BUILDING NOTES.

Progress, Volume VII, Issue 2, 1 December 1911, Page 930

BUILDING NOTES.

WELLINGTON. The following building permits have been received and approved by the City Engineer: — Prom 17/10/11 to 31/10/11. — applications for permission to erect; 25 were examined and approved. City district, £1650; Melrose district, £4167; Northland district, £4BO. From 31/10/11 to 14/11/11. 24 applications for permission to erect; 24 were examined and approved. City district, £15,810; Melrose district, £6110; Wadestown district, £250. Prom 14/11/11 to 28/11/11. — applications for permission to erect, and 30 examined and approved. City d : strict, £1240; Melrose district, £5030; Northland district. £lO3.

Among the above recently examined and approved are to be noticed. —Additions and alterations in Willis Street to provide for a continuous picture theatre for W. P. Shortt, Ltd., and a theatre in Willis Street for T. Cover dale; dwelling in Hay Street for G. Colvin; dwelling in Rata Road for P. Brattle; dwelling in Tainui

Terraco for A. Edgington; dwelling in Waipapa Road for E. W. Lauchlan; residence in Hataitai Road for Airs. J. Hall; destructor in Constable Street for the Wellington Timber Co.; additions in Willis Street for Blundell Bros.; dwelling in Onepu Road for Easson Bros.; shop and dwelling house in Mersey Street for H. T. Harper; dwelling in Upland Road for P. McKenzie; dwelling in Paroa Road for W. J. Dunn; dwelling in Kainui Road for S. Stevens; dwelling in Adelaide Road for G. Coleman; dwelling in Waipupa Road for W. McGoldrick; dwelling in Seatoun Road for S. Salek; additions in Karori Road for S. E. Pourie; additions in Hawkestone Crescent for J. Swindalo. A sum of £3750 has been allocated to the Public Works Department by the Cabinet for the erection of a workshop and stores. Plans are being prepared for a new building to accommodate the out-patients -work for the Hospital Board. The City Council has authorised the building of a ladies’ dressing shed at Evans Bay. At the junction of Lyall Bay and Kilbirnie tramway sections a waiting shed is to be erected. The construction of public baths for Brooklyn is to be considered, and the sum of £750 is to be put on next year’s estimates for the same. His Majesty’s Theatre is to be at once demolished to make place for the erection of a new structure. Messrs. W. T. Edwards & Son, of Wellington, are the accepted tenderers at £455 for the supply of marble work for the Wellington and Auckland Post Offices, the unsuccessful ones

being Joostcn & Murie, £499, and Mayes & Vass, £697.

Mr. John Wood is the accepted tenderer at about £1260 for the erection of a hall at KhandaHah for the Onslow Borough Council. The unsuccessful ones were: W. H. Ninnie, £1293; T. Page. £1300; Meyer & Illingworth, £13(57; ,T. C. Brown, £1423; Molding & Quinn, £1429; and H. H. Knight, £1439. Taihape is to have commodious Government buildings built - there. Wanganui is to have a new Opera House built shortly of cameratcd cement. AUCKLAND. The question of obtaining carpenters and bricklayers is still engaging the serious attention of all employers, and some large salaries are being offered to secure the same. Wo learn that in some instances as much as 14s. a day is being paid, and small builders are even asking the assistance of larger employers and offering a still higher figure. This absence of capable workmen will be even more noticeable when the large amount of plans now being prepared by the Auckland Education Board’s architect comes forward, as we understand it will amount to about £lO 000, which is nearly equal to what is already in course of construction or being tendered for.

Messrs. Wade & Wade have prepared plans, which it is estimated will cost £4500 to execute, for a three-storeyed warehouse, which will be fitted up in the most modern and up-to-date style, for Messrs. Fairburn, Wright & Co., on account of the great increase in their business.

HAWKE’S BAY. For the erection of the Maori Agricultural College at Hastings, the tender of Messrs. W. M. Hay & Sons, of that town, has been accepted at £7900. " CANTERBURY. „' , , r font reports received Ashburton and fiinru are both busy centres just now of the building tiado, and at the former two Christchurch linns have contracts in hand, as well as the majority ot local builders being fully engaged. The inklings m course of erection there exceed the sum ot £20,000, in which is included tno new tneatre costing about £SOOO, with Mr. F. J. Barlow architect, and Messrs. Maynard Bros. contractors, of Christchurch. A new Bank of Australasia, at about £3OOO, where Messrs. Gregg & Co., of Christchurch, arc the contractors, and extensive alterations to the NZ. I armers Co-operative Association s buildings, at about £6OOO, with Messrs. England Bros, architccts, and Messrs. Jas. Smith & Sons contractors, At the latter town _ (Timaru) bricks scorn to be _ very scarce, which, considering the great activity, is to be regretted. Christchurch had the foundation stone of the new Governinent. Buildings laid by Sir Joseph Ward the other day. which will cost about £60,000, and arc to be erected in Cathedral Square, on a

