A collection of 9 black and white negatives showing the construction of a prefabricated “Swedish House”, a timbre framed dwelling whose parts were built in Sweden and then assembled in situ. Around 5,000 were built across the UK and although they were intended to only last between 10-15 years, many are still standing in 2019. The homes in the images are at Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, where the first Swedish houses were built in the UK. The Temporary Housing Act of 1944/5 was intended to alleviate the acute housing shortages of the immediate postwar years. The Ministry of Works was the government department tasked with the organisation and efficiency of the push for housing construction. Consequently, modular and prefabricated housing became very popular. The Swedish homes were built of Baltic pine and were a gift from the Swedish nation in response for Britain’s assistance during the war.
6 of the 9 images have been catalogued and scanned as part of a 2019 project.
The original Ministry of Works storage envelope lists the operator as “T”.
This is part of the Sub Series: PSA01/04/H Housing; within the Series: PSA01/04 Negatives; within the Collection: PSA01 Property Services Agency
Source: Historic England Archive
Mid 20th Century Prefabricated House, Construction
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