American System Built Homes-Burnham Street District - Credit: Wikimedia Commons
American System Built Homes-Burnham Street District - Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The American System-Built Homes were modest houses in a series designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. They were developed between 1911 and 1917 to fulfill his interest in affordable housing but were sold commercially for just 14 months. The Wright archives include 973 drawings and hundreds of reference materials, the largest collection of any of single Wright project. Wright cancelled the project in July of 1917 by successfully suing his partner Arthur Richards for payments due and didn't speak of the program again. The designs were standardized, and customers could choose from one hundred and twenty nine models on seven floorpans. Because of this standardization, the lumber could be milled at a factory, thereby cutting down on both waste and the amount of skilled labor needed for construction. The buildings are often termed prefabricated homes, but they were not, since prepared materials were delivered to the work site for construction by a carpenter. Windows, doors and some cabinetry were made at the factory. Frames, shelves, trim and some fixtures were cut and assembled on site. Every milled profile had a part number and corresponding instructions and drawings for construction. . Read more on Wikipedia
Source: en.wikipedia.org