--- title: The House of the Future | .id blog description: House made of plastic which could not be demolished? That was envisioned as one of the futuristic houses in the 50's. image: https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/hotf-e1404892366600.jpg --- [![id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png?width=2440&height=881&name=id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png) ![id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png?width=2440&height=881&name=id-Master-logo-colour-tight-crop.png)](https://home.id.com.au) - Services - [Services for Local Government](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government) - [Services for Industry](https://home.id.com.au/industry-services) - [Resources](https://home.id.com.au/demographic-resources) - [Case studies](https://home.id.com.au/case-studies) - [Blog](https://blog.id.com.au/) - [About](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [About .id (informed decisions)](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [Meet our team](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/meet-the-team) - [Careers](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/careers) - [.id scholarship](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/scholarship) - [Contact](https://home.id.com.au/contact-us) [BY INDUSTRY](https://home.id.com.au/#industry-services) - [Local government](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government) - [Financial services](https://home.id.com.au/industries/financial-services) - [Utilities](https://home.id.com.au/industries/utilities) - [Education](https://home.id.com.au/industries/education) - [Retail](https://home.id.com.au/industries/retail) - [Emergency services](https://home.id.com.au/industries/emergency-services) [BY EXPERTISE](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government#streams) - [Consulting](https://home.id.com.au/consulting-services/local-government) - [Demographics](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/demographics) - [Forecasting](https://home.id.com.au/forecasting/) - [Economics](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/economics) - [Housing](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government/housing) - [Community views](https://home.id.com.au/community-views) [DIGITAL PLATFORM](https://home.id.com.au/services/local-government#platform) - [profile.id](https://home.id.com.au/community-profile) - [atlas.id](https://home.id.com.au/social-atlas) - [forecast.id](https://home.id.com.au/forecasting/forecast.id) - [economy.id](https://home.id.com.au/economic-profile) - [housing.id](https://home.id.com.au/housing-monitor) - [views.id](https://home.id.com.au/community-views) - [About .id (informed decisions)](https://home.id.com.au/about-us) - [Meet the team](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/meet-the-team) - [Careers](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/careers) - [.id scholarship](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/scholarship) - [Referencing .id as a source](https://home.id.com.au/about-us/referencing-and-sources) #### [BLOG](https://blog.id.com.au) # The house of the future - the house they almost couldn't demolish! - [Population](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population) - [Demographic analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/demographic-analysis) - [Local area analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/local-area-analysis) - [Population trends](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population-trends) - [Australian census](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/australian-census) - [New Zealand population and census](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/new-zealand-population-and-census) - [Population forecasting](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/population-forecasting) - [Economic analysis](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/economic-analysis) - [Housing](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/housing) - [Community views](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/community-views) - [.id news](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/-id-news) - [Fun stuff](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/fun-stuff) - [Online tools](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/online-tools) - [Community profiles](https://content.id.com.au/community-profiles-australia) - [Social atlas](https://content.id.com.au/social-atlases-australia) - [Population forecasts](https://content.id.com.au/population-forecast-australia) - [Economic profiles](https://content.id.com.au/economic-profiles-australia) - [Housing monitors](https://housing.id.com.au/) - [Community views](https://views.id.com.au/local_governments) - [How to](https://home.id.com.au/idinsight/topic/how-to) - [Features and updates](https://home.id.com.au/new-data-and-features) ## The house of the future - the house they almost couldn't demolish! [Jim - ideas, observations and handy shortcuts](https://blog.id.com.au/author/jim-ideas-observations-and-handy-shortcuts) 19 Dec, 2011 The late 1950’s was a period of unbridled optimism and consumerism, as new products poured onto the market almost daily. The pace of change was relentless and it seemed that people were always looking for the next “big thing” to make their lives easier. One of the emerging technologies of the time was plastics. They were being seen as the panacea to all ills and they were predicted to take the place of many other existing materials. [![hotf](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/hotf-e1404892366600.jpg?width=300&height=200&name=hotf-e1404892366600.jpg)](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/hotf-e1404892366600.jpg) One great example was the Monsanto “House of the future”. Developed by the giant chemical company Monsanto, the house was made of reinforced structural plastic, and was built in 1957 in the grounds of Disneyland, California as a display home. Consisting of a central core and four “wings” standing high off the ground, the house was a showcase of futuristic ideas. The “atoms for living” kitchen had a revolutionary (for the time) microwave oven, electric cupboards and a hidden fridge, as well as an ultrasonic dishwasher. (which, incidentally, is a process now being developed by current dishwasher manufacturers) In the living room and bedrooms, fittings and furnishings were essentially….plastic. And the floors, walls and ceilings were also types of plastic. The bathroom was a prefabricated plastic bathroom, with everything moulded into the right shape. [![monsanto 3](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/monsanto-3-300x184.jpg?width=300&height=184&name=monsanto-3-300x184.jpg)](https://blog.id.