Building Notes.

Progress, Volume XV, Issue 4, 1 December 1919, Page 676

Building Notes.

. ASHBURTON. The plan for the proposed Ashburton Borough School observatory, prepared by the Canterbury Education Board’s architect, was on view at Ashburton recently. The design is for a neat, substantial building of brick, with concrete foundations, specially constructed to prevent any vibration. • The building will be surmounted with a .revolving dome. ? AUCKLAND. The discussion re the Returned Soldiers’ Club has now been settled. It appears that the complete building the soldiers required would cost considerably more than the available funds. The plans have therefore been altered omitting the fourth floor, and the sum of £I2OO held by the Association has been handed over for building purposes. The land cost £12,500 and the plans have to be modified so that the cost must not exceed £BOOO. Auckland, in common with other centres, : is very short of labour. One large building and contracting firm state that they have been compelled to refuse orders amounting to £ISOO in a fortnight owing to the lack of carpenters. They state they could do with thirty more men. Building material requisites are also very short, though Auckland, of course, is well supplied with cement. The Auckland Education Board has sixty thousand pounds available for replacing old schools. It is proposed now to start on the Napier Street School, and erect an up-to-date school there. A grant has been made by the Minister of Education for an important addition to the New Lynn School, tenders for which - ’ have been invited. A contract has been let for alterations and additions to provide extra accommodation for the Leslie Presbyterian Orphanage amounting to £SOOO.

Mr. R. H. , Abbott is erecting in Newmarket a block of buildings in brick, comprising eight shops, which, it is hoped; will be completed this year. Mr. J. Currie, Auckland, 1 ; called for tenders during the month for the erec- , tion of a residence in .Green Lane. Messrs. Wilson and Moodie called for tenders during the month for Messrs. Sargood, Son, & Ewen, Ltd., for additions to warehouse, and Messrs. Holman & Moses called for tenders for additions in brick to premises in Karangahape Road. Messrs. Grierson & Aimes, architects, called for tenders during the month for re-flooring the Otahuhu Public Hall; and Mr. Daniel B. Paterson invited tenders for the erection of a residence in wood in Remuera. Mr. A. A. Mclan invited' tenders for the erection of a house at Mangere, in concrete. CAMBRIDGE. A- public meeting held last month selected a design submitted by Mr. N. Wallnutt, for a monument to the fallen soldiers. It was also agreed that a commemorative building should be erected in Victoria Square for Returned Soldiers’ War Trophies. The monument is expected ,to (Cost £4OOO and the building £6OOO. CHRISTCHURCH. The construction of a new railway goods shed at Christchurch, has been commenced. The building will have a floor area of 400 ft. by 60ft, divided by a fire break, and will be equipped with electric overhead travelling cranes. The shed is to be completed in a year, the cost being estimated at £IO,OOO. The New Brighton Power Boat Club is about to erect a two-storeyed boat house at New Brighton. Messrs. J. S. and M. J. Guthrie, architects, invited tenders, during the month, for re-building St. Mary’s Catholic School in brick. The same architects invited tenders for St. Matthew’s Memorial School at St. Albans. Messrs. England Bros., architects, invited tenders for the erection of a house in St. Albans; also for extension to premises for Messrs. E. Reese, Ltd. Messrs. Ellis & Hall invited tenders for a two-storeyed residence at Fendalton. Mr. T. Duncan Brown invited tenders for a new Presbyterian Church at Rangiora. DUNEDIN. Mr. Leslie D. Coombs, A.R.1.8.A., reports that he has let contracts for an addition to the Oban Hotel (thirteen rooms), contractor, D. O’Connell; also alterations to shops in the Octagon, contractor, E. McLeod. The same architect called for tenders for a residence at Anderson’s Bay, and another at St. Clair, and has recently completed additions to Momona Cheese Factory, contractors, Loan & Watson; alterations to residence, Rattray Street, contractors, Loan & Watson; shop in George Street for D. Ritchie & Co., contractors, Fletcher Bros.; additions to 1 the Otago Dairy Producers’ Cool Stores, Dunedin, contractor, J. McKinnon. ‘Mr, Basil B. Hooper reports as follows: —Works recently completed include— Country residence, garage,

