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Five Mind-Blowing Quonset Hut Builders Who Will Inspire You

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Step out of the box of traditional buildings and into the wonderful, often times quirky world of the Quonset Hut. It’s quite an exciting journey filled with limitless possibilities.

With so many options out there, it’s hard to narrow down exactly the kind of design that will be both aesthetically pleasing and functional. We’ve got you covered!

Check out these five mind-blowing Quonset Hut builders whose amazing ideas will get your creative juices flowing.

1. The Bird Father’s Parrot Paradise

quonset hut building with wooden endwall and upside down arch awning with green accents
Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary and Botanical Gardens

Peter Debacher has rightfully earned the name “The Bird Father” after dedicating much of his life to rescuing thousands of his feathered friends. Not only has he provided a better life for thousands of birds, he even constructed a special steel structure just for them—the Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary and Botanical Gardens.

He came to SteelMaster when he wanted a custom Quonset Hut building kit that could provide enough space for the birds to fly freely while also allowing him to create the design he dreamed about.

Debacher took the arches and turned them upside down to resemble a bird’s wing on the front end of the structure. The building also has beautiful vertical windows and the middle of the Quonset Hut is set apart from the rest of the building giving it a little added spice.

Thanks to Debacher, thousands of birds will finally get the love and care they need in a SteelMaster Quonset that’s made just for them.

2. Toshikazu Tsukii’s Airplane Quonset Hut

airplane house structure with two quonset huts incorporated into aircraft design
Toshikazu Tsukii’s airplane house.

You don’t need a ticket to take a trip on this extraordinary airplane! Just kick your feet up and enjoy the view.

Toshikazu Tsukii created an aviator’s dream home in La Cholla Airpark in Oro Valley.  He took parts of several retired Boeing jets, military planes, and two SteelMaster Quonsets to create his special airplane home.

This Quonset Hut Home has four rows of airplane windows, a massive pool, tables made from engine cowlings and countertops constructed from airplane wings. It’s safe to say this house is pretty amazing.

Tsukii’s unusual steel building design created quite a stir around the neighborhood initially. He hit a few rough patches with building inspectors and the homeowners association. Although some were not on board with the idea in the beginning, Tsukii overcame every objection with a little hard work and determination.

Now the home has become a place where neighbors and other aviation aficionados hold meetings and other gatherings. It’s quite the conversation piece for passersby. It’s become many things to many residents in the area, but for Tsukii, it’s a dream come true.

3. A Backyard Stargazer’s Dream Observatory 

steel quonset hut observatory in New Mexico
Deep Sky West is the dreamchild of star farmers Bruce Wright and his partner Lloyd Smith.

If you shoot for the stars, your journey can be seen from the Deep Sky West astronomical imaging observatory in New Mexico.

This is one building that really moves, literally. Deep Sky West is the dreamchild of star farmers Bruce Wright and his partner Lloyd Smith.  They wanted a way to give average astrophotographers the opportunity to capture quality photos without breaking the bank.

Bruce added a special feature to the steel building design provided by SteelMaster. This Quonset Hut was built on a railing system and is controlled by an electric motor designed to move the entire building. It’s connected to weather stations and when the conditions are just right, the building will automatically slide back to expose the high-powered telescopes inside. Now that’s innovation!

This observatory also provides horizon-to-horizon coverage down to 25 degrees and has an inner stem wall that helps to protect the building from ground-level wind.

Bruce just recently purchased another SteelMaster Quonset Hut to expand his current observatory. His ultimate dream is to add more Deep Sky West observatories all over the world.

4. The Portlandia House  

white house with people sitting on porch with curved metal roof
The eyebrow house in Portland, Oregon.

This unusual house has certainly raised some eyebrows in one Oregon neighborhood. It’s actually called the “eyebrow” house because of the corrugated metal arch that sits on the outside of the structure.

Architect Edgar Papazian took this 1941 classic bungalow and turned it into an amazing masterpiece that actually earned television time on the show Portlandia.

It was featured in an episode in which an alien fruit returned to outer space.

Not only is this house odd, yet beautiful on the outside, the inside is pretty spectacular as well.

The home has several futuristic pieces including the Beam-Us-Up Scottie fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows.

So the next time you catch a rerun of Portlandia, be sure to look for the eye-catching eyebrow house.

5. Arches Up, Wheels Down: The Tiny House of Steel

small quonset hut home mid construction with endwall framed
Jean Marc Sovak, an artist in New York, decided to create one of his greatest masterpieces—his tiny house Quonset Hut.

This is one tiny steel home that’s on the move! Artist Jean Marc Sovak and his tiny house team were up for the ultimate DIY builder’s challenge when they embarked on their journey.

Jean Marc Sovak, an artist in New York, decided to create one of his greatest masterpieces—his tiny house Quonset Hut.

He says right from the start, he was clear about what he wanted to do. He worked along with his wife and daughter to make the S-Model SteelMaster Quonset Hut into a tiny house he could take anywhere around the country.

“When I first saw a SteelMaster building, I was in love! Why? They’re steel, pre-fabricated, highly engineered and just look so friggin’ cool.”

Sovak not only liked the odd look of the steel corrugated arches, he also loved the open space available on the inside. This gave him the opportunity to craft quonset hut interior design however he wanted.

Instead of a traditional Quonset hut foundation design, Sovak purchased a dual-axle deckover galvanized trailer on which to build his new mortgage-free option.

After the arches were erected and the windows and endwalls were installed, the tiny house was ready to hit the road.

The tiny house crew took the Quonset hut on its first road trip to Newburgh Open Studios where they were quizzed about their unusual home.

They just added a stove and they are working on a few more finishing touches.

The excitement continues!

Odd. Quirky. Unusual. These are all words people have used to describe Quonset Hut creations. There’s no shame in standing out from the crowd. If you’re ready to join the ranks of the unusual, contact us to get your Quonset Hut project started.

More Quonset Hut Inspiration: 

How 7 Businesses Used Steel Building Designs to Meet Their Bottom Lines 

Architect Creates Multi-Million Dollar Quonset Hut Home 

Five Ways a Quonset Hut Home Can Make Your Life Easier