The Futuro House

There are a couple of mentions of a Futuro in Princeton, NJ - among them are these two - neither provides any information other than stating that there was once a Futuro in Princeton:

• A page from the website Art & Architecture of New Jersey that reports: "There was once a Futuro in Princeton, NJ"
• A page from the website RoadsideArchitecture.com that states: "There were other Futuros in Princeton and Lakewood, NJ"

We decided to see what we could find out anything more about this and perhaps confirm whether a Futuro was once located in Princeton. There was certainly not much to find out there on the web but we did find a page from the website gpswnj.com archived by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine that provided a little more information including a possible location.

The article is titled "House Of Tomorrow" and it includes this location information; Mansgrove Rd & Route 206, Princeton, Mercer County. Most of the text refers not to a Futuro in Princeton but to the author's visit to the Willingboro Futuro but the article is clearly suggesting that there was a Futuro at the stated location in Princeton.

The article included two photographs but these have not been preserved in the archived page so there is no way to know if they were of the Futuro reported in Princeton or photos taken during the author's visit to the Willingboro Futuro.

A little work with Google Earth and its historical satellite imagery does tend to support the presence of a Futuro at the reported location though none of the imagery available is clear enough to be definitive. Based on the Google Earth imagery we believe it is likely that a Futuro was located in Princeton from some time before 040997 through at least 123101 with the unit being moved from the site sometime between 123101 and 071506 - there is a round object approximately the size of a Futuro that can be seen in Google Earth historical satellite imagery during this period.

If anyone can confirm that there was a Futuro in Princeton or has any information or photographs they could share please let us know.

The images below are screenshots of the location from Google Earth and show:

• The location as of 040997 with a Futuro like object visible.
• The location as of 123101 with a Futuro like object visible.
• The location as of 071506 with the Futuro like object no longer visible.

Sources & Reference

• Archived page from gpswnj.com
• Art & Architecture Of New Jersey
• RoadsideArchitecture.com

Update 012716

The E-Bay listing has been ended. Given that E-Bay shows the listing as "ended" rather than reporting the item as "sold" the house was not sold on E-Bay but of course the listing may have been ended early because the house was sold through other channels.

Update 012516

An example of the Nikolaos Xasteros House has been listed for sale on E-Bay (UK) as a "buy it now" for a little over $16,000.

DISCLAIMER: TheFuturoHouse.com is not the owner or seller of this item and is not affiliated with the sale in any way. This is a "big ticket" item so please due your due diligence if you are interested.

Update 112615

From time to time we get emails about possible Futuros and such was the case recently when we got an email from Giannis Sarris regarding a possible Futuro in Athens. Being Greece the Nikolaos Xasteros House came to mind and indeed when Giannis sent us some photos that turned out to be the case.

We do not often "revisit" locations on this page once they have been "debunked" but in this case one of the photos highlighted some of the similarities between the Xasteros structure and the Futuro to such an extent that we thought it was worth adding here.

The images below, Xasteros and Futuro respectively, clearly show how both structures were manufactured in sections and how those sections had inward facing "flanges" to facilitate their assembly into a single structure.





Both also show a radial structure upon which the floor could be mounted. Obviously there are also significant structural and design differences between the two; the windows were different and in the case of Xasteros the lower section appears to have been manufactured as a single section whereas with Futuro the segments run fully top to bottom. In addition the horizontal join between upper and lower sections is lower in the Xasteros house.

Overall while there are clearly significant and numerous differences the similarities in underlying concept are such that we wonder whether the designs originated entirely separately or whether one was prompted in some part by the other. The Xasteros structure was patented in 1969 not too long after Futuro.

Our thanks to Giannis Sarris for sharing this interesting photo.

Original Information 010513

A few days ago we received an email reporting a Futuro on the coast around Athens, Greece. The email contained a link to the photo below taken by Marios Moros 092009.



Of course we had never come across any references to a Futuro in Greece so this was exciting - for about 30 seconds! At a first and brief glance the image does show something that appears Futuro like but after the initial excitement it becomes very clear that this is not a Futuro. The information accompanying the photo on Flickr did not indicate where the structure was located so we contacted Marios and he referred us to another photo he had taken the same day. Shown below this image clearly shows something that is not a Futuro.



