Architecture and Building. The Architectural Editor will be glad to receive suggestions or matter from those interested in this section. Address : Architectural Editor, Progress, Progress Buildings, Cuba Street, Wellington.

Progress, Volume II, Issue 2, 1 December 1906, Page 44

Architecture and Building. The Architectural Editor will be glad to receive suggestions or matter from those interested in this section. Address : Architectural Editor, Progress, Progress Buildings, Cuba Street, Wellington.

Twelve new workers' dwellings are in course of erection in Tennyson street, Sydenham, Christchurch. Contractors, J. Greig, and- Dibnah- --& Gant.

****** An up-to-date butcher's shop is m course of erection m Cashel street, Christchurch, for the Christchurch Meat Co. Contractor, C. H. Cox.

****** A three-story brick building is in course of erection in Cashel street, Christchurch, for the Australian Widows' Fund Assurance Co. Architect, F. J. Barlow, A.R.1.8 A. ; contractor, W. H. Bowen. ******

The new Presbyterian church at Ashburton is in course of erection. This structure is a brick building with a spire, and the contract price is about Architects, England Bros. ; contractor, W. Reid.

****** Alteration and commodious wood-and-iron additions to the Carlton hotel, Bealey avenue, Christchurch, forming extra acccomodation during the Exhibition period, have just been completed. Contractor, P. M. Stewart, Papanui. ******

A gothic roof of reinforced concrete has been built for a church in Belgium. It has a central span of 23 ft., and side spans of ujft. The concrete is covered with mortar and plaster mouldings. ******

A two-story brick building with iron roof, to be occupied as a technical college and workshop, is in course of erection at the corner of Moorhouse avenue and Barbadoes street, Christchurch. Architects, Hurst Seager & Wood ; contractor, H. Green.

****** A three-storey brick building, facing the lane off Hereford street, Christchurch, for Messrs. Hement Bros., and to be occupied by tenants as offices, is in course of erection. Architects, Collins & Harman ; contractors, W. Greig & Son.

****** A large wood-and-iron building, adjoining the N.Z. Shipping Co.'s sheds, and to be occupied by the Massey-Harris Co. as a bulk store, is in course of erection at Lyttelton. The building has about 10,200 feet of floor space. Architects, Hurst Seager & Wood ; contractor, J. Rowe. ******

The contract for the additions that are to be made to the Central Public Library, Wellington, has been secured by Mr. W. G. Emeny at The unsuccessful tenderers were —J. Moffatt, £1288 10s. ; A. Wilkennmg, ; Martin, Hurrell & Snaddon, M'Lean & Gray, £i6Bz 10s. , Meyer & Illingworth, ******

A two-story brick building for offices and store is in course of erection m Tuam street, Christchurch, for the Christchurch Brick Co. (T. N. Horsley). This building is constructed of red bricks, rockfaced bricks, and sand-lime bricks combined with terra-cotta. The ground floor is finished with paving bricks, and houses an electric elevator running to the upper floor. Architects, Hurst Seager & Wood.

****** A large gathering assembled in the vicinity of Messrs. J. Nathan & Co.'s new building, Wellington, on the 24th October last, to witness a public demonstration of the efficiency of Humphries' Patent Safety Scaffold Bracket. Amongst those present were the Premier, Sir J. G. Ward, the Hons. Mr. Hall-Jones (Minister of Public Works), Mr. J. A. Millar (Minister of Labour), and members of both Houses of Parliament and the representatives of the Wellington City Council.

In the big cities we always find the trouble that in a short time new buildings look old, and the old buildings look very dirty. In many places the buildings are cleaned on the outside or planed over in order to give it a cleaner appearance. In Berlin a steam cleaner has made its appearance and has given very satisfactory results. The whole outfit consists of a small boiler, and the man who cleans the outside of the building washes the whole front clean with steam.

In order to- determine if brick clays, which have a medium percentage of lime, could be used for brick manufacturing, a Mr. JLoeser -conducted a number of tests. The principal tests were the mechanical separation by washing. He also tried the very - intimate mixing by fine -grinding. Of the two experiments the best results were obtained by washing, and it was distinctly shown in the experiments that the fine grinding of the lime had not the desired effect.

****** In architectural beauty, in the splendour of its interior decorations, the Congressional Library at Washington ranks with the first'great public buildings of the world. As the illustration shows, the library building is rectangular in shape, with a central tower, from which run four internal wings. Three of these wings are filled with book stacks ; the fourth is the entrance rotunda. Two of the book stacks are very large, each containing twenty-six miles of shelving.

****** The ceramic school in Bunzlau had, in the summer of 1905, 86 students, and in the winter term of 1905-06, 66 students. The faculty has now seven teachers, with Prof. Dr. Pukall as director. The ceramic school of Hohr did not have as many students. The day course was attended by 44 students, while the night course had 49 students. As scholarships this institution received from the German Association of Ceramic Manufacturers 200 marks, while the Chamber of Commerce gave 100 marks and the County Commissioners 500 marks. The faculty consists of four teachers, two assistants and two shop assistants.

****** It is sometimes thought that reinforced concrete is necessarily a fire-resisting material. This is by no means the case. It all depends upon the composition of the concrete. One of the resolutions adopted at the Milan International Congress deals with reinforced concrete, and is in the following terms :—: — (a) That the Congress considers that no reinforced concrete construction should be permissible in buildings intended to be fire-resistmg, unless the aggregate be most carefully selected and applied in such a manner as to give substantial protection to all metal parts. That it is advisable, where reinforced concrete is intended to be fireresisting, that every portion of the metal rods or bars contained therein be covered by not less than 2 in. of concrete, the aggregate of which must be able to pass through a sieve of not more than 1 m. in diameter and that Portland cement of great firmness only be used, (b) That, where feasible, all-external angles should be rounded, (c) Any angle-iron needed for mechanical protection should be held in position independently of the concrete.