We look back on humanity’s past achievements, and sometimes wonder at the naivety and the optimism that permeated them. Certain instances of retro-futurism are now considered visionary and groundbreaking, but the jury is still out on the Futuro house.
The Futuro is widely considered the original tiny home, to the point where it’s often described as the proto-tiny home. Designed and built at a time when everyone thought the future was in plastics on considerations of affordability, durability, versatility, and low maintenance, it was officially introduced to the market in 1968. It would only be in production for a couple of years before the petrochemical crisis started, and all plastic-based construction dreams came tumbling down.
Architect Matti Suuronen imagined the Futuro as a ski chalet for the average Joe and Jane with some disposable income: the perfect mobile vacation home. It wasn’t exactly “mobile,” at least not in the way we understand the term today, but it could be moved to the desired location either in pieces or complete, by helicopter. It could also be relocated easily, on the condition you could afford renting the helicopter again.
The Futuro was for the late ‘60s what prefabs are trying to be for the early 2020s: the future of glamping, but with serious potential as a full-time residence. With its ellipsoidal, UFO-resembling shape, it was the most futurist you could get at the time, and the all-fiberglass interior was a perfect match in terms of styling.
Photo: Area 55
Less than 100 units of the Futuro were produced during those three-something years of production, after licenses were brokered for several countries, including the UK, the U.S., and New Zealand. Today, it is believed some 60 have survived in various stages, and only one can be rented out on a nightly basis in the United States. It’s called Area 55, and its striking aesthetic is only matched by its glorious past, the fact that it’s a rare survivor not included.
Area 55 has retained only the exterior fiberglass frame from the original Futuro. Owner Ronald Jackson tracked it down in Wisconsin and had it shipped to its current location in Joshua Tree, CA, and then spent almost a year working on it, to bring it to livable condition. The panels were in a decent state, but the steel beams and support frame were rotten through, so he had to have those built on commission. Because of fickle weather, Ronald opted to have the beams bolted into concrete platforms on the ground, and into the fiberglass frame up top.
The interior is anything like the original Futuro because Ronald chose to lean heavily into alien imagery, as the Area 55 name clearly denotes (“Area 51” was taken). For one, there is no trace of the interior kitchen and wet bathroom, and the floorspace is an open-plan layout, with just a small breakfast bar on one side, sofas, throw pillows, and a couple of egg chairs. Both the bathroom and the kitchen are now outside: there’s a separate shower and a solar-paneled restroom on a trailer, and an impressive BBQ outdoor kitchen under a pergola. There's also a play area nearby, and a fire pit with seating.
Photo: Area 55
Area 55 is completely self-sufficient, with solar panels for energy and a 2,500-gallon (9,463.5-liter) water tank, a generator for the AC during hot days, and a propane-powered heater. This and the fact that it’s isolated make it the perfect glamping spot, with a touch of alien mythology and the promise of the most Instagrammable location.
Thousands believe so, too: Area 55 is such a famous rental that it’s booked solid 2 years in advance, and has been featured in anything from music videos to Netflix specials and Toyota ads, and of course, artsy, alien-inspired photoshoots and sponcons. It’s a glamping location with a striking and immediately recognizable aesthetic – and the alien connection helps, too.
As it turns out, the house’s history is equally exciting, if less known. This unit was actually bought by Playboy in 1968 and shipped to the first Playboy Club Hotel in Lake Geneva Wisconsin in one piece. As you can see in the gallery above, it even got its own story in the magazine which, sure enough, read more like an ad, but still. Legend has it that this was Hugh Hefner’s favorite hangout at the time, and it makes sense, since he got the fully-kitted model, with a bedroom, a bathroom, and a lounge that could convert into a guest room for two more people.
Photo: Facebook / The Futuro House
Throughout the years, the unit was put to a variety of uses, but not one of them would be as glorious as a Playboy centerpiece or the current one, as insanely-popular glamping tiny. Before Ronald bought it, it served as a beauty salon and realty office, and maybe even as a Ford dealership, if reports are accurate. It was reborn as Area 55 in October 2019 and has been doing just fine ever since, thankyouverymuch.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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