The First Quonset Hut

True to its versatile, easy to assemble, and portable form, the first Quonset Hut was built within 2 months after the Fuller company got the Navy contract award. The original hut was made of corrugated steel sheet sides. The ends of the hut had plywood coverings and windows and a door. The interior of the hut had insulation and a wood floor and lining.

Flexibility and open space

Since the Quonset‘s construction distributed the weight of the roof through the sides, the internal area of the Quonset opened up a huge space. Traditional buildings have significant portion of the internal space of the building taken up by load bearing structures. This huge open space is responsible for the Quonset’s flexibility, it was used for anything from bakeries, housing, medical wards, dental offices, offices, bathrooms, and, most commonly, barracks.