SMALL HOMES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 36, 12 February 1930, Page 12

SMALL HOMES

DESIGN AND ECONOMY ARCHITECTS CONCERNED The problem of attaining a better standard of, design and construction of small homes was discussed ia the presidential address delivered by Mr. E. B. Wilson (Invercargill) at the conference of the New Zealand Institute of Architects to-day. •This problem had exercised the minds of members of the executive^ said Mr. Wilson, and it was intended to Bound the Government aa early as possible with some definite.proposition. It was realised that for people of small means the payment of an architect's fees, in addition to the net cost of a building, was sometimes a serious proposition. It . was no matter for surprise that selling agents and many cottage builders made much talk and profit on this score, with the result that architects were practically excluded from design of cottages and smaller houses, with disastrous results in most cases to the appearances of town and country, and the introduction unchecked of much shoddy material and construji»Tun. Even professional men were gulled in this manner, owing to their desire to economise. The suggestion was that good designs should be obtained from registered architects by means of competition; that a limited number of buildings should be erected in localities wido apart from each accepted design; and that a lower individyal fee would then, in the aggregate, be sufficient remuneration, to the producer.. The owner would benefit by tho direct saving to him, while the community at large would be a gainer. Several members supported the remarks of the president in regard to the poor designs of many smalitr homes. Mr. C. B. Ford, however, expressed the opinion that the adoption of a small house bureau would not remedy the evil. In his judgment many smaller houses were badly designed because the people did not know better, and did not, perhaps, care. When people had the same love- of their homes as in many cases they once had, and when they thought less of, a motor trip or attending a football match or picture show, they might, perhaps, think more of the desien of their homes.