Along with the reference to the second photo Marios was kind enough to provide a little additional information including the location the photos were taken (to the south of Athens, Greece) and a reference to the "architecture biennial". Despite the fact that this was not a Futuro the structure piqued our interest and so armed with a location, a name and a reference to a biennial we decided to do just a little research (while trying to avoid our tendency to "fall down a rabbit hole" and spend way more time than we planned on it).

We are big fans of black and white photography and one of the first things we found was the photo below. It was taken 040510 by Alex Pinball and is displayed here under CC 2.0



It turns out there are some striking similarities between the Futuro and Nikolaos Xasteros' creation and the blog Errands recounts some of the building's history in a 081909 blog post.

In the blog post we learn that the "the dwelling with a shape resembling a flying disc" was made of fiberglass and was patented in 1969 by a company called ALTA (we think perhaps this Greek company but we may be wrong) and then later in 1973 by Xasteros himself. Xasteros' rationale was that a prefabricated, lightweight home that could be located almost anywhere would be popular and successful. Clearly in design, intention and timing the home was remarkably similar to Futuro.

Xasteros set up a production facility on his own in Komotini City and began working towards the fulfillment of his plans. As with Futuro there was significant interest and in 1978 Xasteros prepared for the opening of his first exhibition. It seems a change in Greek law at just that time that altered laws relating to the placement of prefabricated structures ultimately resulted in the failure of Xasteros' project. Errands reports that at most ten units were produced many of which still stand at various locations around Greece.

There seems to be a remarkable similarity with the Futuro story; an innovative design to meet a similar perceived need, a time of interest and indications of a bright future and great success, an ultimate failure because of an external factor that could not be controlled or planned for (for Futuro that was of course the 70's oil crisis) and an eventual small production run with a limited number of units remaining.

The second Athens Biennial (Dead - see here) took place in 2009 and among the exhibits was Xasteros' fiberglass dwelling. The unit was moved from the city of Loutraki for the biennial by the Errands, a group of architects, artists and sociologists.

The Xasteros home was also displayed as part of the "Heaven Live" exhibition curated by Dimitris Papaioannou & Zafos Xagoraris; a little more information can be found on this webpage (about a third of the way down the page) (Dead - pdf here) which also contains the first of the two images below; compare this to the second (Futuro) image (from this Futuro Brochure) - now obviously they are not the same but once again there is also a great similarity between the two.

Yet another similarity between the Futuro and Xasteros' building is the modular construction as illustrated by the two images below. First is an image courtesy of Errands showing construction of the Xasteros unit at the Athens Biennial and on the right is an image of the assembly of Futuro #001 at the WeeGee Exhibition Center in Finland (photo courtesy of Marko Home, the Producer of the WeeGee Futuro Exhibition and editor of the definitive Futuro Book "Futuro: Tomorrow's House from Yesterday").

That "rabbit hole" we mentioned; we feel ourselves falling, if we are not careful we will spend the next two months searching out the locations of remaining examples of Xasteros' dwelling. We may do so in the future so if you have information please let us know but for now there is Futuro stuff to get to so we will end with another photo courtesy of Errands and a couple of links to other photos and information.



Links | Ough | Errands | Errands | Errands

Sources & Reference

• Alex Pinball
• Athens Biennial (Dead - see here)
• Errands
• Giannis Sarris
• Marios Moros
• Marko Home

Update 120411

Having heard more reports recently about this possible Futuro we took another look today wondering if we might have been a little hasty in our judgment. However, our conclusion remains the same - not a Futuro.

We pulled some screenshots from Google Maps showing the scale (incorrect for a Futuro) of the two buildings at the location and we also pulled a couple of street views which, in our opinion, show clearly that the buildings are both geodesic domes. Let us know if you feel differently or if you have photos or other evidence that suggests one of the two buildings on this site is actually a Futuro. Take a look at the evidence here.


View In Google Maps


View In Google Maps

Original Information 092911

Included in the comments attached to a January 2010 Springfield State Journal Register article on the Livingston Futuro there were two separate references to a possible Futuro near Monitcello, IL.

"There is another one of these with an attached garage on I 72 somewhere around Monticello. Not a bad looking spread."

"There is another one near Monticello that has another building attached to it - it sits right next to the highway."

