The Original Specifications for the Quonset Hut

The overarching need that gave rise to the distinctive Quonset Hut design is that the housing or building must be all-purpose and must be lightweight. This means that the housing can be shipped by the Navy to all corners of the globe. Moreover, the housing must be simple enough that it can be assembled at its destination without any skilled labor.

The specific design specifications for housing dimensions took the form of a 5m x 11m building structure that has a steel frame and a 2.4m radius. The building must be able to be assembled on a wide range of surfaces. It can have a concrete foundation, wood or concrete pilings, or it can be placed directly on the soil with a layer of wood that serves as the hut’s floor. The military contractor who won the Navy’s contract was the George A. Fuller construction company.