The Aluminaire House

A Modernist Marvel Finds its Forever Home at the Palm Springs Art Museum

In 1931, the Allied Arts and Industries and the Architectural League of New York unveiled the starkly modern, all-metal ‘Aluminaire’ home, constructed primarily of aluminum and glass components, which inspired the name. It was intended to be mass-produced and affordable, using inexpensive, off-the-shelf materials. The house caught the public’s attention so much that more than 100,000 visitors toured the home in just one week on exhibit. The three-story house was designed by A. Lawrence Kocher, the managing editor of Architectural Record, and Albert Frey, then a 28-year-old Swiss architect who had recently immigrated to America after working in Paris for the great architect Le Corbusier.

It was the first all-metal house constructed in the U.S. and of such importance in the architectural world that images of it were featured in the prestigious exhibition ‘The International Style – Architecture Since 1922’ at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 1932.  The house emboldened a new architectural movement in the United States. The Aluminaire was an overt demonstration of bringing together the ideas of mass production and high-density community planning.

The House Design

The concept was for the house to be situated near a city and inhabited by a couple. It boasted a range of amenities across its three floors.

Designed as a prototype for prefabricated housing, the Aluminaire aimed at affordability, with projections suggesting a cost of $3,200 per unit if produced in sufficient quantities (10,000 units). Echoing elements of Le Corbusier’s architectural style, such as pilotis (supports that raise a building above the ground or water), ribbon windows, and a roof garden, the Aluminaire House exuded a similar aesthetic. It included a spacious combined living and dining area spanning the entire width of the house, accentuated by a double-height ceiling. Folding screens and translucent partitions added to the sense of openness, transforming individual rooms into versatile, multi-functional spaces.

“After working with Le Corbusier in Paris, my aim in life was to use permanent materials that don’t require maintenance,” Frey told The New York Times in 1998. “It [aluminum] was an up-and-coming material, much more durable than wood or plaster, which cracks. And it went up very quickly. The house was built in 10 days.”

Neon tubes running above the windows lit the interior with dial controls, allowing the occupant to adjust the level and color of illumination. The house also featured built-in metal, glass, and rubber fixtures designed by Kocher and Frey to save space and minimize maintenance.

Ground Floor: Featured a covered porch, entrance hall, boiler room, and garage. You drive into the garage with direct access to the stair hall. Rather than backing out, you drive through the garage to exit. The construction system had six light columns supports which allowed adjusting walls to required enclosed needs. The curved heater room area conformed to the heating unit’s shape with the surrounding waking space.

Second Floor: There was a kitchen, living and dining rooms, bedroom, bathroom, and exercise room. Beds were suspended from metal cables. The living room had a view of the garden and a special glass window occupied the entire side of the living room.  A suite of air-filled rubber chairs could be deflated for easy storage. The stairway lead directly into the duplex living room, 17 feet high. The dining space was at one end of the living room. The kitchen, accessible through a double-acting door, had a compact arrangement of range, sink, refrigerator, and cabinets. A combination china cupboard and retractable dining table had legs on wheels to allow easy extension. There was also a door to a dumb waiter (noted DW on plans). The bedroom, with two closets, could be opened into an exercise space and bathroom. There was controlled privacy.

Third Floor: This floor housed a skylit library, toilet, and terrace. From the living room, the stairway continued to a library balcony. This room included a couch, closets, and cabinets. It had a ceiling of aluminum foil. It could also be used as a temporary bedroom with its own bathroom. Light and ventilation were from the skylights. A glass door opened onto the roof terrace. The covered part of the patio could be used for dining. Food was brought up from the kitchen with the dumb waiter.

Building Materials