Having "driven" I-72 from Decatur to Champaign in Google Earth we do not believe there is a Futuro located near Monticello. What we do think is that the reports refer to a structure which is not a Futuro just north of Monticello right on the north side of I-72 (40°3'11.20"N 88°34'6.28"W). It is round, by the highway and has another building attached to it but it "sure ain't no Futuro".

We recently came across the following comment on the website pikdit.com.

"There's one (Futuro House) here in Northern Virginia used in Cox Farms' Halloween haunted hayride. It's used as an alien spaceship and people in alien costumes come out of it and try to grab people. I always thought it would be neat to live in."

Naturally enough we were interested (though also skeptical); if there was a Futuro at such a public location surely there would be information and photos on the web and we had never previously seen a report of a Futuro at Cox Farms nor had we ever seen a photograph of one. So it was time for a trip to trusty old Google Earth and not long after that it was clear that the reported object was not a Futuro.

As can be seen in the screenshot below there is a round object clearly visible (38°52'50.52"N 77°29'34.36"W - Cox Farms, 15621 Braddock Rd, Centreville, VA, USA) but equally clearly that object, at around 19 feet in diameter, is too small to be a Futuro.



While the Google Earth imagery was enough to indicate this was not a Futuro we took a look at Bing Maps as well; the "Bird's Eye" view in Bing Maps occasionally reveals detail Google Maps/Earth does not have. A screenshot is below and this imagery makes it even more clear that this is not a Futuro.



As an interesting side note the Bing Maps imagery shows the object placed some 350 yards or so north of its location in Google Earth; flipping back to Google Earth and "winding the clock back" revealed that the object had been moved to its current location sometime between 062011 and 101212.

Finally, and if there was not yet proof enough to "debunk" the Futuro report, a few minutes on the Cox Farms Facebook page revealed the object in all its glory; in a 101811 post Cox Farms proudly displays this photograph:



Sources & Reference

• Cox Farms Facebook Page
• pikdit.com

Update 111812

A Futuro has been confirmed as being on site in Virginia Beach but it appears it was removed sometime between 051808 and 040610. For more detailed information see the Virginia Beach section on the "Lost Souls" page.

Original Information 111712

On 051709 the following anonymous comment was posted on the website Artificial Owl in response to a post about the Futuro House:

"There is one of those in Pungo/Virginia Beach VA. Looks almost exactly the same except it was bolted shut."

A further report of a Futuro in Virginia Beach then appeared on CNN a couple of years later (040711). That article, in part, reads:

"VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. For years high school aged kids have searched for a rumored alien space craft; only few have found it. Damaged and forgotten, this large brown craft somberly rests with its windows busted in, glass littering the floor, and graffitied by unwanted visitors. Hundreds of cars drive down Indian River road every day, not knowing this circular craft 11 feet high and 26 feet across, lies at the end of a private driveway. The flying saucer stays on private property, locked behind an iron gate with old brick walls, and invisible from the roadside. From the street a no trespassing sign is clearly visible. However, that hasn't stopped some adolescents from finding this retro craft."

The article also mentions Richard Pisani, noted Futuro expert, and adds that the Virginia Beach Futuro was unknown to Pisani "until recently".

We have spent a little time searching in Google Maps and we have not found a Futuro. Of course it may be obscured or it may be outside the areas we have searched so far or perhaps it does not even exist.

Having said that given the source of at least one of the reports, CNN, and the mention of Richard Pisani which, in our opinion, adds credence to the report we have to think that there probably is a Futuro somewhere in the area. We are not so naive as to automatically believe everything even a reputable news outlet would put out but it seems to us exaggeration or embelishment is more likely with stories of more import than this; moreover we think that a major news network publishing something like this without verifying is unlikely. We will continue to search for a Futuro in the area and update this page if and when we find anything. In the meantime if anyone can confirm (or for that matter disprove) a Futuro in the area let us know. Thanks.

Sources & Reference

• Artificial Owl
• CNN

Update 112313

Information in an email we received this week from Lawrence confirmed the presence of a Futuro House in Annapolis from sometime in the 1980's through the late 1990's/early 2000's. Lawrence was recounting personal memories and also sent us a photograph of the Futuro. The Futuro sat behind a church at 911 Van Buren Street, Annapolis. Almost certainly this was the Futuro more commonly referred to as being on Tyler Avenue; it was actually located on land lying between Tyler and Van Buren which run parallel to each other.

