Correspondence.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 150, 24 December 1895, Page 2

Correspondence.

ARCHITECTS' CHARGES. * TO THE BDITOB. Sib, —In your report of the case . ; tames v. Colonists' Land and . Loan ; Corporation! see that the S.M. objected bo a re-hearing on certain grounds,amongst others that two guineas was bhe usual fee for a sketch plan. I feel that I cannot let this go forth to the public as a fact. No Architect, living by his profession, could have given evi3ence to this effect. The proper charge for scale-made sketch-plans np^on which Etn estimate could be based is li per sent of the total value of the building, md, generally speaking, the work is tvell worth the money. It fe manifest that it is on these sketches that the best and moat original work of the master is put. To elaborate details and re-draw from the sketch plan is largely; mechanical, and, therefore, is not work of the same value as the conception and sketching out of the design; the two classes of work in Architectural* practice bearing much the same relation to each other as in law the scribbled opinion of the counsel and the elabb£ ately engrossed paper (containing that opinion) bear to each other. I would mention that my firm has, been at work now for many weeks over the, dialings* for a ten thousand pounds building, and yet they are not beyond the "sketch plan" stage. Would your S.M. grant us only two guineas for this ? : I am, &c, Fbedk. de J. Clebb, i. Fellow, and Honary Secretary for New Zealand, of the Royal Institute of British Architects.