Architects and custom home designers are becoming more and more creative in home designs as the demand for authentic, unique homes & tiny homes is increasing. People, especially millennial’s, are wanting homes that are more state of the art rather than traditional. An expert from Goldleaf Designs, a custom home builder in NJ said, “The younger generation is gravitating towards more distinctive homes compared to past generation; this is most likely because of their increased online presence. The younger generation is getting more creative with home design because they have the ability to see the most current [home design] trends on various social media platforms.”

One of the up and coming architectural design trends is the Quonset home. These homes are increasing in popularity all over the world, mostly amongst young homebuyers, here is what you need to know:

What is a Quonset Home?

A Quonset home is a type of home that features arch-styles, and semi-cylindrical steel. These homes came about during World War II as means to store equipment; they are making a comeback because of how inexpensive they are to build, buy, and maintain, as well as their ability to be built quickly and efficiently.

If you really want to dig deep into the history of the “Quonset Hut” check out this book by Julie Decker & Chris Chiel “Quonset Hut: Metal Living for a Modern Age” over on amazon here.

One of the added major benefits of a Quonset home is its environmental friendliness. These homes reduce energy because of their size and building them does not require extensive use of machines or fuel. In fact, much of the Quonset structure is created in a factory and is considered a prefabricated home.

These homes are very simple to assemble and can be done by the homebuyer. Quonset homes come with a kit that includes an open layout with directions on how to put it together. Similarly, these homes are even easier to maintain all year round.

What are the benefits?

Besides being extremely environmentally savvy, these homes offer a number of great benefits. The most notable are their longevity, their high strength designs and their multiple uses.

Quonset homes use top of the line steel which will not rust or show signs of wear and tear; typically the lifespan, if maintained correctly, can last between 80-100 years. Additionally, their high strength designs make them durable no matter the climate, weather, or season; this is why they were used in World War II. The fabric on the Quonset home stretches from a special tension system over a strong, galvanized steel frame.

In addition to military use, these homes are great for storage buildings, office/service buildings, medical centers, and crisis shelters. Quonset homes are making a comeback because of their efficient design, this design is great to store vehicles and other large machines as well as mass amounts of people.

Are They Weatherproof?

Quonset homes are one of the most weatherproof homes on the market; again, this can be backed up with the fact that they were used to store crucial materials in World War II. Quonset homes can tolerate high wind, flying debris, violent storms,heavy snow and even tornadoes; this is due to their arched roof structure.

The only issue in terms of weather that Quonset homes are susceptible too are small leaks; this is because they are bolted together. During heavy rain it’s common that small leaks will occur, however, a majority of precipitation will slide off of the arched roof.

Are They Expensive?

Quonset are fairly inexpensive to construct. To build a small to medium structure yourself, the estimated cost is between $1,500 and $15,000. This covers a quonset structure that doesn’t require foundation and is best used for workshops and storage areas. For larger Quonset structures that are more ideal to live in, the average cost is between $3,000 and $25,000. This price can increase if you hire contractors to assist in the building process.

Quonset structures are also fairly inexpensive to maintain because of the materials they are made of. The materials, galvanized steel or iron, are sustainable and rarely need to be replaced or repaired.

Quonset Home Insulation

There are many ways to insulate a Quonset hut or Quonset home. Some involve traditional methods of insulating as you would a loft or wall cavity and others are a lot more elaborate and green. For example covering your Quonset home with turf and effectively having your a lawn on your roof with along with a membrane protects and insulates your Quonset home. This idea would lead to some awesome garden ideas. Here are a few products you can look into for insulating your Quonset home or hut.

Some of these exact products may only deliver to certain countries but you can easily search the same product on amazon that delivers to you.

• Rockwool slabs (check price here)
• Aluminium bubble insulation foil (check price here)
• Tyvek Fabric (check price here)
• Expanding foam (check price here)
• Damp proof membrane (check price here)

Decorating The Interior of a Quonset Home

Decorating a Quonset home isn’t much different than decorating any other kind of home. However, a Quonset home allows you to take advantage of the arched ceiling space. The arched ceiling gives the home an eclectic look and can be manipulated to look even more authentic with uncommon furniture shapes, perhaps a circle or oval-shaped bed or couch.

A popular trend in Quonset homes is contemporary cabinets and countertops and stainless steel appliances/accessories to contrast the rustic nature of the space. Because of the limited amount of space in these homes, the furniture should typically be smaller than furniture that would be in a standard size home. For example, choosing one bench style sofa or couch is a better choice to optimize space rather than a sectional or recliner. 

The Future of Home Design

Home designs are always changing and evolving; make sure to stay up to date with up and coming home design trends. Quonset homes are expected to become more popular as people are wanting to become more environmentally conscious and as they try to live a simpler and more cost-efficient lifestyle.