Projects by Name

In 1944, Richard Pratt, the Architectural Editor of the Ladies' Home Journal, invited Breuer to submit designs for a series on well-designed affordable housing for families earning $2,000 to $3,000 a year. Breuer submitted a one-story, 1,200-square-foot house with detached garage and optional porch. The house was organized in two zones. The living spaces, including bedrooms, living room, dining area and porch, faced the garden and received southern exposure. The rooms facing north contained services such as the kitchen, utility room, entrance hall and closets. The house featured sliding windows with a cantilevered, louvered portion of the roof serving as a sunshade. Breuer suggested three options for construction: prefabricated 3 foot 4 inch modules with stressed plywood walls; locally produced semi-prefabricated parts; or traditional frame construction with wood or plywood exterior and interior sheeting. He estimated that the house would cost between $4,000 and $6,000 depending on the number of bedrooms. In the end, Pratt decided not to publish Breuer's house.