For more information, screenshots from Google Earth and Lawrence's photo see the Annapolis entry on the Demolished Futuros page.

Original Information

A recent post in the Yahoo Group "futurohouse" by mikemtd tells us of a possible Futuro House once located in Baltimore, Maryland in the early 70's. In the post mikemtd wonders whether this Futuro House, long gone from Baltimore, might have ended up in Annapolis, MD.

There are a couple of mentions of a Futuro House in Annapolis out there; most notably on futuro-house.net and ArchInform. The latter lists one on Tyler Avenue, Annapolis.

Scouring through Google Earth historical satellite imagery for various dates has so far not revealed anything that could definitely be identified as a Futuro. There does seem to be one possibility though imagery is grainy and the size may not be quite right for a Futuro.

The sequence of images below from Google Earth shows 38º57'27.18"N 76º30'12.59"W (1222 Tyler Ave Annapolis, MD 21403). They date from (top to bottom) 041989, 040794 and 123101. The 1994 imagery shows an object that could be a Futuro. True the size appears to be slightly too small but the imagery is grainy and the "ruler" tool in Google Earth is somewhat imprecise at best. To us the imagery in no way confirms a Futuro but at the same time we do not believe we can completely discount it as possibly being a Futuro.







Bottom line for us is that while there are a couple of references to an Annapolis Futuro there is not enough evidence for us to class it as "confirmed and lost" and so for us this is a "rumored" location that may or may not have hosted a Futuro at one time. As always if you have any information, photographs or recollections that could help clarify things and either confirm or disprove a Futuro on Tyler Avenue please let us know.

Sources & Reference

• ArchInform
• futuro-house.net
• Lawrence
• Yahoo Group "futurohouse" post by mikemtd

Recently we received an email suggesting there was a Futuro House in the town of Coober Pedy deep in the Australian Outback located at Italian Club Rd, Coober Pedy SA, Australia. A quick trip to Google Earth however revealed that while there was a circular object (of approximately the right dimensions and shape) it was not a Futuro House. The "concrete UFO" is located at 29°0'43.67"S 134°45'26.32"E and the two screen shots from Google Earth below clearly show this is not a Futuro House.





An amusing post on the website Vice.com tells us the structure was built in the 1970's and served as a waiting room for an underground brothel below. The post goes on:

"This was back in the days when guys outnumbered girls 400 to one. It's more like 40 to one now so we figured they still might want to keep it open but if there are still working ladies in town, they're not working here."

Sources & Reference

• Vice.com

A friend of ours recently told us he had heard of a possible Futuro House located on Dobson Street, Watson, ACT, Australia. We had not gotten around to checking this out until today. Unfortunately it took only a matter of minutes in Google Earth to determine that this was not a Futuro.

Yes there is a circular structure on Dobson Street but it is clearly not a Futuro; the structure looks like it is perhaps concrete and it is also way to big to be a Futuro. We also took a look back at historical imagery in Google Earth on the off chance there had been a Futuro there at one time; there certainly was not as far back as we could go in Google Earth (2002). The images below are from Google Earth and from Bing Maps.

Recently a possible Futuro House was reported to us located at 4 Thornicroft Rd , Waitati 9085, New Zealand. Unfortunately after a quick look in Google Maps and Bing Maps it became clear that this was not a Futuro. The shape, oval rather than round (most clear in the first screenshot from Bing Maps) and the size (shown in the second screenshot from Google Earth) make it pretty clear that this is not a Futuro but if that is not enough evidence a look at Google Street View (the third screenshot) should leave no doubt (you might even think it is a Futuro when you first look at the image on this page but double click to look at the image at its original size and there will be no doubt this is not a Futuro).

