National Register Nomination
ILZRO House
Foster, Rhode Island
in progress
The ILZRO House was built by a team of students and professors from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) between 1972 and 1976 in Foster, Rhode Island. Designed by RISD professors Marc Harrison, Kent Keegan, and Bryon Fitzpatrick, the house was built at the behest of the International Lead Zinc Research Organization (ILZRO), who charged the RISD team with the creation of an “industrialized” design for a home that could be replicated across the world. Harrison, one of the most famous industrial designers in America, responsible for the iconic Cuisinart food processor, was the primary creative force behind the house. Due to his design philosophy, the house is one of, if not the first, prefabricated homes in the United States that placed accessibility principles at the forefront of the design. The house stands as a testament to Harrison’s creative artistry and his commitment to accessible design at a time when accessibility and designing for every body was exceedingly rare.
The National Register nomination interweaves the histories of accessible design, prefabricated housing, and Harrison’s life and work to craft the argument for the house’s significance. Cassandra and Katie conducted fieldwork, oral history sessions with colleagues, family members, and students of Harrison, and archival research at multiple repositories in Rhode Island to support the nomination.
