Recently architects have been working on plans for stylish pre-fab houses built out of things like shipping containers or that are easy to install after disasters like Hurricane Katrina. The idea is to make possible an appealing house that is less expensive, more durable, and completed more quickly with less skilled labor than traditionally built homes.
This is not a new idea. After World War II, Carl Strandlund developed a mostly metal home, the Lustron House that was built on an assembly line, delivered on a truck, and promised to “defy weather, wear and time.”
The Lustron Corporation quickly ended in bankruptcy, but there are three Lustrons in South Bend. Here is a photo of one on Mishawaka Avenue.
Not the prettiest home I’ve seen. Guess that was not the thought behind his idea though.