This week Craig Barnes, owner of the UK Futuro (aka "Futuro 22"), launched his website futurohouse.co.uk (and it is excellent - you must check it out). Craig's Futuro was of course previously located in Port Alfred, South Africa and in exploring a little of the history of the Futuro in South Africa Craig mentions a report of a:

"roadhouse in Johannesburg that burned down in the 60's, at a junction on Piering Road that still today is called Flying Saucer corner on traffic bulletins"

It had been suggested that this roadhouse was actually a Futuro House and we have come across such reports before but we have never come across anything that might substantiate the reports and we have never have had the time to research those reports. Other reports we have come across include the following two that were submitted to Len at futurohouse.com:

"In ... the 60's or 70's there used to be a road house in the shape of a flying saucer, on the road from Pretoria to Kempton Park. It was close to the Waterkloof airbase and burned down somewhere in the early 70s."

and

"The road house was close to where the R21/N1 freeway interchange is now, in Elardus Park. Its business was cut off when the freeway to Kempton Park was built. There is a Piering Road in the area and the interchange is known as the Flying Saucer interchange or Flieende Piering.(sp?) in the traffic reports. As for the burning down, according to the old-timers who knew the place before and after the freeways were built, well, it is easier than organizing a flood ..."

Craig found the time to investigate and came across the photo below which clearly shows that the building did indeed resemble a flying saucer but equally clearly shows it was not a Futuro.



Sources & Reference

• Craig Barnes | futurohouse.co.uk
• Len | futurohouse.com

A Futuro reported at 11374 Tara Dr, Plantation, FL 33325, USA is not a Futuro though we have to confess at the time we would also have confirmed a Futuro. Google Earth, Google Maps, "Street View" and so on are great tools for determining what is and is not a Futuro's; in particular Google "Street View", which is relatively recent, can be very helpful. Those tools appeared to support this as a Futuro in the past, now they definitely do not.

The Futuro report was "confirmed" in Google Earth, the imagery being used at the time was dated 113005 - this is the screen shot from Google Earth that "confirmed" the Futuro.



We think you will agree that the screen shot certainly looks like there is a Futuro at the location. You can access the exact same imagery in Google Earth right now using its ability to "scroll" back through the different timed imagery sets that are available. The screenshot below was grabbed from Google earth a few minutes ago (092911); pretty much the same.



However imagery has moved on and "Street View" has arrived since the "confirmation". The screen shot below is from Google Earth with the imagery rolled forward to the latest currently available (032611). Clearly we are looking at the same location but with the significantly clearer imagery the building begins to look a little less like a Futuro.



The final straw, the "nail in the coffin" as it were, for this report is "Street View" in Google Maps (View In Google Maps); it unequivocally and completely "debunks" this Futuro report.



One final note; the reported address was also incorrect. The actual building, which as we have determined is not a Futuro anyway, is at 11404 Southwest 6th Street, Plantation, FL 33325, USA (26°6'46.30"N 80°18'3.36"W).

A little while ago we received an email from Richard who told us a friend had said there was a Futuro House located near 8300 Tauchens Rd, Sebring, FL 33872. Richard went on to add that:

"If you perform a Google search for that address, and then switch to Google Street View, you may see the house just a short way down the road in some trees."

We may be looking in the wrong place but based on what we have found there is indeed a circular structure in some trees but it is clearly not a Futuro House. The structure is around 35 feet in diameter rather than the approximate 25 feet of a Futuro and, as can be seen in the screenshots below, this structure could be considered "futuristic" but it is no Futuro. The first screen shot is from Google Earth (imagery dated 022908) and the second is the current Google Maps Street View imagery.

It may mean nothing at all but the Tampa Futuro supposedly came from Sebring; maybe a pure coincidence or perhaps the source of the report is actually a recollection of a Futuro located around the same location as the current structure many years ago.





Sources & Reference

• Richard

While visiting the Austin Futuro on 091314 owner Ira asked us if we knew anything about a Futuro that was once located in the River Oaks area of Houston, TX. We did not but the conversation prompted us to do a little "digging" and while doing so we also came across a reference to a Futuro once located in Galveston, TX. As was the case with the River Oaks Futuro we had come across mention of a Futuro in Galveston from time to time but we had never taken the time to pursue it; this time we did take the time to do a little research.

The comment that prompted us to take a look at Galveston was this from a thread on the website Houston Architecture:

"Galveston had a building like the one above. It was located on the seawall in a landscaped area next to the entry drive to the Flagship Hotel/pleasure pier. It was white in color and was there during the 1970's to about 1980. It was used as a radio station remote broadcast facility. I believe it was KULF 790 AM."

