1940’s Prefab’s – Simple but effective!

Despite a desperate need for housing it is interesting that a planned, strategic approach was taken to the design and functionality of prefabricated housing in the 1940’s.

Source: Prefab at Avoncroft Museum - Source: Own

A number of years ago I visited Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings (Link), which is situated near junction 1 of the M42 in Bromsgrove in the West Midlands. The Museum currently has over thirty different buildings/structures which have been rescued and re-built over the last five decades including a timber framed merchant’s house, a windmill, a church and a granary to name but a few. Although these and other buildings are absolutely fascinating, the building that really caught my attention was the 1940’s prefab. There was something about the speed of construction and the simplicity and layout of the structure that made the building stand out from the rest. For those reading this article who are unfamiliar with prefabricated buildings, these are basically factory built components that are assembled (put together) on site.

Nowadays, prefabrication is something that is commonly used for new built construction, and offers efficiencies in terms of thermal performance, speed, improved quality as well as cost efficiencies. In the 1940’s very little consideration would have been given to any of these factors, with the exception of speed of construction. Originally designed as temporary structures with a maximum lifespan of 10 years, prefabs were identified in the 1944 Housing Act as a means of providing accommodation quickly in towns and cities that had been bombed heavily in World War II. Prior to the introduction of the Housing Act in 1944 the UK Government identified the need to provide temporary houses and set about achieving this through an initiative called the ‘Temporary Houses Programme’ (THP). The summary below from Epsom and Ewell History Explorer (Link) explains the planned approach to housing shortage and how design played a key part in its success.

Source: Kitchen within Avoncroft Prefab - Source: Own

As early as May 1943 the Government decided to invest in a prototype, temporary steel bungalow, which became known as the ‘Portal Bungalow’, named after the then Minister of Works, Lord Portal. The Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, promised 500,000 temporary new homes, although only 156,623 were actually produced  (between 1945 and March 1949). The houses would be prefabricated in sections, in factories no longer needed for war production, transported to where they were needed and ‘bolted’ together on site, in a fraction of the time it would take to build a conventional house.

As steel was needed for the war effort, and therefore in short supply, no steel prefabs were actually made. Nevertheless, the steel ‘Portal’ prototype, used as a starting point, provided inspiration to private firms who were then commissioned to design and produce their own versions, but within specific guidelines.

All were to have two bedrooms, the floor area was to be 635 square feet, and to allow transportation from the factory, each component part could be no bigger than 7½ feet wide. The most important stipulation was that they all had to make use of the government-approved ‘heart-unit’. A back-to-back kitchen, bathroom, fire place with back boiler, airing cupboard and toilet. The design of the unit kept plumbing to a minimum. Only the relatively few imports (8,462) from the USA did not use the ‘heart-unit’.

There were thirteen types from eleven different manufacturers (one from the USA). Although they were all based on the same concept, each manufacturer had their own detailed designs, and decided which materials they would use. The materials were chosen from concrete, asbestos-cement, steel, wood and aluminium or a combination of several, as decided by each manufacturer.

Source: Bedroom within Avoncroft Prefab - Source: Own

Despite a desperate need for housing it is interesting that a planned, strategic approach was taken to the design and functionality of prefabricated housing in the 1940’s. If you ever have the privilege of visiting a 1940’s prefab you will be able to see for yourself how these speedily constructed dwellings were able to provide a functional layout incorporating basic facilities for a family at that time. Granted, there would not have been the level of thermal comfort or possibly space that most modern houses can offer however, I am sure that those who lived in prefabs in the 1940’s would have been more than happy with their living conditions.

Although many prefabs have long since been removed and replaced with more modern structures there are still many of examples of prefabs that remain, of which many are now listed (protected). This really stands as a testament to a well thought out approach to meet an urgent need for housing at the time. Given our current need for new housing I wonder if our current decision makers could learn any lessons from such an approach?

Source: Second Bedroom within Avoncroft Prefab - Source: Own

Source: Bathroom within Avoncroft Prefab - Source: Own

Iconic World War II image - Source: http://fortiesknitter.blogspot.co.uk/

Author: Gary O’Neill

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family?who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.

The Romans - The Original Master Builders - Part 2

I doubt that the modern buildings that we are constructing today will leave a similar legacy to that of the Romans. If we could make the same positive impact that the Romans made to the built environment then we will leave behind a similar positive lasting legacy for our future generations

A Roman Hypocaust - Source: www.pages.drexel.edu

In my last article I demonstrated how the Roman occupation of the UK left a lasting impression on our built environment and how the introduction of new building techniques allowed larger, bolder buildings to appear, the like of which had never been seen before in the UK. I also explained that the location of towns and cities was carefully planned to make optimum use of the natural resources available in a particular location, and how gravity was used to provide fresh flowing water into towns and cities often using lead pipes, sometimes over great distances incorporating aqueducts which make use of masonry constructed arches. For the rich and important in Roman society their homes and other buildings became status symbols. The size of the building, the inclusion of mosaics and painted plastered walls, under floor heating and fresh running water would demonstrate how rich and powerful the occupant was.  

