HOMES OF THE FUTURE

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21219, 16 September 1940, Page 9

HOMES OF THE FUTURE

OUTLOOK IN NEW ZEALAND DISTINCTIVE CONTRIBUTION In a “Centennial Pictorial Survey” on houses, Mr Paul Pascoe projects his mind into the future. “There is remarkable variety in the dwellings erected during New Zealand’s first hundred years, a variety which could be found only in a new country,” he writes. “The architecture of England in the same period j shows differences, but not to the ! same extent. “England, however, was chiefly j responsible for the architectural I standards, good or bad, in the earlier part of our history. For it is worth remarking that the first colonisation of New Zealand coincided with the collapse of the architectural good taste of the Regency period in England. Today New Zealand has reached a stage of development when it must take full responsibility for its own buildings. In architecture, as in other things, this country has reached a degree of maturity. Function Before Form “It is to be hoped that the archi-

tecture of New Zealand homes will develop along lines of simplicity and common sense. It is possible to learn from nature how in its growth a body or plant takes a certain shape, not because that shape looks well, i but because it works well. If this natural fact of ‘function before form’ is properly understood, the plans of our houses will not squeeze the functions of our living into any preconceived form of style, traditional or modern. And, as with plants,, they will achieve beauty without deliberately seeking it. “New Zealand will have gone far if its homes meet the requirements of living simply and adequately. In fulfilling these primary needs New Zealanders may in time develop a style of their- own. For though modern architecture shows a tendency to become international, it may also be expressive of national character. In New Zealand it will have to take account of the available building materials; it will pay attention to climatic conditions—wind, 1 rain, sunlight and temperature—and • to the necessity for earthquakeproof construction. Though it is unlikely that an architecture so dis- ( tinctive as the Maoris’ will evolve, i there is no reason why New Zealand i should not contribute to architec- 1 ture something as valuable in its i own way as its contribution to other . spheres of human effort.”