The Ultimate DIY Project

  

            Walter Segal’s intention in involving the homeowner in the building process was to allow them some type of agency in their built environment. This would consequently provide them with a greater sense of attachment and ownership over the space and thus formulate stronger bonds within the community as a whole. 60 years before this notion began in Europe, Sears began the production and sale of their kit homes in America. We can’t be entirely sure of the company’s intentions, but it’s safe to say their priority was likely to make money while also providing the public with a more affordable way to live wherever they could build a house. Consequently however, the communities where these homes were built are still recorded as being some of the most “tight-knit” American neighborhoods to date.

            It’s estimated that from 1908 – 1940, Sears sold upwards of 70,000 kit homes, roughly 70% of which are still standing today. The production stopped in 1942 after the start of the second world war due to government regulation of lumber. Since then, the American housing market has been run primarily by the banks and has thus steadily increased in cost throughout the course of time with inflation. Given the current state of the housing market, would it make sense to bring back something like the sears prefabricated catalogue homes as a more affordable option for people of our generation? Could it once again provide us with some sense of agency in our built environment and be the key to reuniting fractured communities across the country?