STANDARDISATION

Grey River Argus, 23 October 1936, Page 4

STANDARDISATION

THE PEOPLE AND THEIR HOMES. A good few years ago, when the standardisation wave was roll.ng around the world. Latimer J. Wilson had some merry verses, headed A Standardised Existence,” in New York “Life.” Here are two of the quatrains. A visitor at large, 1 stand . Beneath a standard sky— Where everything is standardised To please the standard eye. With standard joy, and standard gain, The standard people live; And if there is one bit of pain, ’Tis such that standards give. The effect of standardising schemes was seen in some very depressing groups of houses in various countries including New Zealand, lln those cases the standardising practice was not inspired. A different view of the ease is given by Francis Lome in an article in the “Journal” of the Royal Institute of British Architects. “At the present time,” he states, “we pick among (he standards of cars until we get what we want. Some day soon we shall pick among the standards of buildings in mtn-h the same way. Some architects 'are so afraid this will cut into their profession,. It -will, but only into its narrowness, to open it up to dimensions and possibilities far beyond their wildest dream. Just as it did over thirty years ago to the hesitant motor-car manufacturers, and through this means the -amenities and conveniences of all kinds of buildings will be able to reach the smallest pocket as well as the largest. The only thing we have to concern ourselves with is the raising of the standard of what is produced, but this standard raising w'.ll be quite automatic, just as it has been with cars. “The law of supply and demand' and the competition between one man and another or one group of men and 'another will take care of that. Don’t bo afraid—it does not, spoil your joy at seeing a beautiful ear pass by to know

; that, another is coming in a minute. Lt does not spoil a chi c thing to have a lot of it. It has not- spoiled Bach ' to have him' reproduced on the gramophone. We have always had plenty of standardisation, but, unfortunately 1 the wrong kind. What about the rows of workers’ houses and the rows of small s üburban villas of Victorian 1 time, and what about the ribbon developments of jerry-built houses along the great roads of our own day? Why are these so Wad?i Largely because architects took no -interest in them, and this individualistic superiority prevented them from being ptopetly designed..” The writer submits that architects have now their opportunity to assist in the production of better houses, at reasonable cost. “The design must be fundamental” he declares. “It must be a mastery of essentials, a mastery of materials', a mastery of the building method, a mastery of processing -and mass production, a mastery of improved' amenities, and not ust a plastering on of ornament.”