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.

Modern House or Older House? – ‘Quirky’ can come at a cost!

Opinions are often divided between those wanting to live in an older building, compared to the relative comfort that a more modern building can offer.  That is not to suggest that older/quirky buildings cannot be warm and comfortable, however in these types of buildings this can come at a cost. 
  

Source: theirishaesthete.com

‘Quirky’ is a word often used by people to describe features in a house that are unconventional compared to ‘the norm’, particularly when compared to modern houses.  The term is used frequently by those viewing or living in cottages, Tudor or medieval houses or in fact any house that exhibits unique features or characteristics compared to the more standard features of modern houses.  These features could include things such as low ceilings, narrow doorways, exposed timber beams, out of plumb walls, uneven and creaky timber floors, inglenook fireplaces, window seats and so on…… Opinions are often divided between those wanting to live in an older building, compared to the relative comfort that a more modern building can offer.  That is not to suggest that older/quirky buildings cannot be warm and comfortable, however in these types of buildings this can come at a cost.  

It has been a requirement for many years under UK Building Regulations to construct buildings with high level of thermal efficiency and this is something that is constantly being amended to make buildings even more thermally efficient and air tight than ever before.  So, the decision to live in a more ‘modern’ building will often revolve around this higher level of thermal comfort and modern facilities that these buildings offer.  Many people seem to be prepared to accept these, sometimes characterless, standardised houses, with perfect right angles and flush plastered walls, which seems to be the conventional ‘norm’ which is referred to at the beginning of this article.  Accepted, there will always be some exceptions where those constructing new houses will try to incorporate architectural and period features however these are few and far between.  The reason this is so rare is usually because of a desire to cram as many plots onto a site as possible, to be built as cheaply as possible and to therefore maximise profit.  There is also a general reduction in traditional craft skills, which are being lost as older craft workers retire and colleges fail to teach new ‘apprentices’ these types of skills.

Source: www.ctge.co.uk

When undertaking surveys of older houses I was always disappointed when someone had refurbished an ‘older’ house and in the process removed many (sometimes all) of the features and characteristics that gave it its character and identity.  Once refurbished it would look like any modern house and it made me wonder why they had not purchased a modern house in the first place and just left the original features alone.  Seeing a building treated in this way could be likened to watching your grandad trying to rap – completely inappropriate, uncomfortable and just not right Nowadays many of our older buildings have been given listed status and are protected.  There are however many others that do not have this protection and are vulnerable to the army of future property developers who are likely to pay little regard to maintaining the original features and place more priority on simplicity and profit.

If you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to live in an older house and want to maintain it and enjoy it for the purposes it would have been originally constructed for, then there are a number of things you need to be aware of. Firstly, find out if the building is listed (protected) and if so what type of listing it is.  It is against the law to undertake any work to a listed building without first obtaining permission.  The type of listing will determine what type of permission you need and also the type of work you can do to the building.  You can contact your local authority to find out this information.

I recently moved house and purchased a cottage.  The main entrance to the building leads directly into the old cottage and at the rear there is a large modern extension.  It is quite fortunate that we have a modern extension at the rear, as the main front entrance door is fairly small.  Also, the stairs in the cottage are quite narrow as is the head height on the stairway.  On the day of the move we soon realised that our wardrobes would not fit up the stairs and that our three piece suites were not going to fit through the door openings. It was necessary to bring everything through a large set of patio doors at the rear and leave them in our kitchen.  The following day I had to dismantle the wardrobes, piece by piece, carry then upstairs and re-assemble them in each bedroom.  In order to get one of our three piece’s into our front lounge it was necessary for us to pay a glazier to remove half of our UPVC double glazed bay window and then put it back when we had lifted the three piece through. This may have cost us £120, however the three piece was fairly new and it was much cheaper that having to buy a new smaller one!

The timber floors in the cottage are creaky, we have a log burner in the front lounge and the cottage have a real sense of history too it.  Having lived in a modern house, I honestly would not swap this new one for the world. When I undertake any work to the cottage I have no intention of taking away its ‘quirky’ features, in fact it is these features that makes it what it is! I appreciate that not everyone will have the same taste as me, however, the more people that can understand the significance of the heritage of our older buildings and also appreciate the craftsmanship that is part of the fabric and structure of these buildings, then the more people that will experience the same privilege as I do by waking up each day in such a quirky house! 

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. 

Listed Buildings – Why should we protect our past?

We have a wonderfully diverse range of buildings in the UK and an equally diverse built environment which has responded to many years of change, development and progress. We clearly need to embrace change however our unique heritage in the UK would be quickly lost if all of our important and historic buildings were to be demolished and replaced with new modern buildings

Source: http://www.geograph.org.uk/

In 1709 Jonathon Swift, an Irish Cleric, Writer, Poet and Politician once commented; ‘nothing in the World is constant, but change’. In this fast moving World this is particularly true of the built environment which continues to find ways of re-inventing itself to keep pace with technology, innovation, population growth and to respond to issues such as depleting resources such as fossil fuels as well as global warming. 

