The 1962 World’s Fair opened at Seattle Center with a modular
home, designated the American Home of the
Immediate Future. This home could be customized and would arrive on
your lot mostly pre-constructed; with just a few responsibilities left to the
new home owners (bolting the modules together, siding and roofing). These model
homes were just what the Baby Boomer generation needed: quick, expandable, affordable
housing.
To celebrate and commemorate the 50th anniversary
of the Century 21 Seattle World Fair, Habitat for Humanity Seattle/South King
County has been invited by the Seattle Center Foundation to build a House
of the Immediate Future and a World
House on the grounds of the Seattle Center as part of The
Next 50 celebration from April 22 to October 21, 2012.
The House of the Immediate Future will be a two story, 1,400
square foot sustainable home. Designed by, The
Miller Hull Partnership, it is intended to adapt as families grow or life
circumstances change. The house can accommodate a large family. Some of the
interesting features of the house include: some movable walls to reconfigure the
large spaces in the house, a galley kitchen, a nook for a home office, and great
storage possibilities. (Photo credit: DeAnn Rossetti, MercerIslandPatch)
Not unlike some of the benefits found in the American Home of the Immediate Future, the
House of the Immediate Future will
have a two-story prefabricated, stacked wet core which houses the kitchen,
bathrooms, mechanical room, and wiring and plumbing. By assembling the wet core
in a factory off-site, caste and construction time are reduced because the
plumbing and electrical components are housed in a central location.
The World House will
demonstrate the type of construction that Habitat for Humanity uses today in
developing countries. The houses are modest and cost approximately $4,000 to
$5,000 to build. Variations of the World
House are built around the world using local materials. Designs vary to reflect
local environments, climate, and culture.
Mercer Island Patch composed a wonderful article about the
original American Home of the Immediate
Future and can be read here: http://patch.com/A-mZkg
For more information about the Habitat for Humanity
Seattle/South King County Next 50 projects click
here.
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