As you drive around, you might encounter small, well-built homes made from metal squares:

These are the Lustron houses conceived by Carl Strandlund and patented in 1947 to alleviate the housing shortage after World War II. The Lustron Corporation sold 2,498 Lustron houses between 1948 and 1950.  Lustron offered a house that would “defy weather, wear, and time,” and about 2000 of these houses survive today.

While many Lustron houses can still be seen today, they also serve as important reminder that the intellectual property developed by architects and architecture firms can be protected with patents, trademarks, trade secrets and copyrights. To receive a complimentary PDF of our Harnessing: Architecture brochure, please email bwheelock@harnessip.com.