etc., for Dr. Barnett, at Hampden; additions to residence in Highgate, Roslyn, for Mrs. Allan; additions to country residence at Waikouaiti, for C. W. Rattray, Esq.; double garage, etc., in Heriot Row, for G. R. Ritchie, ■ Esq. Works under construction include—Extensive alterations and additions to the late Sir Joshua Williams’ residence, Anderson’s Bay, for C. W. Rattray, Esq. The entire house is being remodelled and renovated. Hot water heating is being supplied to a number of the rooms, by an Ideal Domestic hot water boiler, and gas fires fixed in practically every room. A feature is the billiard room, 32ft. x 19ft., with a large open fireplace, built in' chipped clinkers; and heavily beamed ceiling. The casements are steel, glazed with clear glass leadlights. The work is being' carried out by day labour. Mr. H. C. Anderson controlling same under the archittect’s directions. Also a residence in Dunottar for Mrs. Napier; a country residence at Waitati for Dr. McKellar; extensive additions to the Otago Tallow & Bye Products Co. Works at Burnside, in reinforced concrete, wood, and iron; and a residence in Dunottar for Thos. Turnbull, Esq. Plans are being prepared for residences at Anderson’s Bay, Lynwood Avenue, Dunottar, and for additions to residences at Sty Clair and Port Chalmers. Mr. H. Mandeno, registered architect, reports the following works just completed;— Residence (stone) for J. A. Roberts, Esq., on Gladbrook Station, contractor, D. O’Connell; large residence (brick) for C. F. Oliver, Esq., in Albert Street, contractor, W. H. Naylor; Catholic church (concrete) at Roxburgh, contractor, D. Boyd; renovating buildings at Wakari for the King Edward Technical College, contractors, W. McLellan (timber work), M. Scott (plumbing); motor repair shop, King Edward Technical College, contractor, W. H. Naylor; lavatory block at Otago Boys’ High School, contractor, A. Ferry; dressing and shelter sheds, Otago Boys’ High School, contractors, Fletcher Bros.; additions to South Dunedin convent, contractor, W. McLellan. Works in course of erection—Large residence at Dunottar for S. Bowman, Esq., contractor, W. H. Naylor; malt houses, kilns, and stores for the Wilson Malt Extract Company, contractors, Geo. Simpson & Co.; strong rooms and alterations for the Standard Insurance Company, contractors, Jas. McGill & Sons; six class rooms (stone) Otago Boys’ High School, contractor, W. McLellan; residence (brick) for J. B. Moss, Esq., contractor, Geo. Gibbs; renovations to residence A. Bathgate, Esq., contractor, W. McLellan; alteration for J. G. Patterson, Esq., contractor, Geo. Gibbs; warehouse (brick and concrete) for Messrs. Sargood, Son & Ewen, Ltd., at Invercargill, contractors, Jas. McGill & Sons; Convent chapel (stone) at 1 Oamaru for the Dominican Nuns, contractor, W. McLellan; Kelsey-Yaralla Kindergarten in Leith Avenue, contractor, J. L. Hamilton; shop and workshop for Mr. D. Bower in Carroll Street, contractor, J. L. Hamilton; residence (timber) Balclutha, for Mr. Smith, contractor, J. P. 7. all; alterations to business premises for Messrs. John Chambers & Sons, contractors, Wood & McCormack; residence for Mrs, W. J. Tonkin at Ettrick, contractor, D. Boyd. Plans are being prepared and tenders are being called for:Garage and motor repair shop for Messrs. Cooke, Howlison & Co., Ltd., in Ward Street; class rooms (brick) for the Dominican Nuns at Invercargill; Catholic church (concrete) at Palmerston; shop, workrooms and dwelling at Balclutha for C. Kirby, Esq.; large residence' for the Christian Brothers at Rattray Street; open-air sleeping shelters and lavatory block for the King Edward Technical . College at Wakari; alterations and additions to seaside cottage for J. C. Stephens, Esq.; additions to Archerfield School for Mrs.'Nesbit; residence (timber) at Anderson's Bay; residence (timber) at Balclutha; business premises in reinforced concrete in Wellington; several large building schemes are also in the preliminary stages and will be proceeded with as soon as labour and material are available. , Mr. D. G. Mowatt reports that he has let a contract to J. Hamilton, contractor, for additions to the Otago Brush Factory, King Street, Dunedin.

Zealand. Houses are said to be going up in every direction. Wealthy settlers in the neighbourhood- are acquiring land and' building residences on a more or less elaborate scale. , , WELLINGTON. - During the > month the Federated Builders and Contractors’ Association held its Annual Conference. As in every other centre, Wellington builders are complaining bitterly of the absence of labour and the consequent stagnation of building. There does not appear to be any lack of work to be done, the housing problem having already become notorious. The City Council called for comprehensive designs for a building in brick or concrete in the Basin Reserve. • Mr. William Turnbull, architect, invited tenders for alterations and additions to the National Mutual Life Association’s premises. In addition to the workers’ dwellings effort of the Government, illustrated on another page of this issue, the Labour Department let a contract to Messrs. Swanston & Ashton, a Wellington and Masterton firm, for the erection of forty concrete houses at Miramar, and negotiations are proceeding for an additional sixty-six houses, fifty-one at Miramar, and fifteen at Petone. During the month the City Council called for the erection of additions to the Electric Light Station. Three tenders were sent in, all of which were ’ considered too high, with the result that the Council has decided to build by day labour.