site which cost £20 ; 000. Wo also learn a hospital is to be built at Addington and a tower put to the Post Office at the same place. r - H. E. Vincent, of Ashburton, reports that he has lot a contract for the new Technical School, in brick, to Mr. Wm. Reid, at £2172; !l l so a small church for the Methodist Church at Methven is now nearing completion by the contractor, Mr. W. E. Olsen; a cottage for the executors of the late F. R. Flatman, Esq., a motor garage for Thos. Bullock, Esq., are both approaching completion by Mr. W. Reid, contractor. Sketch plans have also been propared for a new Methodist parsonage, now offices for Thos. Bullock, Esq., and additions to Mr. R. D. Johnson’s garage. AmunmjnTmTT MARLBOROUGH, This district is shortly to he the scene of much activity in the building trade. With its drainage scheme, costing about £65,000, and a new Hosjvtal, Post Office, Theatre, Town Hall, improvements amounting in the aggregate to about £22,000; Wairau bridge. £12,000; River Board grant of £5000; New Bank, new Club, etc., Blenheim seems to be the centre of the scene of operations, and we trust supplies will bo equal to the demand, both in materials and labour, so that tins go-ahead district may not be hampered in its improvements.

OTAGO. Mosgicl is to have a new building for its Town Hall and Municipal Offices, built in brick, and two-storeyed, of which Mr. E. W. Walden, of Dunedin, is the architect. It will have library and reading rooms on the ground floor, and Council Chamber large committee room, and Mayor’s room, etc., upstairs. The large hall will be Gift, x 50ft., and have a good stage, with dressing rooms, kitchens, etc. behind, and above it living rooms for the carctaker. The frontage is plastered on the lower storey, and the upper will be in pointed brick with a handsome portico over the entrance, The Dresden Piano Co. at Dunedin are havinoplans prepared for a five-storeved building with frontage to Princes Street, by Messrs. Sa’hnond & Vanes. J SOUTHLAND, It is reported that the alterations and aclditions to the Colonial Buildings have now been definitely arranged, and that Messrs. Walker Bros, have signed the contract for the same at about £3300. The alterations provide that the entrance to the upper storey shall be in Dee Street, the present frontage continued in stone and the ugly gap, which has been such an eyesore, facing the Post Office, is to bo filled up; these sort of alterations do much to improve the already impressive city of Invercargill.

The explanation of this photograph is that it is a splendid representation of a Fireresisting Floor constructed :i.i. t.i it

with Fawcett's Mon’L'thCrete Girders. As will be seen, this fire-resisting floor consists:, of steel girders (from which the superfluous compression web-metal has been sheared) and concrete. The concrete takes the vertical compression bars in lattice gb'ders. ' Twisted hoop steels. sire passed through the web openings and buried in the concrete.

A floor built of this construction lias generally greater strength, more rigidity, and is more cheaply constructed than one constructed with the ordinary joints or re-inforcing bars. It was owing to these features that the Consulting Engineer selected Mon’Luitcretc Construction for the new General Offires for the Humber Commercial Railways and Dock Compnay, Inninghani. This system, being founded on such sound lines ,is becoming universally adopted by the leading architects and engineers, and as an instance of this we may state that The Fawcett Construction Co, Ltd., have

on hand the following new buildings:—l2 Blocks Peabody’s Buildings at Fulham, llampstead and North West London Genreal Hospital, North Staffordshire Infirmary., London City

Carriage and Waggon Works for Great Central Railway. Dunkiiifield, new Warehouse for Great Central Railway to Barsnley, now Generating Station, Wood Green N., Loudon and Pro-

and Midland Bank, Tottenham & Edmonton Gas Co.’s new offices, Winchmore Hill, Hew.

vincial Bank, Stratford, County Hall Extension, Derby, Addition Winchester Colleeg, Messrs. Liberty’s new premises, and

: FAWCETT’S “ MON’LITHCRETE ” FIRE-RESISTING FLOOR and ROOF CONSTRUCTION ! > a Nine Blocks of Peabody Buildings, Camberwell Green, London. Victor Wilkins, Esq,, Architect. Messrs. Walter Lawrence & Son, Builders, who have recommended this floor for other important work in preference to ordinary joists and concrete. The same construction has been selected by the Humber Commercial Railway and Dock Company's Engineers for the New General Offices at Immingham.

several large country houses. They recently, at Somerset House, wore set the task of constructing a floor over a big big span without raising the span without raising the level more than 7in., or damaging a very fine ceiling below and to construct the floor in four weeks. This was done with the utmost satisfaction, and a load of 10 tons placed on the centre three weeks afterwards.

The Government Architect for the Dominion has expressed his. willingness to give the system a trial, and the Fawcett Construction Co., Ltd., has agreed to supply, free of cost sufficient material for one room.

Wo have no doubt that this system will yet be largely used in New Zealand, because in addition to its fireres’sfng qualities, it is practically earthquake proof, and we venture to think can be erected more expeditiously than any other system designed to give the same results in strength and k rigidity.

Full particulars and prices may lie had from the Agents Messrs.’ E. W. HUR3THOUSE & Co., 156 Featherston Street Wellington.