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For the purposes of this discussion, one might nominally define prefabricated building as a factory production process that allows rapid site assembly of a permanent building to a fixed foundation, with little or no custom work. Generally, the objective of such building prefabrication is the creation of construction and assembly efficiencies with the implied benefit of increased affordability and/or profit. While prefabrication has been considered a kind of modern ideal in some quarters, one might also note that the single-family home’s highly personal and symbolic role suggests special challenges for those who would produce standardized buildings.
What Made Lustron Homes Unique?
Plus, the Lustron Corporation offered financing options, allowing more post World-War II families to reach and attain their dream of homeownership. A report at the beginning of Lustron’s federal government loan funding and design process estimated the cost for a Lustron home around $4,800. This was ideal, considering the federal government estimated that the average middle-class family and returning Veterans could afford around $5,000.
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When compared to modern architecture’s most visionary projects, the modest Lustron Home was an unlikely protagonist in the century-spanning exploration of the idea of prefabrication. While the Lustron was indeed a concept home, it was also a cultural by-product of innocent, “Popular Mechanics” inspired notions of the future and the enthusiasm generated by wartime mass-production successes. Promotional literature promised low maintenance costs, since all interior and exterior surfaces—including the roof—were constructed of porcelain enamel panels.
Lustron Homes The Original Metal Bungalow House
It had been partially assembled (no bedrooms) for a few months in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Manhattan. The house continues to be on display in Columbus through 2024 at least. In 1801, British manufacturers began fabricating cast iron structural systems for industrial buildings, a concept that was extended to storefronts and even entire facades ordered through catalogs, which became popular across the US by the late 19th century.
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The houses initially sold for between $8,500 and $9,500, according to a March 1949 article in the Columbus Dispatch—about 25 percent less than comparable conventional housing, but costs quickly rose as manufacturing costs couldn’t meet the proposed price point. Taking over a former warplane manufacturing plant in Columbus, Ohio, the Lustron factory spanned over 1 million square feet of machinery, employing many war veterans. The 207-page book, delivered to each house site along with a truckload of parts, is one of Zeiger’s favorite aspects of Lustrons. “They were engineered so the average person could put them together.
The assembly process seems to akin to building a Sears mail order house. However, kit houses used traditional materials and assembly techniques, while Lustron did not. Homeowners were attracted to the perceived time- and space-saving features of a Lustron home. Owning in a Lustron home wasn’t just about having a house; it was an experience, marked by the unconventional yet inviting atmosphere created by the innovative design. By 1950 RFC filed to foreclose on Lustron, after which the company declared bankruptcy and failed to repay its government loan. The housing company had built 2,498 houses but could not deliver 8,000 additional orders.
How America’s affordable house of the future failed - The Hustle
How America’s affordable house of the future failed.
Posted: Fri, 15 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
He then secured President Truman’s endorsement to obtain federal subsidies for factory production and preferential treatment in receiving steel allocations. It was a homecoming when Lustron house #549 opened at the Ohio History Center in 2013. The prefabricated family dwelling, constructed entirely of steel, was made in the 1940s at a factory near what is today John Glenn Columbus International Airport. Lustron homes were touted as state of the art, maintenance free and essentially indestructible as they were marketed to young families following World War II. The one on display inside Columbus’ Ohio History Center was one of 11 that once existed in Arlington, Virginia.
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(“Permanent finishes cut down maintenance costs” claimed the marketing materials.) Optional picture-hanging kits and steel venetian blinds could be purchased to customize the space. The original kitchens featured an innovative under-the-sink Thor Automagic, which easily converted from a dishwasher to a washing machine. Lustron homes differed from the traditional stick frame homes in that they were made from the revolutionary use of prefabricated enameled steel. From roofing, frame, architectural porcelain enamel wall panels, all the way down to built-in cabinets and furniture.
The downfall came from a confluence of factors, including higher-than-expected corporate startup costs, a lower production rate than was initially forecasted, and a resulting hike in home prices. In addition, political machinations conspired against Lustron, leading to an untimely end to a project that seemed to be on the (slightly bumpy) road to success. An Ohio factory mass-produced some 3,000 parts per home, including the bathtub, built-in cabinets, and vanities.
The company relied on a network of dealers whose startup costs were exceedingly high. Production was unable to break even or keep up with demand, and construction took much more time and labor than projected. Second among its lessons was its role as a test case for understanding the efficiencies required of house prefabrication. The company’s lack of discipline in limiting the number of dissimilar parts significantly reduced both the speed of factory production and site assembly. Varying local and state building codes presented a significant barrier for Lustron homes. Even though porcelain-enameled steel outperformed conventional lumber for longevity, it failed to meet codes in some jurisdictions and therefore, couldn’t be built.
Even with federal subsidies, the company was only able to fill 2,680 of the more than 20,000 orders it received before declaring bankruptcy in 1950. Accounts vary, but a few problems evident from the start were never overcome. Tooling the factory for production was more difficult and expensive than originally estimated. Each home was made up of too many unique parts for production to truly be efficient.
During the company’s last years in operation, they expanded their portfolio of homes to include a one-bedroom and a three-bedroom model. Nonetheless, Lustron houses sold well once production got properly underway. The company produced 2,498 prefabricated houses, about 150 of which are in Wisconsin.
Throughout the Great Depression, architects and federal agencies concerned about the dearth of affordable housing had experimented with prefabrication, but none had actually achieved production on a large enough scale to keep costs low. At the end of World War II, a housing shortage made prefabs a national priority, and nearly three hundred companies entered the prefabricated housing industry. Lustron Corp. hoped its prefabricated steel homes would address the need for postwar housing. The company’s Columbus factory closed after making just 2,600 homes, most of which still stand today. While all Lustron models shared the common thread of prefabricated steel construction and features like space-saving pocket doors, each had its own set of characteristics. From the layout of rooms to the placement of windows, these features catered to diverse homeowner preferences.
The unique entryway added a touch of architectural flair with a zigzagged trellis. While Columbus served as the heart of Lustron production, there were a few satellite factories in Chicago, Illinois, and Omaha, Nebraska to foster efficient production and timely delivery of the soaring demand of Lustron homes in other parts of the country. The Lustron innovation aimed not only to meet the demand for housing but also to introduce a new level of convenience and durability to homeowners. Lustron homes believed that they would emerge as a popular choice for prospective homeowners for several reasons. My family has been researching these homes for 38 years, 20 years after we published the book. It's time Lustron Research finally has a place on the web for our community to gather.
Lustron houses were produced in two- and three-bedroom models, and the exteriors were available in four colors. This house remains in excellent condition, proving the durability of its materials. The carport, added later, is finished in stucco that is scored to mimic the porcelain panels. More than a dozen companies had exhibited prefabricated steel houses at the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago.
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