Building Notes.

Progress, Volume VII, Issue 9, 1 July 1912, Page 1190

Building Notes.

WELLINGTON.

The following building permits have been received and approved by the City Engineer: From 11/6/12 to 25/6/12. —17 applications for permission to erect 18 plans examined and approved. City district, £8136; Melrose district, £2403; Wadestown district, £6OO. From 25/6/12 to 9/7/12. — applications for permission to erect; 16 plans examined and approved. City district, £792; Melrose district, £3305; Wadestown district, £25. Among the important ones in the city district are noticed Nurses’ New Hotel, Kensington Street, and Watkins, Hull & Wheeler’s new premises. Sixteen truck loads of kauri timber, and what is claimed as one of the finest planks that has come into Wellington for years4ft. 6in. wide, 9ft. long, and 2in. —has just been landed at the King’s Wharf from the West Coast Kauri Timber Company by the Holmdale.

The statistics published a short time ago ‘with regard to contracts and extras, speaks Very well for those in charge of these matters, in the expenditure of about. £42,000' on Custom House, Te Aro Post Office, Magistrates Court, Kilbirnie Post Office, the extras only amounting to £250, and the only amount of any size was £IBOO of extras on the £40,000 Public Trust Office, but the actual amount paid on contract does not exceed the original contract price. Mr GRAY YOUNG, architect, reports the following work in hand:—Residence of 6 rooms in Rimu Street, Kelburne, for Mr. Cecil Goulter; Watts Bros., contractors. Additions to Mr. F. W. Furkett’s residence at Hataitai; Isaac Clark & Son, contractors. He is calling tenders for a cottage of 4 rooms at Seatoun, two houses of 6 and 8 rooms respectively, both two storeys, in Wilkinson Terrace, Oriental Bay, for Miss M. A. Alcorn. He is preparing ■ plans for residence of 6 rooms in Oriental Bay, residence of 5 rooms at Hataitai, cottage of 4 rooms at Newtown. Messrs PENTY & LA WHENCE architects, report, amongst other work; —Private hotel for nurses, of 20 rooms, in Kensington Street; Mace & Nicholson, contractors. Banking premises, with clerk’s accommodation, at Blenheim, for the Union Bank of Australia; jas. McKinley, contractor. Calling for tenders for banking premises and manager’s residence, in brick, at Hamilton, for the Union Bank of Australia. Mr. JOHN T. MAIR, A.R.1.8.A., reports: — Contract let for cottage at' Khandallah to Messrs. Norling & Quinn, builders; £393. Eighteen tenders received for shop and dwelling at Hataitai; contract not yet signed. Plans in hand for a large fireproof concrete residence in Southland; also residences at Khandallah and Sumner. Satisfactory progress under weather conditions with the erection of the First Presbyterian Church and Hall at Invercargill; Messrs McKinnon &. Hamilton, builders; ’ the Deacon’s Court has decided to erect the ffrchiteet’s original design for church at an increased cost of £I3OO. Completion of residence at Upper Hutt for Dr. Kemp ; H. W. Shaw, builder. Completion of first part of concrete shops for Mr. H. R. Gibbs, at Upper Hutt; H. W. Shaw, builder. Mr. JOHN S. SWAN reports as under: — Contract for additions, etc., to three houses at Roseneath; let to Mr. H. M. Davis. Con-

tract for stained glass windows for Wanganui Convent; let to Messrs. John Hardman, Ltd., of Birmingham. Stables for hotel; being erected by day labour. Wrought-iron gate and concrete posts at Wanganui Convent; let to Mr. W. J. James, of Wanganui. Twelve tenders received for additions to Wellington Hotel for Messrs. J. Staples & Co., Ltd; lowest tender will be accepted in a few days. Mr. BENNIE, architect, reports that the work on Messrs. Aulsebrook & Co.’s large warehouse is well in hand, and that the new dining-room for the Hotel Cecil is nearly finished. Just at the present moment the Parliament House grounds look like a very bad back-block road in mid-winter. The destruction of the beautiful forty-year-old garden and the great waste of public money in connection with the whole scheme are universally condemned, and it is certain that all the members of the late Cabinet were not agreed as to the wanton destruction of trees and shrubs that has taken place. However, it has got to that stage with the new Parliament Buildings that it is absolutely necessary to push them on with all expedition. The late • Minister for Public Works said that the Legislative portion of the building would be completed early in 1914, but judging by the present rate of progress it is likely to be much later. Further extensions and improvements are to take place at the Gear Meat Company’s premises at Petone. Some houses are now being lifted bodily and moved to make provision for the work. Drainage work at the Lower Hutt is progressing favourably, although these recent rains are likely to cause inconvenience. A new 10 b.h.p; oil engine has been secured for the septic tank in this eastern section. The question of cheap public telephones is still very much to the fore, and it is hoped very shortly to enable heaps of those who cannot afford, or do not wish, to have them in their own houses, to be able to communicate with others at a very low charge. Wanganui proposes to erect a thoroughly up-to-date and comfortable theatre, and Mr. Henry E. White, architect, Wellington, recently submitted full working plans. It is to be erected opposite Chavanne’s Hotel, and part

