No Nails, No Lumber

Imagine a house constructed in less than forty-eight hours, without using lumber or nails, that is more resistant to fire, earthquakes, and hurricanes than any traditionally built structure. This may sound like the latest development in prefab housing or green architecture, but the design dates back to 1941 when architect Wallace Neff (1895–1982) developed Airform construction as a solution to the global housing crisis. Best known for his elegant Spanish Colonial–revival estates in Southern California, Neff had a private passion for his dome-shaped “bubble houses” made of reinforced concrete cast in position over an inflatable balloon. No Nails, No Lumber shows the beauty and versatility of Neff’s design in new and vintage photography, previously unpublished illustrations, and archival material and ephemera.

No Nails, No Lumber: The Bubble Houses of Wallace Neff is written by Jeffrey Head and published by Princeton Architectural Press (Chronical Books). The Digital and eTextbook ISBNs for No Nails, No Lumber are 9781616891558, 1616891556 and the print ISBNs are 9781616890247, 161689024X.