GOVERNMENT BUILDING SCHEMES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 97, 18 January 1919, Page 5

GOVERNMENT BUILDING SCHEMES

ARCHITECTS OVERLOOKED.

AVhen tie British.Empire found itspif obliged to enter upon hostilities it was.necessary, owing. to unpreparedness, to embark on extensive buildinc .schemes," remarked Mr. C. Lawrence m Ins presidential address to the NoV;Zeaiand Institute of Architects on Thurs-.-"Buildings were required for the administrative; Departments, ■ training camps,, hospitals, munition factories; and, for other purposes undreamt of -in peace. To whom did the Government turn to for advico in these mattes? To architects, whom one would have- thought from their training would have been mosl; competent and efficient to undertake the designing of tins class of work? No, in almost all cases these works were placed in the hands of engineers or large building, companies, neither of which (one would have thought) would be possessed of the necessary qualifications for efficient and economical lay-outs and'planning whatever, they may have biown of thn building sciences. It is still more surprising ■■ that the Government " of tho united..Statro-bf America, which had previously given a deal of attention'to architecture and architects, should have' adopted the same attitude. It was only after a considerable lapse of time and on persistent application that several of the lea'ding American architects were called in to give advice on theeo matters. The Council of this institute, shortly' after the outlirenk of war, on behalf of its members, offered to the Government of this Dominion their services in any advisory capacity, but the authorities did not attempt to avail themselves of this offer, nut even in an honorary capacity. The work in connection with the laying out of grounds and the erection of the necessary buildings at tho camps and liospi l tals was placed in the hands of the General Manager of Railways,who from his traiuing it would be thought would have little or no experience in this class of work. In the attitude taken up by., all ..three Governments there must be somo cause For their thus ignoring the claims of men skilled in building, works necessary for the prosecution of the war. As it is impossible to read the official mind, :t becomes difficult to arrive at a ren(*;n for or suggest a remedy for the action which was taken by our Government. There is no'doubt that, to some extent, tho public, tnke a somewhat similar view, so that it may he that the reasons nromptiiig both arc somewhat identical. There is no doubt that the term 'architect, is losing, or has lost, its original meaning ("master builder" or "maker"), and tlinfc Governments, public bodies, and the general public seem to he under the impression that nn architect concerns himself largely with the external apwarancp ' of his buildings, neglecting tile more important matters, to them, of construction, finance, and other business details/Furthermore,, that buildoiiy engineers, and building corporations, whom they deem to lie practical men, enn rcndo'r them equal or better service."