Futuro House (aka UFO House): Covington, KY, USA: Strange, Weird, Wonderful And Cool Buildings:

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UPDATED 033013 | ADDED 090811 | COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, USA | RETURN TO THE MAIN FUTURO HOUSE ARTICLE | RETURN HOME

224 Wright Street, Covington, KY 41011, USA \| 39°5'17.39"N 84°31'35.16"W
Featured Image By RoadsideArchitecture.com \| Date 030606		Google Maps \| Satellite Imagery Date 102711
		View Larger Map
Additional Images & Videos		Notes, History & Resources
Update 033013 Mike Fair captured this very atmospheric photo of the Covington Futuro 032413; the photo is displayed here with permission. Thanks Mike. Update 091312 The image below taken by AnDy631 081905 and reproduced here with permission shows the Covington Futuro "Easter Egg"; a "Beam Me Up Scotty" plaque on the door, presumably an "homage" to Star Trek. Original Media 090811 Videos This first video is a capture from a Local12 WKRC Cincinnati news broadcast featuring the Futuro. It includes a conversation with Rob Detzel, the owner, some nice footage of the interior and some shots of other Futuros. Two short videos showing the Covington Futuro. Photos I have always really liked black and white photography and I think this photo of the Covington Futuro is very atmospheric. The photo, taken 040810, is by Charlie The Cheeky Monkey and is reproduced here with permission. These next few photos were taken 010712 and posted on Lyinn's Blog; they are reproduced here coutesy of Lyinn. These are the most recent photos I have found of this Futuro and make its confirmed date 010712. This next photo shows one of the "Millennium Mosiac" seating units in Covington that features the Futuro. It was taken by qrtr2four and is displayed here with permission. If you would like to see additional photographs of the Covington Futuro check these out. Photo by Dan Stiver \| Image Dated 052009 Photo by Dead Betty is missing a lot of great pictures \| Image Dated 021410		In 1973 Rob Detzel purchased this Futuro House and exhibited it at a Home & Garden Show. By 1976 he had the Futuro relocated to the Covington site it remains on to this day. This Futuro is unusual [and similar to the Willingboro Futuro] in that it only has 8 windows. Anna-Maija Kuitunen in her final thesis for the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Finland "Futuro no. 001 : Documentation and evaluation of preservation need" [available online here] wrote: "There are many variations of the Futuro house depending on where and for what utility purpose they were made. For example, American markets demanded more spacious rooms with bigger windows which could be opened (Home & Taanila 2004,). In the United States they made an alteration to the steel legs which instead of the steel ring were connected directly to the body of the building. Those Futuros that served as banks could have less windows and those that served as Air Force-owned observation posts could have larger and reinforced windows." So; while it appears that the Futuro was purchased in 1973 by the current owner and that it may well have only ever had a single owner perhaps it was initially planned for use as a bank branch, or perhaps it was simply purchased from a distributer that was dealing with the "8 window" models. In 2000 in answer to a reader's question Karen Samples of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that: "Covington's housing department has a file on the house. It contains an undated flier describing it as "The Futuro: Vacation Home of the Future." A picture shows a flattened oval perched on what looks like metal stilts. The contact on the flier is I.F.O. Promotions, 7709 Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati." I have been unable to find any information on I.F.O Promotions who may have sold this Futuro; I would love to hear from anyone who could tell me anything about this company. The real estate valuation site Zillow lists a sale of this property in 1987 for $7000 but as far as I can tell it has been owned by the same individual since the 70's. If anyone can confirm one way or the other please let me know. The most recent confirmation of the Futuro's continuing presence on site comes from Lyinn's Blog whose author visited and photographed the Futuro 010712. The Covington Futuro has been "immortalized" by being featured on one of several mosaics that were created as a part of the "Millennium Mosaic Project" in which artist Olivia Gude created 5 cast concrete seating modules decorated with ceramic and glass tile mosaics. More information about this project can be found here and here and qrtr2four took a great photo of the mosaic that features the Futuro which is displayed with permission in the left hand section of this page. And one final note; in an apparent "homage" to Star Trek Rob has placed a sticker on the Futuro's door; it reads "Beam Me Up Scotty". Check out a photo by AnDy631 top left. Sources & Reference Chicago Public Art Group \| Community Public Art Guide Local12 WKRC Cincinnati News Broadcast Karen Samples of The Cincinnati Enquirer Lyinn's Blog qrtr2four UIC Spiral Art Education \| Olivia Gude Zillow Got new, updated or corrected information or an image I could use? I am always looking for additional information, history, details, images, videos; just about anything Futuro I guess - if you would like to contribute please use the Futuro Contact Form at the bottom of the main article or email me. As far as images go I am particularly interested in those that are either significantly better than the ones already on this page or show a different aspect or detail. If you own an image meeting one or both of those criteria I would love to be able to use it on this page but I will simply provide a link if that is your preference. Where permission is granted to use an image on the page appropriate attribution will be provided by means of a link to the original image, a link to a website of your choosing or both.

