English Experiments With Ready-Made Homes

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 89, 1 September 1948, Page 2

English Experiments With Ready-Made Homes

Faced with the most acute housing shortage in her history, Great Britain has been trying out every type of temporary and permanent dwelling in order to speed post-war building. Prefabricated houses in Britain often are n{iade of steel, aluminium or other metals rather than wood due to the lack of extensive forest products in that country. Of the more permanent structures brick houses are still the most popular, and several modern types ; are being erected by municipal authorities, as well as under private enterprise. The rural council at Cheltenham, with jurisdiction over a large area of Gloucestershire farmlands, is experimenting with an interesting combination of prefabricated individual construction. End walls and chimneys as well as foundations of bricks are erected on the site. But the floors, inner partitions, side walls and roofs are prefabricated. They are of wood, and are being imported from Sweden where that commodity is in freer supply. The Swedes have had rich experience in housing schemes and in the development of all types of cheap but modern and comfortable homes for the working men and farmers of their progressive country. Co-opera-tive housing schemes under Government auspices have been in successful operation for a quarter-century, and it is expected that methods found in Sweden may be adapted to English use to great advantage.