BUILDING TRENDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 45, 22 February 1940, Page 6

BUILDING TRENDS.

ARCHITECT'S VIEWS. ■~~~——■~ — » SEMI-DETACHED HOUSES. f POPULAR IN ENGLAND. (By Telegraph—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. Points of similarity between building conditions a hundred years ago and to-day were commented upon by Mr. J. M. Dawson in his presidential address at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Institute of Architects last evening. Mr. Dawson said the earliest settlers suffered from import restrictions, due to high freights and, in individual cases, shortage of funds. Mr. Dawson referred to a recent visit he made to Great Britain and the Continent, and said that New Zealand was keeping fairly closely in Btep with older countries. He said that in domestic architecture he had been impressed with the prevalence abroad of the semidetached house, particularly in England, where he saw flue examples of the type. There appeared to be a prejudice in New Zealand against this particular type of dwelling, which might be explained by the fact that the majority of examples were the work of non-professional designers, and possibly also for the reason that laymen confused the semidetached house with the terrace house. Mr. Dawson considered that on the grounds of individuality there was some justification for criticism, but there were •opposing advantages of reduced ground area and more imposing appearance. He did not advocate the general use of tV. semi-detached type of house, but thought that there was a definite place for it to nil the gap between the £inall flat block and the individual cottage. In the matter of Government building of houses they appreciated the employment of architects in private practice, and the present Government had utilised the services of members to a greater extent than any previous Government. Mr. Dawson added that it would bo hazardous to prophesy what effect the war would have on building progress, apart from the difficulty of obtaining the necessary imported "materials. Tn the first year of the last war the building trade had slumped rather badly, but it had T>een soon recognised that even in war timo commerce and trade had to be maintained.