In 1954, French priest Abbé Pierre, who founded the Emmaüs movement to help poor and homeless people, commissioned Jean Prouvé to design and build an economical house equivalent to a standard two-bedroom apartment. In response to the urgent need for social housing, Jean Prouvé’s proposal perfectly encapsulated his vision of lightweight, economical and comfortable mass-produced housing, such as he had already been experimenting with for 20 years.
Optimistically named “Better Days”, the 57m2 house was shown in Paris on Quai Alexandre III as part of the very popular Salon des Arts Ménagers. Erected in seven hours, this demountable prefabricated architecture was to serve as a demonstration to encourage the industrial production of housing to accommodate the homeless.
