Evening star., 1942-03-21
America Housing Problem and Postwar

This is the second of a series of
four articles furnished by the
North American Newspaper Al
lance to appear in The Stars
Saturday real estate section In
Which prominent American de-
signers and architects discuss the
housing problem and 0iDe their
conceptions of the house OF the
future. Mr.. league is an indus
trial designer of automobiles and
architect for many industrial
plants.
BY WALTER DORWIN TEAGUE.
Both now and after the war, one
of the greatest problems facing this
country is housing.
There are not enough homes, and
of those we have millions not suit
able for people to live in. The over
whelming majority OF Amer an
families have incomes OF less than
$4,000 a year. Yet only one new
home in five has been priced low
enough so that these families could
afford to buy them.
1T is easy to see where the real
trouble lies. Houses cost too much.
This Is a problem that can be
solved. We have only to apply to
me-building the same techniques
of design, manufacture and selling
that have given us motor car Tor
every four people in the land.
Revere Copper & Brass, Inc, look
ing into the possibilities OF better
living conditions for people in this
country after the war, asked me II
have thought of methods of apply
ing these techniques. I have. The
problem has engaged my attention
for many years.
Long experience with many OF the
largest mass-production industries
has enabled me to design a house
especially adapted to assembly-line
methods of manufacture. The result
is a house of charm and comfort,
which can surround you with con-
venience amounting to luxury-a
house that for the first time can
bring real living enjoyment within
reach Of the majority OF American
families.
Size of House Adjustable.
This house has been reduced to
the smallest possible number OF dlf-
ferent parts, and each is complete
section interchangeable with others.
In this way, from the same basic
elements, any number of entirely
different plans can be carried out.
And the house can be taken apart
as readily as it was erected, making
it possible to enlarge or reduce the
house in size. to change its arrange
ment or appearance and to move 1t
economically from one building site
to another.
This factory fabricated house
will compare with our present
houses as modern automobile
compares with an old-fashioned
buggy.
Just what will happen when you
buy your factory fabricated house
after the war, when building ma
terials again become available for
public use?
Suppose you've picked out the size
and type of house from the manu-
facturers catalogue, or at the an
nual Dwellings Show, when the
new models are put on the market,
You've signed a contract which pro-
vides easy. short-term financing Of
your purchase, you've bought or
rented a plot of land. on which piers
have been set to form a founda-
ton. And now, one bright morn
ing. the truck is coming up the road
with your house and four or five
workmen to set it up. What's un-
loaded from the back Of that truck?
Panels mostly - three types OF
panels - floor, wall and ceiling
panels. The first thing to go into
place on the foundation, however
and this is lifted from the back Of
the truck by a crane-is the service
unit. This is the single heavy sec
ton, and it is the working heart of
your house, as compact and COM
plete as the power plant of your car.
under the hood.
The service unit consists of sec
ton of the bathroom and kitchen
floors, plus the upright wall that di-
vides the two rooms. All the bath
and kitchen equipment is already
installed in the service unit, with
all the copper piping for water and
drains inside the panels, ready for
connection with the utility from the
street.
With the service unit in place, the