In the military moving soldiers from place to place is one of the most important aspects of military warfare. Not only does this dwelling have to hold the soldiers for a certain amount of time but it has to be safe for the soldiers to live and safe from the enemy. It has to be comfortable to keep moral of the troops up. The design must take into account economic factors, as well as fabrication speed and difficulty. With these very specific conditions the Roman Empire and the American Empire have both addressed the issue of housing soldiers in two very different and yet similar ways. The Romans created the castra, which is essentially a “mini-Rome” that followed a very regimented and methodical design. The Americans used their ingenuity and production-lined method of manufacturing to re-invent the Nissen Hut to create the Quonset Hut. Although, in both cases these military dwellings were create for a very specific need the human inventive spirit allowed them to be transformed and take on a second life: Roam castra become larger and full cities, American Quonset Huts became houses, churches, stores etc.
The Roman Castra was first created when the Roman Military was reformed from the traditional Greek Phalanx to the more divisional military order. When this new order the Roman army needed a military encampment method to mimc this order and to also provide full protection from a siege. Therefore, in traditional Roman fashion they created a military camp that mimics the form of Rome itself, but also reflected the heavens and the order in the universe. The Castra essential did what Romans thought the city to do, create a barrier from the natural world and the built world but also reflect the strict order that has been decreed by the gods. This regimented design also reflected the strong order in the army and further more in Roman culture. It is also important to note that the castra had to be a mirror of Rome and the Roman city because for the more permanent winter castras they wanted to soldiers to feel the most at home as possible. This inevitably lead to the castras being converted to cities once the strong military presences had left or subsided.
Although the Americans had extremely similar circumstances to create their dwelling as the Romans did, the American culture and the time period in history influenced the designer, George A. Fuller, to create this hut. It is essential a semi-cylinder that is created by erecting pre-fabricated and lightweight trusses to create both the roof and walls, then simply some insulation and a cladding of whatever would be most appropriate for the huts purpose would be installed. This simple and quick structure came from the Nissen Hut, which was designed by the British in World War I. However, Fuller made improvements to ensure that the Quonset Hut would be faster to build, easier to build and stronger. This is a direct reflection of the American attitude and overall out-look on the production of things: they want things to be cheap, and can be made quickly, this is all created by American ingenuity and their “can-do” spirit. Because the Quonset Hut is so simple and so versatile once World War II was over the US government decided to market them. This allowed them to take on many forms: houses, churches, stores, storage areas, garages, hangers, or any other type of space that owners could think of.
Both these dwellings were direct products of the military, there is no denying that, however it can be said that they also became part of a larger story. The story of an Empire’s ambition to further their grip on the world. The Roman Empire was no doubt one of the largest and most powerful Empires in history. They achieved this using their military might. The castra falls directly into this plan because the military used it to hold their soldiers but also because they became towns in which the people they conquered lived in. This makes the castra a tool for not only military advancement but also the advancement of an Empire.
The same can be argued for the Quonset Hut. It was a military dwelling, but what is the military but a tool to advance or defend. In the case of the American Empire, it’s advancement did not only come from it’s military, but also from its economy. The Quonset Hut is then not just a tool from military advancement but also is a symbol for American culture, which is a direct product and driving mechanism of American culture. Like Coca Cola, it becomes something more; it is no longer simply a dwelling but a symbol of American ingenuity and American power.
Although these connections may seem broad it is clear that these military dwellings are more than what is seen on the surface. They may not be a strong driving force behind each Empire, but they are a tool within that Empire that helps propel it forward.
The above thesis regarding these dwellings as tools of an Empire’s advancement, is just one is a pool of larger ides that both the castra and Quonset Hut lie in. Another very interesting stand point that one may take on their subjects is that they are both reflections of their respective cultures. The Roman castra was the embodiment of the city and every that incorporated the city, from the strict order, to the keen worship of the Gods. All that was brought into the castra and with the more permanent one’s a more thorough mirror of Rome was created for example: by adding bath houses, a market place, and more elaborate buildings. All this was a reflection of Rome and thus the Roman culture.
The Quonset Hut had a similar reflection of culture but not as evident as with the castra. The American culture is very materially driven and very individualistic. It has allows been created by the American need to be separate and distinct from everyone else. With this theme in mind the Quonset Hut becomes a direct reflection of the American individualistic ideal. The hut is designed for only a set amount of people; 10 enlisted men or 5-7 ranked officers. This makes the hut essentially like a family home, and creates that distinct separation between the outside common world and the interior private world.
Sources:
1.http://quonsetpoint.artinruins.com/quonset_hut.htm
2. http://beta.essortment.com/21193-quonset-hut-building-timeless-design.html
3. http://wapedia.mobi/en/Castrum
4. http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Castra.html
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