The Nissen Hut.

Originally invented and built as housing for troops in WW1.
Today it has been restored and reimagined as a garden office pod.

The Perfect Shelter.

Due to its semicircular shape the corrugated iron Nissen Hut deflected shrapnel and bomb blast, making it ideal housing for troops during The Great War. It was also quick and easy to erect thanks to inventor Peter Nissen’s engineering mind. Col Nissen and Corporal Donger his draftsman, had to draw out how to pack a Nissen Hut efficiently for transport, so it would fit a standard 3 ton truck of the period. Before that the packing was often shambolic and one hut might need several trucks and was very inefficient.

01 HOW THE NISSEN HUT WAS PACKED UP FOR TRANSPORT

02 WOODEN BEARERS ARE LAID ON LEVEL GROUND

03 STEEL RIBS BOLTED TO BEARERS

04 WOODEN JOISTS SCREWED TO BEARERS SUPPORT FLOOR

05 INNER LINING OF LIGHT CORRUGATIONS FIXED

06 OUTER CORRUGATIONS FIXED AND ENDS COVERED

Courtesy of the Imperial War Museum

A design classic.

Identifying a need for portable huts to provide housing near the front line that could be moved as required in April 1916 Major Peter Norman Nissen set about designing the Nissen Hut and within a week had started to construct the first prototype and by September the Nissen Huts had gone into production. They were adapted throughout the war to suit different requirements, notably including the Hospital version.

Built for Transportation.

Nissen designed the Bow Hut and Hospital Hut in 1916. These quickly established themselves as the preferred solution for rugged prefabricated hutting.

20ft x 60ft and 16ft x 27ft

Nissen designed the Bow Hut and Hospital Hut in 1916. These quickly established themselves as the preferred solution for rugged prefabricated hutting.

In 1938 the US Navy required prefabricated huts in large quantities. The Quonsett Hut was inspired by the Nissen Bow Hut, but re-engineered for mass production in purpose-built factories.

Basic size 20ft x 48ft

In 1938 the US Navy required prefabricated huts in large quantities. The Quonsett Hut was inspired by the Nissen Bow Hut, but re-engineered for mass production in purpose-built factories.

In 1939 Nissen Buildings Ltd. revised the design of the Bow Hut to provide greater height and more useable space. It also included windows. This is the design most commonly seen today. By 1942 further options were available, including a 20ft wide semi-circular model.

16ft wide with length any multiple of 6ft

The Nissen Hut lives on.

In WW2 the Nissen Hut was used as a shelter for bombed out civilians and has been used as storage ever since. Today it can be seen in many different guises.