Architectural = Notes. =

Progress, Volume I, Issue 7, 1 May 1906, Page 166

Architectural = Notes. =

The illustration on the cover of this issue represents a dwelling designed by Messrs. Thos. Turn Dull & Son, F5.R.1.8.A., Wellington, for E. B Bnstow Esq., of Karon. V *P ¥ •!• H* •!■ Mr. Holman, of Gisborne, is having erected from his own designs a new private residence m the suburb of Kaiti. Mr. McKinley is the contractor. Messrs. E. W. Mills & Co.'s new six-storey building in Victoria street, Wellington, is approaching completion. The contract price for tins work was between and The architect and contractors were respectively Mr. W. C. Chatfield and Messrs. Sanders Bros. The new business premises to be erected by Messrs. J. Nathan & Co , Ltd., at the corner of Featherston and Grey streets, Wellington, are now well under way. The contract, which amounts to has been let to Messrs Sanders Bros., Mr. J. Charlesworth being the architect. ****** The rebuilding in brick of " Longwood," Featherston, is being undertaken by Mr. J. S. Swan, architect, Wellington, with Mr. Heald as contractor. Mr. Swan is also building a brick residence in Daniel street, Wellington, for which Mr. Rountree is contractor ; stores, etc., in Moore street, Messrs. Davis and Browman being the contractors ; new foundations and repairs to a residence m Hill street, for which Mr. J. Moffat is contractor. ****** Mr. R. O. Skeet, architect, of Gisborne, advises the completion of the following contracts in his district. New totalisator house for the Gisborne Racing Club. New two-storey brick building for Mr. F. Hall, having a frontage to both Gladstone road and Peel street. This building will be occupied by Messrs. A. Clark & Sons, of Auckland. The Te Karaka hotel is about to undergo alterations and addition^. Fifteen bedrooms are to be built, also billiard room and two sitting-rooms. ****** The two illustrations of modern villas printed in the current issue represent the work of Mr. Basil B. Hooper, architect, Dunedm. Figure 1 is built of brick, and great care has been taken to make the jointing meet by pressing back the hydraulic mortar joint, while soft, without the expense of tuck-pointing. The brickwork is left its natural colour, the sills are bull-nosed brick, while the bay window is finished in cream, rough cast. The site is rather cramped, but as much has been made of it as possible. Six good rooms, with all necessary offices, have been included in the design. Figure 2 is of wood, the lower portion painted white, and the upper, bronze green. Carrara paint has been used throughout, and the windows are all casement hung. We notice that an attempt has been made by Mr. Hooper in designing these villas to strike off from the steieotyped style of former days. •I s Sfc % •& -X *H The Grand Hotel, Willis street, Wellington, will shortly be ready for occupation. This is really a fine pile, towering above the former commercial building which held the record for height in Wellington, viz., Messrs. Macky, Steen, Caldwell & Co.'s. The contract price is Mr. J. ODea is the architect, and Mr. A. Maguire the contractor. Mr. J. ODea has on hand, or has recently completed, the following work :—: — Our Lady's Home of Compassion, situated at Island Bay, near Wellington. The contract price for this imposing building is /3 3,000, the contractors being Messrs. Campbell & Burke. Mr. Martin Kennedy's new premises, Cuba street, the contract price being contractors, Messrs. Campbell & Burke. Alexander Buildings, Cuba slreet, contract price contractors, Messrs. Murdoch & Walks. Buildings in Aitken street, contract price contractors, Messrs. Murdoch & Walks. Terrace of houses, contract price /i,;ooo, contractors, Messrs. Munnmg & Knight. On another page we print a view of the late residence of Dr. F. Wallace Mackenzie, Wellington. Although a reproduction of this house -has already been published in London, in the Transactions of the Royal Institute of British Architects, we nevertheless consider it worthy of a place in Pro gress, as it ib undoubtedly a typical building,

and one that has influenced many more m the Citjr of Wellington and its neighbourhood. Although following Dr Fell's house, lower down Willis street m design it represents one of the first attempts to break away from the box style of building which prevailed for so many years in Wellington. Instead of merely planting on classical ornament, corniceo and other mouldings the architect has obtained artistic effect by light and shade gained by a natural treatment of wood in projecting gables and eaves. The house was built to suit a doctor, and the necessity of obtaining waiting rooms and two entrances from the streets, influenced the plan very materially Jn the materials used there 1^ nothing requiring particular mention — the walls are of wood and the roof iron. Tiles, no doubt, would have made it more effective, but at the time Dr. Mackenzie built this house they were not on the Wellington market. % A ¥ * H* *

is from a pen-and-ink drawing by Mr. F. de ~\. Clere, F.R.1.8.A., which was exhibited at the Colonial Exhibition in London. ##* * * * Messrs. Penty & Blake, architects, Wellington, are concerned m the following work :—: — Messrs. Menteath & Beeres new offices three floors high, in Ballance street, have just been completed at a cost of Mr. H. Crump carried out the contract. A portion of the first floor will be used by Messrs. Menteath & Beere as their future offices, whilst the rest of the building has almost all been let. The contract for a three - storied building in Johnston street was recently let for the purposes of offices on the ground floor for Mr. Samuel Brown. The foundations are now being put m. The buil ling will cost £2 1500. Messrs. Brown & Johnston have the contract for carrying out this work. Messrs. Penty & Blake have al^o m hand ten

" Overtoil," Rangitikei, which was built for one of our Legislative Councillors is one of the few genuine half-timbered buildings in the colony, and, with its beautiful surroundings, standing a^ it does on a well-wooded terrace overlooking the Porewa stream a little way above the -junction with the Rangitikei, is perhaps one of the moat striking houses m this province. The plan is a simple but good one. On entering the lobby, to the right is the owner's business room, which can be approached without going into the mam hall, which is itself of no small importance. The hall is perhaps the best feature cf the house, for it passes through both stories and is lighted from above the lobby, a gallery running half round the upper part giving access to three of the bed rooms. Leading out of the hall on the ground floor are the library and drawing and dining rooms, the latter having a second door for serving from the back hall, which gives access to the servants' quarters. The timber used in the finish of the inside of the building is simply oiled red pine, but the framework is all heart of totara, the corner posts being 8" x 8", and other timbers m proportion. Between the framing the spaces are filled in with concrete, everything possible being done to make the building a permanent one. Our reproduction

of the workmen's homes, twenty-five of which are now being advertised by the Public Works Department, to be erected on the Heretaunga Estate, Petone. Another building contract let for is the Westport hospital, consisting of the principal administrative portion, two floors high, for matron and nurses quarters, dining-hall with kitchen and usual outbuildings, two wards on the pavilion principal to accommodate twenty patients, operating theatre, etc. — provision being made for future extensions of wards. New premises for fruit and produce markets are now nearmg completion for Messrs. Townsend and Paul in Allen street, Wellington, consisting of a basement floor and two others. The main front is being carried out in red pressed bricks with facings of cement^ and a band of tile work. The building is costing Messrs. Trevor & Sons are the builders. A three-storied building designed by Messrs. Penty & Blake has recently been completed in Kent terrace, for Mr. Joseph Jameson, at a cost of £2 800. Messrs. Trevor & Sons were the builders. A residence has just been completed for Mr. Pilcher, on the Wellington terrace, at a cost of

Messrs. Penty & Blake are the successful architects for the High School Competition at Dannevirke, which was decided last week.