MASS PRODUCTION METHODS

Evening Star, Issue 23563, 30 April 1940, Page 3

MASS PRODUCTION METHODS

TRENCHANT AMERICAN CRITICISM "AUDACIOUS AND SHOCKING" A ‘keen American critic, who admits frankly that reasonable modern' planning of houses ■ has advantages, trenchantly condemns freakish “ modernistic ” styles, which do not charm the eye. “ Audacious and shocking, Le Corbusier’s commandment, ‘ Make the house a machine for living in.’ has found many believers,” he'remarks. “They agree that because niass production methods have made the automobile cheap and efficient that all the architect has to do is to apply the same, techniques to the problem of the house. “The; house cannot rerilly be compared with the oar. It is immobile. It is in constant use day and night for decades. The car has only to provide room "enough in which to sit. whereas the house must provide space for a dozen different activities from playing contract to cooking. We can put up with cramped quarters, while we • have a continuously changing landscape to look at. but. we cheerfillly pay extra to have the privacy and space of a compartment. •

“ We can accept standardisation in the automobile or the monkey wrench. They are tools. But we judge the house, as we do books and clothes, by its individuality. A machine can serve bpt one purpose. The most important function of the house is shelter. If we build machine houses for this purpose and are content with them, then we are at the level of the , ewe men. Are the modernist architects leading : us backward? “We sometimes hear that already the love of the home is dying. Fortunately this is not true. Mbre families live in houses than in, apartments. More traditional-typo .houses are being built than tiiachine-type. This is not because you and I are stupidly conservative, but because wo resist regimentation on this most personal of fronts. The simple fact is that the traditional type of house still suits us, functionally much better than the so-called. ‘ functional ’ type.”

Slums in Sydney are disappearing gradually, but there are still several so-called residential areas that-are anything hut a credit to the city (states an exchange). It is becoming recognised that welfare workers, who sacrifice individual comfort to brighten the lives of others, need training, and last week 20 young men and women attended the Sydney University to commence' a course of-study in social wel-, fare work. It is an interesting experiment. The university authorities will appoint a director to take charge of the full social welfare course, and (diplomas will be awarded to successful students.