Quonset Hut: Camp Layout

Quonset huts are laid out in a variety of ways in American camps. In areas at high risk of aerial attacks, for example, the Adak Island camp in Alaska, huts were scattered far apart from each other creating a very irregular layout. The reason for having an inconsistent layout was to make it impossible for a plane firing from above to make more than one hit in a single pass.¹ In such situations, earth was piled at a slope of 15 degrees against the sides of huts to protect against the effects of hits at a distance. In some cases, addition protection against attack was added by having the entrance to the building slightly below ground or adding a barrier in front of the entrance.²

Where the main goal of the camp was strictly to house a large amount of enlists and officers, camps could be set up in regular rows, staggered rows or in an array. In this manner, a small amount of land could house a high concentration of people.

Notes:

1.Chiei, Chris, and Julie Decker. Quonset Hut. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 2005.

2.Ibid.