FACTORY MADE HOME
FOR ASIAN
CLIMATES
FAC
"ACTORIES in Britain are producing
the entire components of a permanent home, now being export- ed to all parts of the world but de- signed particularly for erection in tropical and sub-tropical climates.
——
The homes of two to four bed- room types with modern internal fittings are shipped in sections for complete assembly on site. They were initiated and planned origin- ally by the Ministry of Public Build- ing and Works for specific housing
schemes overseas and have been de-
veloped for export generally by the Arcon Group, of London, through its consultant architects and engin- pers, A.M. Gear and Associates.
Taylor Woodrow (Building Ex- ports) Ltd. are the marketing agents, and all the components are made by ponsor-members of the Arcon con- sortium who include
Henry Hope and Sons, I.C.I., Turner and Newall, Stewarts and Lloyds, and United Steel.
The Arcon house is basically a steel-framed, self-supporting struc- ture, clad and finished in materials which are free from maintenance, resistant to termites, and give a high standard of insulation (U-value of 0.14).
New Materials
Two new materials have been found to be particularly suitable for the house (1) a wood-wool slab for walls and partitions, to which is permanently bonded a p.v.c. decora- tive foil; (2) aluminium profiled roof sheets, flashings and trim, which are roll-formed or bent from pre- painted aluminium.
The Forest Products Research As- sociation, the Natural History Mus- eum and the Commonwealth Scien- tific and Industrial Research Organ- isation, Australia, were consulted about the resistance of the wood- wool to termites.
The study of finishes was aimed at providing internally predecorated surfaces and externally pre-decorated and protected surfaces to reduce work on site. For the same reason electrical and plumbing services are supplied by the manufacturers in complete kits with all plumbing pre- and pre-formed in marked
cut
lengths and electric wiring assembled in harnesses for pulling through to switch and outlet positions.
Rectangular hollow steel sections are used for the columns with a tied roof truss of rolled steel joists. The standard span is 24 ft. and bay lengths are 12 ft. or 16 ft.
Metal trays, 2 ft. square, insulat- ed above and the ceiling.
pre-decorated, form A 1 ft. modular plan- ning grid is used for the panels, giv- ing flexibility of internal planning without any alteration to the factory production lines.
The roof sheeting and wall slabs are produced in a range of colours and all surfaces, interior and ex- terior, can be washed down.
Easy Handling
For air conditioned houses, British Standard windows with hot dip gal vanized steel frames are used, be- cause of their resistance to corrosion. Where air-conditioning is not includ- ed, the windows are moveable glass louvres with 6 in. blades, the louvre frames being also of galvanised steel.
No indigenous materials are quired except a concrete foundation slab.
re-
Arcon claim that since all the components are designed to be easily handled by two men and erect- ed without mechanical equipment the two-bedroom house can be erected by six men in two 40-hour weeks, and the four-bedroom in three
Far East Architect & Builder April, 1965
12-σ
Bedroom 3
Bedroom 10 ||
12:0
Arcon house
weeks. A flexible system which can be used for offices, schools and other amenity buildings has also been de- veloped by the group.
two-
Cost of the houses ranges from £2,150 sterling f.o.b. for the bedroom type
to £3,500 for the large four-bedroom type.
The first 100 houses now in pro- duction are for personnel of the British Broadcasting Corporation on Ascension Island in the South Atlan- tic. Others have been ordered for Islamabad (new capital of Pakistan) and for the British Honduras.
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1
WM
Bath
Kit alon
Kušrading 192
Modern kitchen interior
12-0*
Layout of three-bedroom unit
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