ORAKEI GARDEN SUBURB.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19119, 10 September 1925, Page 7

ORAKEI GARDEN SUBURB.

Sir,—l have been very interested in tho fine display, exhibited in tho Society oC Arts rooms, of the designs submitted in the Orakei competition, t have been hoping that some of the leading critics would have studied them and given their opinions to the press, as comments by experto would serve to draw attention to the strength and -weaknesses, nofh the various designs. It appears to mo that'the first prize design, while ft very fino piece of. work as a presentation or picture, is yet lacking in essential,,features that must bo inserted before the design could be carried out. For instance, ,tho;viCommunication between different blocks,,of sections is very badly arranged; to. obtain vehicular access between sections backing on t« one another it is necessary in one cash to go over a mile and a-half, while in other cases half-a-milo scorns an'ordinary distance to-call on your back neighbour. An essential access to the waterfront road has been missed on the north-western corner, as is shown on the second sad third scheme*. Cross-roads also have been neglected,<nnd, I understand* wiUthaye to, bo inserted before tho plan could' be carried out. Tho idea of double-frontage sections does not appeal to me at all as it means one's backyard and garden aro constantly under public inspection, i|md would tend to make a double-fronted house. ; .'",■« The second design is more stereotyped than the first and has not perhaps the imagination behind itj but it is a solid businesslike proposition, and as it shows 300 sections more than the | first design it should commend itself to the powers that be as it would probably mean at least "£loo>Ooo extra profit. The: placing of the university is; : after all; >» matter of opinion this can'easilyibe remedied: in fact, the idea of having o second university at al! is ratherifaf-fetched; Qn the whole this is a sound,''well-balanced thoughtful scheme, which cairies no. works,- but evidently impressed the judges by its plain common' sense. The third design is a very fine piece of work, and, again, like the second, possesses most of the desirable features of tho first scheme without the weaknesses. The reading on this scheme is its strongest feature and possibly is ahead of the first two on this score, but too much attention has been paid to securing good roads without apparently:! studying their relation to tho lay-out;r.bot otherwiso this is a fine : fiffort.. - Personally, t consider three 6! the unplaced designs aa being ; specially fine, one from Gißborno aridiwo b£< Auckland surveyors.'" ' 'i'"''''' ToW^-PliirtCßE.