Dymaxion deployment unit
{{Short description|Structure designed by Buckminster Fuller}}
File:Dymaxion House - LOC 8c14945v.jpg
A Dymaxion deployment unit (DDU) or Dymaxion House, is a structure designed in 1940 by Buckminster Fuller consisting of a 20-foot circular hut constructed of corrugated steel looking much like a yurt or the top of a metal silo.{{cite news |title=War Shelters, Short-Lived Yet Living On |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/02/garden/war-shelters-short-lived-yet-living-on.html |quote=Conceived as low-cost, mass-produced shelters that could comfortably accommodate a family of four, the units, known as D.D.U.s, were manufactured in the early 1940s and distributed to military bases around the world. |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 31, 2013 |access-date=2014-01-02 }} The interior was insulated and finished with wallboard, portholes and a door. The dome-like ceiling has a hole in the top and a cap for ventilation.
File:Historic American Buildings Survey - Dymaxion House - Structure.jpg
History
The Army Signal Corps commissioned Fuller in 1942 to develop 200 units as quickly as possible. The units were manufactured by the Butler Manufacturing company and were deployed all around the world prior to the US entry into World War II. The cost of each unit at the time was $1,250. The wartime shortage of steel resulted in the cancellation of further production.
The Infoage Science/History Learning Center (the NJ science center at Camp Evans) has 11 surviving DDUs as seen in current satellite photos.[https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=camp+evans+wall+nj&fb=1&gl=us&hq=camp+evans&hnear=0x89c1877d4d2f27d1:0xeeaae07536262ec1,Wall+Township,+NJ&cid=0,0,2408280497846036475&ei=vPr4T-3SC4HJ0QGf8ajmBg&ved=0CIkBEPwSMAA&oi=local group google.com] Historical aerial photos show at least 14 between the two large H-shaped buildings for a total of over 24 units at the base from 1947 to 1970.[http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?scale=3&lon=-74.06196190341805&lat=40.18368912553674&year=1953 historicaerials.com] Many of the cement pads remain after the DDU was removed. They were used for storage of hazardous materials and for small shops.[http://infoage.org/dymaxion-deployment-units-ddus/ infoage.org]
See also
References
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Further reading
- [http://www.campevans.org/articles/287-dymaxion-deployment-units-ddus "Dymaxion Deployment Units at Camp Evans in Wall, New Jersey USA"]
{{Buckminster Fuller}}
Category:Military equipment of World War II