LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS Tuesday, March 25, 1947, p. 17 $5000 FACTORY BUILT HOME OFFERED TO SOLVE HOUSING An "industrially designed" house built on factory assembly lines and selling for less than $5000 was previewed at the Ambassador Hotel today. Developed by Scientific Research Laboratories of Los Angeles, the backers of the enterprise say they will place the first unit on public display within 60 days – that mass production can follow immediately on any scale desired. The project is headed by Earl W. Muntz, automobile dealer, who backed the development of the trim, aluminum dwelling. Explaining the models displayed today, the designer, Jacque Fresco said: "I think America is now ready for a factory built house. Materials which lend themselves to mass production such as aluminum are now available." The design features aluminum, asphalt tile, concrete and much glass, combined in clean, functional lines. Officials of the Muntz Co. said the house could be completely set up on a lot and bolted to a previously installed concrete foundation by 10 men in eight hours. The basic design – there are 12 variations – is a four-room unit comprising two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, dinette, bath, garage, and patio. It measures 930 square feet overall, considerably more than the minimum set by federal housing agencies. Said Fresco: "Tomorrow's home must be for the masses. Hence it is not primarily an architectural nor a construction problem but a mas production problem." |