Larger Roman houses were designed around a central atrium. You can see from the image that a Roman atrium would have no roof and would therefore be open to the elements. A recess or trough would be built into floor which would collect rainwater, which would be used for many different things including drinking and washing. You could say that this is an early form of rainwater harvesting! something that is becoming increasingly popular today. Various rooms would then be designed directly off the atrium for which the amount and use of the rooms would depend on the size and status of the building. Larger Villas/houses would incorporate a second atrium, something referred to as a Peristylium, which would include a garden area and would also be designed to have rooms access directly off it. The orientation of the building would be designed so that Peristylium would be able to catch as much sun as possible, however for comfort, in warm weather the courtyard would also incorporate trees to provide much needed shade. 

A Peristylium - Source:The Desert Sun

If you ever watch programmes such as Time Team (for those who do not know, this is a TV programme where Archaeologists, Geo-Technical Engineers and Historians have three days to unearth and re-construct a particular building/structure), you will see that there is always a great deal of excitement when they suspect they have unearthed a mosaic. The reason for the excitement is because this will often tell the Archaeologists that they have found a significant or high-status building. Mosaics were usually constructed within floors however wall mosaics were also used.  Making an elaborate mosaic was a task that would require the skills of a master mosaic craftsman would set out the picture/design while others would complete the actual work of making the mosaic. Small pieces of stone or clay would be used to create the image of the mosaic which would often depict a historical event, have a cultural or spiritual meaning, possibly depict an animal or even be an elaborate geometric design. Some of the best examples of Roman mosaics in the UK can be seen at Fishbourne Palace in West Sussex where Archaeologists discovered a number of elaborate mosaics which they have dated back to AD75 – 80, making them the oldest discovered mosaics in the UK. The mosaics at Fishbourne Palace provide a good insight into the skill that would have been necessary (to design and construct), remember over nearly 2000 years ago, to produce such elaborate designs. 

Arguably, one of the most innovative ‘inventions’ that was introduced by the Romans was under floor heating. It is staggering to believe that this would have been possible at the time however palaces, bath houses and high status buildings would often incorporate under floor heating, which was provided by a system know as a hypocaust. A hypocaust comprised a raised floor which would typically incorporate a two foot (600mm), void underneath. The void would be created by the stone floor surface being supported off pedestals (small columns). Heat would then be introduced into the void by a furnace, where a person (usually a slave) would ensure that a fire was continually burning.  As the heat would built in the floor void the stones forming the floor surface would start to absorb this heat, which through conduction would eventually increase the temperature at the floor surface, this would heat the rest of the room as well as the floor. Furnaces were reasonably large and therefore took up a lot of space so the Romans usually designed these to be out of sight and therefore located them in an adjoining room.  

The Romans were so ingenious they even thought about ventilation!  As you would image the furnaces used for the under floor heating system would also create a lot of smoke/fumes, which needed to be directed away from the internal spaces. The Romans dealt with this by building spaces into walls, known as flues, to provide a safe path for escaping smoke and fumes. Excavations at Ashtead Villa in Surrey revealed that the Romans used box flues to vent hypocaust systems. ‘Box-flues are hollow box-like tiles set into walls to allow hot air from an under floor hypocaust to heat the room walls’  Source: www.thenovium.org

Roman hollow box tiles - Source: http://www.thenovium.org

There is no doubt that Roman Architecture and Roman Engineering was well ahead of its time, evidenced by the vast array of buildings and structures that still exist today in many parts of the World. Within this and my previous article I have briefly discussed a small number of Roman techniques such as rainwater harvesting, the use of mortar, the use of arches, under floor heating, ventilation etc. for which although technology has developed, these are still used extensively today. I doubt that the modern buildings that we are building today will leave a similar legacy. If the earth still exists in 2000 years (a completely separate discussion!), what conclusions will the people of that time draw about us and the built environment we are creating now? If we can make the same positive impact that the Romans made to the built environment then we will leave behind a similar positive lasting legacy for our future generations. I suspect however that very little of the World we are creating today will remain compared proportionally to the amount of Roman remains that exist today. This really tells its own story. If I am around in 2000 years I will be more than happy to be proved wrong!

Author: Gary O’Neill

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.

