Question: In what Texas town can you visit a modular home resembling a spaceship?
Answer: Royse City. The abandoned Futuro House on an overgrown lot along State Highway 276 is one of 60 or so that remain of the approximately 100 made in the 60s and 70s. Designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, the prefabricated homes could be assembled anywhere and included a kitchen, living room, fireplace, and porthole windows.
Zoning regulations and the oil crisis of the 1970s put a halt to production of the fiberglass homes. The Royse City Futuro House, which is easily accessed from the highway, has been gutted and is adorned with grafitti. A private ranch on the outskirts of Austin is home to another Futuro House.
