Projects by Name

Breuer developed this one-story, two-bedroom prefabricated house in response to the anticipated need for housing after World War II. He derived the name from striking features of the design, including the lightweight plastic-coated plywood building material and the fact that the house seemed to balance on two foundation blocks in order to avoid the expenses of grading and full foundations. The floor and ceiling trusses were inspired by the truss of an airplane wing and cantilevered from central girders. Posts connected the trusses and carried the load of the roof, while the plywood panels used for the roof, ceiling, floor and non-load-bearing walls contributed necessary rigidity to the design. Neither this design nor the Yankee Portables was ever built, and Breuer was deeply discouraged by the lack of response to his prefabricated housing designs.