By Tim Binnall
A company in Ohio has announced plans to begin creating new versions of the famed flying saucer-shaped Futuro Houses. The unique-looking homes were originally the brainchild of Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, who unveiled the wild design in the late 1960s. Affectionately called 'UFO houses,' the out-of-this-world structures did not exactly take the world by storm and ultimately less than 100 of the homes were ever made. Since that time, the 'alien' buildings have become something of a collector's item, by virtue of their rarity, and one of the homes has even been turned into an Airbnb in California.
Those who have long yearned to get their hands on one of the unique homes may soon be in luck as, according to a press release, the company US Lighting Group has formed a subsidiary, dubbed Futuro Houses, specifically aimed at reviving the retro residences. Arguing that the homes can help "meet the fast growing demands for affordable housing," the business intends to manufacture the space-age structures using "state-of-the-art wood-free fiberglass and carbon fiber composite construction." Noting that the homes were inspired by Suuronen's concept, to the point that they have even adopted the name, the company stressed that they have solved some of the key issues which plagued the houses decades ago.
Specifically, they note that the original Futuro Houses were hampered by "windows that did not open" as well as astronomical shipping costs caused by the "cumbersome" original design. In response, the company indicated that their homes will boast "double-pane acrylic windows" that do, in fact, open and they solved the transport problem by "redesigning the entire shape of the house to fit inside an international shipping container." Time will tell whether or not the company's reimagining of the Future House, the cost of which has yet to be announced, will see the structure wind up being more successful this time around, perhaps thanks to nostalgia, or if people will still be reticent about living in a flying saucer-shaped abode.