Study Architecture 
ProPEL 
Author(s): Alicia Imperiale
The “Packaged House” is an extraordinary example of a prefabricated modularconstruction system designed by German emigrés Konrad Wachsmann andWalter Gropius during WWII. Its lyricism inspired László Moholy-Nagy to includea photograph of the prefabricated parts packaged for delivery in hisgroundbreaking book Art and Vision of 1946. The project is best known for itsconceptual richness, but was never fully executed nor a commercial success,but still merits our attention today.Wachsmann did not have a preconception of the perfect or final house—it remainedan open system of 10 types of 40”x120” panels on a 40” module. Thepanels were designed for use as floors, ceilings, or walls and were connectedon their edges by custom-designed flat wedge-shaped metal connectors. Theoffsite fabrication of coordinated parts for the house allowed for extremelyrapid on site construction of the interlocking parts. It was also possible tocompletely dismantle the building and reinstall it at another site. In addition,many notable architects were invited to propose inventive uses of the partswhich highlighted the aesthetic versatility of the system.In February of 1942, the National Housing Agency allocated $153 million forthe development of prefabricated housing for displaced defense workers witha production target of 42,000 houses. In September 1942, the General PanelCorporation was set up to begin the manufacture of the “Packaged House.”Wachsmann worked on the project constantly refining the fabrication of theparts, but by May 1945 with the end of WWII, the house was still not inproduction.After the war, the General Panel Corporation received Federal grants to be ableto take over the former Lockheed Aircraft Factory in Burbank, California. Factoriesthat made armaments could be retooled to make houses for returningGI’s and their families! Wachsmann designed the factory production line andmachinery and all was ready by mid-1947, but the project erred in its timingagain, as the Veterans Emergency Housing program was cancelled.Wachsmann himself slowed down the process many times along the way. Whenhis ingenious 4-way connector was ready to go into production, he retractedthe design, slowing down the process, with fatal results. He had missed histiming, as his custom designed panels were then too expensive to fabricateand were replaced with standard joists and framing, completely destroying theingenuity and integrity of the prefabricated system.This was too much for Wachsmann, because it completely undermined theuniversality of the SYSTEM, which was of utmost concern for him. The titleThe Dream of the Factory-Made House: Konrad Wachsmann and Walter Gropius,1 is telling in that the “Packaged House” remained a dream in that it neverdid in fact go into production. This is a shame, as the system was an incredibleachievement that deserves attention today. Wachsmann is also known forhis Mobilar space frame system and his designs for the USAF hangers. Theseother important projects will be briefly discussed in conclusion to the focus onthe Packaged House system.
Volume Editors
John Quale, Rashida Ng & Ryan E. Smith
ISBN
978-0-935502-85-5