224 Wright Street, Covington, KY 41011, USA \| 39°5'17.39"N 84°31'35.16"W
Featured Image By RoadsideArchitecture.com \| Date 030606		Google Maps \| Satellite Imagery Date 102711
		View Larger Map
Additional Images & Videos		Notes, History & Resources
Update 033013 Mike Fair captured this very atmospheric photo of the Covington Futuro 032413; the photo is displayed here with permission. Thanks Mike. Update 091312 The image below taken by AnDy631 081905 and reproduced here with permission shows the Covington Futuro "Easter Egg"; a "Beam Me Up Scotty" plaque on the door, presumably an "homage" to Star Trek. Original Media 090811 Videos This first video is a capture from a Local12 WKRC Cincinnati news broadcast featuring the Futuro. It includes a conversation with Rob Detzel, the owner, some nice footage of the interior and some shots of other Futuros. Two short videos showing the Covington Futuro. Photos I have always really liked black and white photography and I think this photo of the Covington Futuro is very atmospheric. The photo, taken 040810, is by Charlie The Cheeky Monkey and is reproduced here with permission. These next few photos were taken 010712 and posted on Lyinn's Blog; they are reproduced here coutesy of Lyinn. These are the most recent photos I have found of this Futuro and make its confirmed date 010712. This next photo shows one of the "Millennium Mosiac" seating units in Covington that features the Futuro. It was taken by qrtr2four and is displayed here with permission. If you would like to see additional photographs of the Covington Futuro check these out. Photo by Dan Stiver \| Image Dated 052009 Photo by Dead Betty is missing a lot of great pictures \| Image Dated 021410		In 1973 Rob Detzel purchased this Futuro House and exhibited it at a Home & Garden Show. By 1976 he had the Futuro relocated to the Covington site it remains on to this day. This Futuro is unusual [and similar to the Willingboro Futuro] in that it only has 8 windows. Anna-Maija Kuitunen in her final thesis for the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Finland "Futuro no. 001 : Documentation and evaluation of preservation need" [available online here] wrote: "There are many variations of the Futuro house depending on where and for what utility purpose they were made. For example, American markets demanded more spacious rooms with bigger windows which could be opened (Home & Taanila 2004,). In the United States they made an alteration to the steel legs which instead of the steel ring were connected directly to the body of the building. Those Futuros that served as banks could have less windows and those that served as Air Force-owned observation posts could have larger and reinforced windows." So; while it appears that the Futuro was purchased in 1973 by the current owner and that it may well have only ever had a single owner perhaps it was initially planned for use as a bank branch, or perhaps it was simply purchased from a distributer that was dealing with the "8 window" models. In 2000 in answer to a reader's question Karen Samples of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that: "Covington's housing department has a file on the house. It contains an undated flier describing it as "The Futuro: Vacation Home of the Future." A picture shows a flattened oval perched on what looks like metal stilts. The contact on the flier is I.F.O. Promotions, 7709 Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati." I have been unable to find any information on I.F.O Promotions who may have sold this Futuro; I would love to hear from anyone who could tell me anything about this company. The real estate valuation site Zillow lists a sale of this property in 1987 for $7000 but as far as I can tell it has been owned by the same individual since the 70's. If anyone can confirm one way or the other please let me know. The most recent confirmation of the Futuro's continuing presence on site comes from Lyinn's Blog whose author visited and photographed the Futuro 010712. The Covington Futuro has been "immortalized" by being featured on one of several mosaics that were created as a part of the "Millennium Mosaic Project" in which artist Olivia Gude created 5 cast concrete seating modules decorated with ceramic and glass tile mosaics. More information about this project can be found here and here and qrtr2four took a great photo of the mosaic that features the Futuro which is displayed with permission in the left hand section of this page. And one final note; in an apparent "homage" to Star Trek Rob has placed a sticker on the Futuro's door; it reads "Beam Me Up Scotty". Check out a photo by AnDy631 top left. Sources & Reference Chicago Public Art Group \| Community Public Art Guide Local12 WKRC Cincinnati News Broadcast Karen Samples of The Cincinnati Enquirer Lyinn's Blog qrtr2four UIC Spiral Art Education \| Olivia Gude Zillow Got new, updated or corrected information or an image I could use? I am always looking for additional information, history, details, images, videos; just about anything Futuro I guess - if you would like to contribute please use the Futuro Contact Form at the bottom of the main article or email me. As far as images go I am particularly interested in those that are either significantly better than the ones already on this page or show a different aspect or detail. If you own an image meeting one or both of those criteria I would love to be able to use it on this page but I will simply provide a link if that is your preference. Where permission is granted to use an image on the page appropriate attribution will be provided by means of a link to the original image, a link to a website of your choosing or both.