N.Z. INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

Evening Star, Issue 15906, 11 September 1915, Page 9

N.Z. INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

Ihe monthly meeting of 'the Otago branch was held last evening in Brown's Tea Rooms, when the last of the winter series of papers was given by Mr 0. E. M'Fie on 'The Atelier System of Architectural Training.' The lecturer pointed out the faults and shortcomings of the usual system whereby a boy is articled to an architectural practitioner, and spends all his time in ordinary routine work, very iikoiy confined to one special typo of building, and obtaining no education in general design pure aaid simple. The. Atelier provides the opportunity for obtaining the practice in this most neces eary subject, and is run on the following lines : —A room is obtained, and a number of students dub together and obtain ' the services of an expert designer, who supervises all their work and suggests improvements in their designs. Leading men in the profession also attend and criticise the work done, a.nd this, together with the mutual criticism of the students themselves, proves of immense good to the depigriing accomplished. The system also stimulates competition and healthy rivalry, and is an incentive to hard work and prolonged efforts. It is hoped that Ateliers- may be started in the Dominion in time, and now that the Institute of Architects have been registered aiid all practitioners brought into touch with each other, it. should be quite possible to attain such a desirable object. An interesting- discussion followed the paper., and refreshments concluded a, meet interesting and instructive evening.