ORPHANAGE AT HALSWELL

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21456, 24 April 1935, Page 5

ORPHANAGE AT HALSWELL

COMPLETION ABOUT END

OF YEAR

TRADITIONAL STYLE OF

ARCHITECTURE

Ah least seven months' work is needed before St. Joseph's Orphanage, Halswell, will be completely ready for occupation. The orphanage, which is being built near the home of the Good Shepherd, at Mount Magclala, out of the estate left by Mrs Eliza White, will be one of the most up-to-date institutions of its kind in Now Zealand. The section for babies will be finished first, and the contractors are concentrating on this part at present, but no undue efforts are being made to hasten the completion of the rest of the building, according to Mr A. C. Reed, the chairman of the trustees in the estate. Mr Reed said yesterday that he did not expect the whole work would bo finished before the end of this year. It, will be open for the reception of children from a few days old. The design of the orphanage follows the traditional style adopted for buildings of this type in England and America, and the feeling of the Early Renaissance architecture, with its long mullioned windows and projecting bays, has been translated into the terms of modern construction. By this it is considered that the main essentials for such a building—sun, light, and air—will be provided to the best advantage. The building will bo of reinforced concrete, with a steel frame, with (he exterior walls faced with multi-coloured unglazod tapestry bricks relieved with imitation sandstone. The "H" type of plan has been adopted so as to obviate the disadvantage of a grouped system of planning, by which the children have lo pass from one building to another in all weathers.

The Ground Floor The central portion of the building on the ground floor is to be occupied bv the administrative; side of the orphanage. It includes the entrance hall, reception room, parlours, library, sewing room, and kindergarten. On the ground floor of the south-east wing will be the dining hall, designed to seat 120 children grouped at tables each seating eight. Attached to the dining hall will be the servery and kitchen wing, which includes the vegetable room, milk room, cooler, and general stores. The kitchen will be provided with overhead light and ventilation, the walls being finished with glazed tiles. Attached to this wing will be the laundry, drying room, and ironing room. The drying room will be fitted with warm-air dryers to ensure the thorough airing of clothes during the winter months. The ground floor of the north-east wing will provide accommodation for the infants with the day and night nurseries, infants' baths, and the nurses' bedroom. This wing will have its own kitchen and stores, and the babies' food will be prepared in this wing. A special feature of the nurseries will be the spacious glass-enclosed verandahs and sun rooms. The sun room will be glazed with vita glass, which will enable the babies to derive the full benefits of the sun's rays. The ground floor of the north-west wing v/ill be taken up with the class rooms, common room, lavatories, and cloak rooms. The common room, which is 80 feet long by 30 feet wide, will be provided with a stage and dressing rooms. Grouped round the northern aspect of the entire building on the first floor will be the dormitories, sleeping porches, and bedrooms, to give a maximum amount of sunshine. All the dormitories will be provided with dressing rooms, which will be equipped with lockers. In an isolated position on the first floor of the south-east wing will be the sick bay, complete with its own kitchen, bathroom, and nurses' quarters.

Indoor Playground

Running completely through the central portion of the main block on the second floor will be the playgrpund, which is provided as a recreation room for the children during wet weather. In conjunction with tha dormitories will be spacious bathrooms and basin rooms equipped with the most modern sanitary appliances. The lavatories and basin rooms throughout will be provided with terrazzo floors, and all the building will be heated with hot water radiation.

When Mrs White, widow of Mr A. J. White, the founder of the furnishing firm of A. J. White, Ltd., died in November, 1909, she left her estate in trust to build in or near Christchurch two orphanages, one for female and one for male orphans. Mrs White provided that the orphanage for female children should be established first, and that the orphanage for male children should be built only if a sufficient surplus remained in the estate after the first building had been paid for. She also provided a church at Sumner, dedicated to our "Lady Star of the Sea." The trustees in the estate are Miss Maud M. White (daughter), Mrs Alfred Bunz (daughter), Messrs A. C. Reed, and H. H. Loughnan. with the Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch in a consulting capacity. The Good Shepherd Sisters will have charge of the institution. The architect is Mr A. H. Manson, and the general contractors are Messrs P. Graham and Son, Ltd. Messrs Vale and Company, Ltd., have the contract for the heating and the hot-water system.

CENTRAL HEATING COMPARISON BETWEEN SYDNEY AND AMERICAN HOMES Sydney heating engineers have reached the conclusion that Sydney is a long way behind American cities in domestic room-warming facilities. Their opinon is based on statements made at the forty-first annual gas conference held at Del Monte. California, two months ago. In one city typical of most others throughout the state and enjoying a climate almost identical with that of Sydney, it was found that there were 26,505 dwellings, in which were 5755 warm air basement furnaces, 25,841 warm air stoves, 2302 hot water and steam radiators. Only 1916 homes depended upon fireplaces of the types found in every Sydney home.

This evidences an extraordinary development of central heating by means of gas in the United States over the last 20 years. At the beginning of that period central heating was as little known in California as it was in Sydney up to a year ago.

It is easy to get tar marks on light clothing, but the usual cleaners are not too useful in removing it. Try this method. Spread some butter over the tar stains, and leave it to sink in. Then wash in the usual way in warm, soapy water. The stains should come out easily, or a .second application may be necessary.