We have a wonderfully diverse range of buildings in the UK and an equally diverse built environment which has responded to many years of change, development and progress. We clearly need to embrace change however our unique heritage in the UK would be quickly lost if all of our important and historic buildings were to be demolished and replaced with new modern buildings.  It is for this reason that selected buildings in the UK are given statutory protection, which makes it a criminal offence to alter, develop or demolish, depending on the protected status of the building (discussed below), without permission.  You will often hear protected buildings referred to as ‘listed buildings’. 

Listed buildings were first introduced during World War II as a means of deciding which buildings should be rebuilt if they were damaged by bombing. Not long after World War II had ended the introduction of the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 resulted in the compilation of the first list of buildings of special historical or architectural importance. Since then more and more buildings, monuments, site, landscapes and other miscellaneous items have been added to the list in order to preserve our heritage. Currently, listed buildings are designated by the Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, acting on advice provided by English Heritage.  English Heritage will assess a building’s suitability for protected status and will then make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, who can then decide to either accept or reject the recommendation.

If a building is designated for statutory protection (Listing), then it will be allocated into one of the following categories:

Categories of listed buildings (Source: English Heritage)

-   Grade I buildings are of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important; only 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade I

-   Grade II* buildings are particularly important buildings of more than special interest; 5.5% of listed buildings are Grade II*

-   Grade II buildings are nationally important and of special interest; 92% of all listed buildings are in this class and it is the most likely grade of listing for a home owner.

The selection process for protected status is much wider than you would imagine.  When I ask my students ‘what is a listed building?’, the usual first reaction is an ‘old historic building’ where they usually provide examples such as Tudor timber framed buildings with thatched roofs or medieval castles.  Whereas, these examples given are not bad ones, the scope and selection of listed buildings is much wider than age and appearance.  The older a building is and its rarity will be a strong influencing factor in respect of whether it will receive protected status in addition to its appearance, both in terms of its architectural merit and whether the building is part of a collection of similar buildings.  Architectural merit will not always relate to ‘older’ buildings as there are examples of many more ‘modern’ buildings that have been listed as a result of their unique structure and form.  

Source: http://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/

A good example is the signal box at Birmingham New Street Station (see image).  Many people are surprised to when they find out that the signal box is listed and therefore protected, as it does not follow the conventional perception of what people think a listed building should be.  An article in the Birmingham Post on-line (Link) describes the unique features of the signal box; ‘Designed by Bicknell & Hamilton and W.R. Healey and completed in 1965, the unapologetically bunker-like structure is an honest expression of its utilitarian function. Standing five storeys high above track level, the building gives no clue of the hive of activity that exists within its four walls. The technology inside is of the same era as the exterior façade and was revolutionary for its time. The Relay Room sits just above street level and houses enormous banks of algorithmic electronic relays, known as Wespacs, which are programmed to calculate legal routes for the trains to take.’

A building may be also listed because it represents a particular historical type.  A good example of this is the prefabricated houses that were erected in the 1940’s as a means of providing housing quickly for those affected by bombing during the war.  I have previously written an article on 1940’s prefabs which you may find of interest (Link).  These houses were only designed to solve a short term problem, however as the majority have now been demolished the ones that remain provide a permanent insight (because they are now listed) into a unique form of simplistic construction, one that I have to admit I find fascinating.  If we did not have the ability to protect these types of buildings then it is likely that they could have all disappeared without a trace, which would have been a real shame.  Occasionally English Heritage will also select a building because the building has played a part in the life of a famous person, or as the scene of an important event. 

In order to ensure that our heritage does not get lost in this modern World it is fundamentally important that we provide a level of protection that ensures that future generations can appreciate the built environment of their predecessors. Statutory protection and listed status allows this protection and whilst many may not approve of every building, structure or monument that is given this protection, it's importance cannot be understated.

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.

1940’s Prefab Houses – 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  

Prefab at Avoncroft Museum - Source: Own

A number of years ago I visited Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings, which is situated near junction 1 of the M42 in Bromsgrove in the West Midlands.  The Museum currently has over 27 different 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 interested me 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.

Kitchen within Avoncroft Prefab - Source: Own

Nowadays, prefabrication is something that is commonly used for new build 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 by the Germans 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 http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk/ explains the planned approach to housing shortage and how design played a key part in its success.

'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'

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 this speedily constructed dwelling was 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?

Second Bedroom within Avoncroft Prefab - Source: Own

Bathroom within Avoncroft Prefab - Source: Own

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