ALEXANDRA HOME.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14150, 29 July 1916, Page 6

ALEXANDRA HOME.

MR PECK'S DESIGN FOR NEW V JiIIILDLNG. '

■^ Iji a letter to the Xeison Hospital •and Ch'a-i itable Aid Boaid, accompanying his -des.i^n which wue> adopted ior a, .new Alexandra Home to loplacc the building desUo.»cd by hie, Mr $'. Peck state's :—

' I adopt ti'o ijLbt jwiiits- of the previous puui, mk, the geneial ho of tho northerly *uict etiliancc administrative 'and -kitchen, blo<. ks The exavl puipo&e 01 this important institution, 1 take it,, is to mako a home for the oM p.ople so tax as is po&siblo where they aie collected m numbers, and the m^st difficult pai l oi tins task is to plan "-a that th<»y c&u individually feel a sen toi 'tleiu^hmoist" ab -will afthcugh 'Ji.Tng, -witlun an institution; some, no doubt doseive especial sjmpathy and Help in this respect, and ai'o provided for in. my plan. ••'..•■' Coming from Eiigland with an open mind, and familiar on-the one hand wit'o. the old. English Poor Law- Workhouse and its wards; and on'the -other, with the comfortable English endowed Aimhouse with its independent little cottage suites—two opposite types—l think that here in 2sew Zealand a-permanent building should not be planned to group old people of the future in large/wide two row bed -wards (I have included the.min r inium in tins case). I take it also, that though, many .are infirm and some cripiled (for there will "he. old soldiers in the future) such inmates .should iiofc have to live permanently in opc-n wards as in hospitals ; furthermore, wide double row wards usually have one icy cold side unless laid out upor. an axis North to South, which the shape and outlook of this particular-site does not permit of. I realise, however, that many old people require some intention and cannot be! placed by themselves, but one can. help another, people become friends, .and ..two pairs of friends in a single row ward, in which each bed can be screened easily, appears to be a suitable compromise and this principle I have mostly adopted; a mere light folding screen of the Japanese type would suffice. My scheme contains' no damp, dark, or! sunless quadrangle or area; every spot is opened out to tho sun and air, and every window could look upon a garden bed. The old "yards" disappear and give place to the garden and flower beds and the bowling green or croquet lawn. Croquet is much played by our crippled •veterans in England. The proposed quadrangle has opened out everything to the sun, and the buildings and bays on the Tutuki Road 'trout towards the top of tho site thrust out towards the road likewise face tho ?mi, all being the natural result of spedal planning for the site upon ''aspect" principles.

A3! the buildings except the entrance] c" -r.dniinistrative (blocks at the Tutuki j Tload end and those bounding the S.W. j etid of the quadrangle are kept low j (ground floor high). The two storey i buildings, together with the dining hall, J tvill screen off the prevailing Waimea ■winds. The \ rerandaL.s and the balcony1 of the upper floor of the male quarters will look north over the low buildings towards Nelson and do\vn. the road leading to the City, providing constant interesT to "the inmates'. Furthermore, the bowling.green or croquet la%vn will give them gardening aiid pleasant light occupation, and doubtless many pleasant inat-i.'he.s would be- plaxed. The dining-room is designed of a,size for the future, plainly and economically, and adaptable for occasioijal use for cntertainmtsuts; it easily accessible to xhe"inmates, of each sex from within and to visitors on occasion from ■without..