107perhapssatisfytheeccentricquirksofa smallhandful
ofbuyers’.^16 Intruthit wasnotveryconvenient.It
wastooexpensivefora holidayhomeandtoosmall
fora permanentone.Whileitsraisedpositionon
legsallowedforsnowtoblowunderneathinsteadof
bankingupatthefrontdoorasit mighthavedonein
Finland,inNewZealandit lookedlikewastedstorage
space and many of them were filled in underneath―
andthehousesconvertedtootherfunctions,such
astheCameronJapanesefamilyrestaurantonMain
SouthRoad,Hornby,Christchurch.Nordidthe
Futuro fit New Zealandnotionsof the holidaybach,
wheretheprimitiveratherthanthefuturisticwasthe
expectation.AsinFinland,naturalmaterials,blending
intothelandscape,werepartofthedeal.Womenin
particularwereunimpressedbythekitchenwhere,in
mostplans,benchandstoragespacewereverytight.
IndeedtheFuturowasfromitsinceptiona maleidea.
Aswithcars,glamorouswomenwereusedintheir
promotion.It was one of five designsfor an ‘ideal
bachelorlair’thatPlayboyfeaturedin1970.^17 It was
dubbeda ‘portableplayhouse’.Playboyclaimedthat
cocktailtablesadjacenttothesofasinthemainliving
area convertedinto doublebeds―anotherAmerican
variantontheFinnishoriginal.Therewasshagpile
carpet.It wasidealfororgies,orsotheSwedish
magazinePrivatesuggestedin 1971 whenit included
a sadomasochistic sci-fi porn fantasy called ‘The
Goddesses of Galaxia’ set in a Futuro.^18
With all this criticism and the price hike, by the
1980s the Futuro was pretty much dead as a practical
mass-production housing concept. One last-ditch
attempt to breathe life into it was made in the
1990s. Futuro enthusiast Grant Major guesses that
the original moulds (variously said to have been
unceremoniously dumped back in the ’70s or to be
still out there somewhere) had been acquired by a
concern calling itself Global Villas Ltd of Wellington.
Promotional material described the ‘villas’ as
‘affordable recreational living: the new generation’.
For over 20 years, architects and designers had
been striving to satisfy the demand for a functional
affordable home, the literature noted. After two
years of development Global Villas had perfected the
design and were preparing to manufacture and install
relocatable ‘villas’ throughout Australia and New
Zealand. The public’s imagination would be inspired
by this ‘quick to erect and ready to live in’ housing
solution. The word ‘Futuro’ is nowhere to be seen
on the brochure, but the picture makes it clear that
they were Futuros in all but name. The initial contact
person was Bill Wilkinson of Churton Park. Major
(who had seen the pictures in his father’s Playboy) put
himself on the waiting list.
Eighteen months later (12 February 1996) a letter
from Case Ebskamp, Project Manager, explained they
were finalising engineering specifications and interior
design of the ‘spaceship houses’ and expected to be
producing homes in about four months. The price
of ‘some $80,000’ would not include siting costs.
Architectural designs were promised within two
months. Written confirmation of interest was asked
for. Alas, the project came to nothing.^19(^) The fact is that people like Major and Darragh were
not your cash-strapped first-time home-buyers in
need of a quick housing solution for home or away.
Their interests lay elsewhere. The resurrection of the
(opposite above) Cover of Science and Mechanics showing globe
house
(opposite below) PENNIE BROWNLEE Cartoon from Thames Star
- The caption read ‘Cripes, Joe, it’s an ideal type of home...
but with the birth of a satellite town it might encourage unwelcome
visitors from outer-space’
(below left) A BNZ Futuro house at the 1974 Commonwealth
Games, Christchurch
(below right) A BNZ Futuro house and bank staff (from left, Roger
Sisson, Barry Girvan, Gordon Duncan, Gordon Hurrell & Mark
Andrews) at the 1974 Commonwealth Games, Christchurch