The Romans - The Original Master Builders - Part 1

There was nothing random about the location of Roman villages and towns. Even before construction would commence the Romans would carefully select where towns and villages would be sited. These were carefully planned to make optimum use of natural resources such as food, water, timber, stone etc. in a particular location

The Colosseum - Source: Gizmodo

One of the wonderful things about living in the UK is our diverse history and what this history has left behind as a reminder of different historical period. This is no better demonstrated than in our built environment where there exists many wonderful buildings/structures that provide us with an insight into bygone cultures, politics, classes, lifestyles, technologies and the like. It is only by looking at our historic built environment that we can fully appreciate the skills and ingenuity of the people of their time. Our predecessors would not have had access to modern building equipment and modern techniques that are available today. Nowadays with the use of things like digital laser measuring equipment and off site manufacturing we are able to work to high levels of accuracy allowing us to design to extremely tight tolerances, something I am sure our predecessors would never have ever dreamed of. Therefore, next time you look at an older buildings, possibly a heritage building, just take a few moments to appreciate the skill, ingenuity and blood and sweat that would have been necessary at the time of construction in order for the building to be robust enough to be standing, often hundreds or even thousands of years, after completion. 

From a built environment point of view in the UK, a significant period in history was from circa 43AD to 410AD, which is when the Romans occupied large parts of the UK as well as most of mainland Europe. At the time the Romans were extremely powerful and were able to take occupation of pretty much anywhere they wanted due to their superior military skills and power. The Romans brought with them technical skills and building techniques never seen before in the UK. This allowed them to stamp a lasting mark on the UK, for which the large amounts of remaining Roman buildings, structures, roads and remains bare testimony too even today, nearly 2500 years after they were first built!

Roman Road - Source: realmofhistory.com

Firstly, let me dispel a myth - most would associate Roman buildings as large masonry constructed villas, with painted plastered walls, mosaic floors and running water etc. This is largely down to the media as when a film or documentary about the Romans is broadcast, this is what is usually portrayed, however these larger masonry structures were inhabited primarily by the rich and powerful, and the reality was that most people during the Roman occupation lived in timber constructed buildings similar to the Celts who preceded them. It is from the larger masonry villas and structures that more advanced building techniques were introduced into the UK.

There was nothing random about the location of Roman villages and towns. Even before construction would commence the Romans would carefully select where towns and villages would be sited. These were carefully planned to make optimum use of natural resources such as food, water, timber, stone etc. in a particular location. Security was also a key consideration where the Romans would ensure that the location and orientation of their towns and villages provided a secure environment as possible for those who would occupy these settlements. Early Roman towns were fortified around their perimeter with an earth ramp (embankment) and a wooden fence, however these were replaced in and around the 3rd century with much more robust stone walls, towers and gates.

Prior to the invasion of the UK, the Romans had spent hundreds of years building large, bold palaces, temples, bath houses and elaborate towns and cities throughout their ever expanding empire. The jewel in the crown was Rome itself which boasted buildings such as the Colosseum (completed circa 80 AD), the original St. Peter’s Basillica (completed circa 349 AD) and the Pantheon (completed circa 125 AD).  These types of buildings demonstrated that the Romans had exceptional architectural and engineering skills, the like of which had never been seen before.

Source: http://www.bible-history.com/maps/06-roman-empire.html

Larger buildings started to emerge in the UK where the Romans introduced limestone mortar which comprised of a mixture of lime, sand, gravel and water, to bind stones together to form walls, arches and vaults. Other mixtures were used to form mortar depending upon available raw materials in a particular location, however when set the completed wall/structure would be extremely strong and durable, which is evident from the many remaining Roman buildings and remains that still exist today.

Sanitation was also a priority as the Romans realised the importance of hygiene in reducing illness and death in the general population. Running water, drains and sewers were therefore considered as very important during the planning of Roman towns and cities. Gravity was a great ‘asset’ which the Romans would use to channel water from springs and other natural water courses, sometimes over considerable distances. This emphasises the earlier point that the Romans were meticulous in planning of the location of towns and cities to ensure that they would have a watercourse close by which was at a height (level) which would allow them to use gravity as a natural transporter of fresh water.

In my next article I will discuss Roman buildings in more depth and demonstrate how the Romans incorporated under floor heating into their palaces and bath houses, how the Romans included plastered and painted walls and how mosaics were used as status symbols by the rich and famous.  

Author: Gary O’Neill

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.

10 Longest Bridges in the World in Pictures

I present below the current 10 longest bridges in the World, where you will note that these are dominated by bridges in China with 7 out of the 10 being located in that part of the World!

A few months ago I published an article, which provided a pictorial record of the World’s current 10 highest bridges in the World (Link). The article proved to be very popular and a number of comments were left asking about the longest bridges in the World.  I therefore present below the current 10 longest bridges in the World, where you will note that these are dominated by bridges in China with 7 out of the 10 being located in this part of the World!

