GOOD BUILDING

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 36, 12 February 1931, Page 8

GOOD BUILDING

VALUE OF ARCHITECTURE:

VITAL EFFECT ON" POSTERITY

"Building and its relationship to the community" was the title of a lecturer given in tho Art Gallery laet evening- by Mr. F. -E. Greenish) F.N.Z.1.A., A.8.1.8.A.... , \ It was a truism which was, non,e the loss, rather incompletely graspod, said Mr. Greenish, that the ideals arid thoughts of mankind found their expression,'in all his works, varied as they, were and influenced from time to time by nationality, social progress, religion, climate, natural resources, and many other'factors. That applied alike to the. useful as to the fine art's. Yet although ideals and thoughts were exprossod in a; similar manner in buildings, there, was such .a'diversity'of use and. function that this expression was, rendered the more, -complex. ■■ He had made the suggestion that if they built woll architecture would result, and that a building inevitably provided. a; certabi expression of the life and thought of the man who built it. . . ...A building might'be sound, efficient, and in every way usable, but' it might be oi such a nature as to cause offence even to the least cultured person. What offended most was usually its expression, and he suggested in all diffidence that architecture or good building was of such a nature that it. off ended no one, and its quality could be measured by the degree of pleasure which buildings afforded to those who regarded them. .', LOqHOAL\BBASONINa. Could they not do something more towards f good'1 building than 'at vjro-sentf;,-Mr. Greenish asked. It was not a matter of elaboration, of cost, or of conscious effort t6 give buildings a more aesthetic expression. It was rather' a matter of'facing tho building problem in the^ light "of logical reasoning, of avoidipg meaningless and false expression due to .whim or the fancied dictates of ■ fashion, and of refusing . to accept any device for inaking anything appear what it was not. Mr. Greenish wont on to deal with the building bylaws in'force in Wellington and' the problem of aspect, and said it had been shown; that it was possible to build- houses,'both, economically and with adequate light, and air, on frontages of 25ft. To secure such \ restilts it would be necessary to have either adequate control by Acts or bylaws in definite terms or control by the grant of permit by a^ujthorities given full latitude to. ensure |hat'sound principles were not disregarded; It was

utterly futile that they should have requirements as in the Municipal Corporations Act stipulating a minimum open space of 300 square feet for the full width or depth of the section, or as in tho Wellington bylaws 2000 square feet of open space, unless they insisted that .important rooms overlooked that; space. EXTERNAL APPEARANCE. Dealing with the problem of the external appearance of tho, houses, Mr. Greonish said that,it was obvious that if they thought out their buildings on. a logical basis the exteriors would express what was inside to'a great ex-1 tent.. Not one of the parties engaged in producing the results seen in many suburban bungalows to-day could bo loaded with tho whole responsibility. While tho ■ average builder considered that stock.; plans .giving the .necessary accommodation, without reference to site, wore reasonably efficient; whilo the home-seeker accepted them as such; whilo the money-lender valued on tho area of floor space; and while the architect failed to make his principles of planning and design a vital need to the community, they would still have the same1 condition. For their own sakes they should endeavour to turn to something better. It was clear that tho effort of the individual could lie of service, but it was most discouraging when the perpetrations of the majority tended to nullify those efforts. They should realise that building after all could not bo allowed to bo regarded as the affair of the private individual entirely. The results affected posterity most vitally in economy, social conditions, health, and amenities. The State Advances Department if it were not tied up with purely financial considerations could do much to improve the planning and aspect of the small house, and regulations under the Town Planning Act and universal bylaws- might accomplish much.