Modern Factory Building

Progress, Volume XII, Issue 11, 1 July 1917, Page 1016

Modern Factory Building

(From “The Architect's Builder's Journal”)

The proper planning of a factory involves the highest degree of co-operation between the owners or the managers of the industry, on the one hand, and the architects and the engineers on the other. In order that buildings may be properly adapted to their uses, it is essential that these uses be fully known to the designer, and this requires complete and thorough explanation on the part of the owner, for the omission of some vital factor, at this preliminary stage, may later necessitate costly changes which a few words in time would have obviated. THE THREE TYPES OF BUILDINGS Buildings for manufacturing purposes necessarily vary in form according to the nature of the work carried out in them. They may, however, be roughly classified in three categories. The first comprises buildings several storeys in height; the second, buildings of the weaving shed type, one storey high, with saw-tooth roof; the third, buildings of the machine shop type, also one storey high, but with large truss spans, and usually provided with travelling cranes. This classification is not absolute, as a single establishment may include all of these types, built in. conjunction with one another but used for different purposes, while, of course, there arc buildings that fall into none of the groups, such as coal chutes, grain elevators, and other similar structures. The classification indicates, however, the three most important types of buildings, the first two of which are becoming standardized to a considerable extent, while the third varies greatly in its design and proportions. MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS Where the materials and machinery used are not unduly heavy or bulky, and where land is moderately expensive—as it usually is in manufacturing centres where labour is readily obtainable—the multi-storey type of building is undoubtedly the best for almost all purposes. It uses the sight to better advantage than a one-storey shop, and can be designed to fit the requirements of any light manufacturing business. Originally built in frame construction, then in mill construction with brick walls, buildings of this type are now usually constructed of steel or reinforced concrete, with brick or concrete walls. The old-fashioned wooden sash has been superseded by steel sash, giving better light and lessening the fire risk, while solid interior walls (except for necessary fire Avails and lift and stair enclosures) have been eliminated, • the space being divided as required by light partitions, carried on the floor slabs, which may be shifted to suit changing needs.

The possibility of change is one that needs to be taken into account in ail industrial planning. A prosperous enterprise tends to grow and to require more space for its activities. The original lay-out, therefore, should be planned with a view to the possibility of future expansion without undue cost or inconvenience. But even with the greatest care

in planning, it will often be found that some departments have too much space and others too little, and the structural divisions should not be of such a nature as to make this re-arrangement impossible in ease the need for it arises. The space required for the various departments will determine the lay-out of the building, subject to the requirements of economical construction. In general, the lay-out should be planned so that a uniform spacing of columns may be possible. This spacing should be from 16 to 25 feet. Special conditions may require longer spans, but these increase the cost of the building and have, in addition, the disadvantage of demanding girders of great depth, which may interfere with machineryparticularly where overhead shafting is —and also make it more difficult to light the building properly. The width of the building, when this is more than one storey in height, is determined by the need of natural light. The proper width will, therefore, vary according to environment and the conditions of different industries. The attempt to build over too great an area often produces buildings that are practically useless. 'Where some portions of a building are not as well lighted as others, however, they may be used for storage, if the work is of a nature requiring or permitting this utilization. While this type of building bas many advantages, inasmuch as it makes the fullest possible use of the site, is economical in construction, and allows the use of overhead shafting, it also has certain limitations. It does not permit overhead lighting, except on the top floor, and the arrangement of machinery is limited by column spacing and the strength of floor slabs. Where a uniform lighting is needed throughout, the weaving-shed type is the most desirable, and where very large and heavy machines must be installed, or a travelling crane is necessary to transport heavy loads, the machine shop type is the only one that will meet requirements. BUILDINGS OF THE WEAVING-SHED TYPE The weaving-shed type of construction, although it was, as its name indicates, originally devised fo** textile mills, is now used for many other kinds of manufacture. It affords a remarkably uniform light throughout the entire area without distinct shadows—a condition that is desirable for most classes of work. But it can onlv be used where land is relatively cheap, or on the top floor of a building which has ordinary side light on the lower floors. The characteristic feature of this type of building is the saw-tooth roof, consisting of a series of unequally inclined ridges glazed onlv on the north side, which is the deeper of the two slopes and in many cases vertical. By this arrangement the lighting is very uniform, since no direct sunlight is admitted. On the other hand, the drainage becomes difficult because of a large number of gutters that clog up with snow in winter. Again, the use of overhead shafting is seldom possible, a matter of importance in many kinds of manufacture. BUILDINGS OF MACHINE-SHOP TYPE The machine-shop type of building is less capable of standardization than either of the other two, The

spans, heights, and designs of the trusses vary greatly according to the uses of the building. This type is used extensively for such shops as do heavy metal-working, and also for stone and other industries. Steel framing is more often used than for the other types already described, for which reinforced concrete has usually been found to be more economical. The variety of these buildings is too great to permit any detailed description of them here. THE APPEARANCE OF A FACTORY Some people think that appearance matters little in so prosaic a place as a factory. They take it for granted that ugliness in a factory is natural and inevitable. But, as a matter of fact, there is no necessity that factories should be ugly. Many American factories are decidedly imposing. All factories might be at least tolerably pleasant looking. In designing a factory so that it shall be attractive, one does not proceed by applying ornament to an ungainly building. This sort of thing has been tried, but always fails. The proper method is not to stick things on, but to arrange the things that must be there, to study the proportion of openings and solids, to emphasise structural lines by the use of colour and relief; in a word, to articulate the structure. This may be done both inside and outside the factory; it requires only a proper architectural knowledge, and the expenditure involved is but a fraction of the total cost.

The question may he asked: Ts it worth doing? undoubtedly it is, and for quite a number of reasons. In the first place, it has an advertising value. Every view of the factory that is published, whether in a newsnaper, in the manufacturer’s catalogue, or in an advertisement of any kind, produces some sort of an impression, good or bad. It is published with the, idea of producing an impression, and certainlv, from the standpoint of the owner’s interest, this should be a good rather than a bad impression. What may he. termed the psychological effect on the emnlovees is still more important, because more inevitable. A manufacturer may never publish a view of his plant, he may place his building where travellers never see, but he cannot keep his employees from seeing it and being affected bv its appearance. If men could be treated as machines, a clean, hard, sanitary installation would be quite sufficient. But they cannot. One of the most important things about an employee is his mental attitude toward his work. And one of the wavs to improve this attitudenot the onlv wav, it is true, but nevertheless a powerful one —is to make his environment agreeable. “A thing of beauty is a joy for — Keats. “Full many a gem of purest ray serene, T 'he dark, unfathomed caves of ocean bear: Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air.” “Mv house must he mv house; it must suggest rmi ways and my thoughts or it will be no home of mine,”