OUR ARCHITECTURE,

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 213, 2 June 1908, Page 9

OUR ARCHITECTURE,

.. Sir, The vast majority of dwellinghouses in ISew Zealand aro years behind the.times, "J ways, and the causes of this deplorable state of. things aro many, the main cause, however, being the great distance at which we are situated from the centres of civilisation, which naturally accounts for tho ack of progression in our ideas on housebuilding. It also accounts for tho great' difficulty in obtaining materials which aro in general use elsewhere, only the most commonplace goods being stocked by the merchant's. For example, modern electric light fittings cannot be. obtained in sufficient quantity, and architects are compelled to import those required for their batter-class work, files—the common or garden shingle tiles —which are universally used are almost unobtainable, and are quoted here at an exorbitant figure. To an architect who has a soul' for his work, working under such conditions is' liko working with a ' strait-jacket on.''-Most people are content with tho'exist-, ing'state ot' atfairsj fondly imagining that a picturesquely and comfortably designed houso costs more money. ' This is altogether an erroneous notion—all' tliat is required'is tho intelligent arrangement of the same materials to'get the desired effect. The-public bodies are in a position to give the people examples of what can be dono, not so much in big work but in the humbler cottages, 'for instance' in Newtown Park; Tho magnificent opportunities afforded by such a site have been ontirely overlooked in the design of the caretaker's cottage'. ■ ' ''. The writer was onco" aslced the question, "How is it' that the British nation at the present day, excelling as it does in almost all intelligent pursuits—literary,' scientific, industrial, and sporting—should be so lamentably uneonversivo with , the general principles of ...Art." Well; .this is a . hard question.to answer, but one'thing is certain,, that the truly artistio temperament cannot, bo schooled into the student. auy more, than music can be drummed into one who has

, 'littlo or no cor for music, and no amount of ) teaching will .help,.him to apprcciato tlmt - which, others would glory in by nature, The [ reason .is surely :.-te bp. found.- in. the;,as- > tendency of tho . commercial spirit, and the i grral _of gold; which is the ruling passion, i poisoning the mind to tho; almost total >ex- , elusion of.all oulturcd thought. ...■■Somo;of the most delightfully picturesquo spots in s. Groat Britain are rendered obnoxious, to the '. eye by tho prdsoncp . of glaring advertisor monts:v- It is 'in-, this.'manner- that -tho.v.'ar ; between Art and Commerce: is being -waged to. tho utter, confusion of tho .former. But ' throughout tho length and breadth, of the Brii t'sh Isles generally the artistic 'feeling is i seen to still. exist. The' excoptien is i usually found- in ' the modern . seasido ro- '< sorts, where, as in other , places that I wot i. of nearer home, the jerry-builder, roigns supremo, and is responsible for. the commonJ, place, cheap ..and,,nasty, .c]w.c]jjiiß,,Df .th? r sent day. I do'not mean wlien'„l say "cheap and nasty." .that a well-designed houso will cost,'any ,'moro than'i'a house having .'no pre- - ide'sigri, ; because ; 'l;,repeat 'aVgd'Od' design, is,but.the outcome of tho.| intelligent' ■ arrangement ..of tho .satrip materials:, ;.. I Tito most'- modest four-roomed cottago.'. ; may' bo. made to be "a thing of beauty and a jov for' over." One may journey in; all. directions, Jn this beautiful country, and'whoro .ever .it- may ,be ; but '_moro particularly _in . Wellington district, evidences abound, which. go to prove',the strength of tho grip .'of the jerry-buildor. on _ tho ipeoplo; this ,st'aso. of. things .is-most distressing and shouldiot bo allowed. .... ... Simplicity is '.one'-of the many essentials,of , modern domestic architecture. ;■ Truth r [ is equally .an essential, everything that is'; not absolutely necessary to the. construction and comfort of a_ dwelling, being meaningless' and therefore ridiculous. For example', how often do we see a gable overhanging a bay window, the projecting corners being supported (presumably) by wooden brackets out out to fantastic designs", by the' band saw.,;. . Now;'tho mission of a bracket in all "cases is to support -a weight; these fretwork brackets'must of necessity bo cut- largely across the,', grain of tho'wpod. How, .then,-is.it possible for thorn to support. weight ? They cannot; and ; aro therefore not only unsightly, but senseless. The; same applies; to-the small cut brackets undor tho eaves of a hundred and ono suburban Theso are only two.examples,' but I could enumerate others ad nauseam if space permitted, such as the diseases known as the."lead light fever" or the "gaudy frieze delirium,"/ which aro very prevalent just now, but I _ trust beforo long that tho serum will be discovered which will remove those'pests from,;the face of the. earth. _ The writer, has visited. tho. most beautiful, districts- in tho North Island; scenes in which an artist would revel—undulating fields' of verdant pasture, the. rippling ; stream meandering through the, valley, : tho ;ranges looming high in tho; background, and tho gentle slope, on which tho homestead stands surrounded with statoly poplars and evergreen firs—a sceno to enthrall both poot .and artist. But, on 'looking moro closely at the home of tho prosperous farmer, what do wo see?,; In so many instances, instead 'of ; a building suggesting repose and comfort, if not: luxuriance, in its every line, a; house popularly called a " residence," tho work of the untrained, mind of an individual, jerrybuilder, or self-styled " architect" . (ue.e jerry-builder, bricklayer, or carpenter),who has done.his best, poor follow;. Ho is in nowise to blame. Ho was asked to do it,' and he has done it to' the'best of his poor ability, with what result ? Instead of a home which would be tho pride of its owner and a pleasure to all to lopk upon, and whioh would bo picked out and remarked upon ■ among thousands, we have a "Residence '-fashioned .after tho plan of a largo box, around the ends and sides of which aro windows all of the same size and pattern, and placed at most regular. intervals; 'moreover, in order to relieve the somewhat barrenness of tho " front," one or moro' bay windows and a tin verandah (preferably a bull-nosed" one) are tacked, on. Theso aro hot in any sense part of tho design, but givo one'tho impression that they havo;bcen bought-''ready mado at the store—the' bay windows by tho dozen, and tho verandah by tho yard. Ido not' wish to. suggest that a 'houso should not possess such a cosy corn or. as is formed by a well-designed bay window, or such refreshing protection from tho heat of tho noon-day sun, as is afforded by a gcnorously-wido verandah, but I do maintain that theso should bo part and parcel of, and essentials to, tho very existence of tho building'. A friend who was touring the country lately askod tho writer in good faith whetho'r there was not a factory in the neighbourhood which turned out theso thousands of fiveroomod "residences," all exactly alike, and really ono cannot bo surprised at tho question.

It is,high time that people bocan to wish for something lietter as a homo than obtains at present, and, nota bono, it is not a question of extra cost, as I havo before remarked and it is not a question of taste, but it is without doubt , a -question of either goixl or bad taste, which admits of no alternative It will bo a happy day when tho chango begins in the Wellington district that is already taking place in tho neighbourhood of Christchurch. —I am, etc., . CHARLES K B. LIVESAY. Wellington, Juno 1. ■

. God helps thorn that help themselves.— Franklin.