6×6 Demountable House, 1944 – adaptation Richard Rogers RSHP

The adaptation of Jean Prouvé’s 6×6 Demountable House by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners is based on the original plans with the addition of modern living facilities including external bathroom and kitchen pods as well as a series of service trolleys providing hot water and solar-powered electricity. Placing the pods on the outside maintains the flexibility of the original internal layout, and the trolleys ensure the house has an independent supply of water and energy so it can be built in any environment.
RSHP’s design replaces six of the original wooden panels to provide a link bridge connection to each pod and an entrance of four glazed panels that bring light into the main living space and open onto a new external decking platform. The decking is controlled through a counter balance system so it can be lowered for use as an outdoor space or raised to act as a shutter to protect the glazing against extreme weather conditions. In keeping with the original design, all components can be manually assembled and dismantled easily on site, and different panel locations can be configured to suit specific locations.
The RSHP adaptation was designed to be showcased at DesignMiami/ Basel 2015 before transferring to an outdoor setting. As well as a new holiday retreat, it has potential to become a blueprint for future transportable and demountable refugee housing in keeping with Prouvé’s original vision.