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/monsanto-3-300x184.jpg) The house even boasted climate control air conditioning and a push button speaker phone! By the mid-late 60’s the house had seen over 20 million visitors, but it was time for it to be removed. Demolition crews brought in a crane and wrecking ball but the demolition process, initially estimated to take just one day, took over 2 weeks! The crew found that the wrecking ball just bounced off the walls and the structure was incredibly hard to destroy – a testament to the durability of the plastics used. In the end they had to use chains and hacksaws to break and cut up the house into pieces. Have a look at the video to see more about the planning and building of this fantastic piece of urban design history: **If you would like to receive more updates about demographic or economic trends (or quirky facts), do follow us on twitter [@dotid](https://twitter.com/dotid) or subscribe to our blog (above). You may also like to visit us at [id.com.au](https://blog.id.com.au/)** Tags: [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) ##### Jim - ideas, observations and handy shortcuts Jim has been a member of the .id team since early 2010, following 10 years as a Director in local government and prior to that, many years at IBM. Jim is also a former .id client and recognised the value of .id’s tools in council decision making. He decided to join .id to help spread the word! He manages .id’s local government clients in Queensland and South Australia, helping them to use .id’s tools for informed strategy and policy decisions. Outside work, Jim enjoys learning Spanish, travel (especially to Spanish speaking locales) and collects the odd car or two… Previous Story [Immigration in the past 5 years – focus on...](https://blog.id.com.au/2011/population/demographic-trends/immigration-in-the-past-5-years-focus-on-tasmania/) Next Story [Happy Birthday .id’s blog!](https://blog.id.com.au/2011/id-news/fun-stuff/happy-birthday-ids-blog) ### Related Posts [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) [![What is Australia's largest suburb?](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/martin-david-4415uJ8nxAs-unsplash.jpg)](https://blog.id.com.au/what-is-australias-largest-suburb) 19 July, 2024 [What is Australia's largest suburb?](https://blog.id.com.au/what-is-australias-largest-suburb) [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) [![Australia’s life expectancy falls slightly due to COVID](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/Life%20expectancy%20at%20birth%2c%201992%20to%202020-2022.png)](https://blog.id.com.au/2023/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-falls-slightly-due-to-covid) 16 Nov, 2023 [Australia’s life expectancy falls slightly due to COVID](https://blog.id.com.au/2023/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-falls-slightly-due-to-covid) [Fun stuff](https://blog.id.com.au/topic/fun-stuff) [![Australia’s life expectancy ranks 6th in the world](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/ID-Blog-Media-2024/Life-expectancy-at-birth-1990-to-2018-2020.png)](https://blog.id.com.au/2021/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-ranks-6th-in-the-world) 08 Nov, 2021 [Australia’s life expectancy ranks 6th in the world](https://blog.id.com.au/2021/population/population-trends/australias-life-expectancy-ranks-6th-in-the-world) ### Leave a Reply [Next Story Happy Birthday .id’s blog!](https://blog.id.com.au/2011/id-news/fun-stuff/happy-birthday-ids-blog) [Previous Story Immigration in the past 5 years – focus on Tasmania](https://blog.id.com.au/2011/population/demographic-trends/immigration-in-the-past-5-years-focus-on-tasmania/) ###### Other Resources [![Visit the demographic resource centre](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/9f91699d-64e2-4b1a-862a-a9b326d7ace7.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/9f91699d-64e2-4b1a-862a-a9b326d7ace7) [![New Call-to-Action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/c38b4439-45ab-4e1b-b8e2-e2c83dcd4f2d.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/c38b4439-45ab-4e1b-b8e2-e2c83dcd4f2d) [![Living in place - Things to consider when surveying communities](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/edc7cbe4-2147-4109-804c-c409a6cc4ad4.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/edc7cbe4-2147-4109-804c-c409a6cc4ad4) [![New Call-to-Action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/daf7b77f-d989-4d66-964e-394afb2b297c.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/daf7b77f-d989-4d66-964e-394afb2b297c) [![Living in place - learnings and applications](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/d18ace05-bcc1-4478-a1b4-b01c86d003e9.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/d18ace05-bcc1-4478-a1b4-b01c86d003e9) [![New Call-to-action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/320463/afec380f-71d7-4e79-b8b0-5b952ebe12e0.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/320463/afec380f-71d7-4e79-b8b0-5b952ebe12e0) ![AoC-Australia-sm-1668562151-412x274](https://blog.id.com.au/hubfs/AoC-Australia-sm-1668562151-412x274.webp) In the spirit of reconciliation .id acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. 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