Standardisation and Housing

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21631, 15 November 1935, Page 12

Standardisation and Housing

Mr Coates touched on an interesting subject j when, during a discussion of the Government'.-; ■ . housing scheme, he mentioned the possibility . | of reducing the cost of houses by stundardi.su- , I turn and mass production. House building • suffers from being one of the oldest of all i industries and from a consequent inability to I j adapt itselt to changes in the technique of pro- ; duetion. It is distressing, for instance, to com- ; j pave the advance in the beaut;,', efficiency, and j i comfort of motor-cars in the last 20 years with j the relative absence of improvement in houses. Mouse builders are not. of course, to blame fur • this lack of progress. The public has become : so accustomed to houses with a low standard of beauty and usefulness, and has so few examples j before it of what houses might be, that it does ; not demand houses with windows as efficient j motor-car windows or -with heating and i lighting systems which embody recent scientific S improvements. No one would now buy a t motor-car with solid tyres or without a self- ] starter; but few ever bother to wonder whether j | their fire-places or doors or washtubs are rea- ; \ sonably efficient, pieces of machinery. Indeed, j •' such is the force of tradiiion that innovation is j : usually resented. Another factor, not alto- ! gether to be regretted, which hinders the adop- i j tion of mass production and standardisation in j house building is the individualism of the i average householder. But*.as Mr Coates points out. the obstacle is more apparent than real. ! The best English housing schemes have shown ; that, it is possible to combine variety with a : high degree of standardisation both in mate- i rials and in fittings. Moreover, it is probable : : that the appearance of most, towns would be : appreciably improved if individual caprice in i housing had less scope. The whole problem is one which requires careful investigation. The ' relative cost of different building materials dif- ; fers so widely from country to country that ] overseas experience is not a good guide. It: i may be suspected, for instance, that Ihe interi departmental housing committee's suggestion 1 that too much use is made of wood as a build- ! mg material in .New Zealand is based on 5 English experience rather than on a knowledge j ; of the focal situation. If. as part of his housing • scheme, the Minister were to ?cl up a commit- { tee of builders, architects, and engineers to | study the methods and organisation of the j house building industry and to investigate the ; | possibilities of standardisation he would be , | performing a notable service to the whole com- ; | munity.