engineering Company Ltd, the Uni-Seco prefabricated bungalow was the third most common type of prefab built as part of the Temporary Housing Programme. They were constructed using a timber frame and asbestos cement. © Historic England Archive. DP.Later, permanent prefabs were made using precast reinforced concrete or steel frames clad in asbestos panels.
Do people still live in prefabs?
Although initially planned as a temporary fix, many prefabricated homes have lasted far longer than originally intended.
Those that have survived are often well-loved and defended against the threat of redevelopment.
An owner in front of their prefab in Moseley, Birmingham. © Historic England Archive. DP.In total, 156,623 prefab bungalows were built between and .
According to the Pre-fab Museum, around 8,000 are left in the UK today, with about 30 listed. People still live in them today.
The history of prefabs
As well as the interruption to traditional house building and damage from bombing, the war years also witnessed a dramatic increase in population growth.
In the government set up the Burt Committee to &#;consider materials and methods of construction suitable for the building of houses and flats, having regard to efficiency, economy and speed of erection&#;.
This Universal House prefabricated bungalow dates from . The Universal Housing Co Ltd of Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, designed it. Constructed using timber or steel frames and asbestos cement cladding, each bungalow cost £1,218 to build. © Historic England Archive. P/H/001.It led to the Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act of and the Emergency Factory-Made Housing Programme, known as the Temporary Housing Programme.
The Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act authorised the government to spend up to £150 million on temporary houses. The act set out to construct at least 300,000 homes in two years. It provided for the construction of temporary, prefabricated housing.
In the first decade after the Second World War, nearly 500,000 permanent homes were built using some form of prefabrication.
Prefab housing estates were often built on bomb sites, some of which were cleared and prepared by Italian and German prisoners of war.
In , the government introduced the Utility Furniture Scheme, established to create good quality standard furniture when there was a shortage of raw materials and increased demand due to wartime bombing.
Prefabs at the Tate Gallery
In May , an exhibition was held at the Tate Gallery to display prefab designs, including the Portal&#;s Palace, the Arcon, Uni-Seco and Trarran bungalows.
A UK100 or American prefabricated house in the grounds of the Tate Gallery, Bulinga Street, Millbank, London. © Historic England Archive. P/H/001.The Phoenix Type
- Designed by: John Laing, McAlpine and Henry Boot Ltd
- Construction: timber frame with asbestos cladding
- Built: 2,428 throughout Britain
These prefabs were constructed using a timber frame and asbestos cladding. Each unit cost £1,200.
16 surviving examples in Moseley, Birmingham, were given listed building status in .
The Uni-Seco
The Uni-Seco was one of several prefabs displayed at the Tate Gallery in .
Uni-Seco prefabricated houses in Brixton, London. Designed by the Selection Engineering Company Ltd, the Uni-Seco temporary prefabricated house was made of asbestos cement on a timber frame. One of the most numerous prefabs of the post-war era. © Historic England Archive. P/H/005.- Designed by: George Fejér for the Selection Engineering Company
- Construction: Timber frame and asbestos cement cladding
- 28,999 units built all over Britain
The Uni-Seco prefab estate in Catford was built by German prisoners of war who were billeted nearby.
The Uni-Seco was a highly versatile prefab. The building was designed in a kit and could be assembled in various combinations to suit its location.
A young girl in the kitchen of a Uni-Seco prefabricated home in Brixton, London. © Historic England Archive. P/H/007.The Uni-Seco&#;s designer, Hungarian émigré George Fejér introduced streamlined kitchen design and appliances. This Uni-Seco kitchen features integrated shelving, fitted cupboards, a fridge and a fold-away table.
The AIROH House
- Designed by: Morrisons Engineering Company
- Construction: Aluminium
- Built: 54,500 units
Also known as the Aluminium Bungalow, AIROH stands for Aircraft Industries Research Organisation for Housing.
The AIROH brought together several aircraft manufacturers to diversify their product lines in the immediate post-war period. With the capacity to produce vast quantities of aluminium, the AIROH was made in large numbers.
The UK100 or American
A Burt Committee delegation of engineers sent to the United States recommended a temporary prefab design created by the Federal Public Housing Authority. 8,150 arrived in Britain in .
Utility Furniture in the best bedroom of a prefabricated US House in the Tate Gallery, London grounds. The British government set up the Utility Furniture Scheme in to standardise the design and materials of new furniture during the Second World War. © Historic England Archive. P/H/006.- Designed by: US Federal Public Housing Authority
- Built: 8,150
It was initially planned for 30,000 UK100s to be imported from the United States. However, the end of the Lend-Lease Act reduced the number to 8,150.
