Originally published in 1946, when Britain was facing a post-war housing crisis, this book dealt with the issue of the factory-produced house in being part of the solution for housing people in an affordable manner and a short time-scale.

An author of almost sixty books, with topics ranging from interiors to furniture history, from industrial design to the use of plastics, Gloag was a member of an elite design culture that was highly visible throughout the 1930s and 40s.