The reference to "a building like the one above" is a reference to a photo of Hirvensalmi (now of course located in Espoo). "So far so good" and we then came across this 1987 pdf file from Mediatrix, Inc, a market profile document for broadcasters, on the website American Radio History which includes this statement on page 75:

"106.5 is licensed to Galveston and first appeared in 1968 as KGBC-FM. In the '70s it became KUFO with studios housed in a round building reminiscent of at least a spaceship if not a UFO."

That sounded like it could be a reference to a Futuro so perhaps we were on the trail of another missing Futuro but unfortunately the next discovery was the one that, for us, put this one firmly in the category of "myth". On the website vasthead.com in a 2009 entry we find this:

"I only went to KUFO once, but I think it was on the Flagship Hotel pier. If that was the case, then it would have to be the saucer shaped image in the background of this image. This photo was taken in the fall of 1980 when I was on the seawall..."

The photo in question is the one below; the "saucer shaped image", which can be seen center right of the photo, is clearly not a Futuro and it is this that prompted us to place the "Galveston Futuro" on this page and not on the "Lost Souls" page.



Sources & Reference

• Houston Architecture
• vasthead.com

Update 110512

A Futuro has been confirmed on County Highway J some four miles or so south of Rockland. See the Rockland Futuro page for more information.

Original Information 090912

A few days ago we received the following anonymous comment:

"Just discovered one on Co. Hwy J outside of Rockland, WI on 9/1/2012. This is near La Crosse, WI."

We have scoured Google Maps, Google Earth and Bing Maps but so far we are unable to locate a Futuro in this area (of course if one were in storage it may not be visible) so we are unable to confirm or refute the existence of a Futuro in this area.

If you have any information on this please let us know and in particular if you are the anonymous poster we would love to get some more information from you. Thanks.

Update 082016

Based on an email we received recently we have changed the status of this Futuro to Confirmed/Lost and all further updates will be made to this unit's section on the "Lost Souls" page.

Original Information 082314

We received a communication from Graeme Farr during the past week. Graeme tells us that:

"There was a Futuro in Pihanga Road, Kuratau, near Taupo, in New Zealand. Was there probably 20 yrs - disappeared about 10 yrs ago."

This is not a location we recall ever hearing about and so far we have not been able unearth anything on the web about a possible Futuro at this location and Google Earth only has satellite imagery of the area back as far as 2007.

If anyone knows anything about a Futuro once located on Pihanga Road, Kuratau, New Zealand please let us know.

Sources & Reference

• Graeme Farr

Update 082215

The presence of a Futuro at this location has been confirmed (though the unit is no longer on site and is now "lost"). More information can be found on the "Lost Souls" page.

Original Information 041914

In a comment on a posting to the Tiny House Design Facebook page Brandy Pemberton Crump tells us that:

"There was one (Futuro House) in Harbor Springs Mi... Not sure its still there though. Was on Pleasantview Rd I believe."

We have never heard of or seen a photo of a Futuro House in this area and so when we came across the comment the other day we figured that a trip to Google Earth was in order.

There is imagery in Google Earth dated 050794 that indicates a possible Futuro House at 4378 Pleasantview Rd, Harbor Springs, MI 49740 (45°29'22.27"N 84°54'54.53"W). In the screenshot below we see a round object that is approximately 25' in diameter out front of a building, most likely a residence.



There is nothing about the imagery that is clear enough to confirm the object was a Futuro but equally there is nothing about the imagery that could definitively show that the object was not a Futuro. The object is not present in later imagery in Google Earth dating from 042798.

Later imagery does though show one characteristic which might make it less likely that the object was a Futuro; that imagery indicates the object (no longer present at the time) had been located on a driveway right up against a building and you could argue that likely it would have been obstructing a garage. However while that might cause one to lean away from concluding that the object present in the 1994 imagery was a Futuro House there is nothing concrete to prove the issue one way or the other.

So, on balance, there is the possibility that there was a Futuro located on Pleasantview Rd in 1994 but nothing to prove that is the case. What is certain is that the object is not present after 1998 so for now we have to conclude that this a "possible" Futuro now "lost"

If anyone has any information or photos that might definitively show that this object was or was not a Futuro please let us know.

Sources & Reference

• Brandy Pemberton Crump commenting on Tiny House Design