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Energy and Buildings in the 20th Century 

 

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Start here to discover the Milestone Buildings and Innovative Technologies that changed the way we lived and worked in the 20th Century.
Milestone Buildings of the 20th Century

1900-1909


1906
George N. Pierce Plant
Buffalo, NY

Architect: Albert Kahn

This automobile factory, home of the famous Pierce Arrow car, was the first industrial "modular" building. It was designed so that any number of extensions could be added onto it. Skylights in the roof provided the most efficient form of natural light for workers on the new assembly line.

 Pierce automobile plant aerial view
Pierce automobile plant interior view

Technologies, Innovations, and Quality of Life
1901   First successful air conditioning - New York Stock Exchange
1903   First successful flight by the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, NC
1908   Ford produces Model "T" auto by assembly-line method, Dearborn, MI
1909   "Day and Night" solar hot water heater company, Los Angles


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