This UK100 bedroom features furniture designed under the Utility Furniture Scheme.
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Permanent prefabs
While temporary prefabs could help solve the nation&#;s housing crises in the short term, a supply of permanent houses was of utmost importance.
A British Iron and Steel Federation prefabricated house at the Ministry of Works&#; testing ground, Northolt, London. © Historic England Archive. OP.Wartime and post-war shortages and austerity meant designers and builders were encouraged to develop innovative solutions.
In the Ministry of Works established an experimental demonstration site in Northolt, London, which enabled new designs to be costed and shown to the public. In the first decade after the Second World War, nearly 500,000 permanent homes were built using some form of prefabrication.
The Orlit House
- Designed by: Czech émigré architect Ervin Katona for Orlit Ltd
- Construction: precast reinforced concrete
To help solve the housing crisis in the London borough of Poplar, the building firm Orlit Ltd proposed a two-storey prefabricated house.
The Ministry of Works built the homes on a site previously cleared by German prisoners of war.
The Howard House
- Designed by: architect and town planner Frederick Gibberd for civil engineering and building contractors John Howard and Company
- Construction: light steel frame clad with asbestos panels
- Built: 1,500
Named after its manufacturer, the Howard House was suitable for factory mass production and only took a few days to construct.
Airey Houses
- Designed by: Leeds industrialist and builder Sir Edwin Airey
- Construction: precast concrete blocks
- Built: around 26,000
One of the most prolific permanent prefab houses, the Airey House could be built in two weeks and required no skilled labour or specialist equipment.
They were made of small concrete blocks that were light enough to be handled by one or two workers. Conceived in the s, they continued to be built up to .
The Swedish House
- Construction: timber
- Built: 5,000
In the early 20th century, Sweden had a skilled prefab industry. In the mid-s, 5,000 Swedish Houses were exported to England.
The two-storey houses had two or three bedrooms, a living room and a bathroom. The first was built at Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, in January .
The Wates House
- Designed by: Wates Ltd
- Construction: cast concrete
- Built: 60,000
During the Second World War, the construction company Wates Ltd developed several concrete structures, including parts of the Mulberry Harbours used during the Normandy invasion.
After the war, Wates used its modular cast concrete technology to construct over 60,000 houses and flats.
The Cornish Unit
- Designed by: Cornish firm, the English China Clay Company
- Construction: concrete panels
- Built: 40,000
The designs for the Cornish Unit were finalised in . Over 40,000 Cornish Unit homes were built between and by local authorities.
The concrete panels used in their construction incorporated waste material from china clay pits. Bungalows and two-storey and terraced house versions were made.
Protected prefabs
Despite the temporary nature of many of the country&#;s wartime and early post-war prefabs, some have survived. This has sometimes resulted from a local protest against the threat of demolition and redevelopment.
The occupiers of a Phoenix prefab in Moseley, Birmingham. 16 Phoenix prefabs in Wake Green Road were listed at Grade II in . © Historic England Archive. BB98/.Recognition of the architectural and historical significance of the prefab was eventually given in when 16 prefabs in Birmingham were listed at Grade II, and in when six were listed in South East London.
Wake Green Road, Moseley, Birmingham
Phoenix design prefab bungalows were built along Wake Green Road in Moseley, Birmingham, in . The Ministry of Works constructed them on land and foundations supplied by Birmingham City Council.
Phoenix Prefabs, Wake Green Road, Moseley, Birmingham. © Historic England Archive. BB98/.Modelled on the prototype Portal bungalow exhibited at the Tate Gallery in , 2,248 Phoenix prefabs were built as part of the Temporary Housing Programme.
16 Phoenix prefabs were listed at Grade II in for their architectural and historical significance.
Excalibur Estate, Catford, Greater London
In six surviving prefabs at the Excalibur Estate, Catford, in the London borough of Lewisham, were listed at Grade II.
Protest banners outside prefabricated houses, Excalibur Estate, Catford, London. © Historic England Archive. DP.As part of England&#;s largest surviving post-war prefab estate, the Uni-Seco bungalows were built between and in one of London&#;s most heavily-bombed boroughs.
The prefabs are a mixture of Mark 2 and Mark 3 types and were locally known to have been constructed by Italian and German prisoners of war.
Prefabs: A social and architectural history
You can read more about prefabs on the National Heritage List for England and in our publication &#;Prefabs: A Social and Architectural History&#;, written by writer and photographer Elizabeth Blanchet and journalist and historian Sonia Zhuravlyova.
Further reading
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