MODEL BUILDING BY-LAWS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18429, 9 July 1925, Page 4

MODEL BUILDING BY-LAWS.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSALS. The Xew Zealand Health Department has issued a model set of by-laws under the Health Act, 1020, relating to dwellings and buildings for human habitation. A copy has been sent to each local body interested in the matter with a view to the suggested by-laws being adopted. The following is a resume of the suggested by-laws. Clause 1 suggests that no person shall erect cr rebuild any building intended for use as a dwellinghouse, or shall sell, let, or sublet, or permit to be occupied as a dwelling any part of a building erected, rebuilt or adapted for use as a dwelling unless there is provided at the side or rear of such building an open space exclusively belonging to sue,h building, which shall in all respects comply with the requirements laid down in Section i'i)9 of the Municipal Corporations Act, ]920, in regard to the open space required for ;i dwelling within a borough. A footnote adds that in the case of boroughs this by-law is not required. Clause 2 provides that in the caso of every building used or intended to be used exclusively as a dwelling, there shall be an air-space on at least three sides of such building, inclusive of the side fronting a street or road, and in respect to the two sides other than that fronting a street or road the building shall be so placed that at no portion shall its walls be within five feet of the subtending boundary of the area of land appertaining to such building.

Building Sites. In Clause 8 it is proposed that buildings shall not be erected on damp sites or any site having matter thereon which may prove injurious to the health of the occupants. It continues: "The ground underlying every building shall be so formed and graded that no water can flow and lodge thereon, and the local authority may, if it considers it necessary, require the portion of the site covered, or to be covered by any building, to be properly covered with a layer of tar asphalt at least two inches thick, or with a layer of cement conereto at least three inches thick. Clause 9 stipulates that no person shall erect or add to or rebuild any building unless every room situated in the ground floor of such building or addition to a building and having a flooring of wood is at such level that an air-space of not less than nine inches in height in every part is provided between the underside of every joist on which such floor is laid and the surface of the ground beneath such floor, or the surface of the concrete or asphalt with which the ground beneath such floor is covered. Such air-space shall be thoroughly ventilated by means of approved openings communicating between the air-spaco and the open air. Clause 10 deals with rooms for sleeping purposes and states; "(a) That no room intended for sleeping purposes shall have less than 63 square feet of floor space and five hundred cubic feet of air-space; (b) That the measurement from floor to ceiling shall not be less than eight feet in height; provided that, if the ceiling be a sloping ceiling such measurement shall not be less than eight feet over at least one-half of the area of the room; (c) Every room in- . tended for sleeping purposes shall have in one wall at the least one or more windows opening directly on to the air; (d) The aggregate space. occupied by such window or windows.shall not be less than one-tenth part of the floor area, and one-half at least of such space shall be so constructed as to open for the admission of air without fixed obstruction other than approved fly-proof, netting, if such be desired; (e) In estimating the window space only such portions as admit of the entrance of light shall be included; (f) Every room intended foruse as a sleeping room for two or more persons shall be of such size that for every person sleeping therein there shall be available at least 50 square feet of floor space and 400 cubic feet of air-space; (g) In estimating the cubic content of any sleeping room, height greaTer than 10ft above the floor level shall not be included, and any portion of the room in which the ceiling is less than five feet above the floor level shall not be included in estimating tho floor area or cubic content of such room. A footnote to the by-law adds that the model by-laws of the English Board of Health require every habitable room '' which is without a fireplace and a flue properly constructed and properly connected with such fireplace to be provided with special and adequate means of ventilation by a sufficient aperture or air-shaft which shall provide an unobstructed sectional area of fifty square inches at the least.'' In those parts of the Dominion in which owing to the weather conditions there is difficulty in securing -that windows be kept open such a by-law would be desirable.

The Living-Room. Clause 11 demands that there shall be at least one room in every dwelling used, or intended to be used, as a living-room. The provisions in connexion with this set out that the livingroom shall be at least 144 square feet in area, and no portion of the room shall be included in which the ceiling is less than six feet above floor level. Tho general height of the ceiling is set down as eight feet above floor level, and the by-law provides for at least one window opening directly to the open air, such window to occupy a space of not less than one-tenth part of the floor area, and have at least one-half opening to the air. ..The living-room shall be provided with a chimney and fireplace, or with other approved means of heating such room; and if products of combustion result from such method of heating, a flue or other adequate method of removal shall be provided. A footnote states that gas-heaters without flues could not bo approved. Clause 13 deals with the kitchen, and provides that the area of this room shall not be less than 63 square feet. The height of the ceiling is set down as eight feet from the floor, and window space is provided for on the same lilies as those mentioned in the livingroom and bedrooms. A chimney or flue is demanded to secure the removal of fumes for cooking, while the by-law provides for a place for the storage of food, so placed and fitted as to protect such food from flies, dust, and unwholesome vapours and from the direct rays of the sun. No room, it states, used or intended to be used as a sleeping-room