Number 1

Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge – Beijing – China - Length - 164,800 metres 540,700 feet – Rail Bridge – Completed 2010

Source: Source: http://glamgrid.com/

Number 2



Tianjin Grand Bridge – Beijing – China - Length - 113,700 metres 373,000 feet – Rail Bridge – Completed 2010

Source: http://afaqahmedjamadar.blogspot.co.uk/

Number 3



Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge – Zhengzhou – China - Length – 79,732 metres 261,588 feet – Rail Bridge – Completed 2008

Source: http://www.dialmenowblog.com/

Number 4

Bang Na Expressway – Thailand - Length – 54,000 metres 177,000 feet – Road Bridge – Completed 2000

Source: http://toptencollections.com/

Number 5

Beijing Grand Bridge – Beijing – China - Length – 48,153 metres 157,982 feet – Rail Bridge – Completed 2010

Source: http://www.dialmenowblog.com/

Number 6

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway – Louisiana – USA - Length – 38,442 metres 126,122 feet – Road Bridge – Completed 1969

Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/

Number 7

Manchac Swamp Bridge – Louisiana – USA - Length – 36,710 metres 120,440 feet – Road Bridge – Completed 1979

Source: http://www.youbioit.com/

Number 8

Yangcun Bridge – Beijing – China - Length – 35,812 metres 117,493 feet – Rail Bridge – Completed 2007

Source: http://ramadhangj.blogspot.co.uk/

Number 9

Hangzhou Bay Bridge – Hangzhou – China - Length – 35,673 metres 117,037 feet – Road Bridge – Completed 2007

Source: http://steelbuildingshq.com/

Number 10

Runyang Bridge – Jiangsu – China - Length – 35,660 metres 116,990 feet – Road Bridge – Completed 2005

Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.

10 Highest Bridges in the World in Pictures

In addition to tall buildings, we can also marvel at the vast amount of bridges around the World, which may not soar into the clouds like some of the buildings we see today, however require equally challenging engineering solutions and ingenuity to make them a reality

I have previously published a number of articles which discuss/identify the World’s tallest buildings both currently and by 2020.  You can take a look at these articles by following these links: (Link 1) (Link 2). The ingenuity and vision necessary to make these tall buildings a reality is only possible by overcoming many obstacles and moving the boundaries of construction and engineering to unimaginable levels.  In addition to buildings, we can also marvel at the vast amount of bridges around the World, which may not soar into the clouds like some of the buildings we see today, however require equally challenging engineering solutions and ingenuity to make them a reality. In view of this I thought it would be worthwhile taking a look at the World’s 10 highest bridges in pictures.

In order to clarify, the list below relates to the highest bridges in the World (not the tallest), which (for the highest bridges) is a measure of the vertical distance from the bridge deck to ground or water surface below the span of the bridge deck.  Tallness is a measurement of structural height from the highest point at the very top of a bridge, down to lowest point of a bridge where its supports (piers), emerge from the ground or water.


Amazingly eight out of the top ten highest bridges below can be found in China of which five of these are in Guizhou!

Number 1

Sidu River Bridge -  Badong County, Hubei – China  - 496 Metres  - 1627 Feet – Road Bridge - Completed 2009

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Number 2

Hegigio Gorge Pipeline Bridge - Otoma – Papua New Guinea - 393 Metres  - 1289 Feet – Petroleum Bridge - Completed 2005

Source: http://www.martmut.com/

Number 3

Baluarte Bridge - Pueblo Nuevo – Mexico - 390 Metres  - 1280 Feet – Road Bridge -Completed 2012 – World’s highest cable stayed bridge

Source: http://tripthirsty.com/

Number 4

Baling River Bridge – Guizhou – China - 370 Metres  - 1210 Feet – Road Bridge - Completed 2009

Source: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/

Number 5

Beipanjiang River Bridge – Guizhou – China - 366 Metres  - 1201 Feet – Road Bridge - Completed 2003

Source: http://www.highestbridges.com/

Number 6

Aizhai Bridge – Hunan – China – 350 Metres  - 1150 Feet – Road Bridge - Completed 2012

Source: http://highestbridges.com/

Number 7

Liuchonghe Bridge – Guizhou – China - 336 Metres  - 1102 Feet – Road Bridge - Completed 2013

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/

Number 8

Beipanjiang River Bridge – Guizhou – China - 318 Metres  - 1043 Feet – Road Bridge - Completed 2009

Source: http://10mosttoday.com/

Number 9

Liuguanghe Bridge – Guizhou – China - 297 Metres - 974 Feet – Road Bridge - Completed 2001

Source: http://wikimapia.org/

Number 10

Zhijinghe River Bridge – Hubei – China - 294 Metres - 965 Feet – Road Bridge - Completed 2009

Source: http://gigantesdomundo.blogspot.co.uk/

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.