At the end of World War 2 Bristol was faced with a housing crisis. No new houses had been built in the city during the war years and over 3,000 had been destroyed by the bombing or were so badly damaged that they had to be demolished. Returning servicemen added to the demand for housing. In November 1943 there were over 4,000 names on the city council's waiting list for houses and by 1945 the situation was urgent.

As a short-term solution the government announced a scheme for constructing thousands of temporary homes using prefabricated materials including steel, concrete, aluminium and asbestos. These 'prefabs' could be manufactured in factories formerly involved in the war effort and assembled without skilled labour. With their modern design that included fitted kitchens, electrical appliances, hot-running water, inside bathrooms and gardens, many occupants found their standard of living much improved on their pre-war accommodation. Unfortunately Eileen Alllen wasn't too impressed when her husband Geoff first took her to see their new home and protested "It looks like a cow shed! I'm not living in that", however once inside she soon agreed that it was the most beautiful home they had ever seen.

The very first prefab to be erected and occupied in the country was opened at 125 Nibley Road, Shirehampton in Bristol on 18 July 1945. It was of the Airoh design, built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company using aluminium salvaged from crashed aircraft. 50 Airoh houses were erected on this first site and, in total, nearly 5,400 prefabs of six different types were erected across Bristol. The streets of prefabs grew very quickly, changing the appearance of many parts of the city.

Prefabs proved popular and durable, outliving their intended ten-year life span and earning themselves the nickname 'palaces for the people'.