Architect Michael Schwarting probably had little idea of the years he would devote to the future of a Modernist prefab prototype when he first came in contact with the Aluminaire House 30 years ago. Nor did Frances Campani, his wife and business partner, who soon found herself involved in a major salvaging effort.

The metal-skinned, steelframe structure was designed in 1931 by Lawrence Kocher and the Swiss émigré Albert Frey for a show held at the Grand Central Palace exposition hall in New York. Philip Johnson and Henry-Russell Hitchcock included the design in their International Style exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1932. The residence also caught the attention of architect Wallace Harrison, who bought it for the grounds of his Long Island estate. But by the late 1980s, Harrison’s property had changed hands, and the new owner planned to demolish the structure.