Atomitat
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| Atomitat | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of the Atomitat area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Underground |
| Location | 2906 W. 20th, Plainview, Texas, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 34°12′06″N 101°44′23″W / 34.201667°N 101.739722°W |
| Groundbreaking | 1961 |
| Completed | 1962 |
| Cost | $135,000 |
| Client | Jay Swayze |
| Height | |
| Top floor | 2 car garage |
| Dimensions | |
| Other dimensions | 13 ft (4.0 m) underground |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Concrete and steel |
| Floor area | 2,800 sq ft (260 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Jay Swayze |
Atomitat (1962) was an underground bunker-home in Plainview, Texas, designed by architect Jay Swayze. The name of the home came from the combination of the words "atomic" and "habitat". It was the first home in the U.S. to meet civil defense specifications for a nuclear shelter.[1]
Architect Jay Swayze stated that the idea for the Atomitat was born when he attended a civil defense discussion on fallout shelters.[2] The home completed in 1962 and it was designed during the cold war when Americans feared nuclear war. Swayze said that the Atomitat was designed to be an atomic habitat which met the civil defense specifications.[3] The cost of the furnished Atomitat with two vehicles was estimated to be $135,000.[4] The Swayze's also stated that because the Atomitat home was secure against damaging weather, their home insurance rate was about 87.5% less than the rate of an above ground home.[2]
In 1967 the Atomitat was featured in a U.S. Information Agency propaganda film. The film was part of a series showing scenes of American life, and it would be shown in Arab countries.[5]
