Duxford: Nissen Hut known as Building 171

The Nissen hut known as Building 171 was designed by Major Peter Norman Nissen and installed at RAF Duxford between 1940 and 1945.

This building features a prefabricated steel structure with a half-cylindrical skin made of corrugated steel and internal timber supports. It has a rectangular plan.

On the exterior, the half-cylindrical skin is complemented by wooden frames at either end that support vertical timber weatherboarding. The northern end has three timber plank and batten doors that create a wide entrance, with a single casement window to the left and a ventilation panel above. The southern end features a central plank and batten door flanked by simple casement windows. Additionally, a dormer has been added on the eastern side, with the corrugated sheeting supported by a timber window frame.

Inside, the structural steel frame is visible, but the internal face has been sprayed with insulating foam, which distorts some detailing. The internal space has been subdivided with particleboard, and a door has been inserted, but these changes have not significantly affected the original structural frame. The floor is made of concrete.