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Editorial Reviews

Friends of Kebyar

"Though the title may spawn a smile or chuckle from some, it will certainly arouse diverse stories from those who have resided, worked, or otherwise experienced a quonset. This survey of its development, history, and influences through time is concisely presented. Well stocked with photos, drawings and thorough research, this book also shows prominent architects whose designs were inspired by the quonset. Charles and Ray Eames, Buckminster Fuller, Campbell & Wong were among them. A few pages are devoted to Bruce Goff, including his Quonset-derived designs for the Camp Parks Chapel and the Ford House in Aurora, Illinois."

"My favorite Quonset-inspired design, however, is that from James W. Fitzgibbon: the 1950 Daniel residence in Knoxville, Tennessee. Fitzgibbon is known for his partnering with Buckminster Fuller in developing the geodesic dome as well as a distinguished academic career. If published today, Daniel residence would fit well among any of our great organic masterpieces."

"Quonset Hut would be an interesting and welcome addition to any Modern book library." (December 2006)

Dwell

"This well-researched and thoroughly illustrated guide explores the iconic building's wartime origins, peacetime afterlife, and later dissemination into American popular culture." (Feb/Mar 2006)

Azure

"In this first-ever book on the subject, (the editors) plot the arc of the Quonset hut's tenure to date, from its conception and propagation during World War II as emergency shelter and temporary housing to its subsequent "unexpected permanence" as a remarkably adaptable feature of the built landscape." (April 2006)

Architecture

"Looking at the many adaptive reuses of (Quonset huts) left behind, the authors explore an inimitable legacy: the postwar housing solution Quonsets never became; the love-hate relationships that owners have with the surviving ones; and what these structures - simple, spacious, yet not readily accommodating - teach us about how we now define home." (December 2005)

Choice

"These essays and their many revealing illustrations tell the fascinating story of a widely utilized prefabricated building system; remarkably, they also tell the story of a culture in transition and a pivotal moment in history. The book should interest historians and anthropologists as well as architects and engineers. It is a joy to read and ponder." (March 2006)

The Lay of the Land

"It's about time someone made a new book about this common and sensible architectural form, something that is found all over the nation, and is used in so many different ways (Quonsets may in fact be the closest thing to a "national" architectural form). This is the book on the subject. Another gem from Princeton Architectural Press." (Winter 2006)

The Architect's Newspaper

"The authors focus on the hut's emergence as an unexpected icon of Americana and American individuality. Their tale is accompanied by rich imagery about the hut and its various incarnations, as well as a discussion of how contemporary architects have used the hut's basic concept for their investigations into low-cost prefab structures." (July 26, 2006)

Architecture Minnesota

"A cleverly illustrated and smartly succinct history worthy of any coffee table, Quonset Hut would make a perfect gift for that fan of mid-century modernism in your family, or the current director of FEMA." (June 2006)

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