shall open directly off the kitchen, the same applying in the case of the watercloset or bathroom. Clause 14 provides that no person shall use or permit to lie used as a sleeping-room, or dwelling-room, or kitchen, any room unless one outside wall of such room shall be for at least two-thirds of its area above the level of the surface of the ground next adjoining it. and unless the the floor level along such wall for a distance of at least four feet 'shall be at the most not more than three feet below the level of the surface of the ground adjoining or nearest to it. By-laws Criticised. The above by-laws were submitted to Mr W. 11. Wi'nsor, secretary of the Christchurch Builders' Association, for perusal, and, commenting upon them, he stated that with reference to tlic site of a building being covered uitn asphalt or concrete, he considered the above-mentioned provision the insistence on the ground inside the foundations being higher than that outside being the remedy for the evil. Clause 9 he said, was very important, and was not nearly explicit enough Ventilation under floors was one of the most necessary things in buildings, especially buildings .to be used as habitations. The clause should set out the minimum air space to be provided. In 1919 a conference between the Canterbury branch of the Institute of Architects and the Canterbury Builders and Contractors' Association went through the by-laws or the City of Christchurch, and made proposals for several alterations to the City Council. One of these provided that "in outside walls of dwellinghouses, under ground floors, insert ventilators in foundations equalling one square inch to one square foot of floor space." Christchurch members of the Building Conference held in Wellington in 1924, under the auspices of the New Zealand State Forest Service, advocated this procedure, and it was adopted by the Conference. Not only from a health point of view, but from the economic standpoint, it was desirable. They had only to examine the old houses built on piles to see the excellent preservation of the floor joists, sleepers, and plates to realise its value. The provisions of Clause 10, he said, were the result of the above-mentioned Conference in Wellington,'and were a great improvement on most of the bylaws at present operating in New Zealand. With regard to the air shaft mentioned in the footnote, he did not think this was required in New Zealand. The provisions with reference to the living-room were unnecessary and, in fact, the whole clause was unnecessary. Comfortable bed-living-rooms could be built in which beds folded up into the walls. Referring to the proposed provisions for the kitchen, lie stated that such by-laws would prove very beneficial, especially if insisted upon in the country, where slipshod methods toa often obtained. The last-mentioned clause would prove unworkable in hilly country. The proposed model by-laws, he considered, whilo leaving something to bo desired, were reasonable and sound, and, while some were incorporated in the by-laws of the, cities and boroughs, it was an ..undoubted- fact that in the smaller places and country districts they could be adopted with very beneficial results.

ROUNDING OFF CORNERS. SPLAYING SYDNEY STREETS. ______ (froh our own correspondent.) SYDNEY, July 2. The city is not sufficiently splayed, according to the Lord Mayor. Ho says that Sydney wants its streets, or many of them, turning outwards at an oblique angle where they junction; it wants its corners rounded, to allow a clear and unobstructed view of the turn. It wants splaying so that, wherever possible, there will not he any blind corners. In the plans for the proposed extension of Martin-place through to Macquarie street, provision has been made for the rounding off of all comers, in the interests of traffic If, however, following the precedent of older cities, new builditgs, 'as well as streets generally, have to be splayed, it will be- a costly business. In a few instances, however, big buildings now being constructed at the junction of two streets are being so planned as to he rounded off. It is not at all improbable that, before Long, legislation wll be sought to prohibit the erection of buildings that tend to "blind" a corner.

FOUNDATION STONE INSCRIPTIONS. (to the building editor.) Sir, —The letter under the above heading in the "Hearth and Home" column of "The Press" and signed "A.C." was obviously written by a craftsman—so-called. He, no doubt intended to be humorous. His great' idea being to glorify "clever craftsmen" at the expenso of a noble profession. Of course he failed miserably in the attempt, and it is not to be expected that a craftsman could differentiate between art and mere mechanical cleverness. Craftsmen in the building industry know very little about architecture and care less. Their vision takes them ver- little beyond the trade they are daily engaged upon, and they 'judge architecture by the standard of that particular craft and their prejudices and conceit carry them no further. . e X® are " l 0 S ems of architecture in this City, for their eves cannot" see beyond the little circle wherein they exist. — lours, etc., C.A.

Although the cost of building houses is so high, the carpenter is not always the man who makes the profit. A builder who was being examined nt the Official Assignee's office at Auckland, was being questioned about bis own house, a small place of some three rooms (relates the Auckland "Star";. He estimated that it was worth, say, £lOoO at the present time, bul he pointed out that what a place, was worth and what one could get for it were two very different things at tho present time Asked what the house £iW. One of the creditors: "Phew! 101 1 a < rupt; Well, over £6OO, anvhow.".