of the front premises are to contain shops and offices, whilst the theatre itself is to be about the same size as the hew Opera House in Wellington, and having everything possible for the convenience and comfort of the players and the public. On the corner of Park Road and Miramar Avenue a new Post Office for Miramar is shortly to be erected in brick. The building is also to contain living quarters for the officer in charge. AUCKLAND. _ Mr. G. W. ALLSOP, A.R.1.8.A., reports: Drawing out alterations to manager’s house at Costley Home. Preparing plans for new manager’s house at the Auckland Hospital. Mr. R. W. de MONTALK reports: Preparing plans for house at Stanley Bay and also alterations to a billiard-room in Manakau Road. Plans just finished for alteration to chemist’s shop and billiard-rooms in Khyber Pass. The foundations for Cargen Proprietary residential flats are under way. Mr. T. W. MAY reports being engaged on plans for a 7-story £25,000 building in Queen Street for Mr. T. Ellison, to be known as Ellison’s Buildings. The structure will occupy the site of shops of Champtaloup & Bdmiston, booksellers, J. Howden, jeweller, and Mrs. E. Martelli, tobacconist, and will have a frontage of 50 feet and a depth of 110 feet. The shops on the ground floor ill have a total floor space of 3228 square feet and will probably be occupied by the present tenants. Mr. W. H. GLOVER. Lie. R.1.8.A., until recently with Mr. E. Bartley, has commenced practise on his own account at Premier Buildings, Queen Street, and has just received tenders for new premises for the Auckland Fruitgrowers’ Association. The lowest, that of H. Golbourne, for £6335, has been accepted. Mr. Glover is calling tenders for alterations and additions to a clothing factory in Donaldson Street for Mr. A. R. Meek. The massive front to the new Public Trust Office is. nearly bricked up, and is looking very imposing. The new Post Office is practically complete. Almost universal exception is being taken to the steepness of the front steps and the height of the posting lobby above the street level. Improvements and additions to country buildings are proceeding apace, and the latest contracts, shortly to be put in hand, ar.e for a branch of. the National Bank of New Zealand at Pukekohe, and a new general post office ..at Tuakau. Both will be handsome buildings, to be erected in modern style, and are intended to provide for present needs and future requirements, as the respective localities develop. The National Bank of New Zealand at Pukekohe is shown on the plans (Messrs, E. Mahoney & Son, architects) as a two-storey building, with a frontage of 30ft. and a depth of 54ft., and includes the banking premises and manager residential quarters. Messrs. E. Mahoney & Sons have drawn plans for a new building, one storey, 52 feet by 42 feet, for the Bank of New Zealand at Morrinsville. comprising Banking premises and manager’s residence. & An up-to-date block of three shops, to cost between three and four thousand pounds, is being erected for Messrs. R. & W. Hcllaby, at Birkenhead. It will occupy a space practically 60 feet square, and will contain dwellings, with

a fine harbour view, above the shops, two of which will be let' and the other occupied by one of Messrs. Hellaby’s branches. Plans will shortly be issued and tenders called for a new school at Takapuna. Messrs. E. Mahoney & Sons, architects, are busy with plans for a new brick building for Hallenstein Bros., in Cameron Street, Whangarei. Additions are being made by the Education Board to the Grey Lynn and Mt. Albert schools. The Bay of Plenty district is shortly to be provided with three new Native schools —at Matapihi, Pukehuia and Maungatapu. Master residence will be built for each. Messrs. WILSON & MOODIB, architects, have in hand the new handsome steel frame building for the A.M.P, Society at the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets. The frontage is 30 feet to the former and 82 feet to the latter. This building will probably be comparatively the most expensive of' its kind in. Auckland. There will be concrete floors and staircases. The exterior will be very handsome, the lower portion will be faced with Coromandel granite and above Mt. Somers stone will be used. At the summit of the building will be placed a group of statuary of Mt. Somers stone, the tallest figure nearly 11 feet high. Messrs. Briscoe & Co. are having considerable additions to their premises in Customs Street East from plans prepared by Messrs. Wilson & Moodie, architects. This will give an additional frontage of Blft. upon which building wi.i be erected in similar style to that existing. Support will be by east columns on bed rock foundations.

, A new hot water supply, by the installation of two calorifers, is being made in the. Auckland Hospital. It is proposed to erect a theatre at Te Aroha shortly. .-..'. ■ In Customs Street West the foundations of the buildings. for . Messrs. A. & T. Burt are being pushed ahead. Tenders are now being invited by the Public Works Department for the erection of an infectious diseases hospital at Eotorua.' It will be a single storey building in wood, and the main portion covers an area 68ft. by 22ft. 6in. It is proposed by the trustees of the Elam School of Art to erect a new art school in Rutland Street on a site provided by the City Council.

The Superintendent of the Workers' Dwellings Department is ■ now calling for tenders for the erection of thirty-six new houses at Ellerslie and Otahutiu". Particulars'may be ' obtained from the Superintendent.' In the last three years new houses have gone up in Auckland- at the rate of four per day. Within the Greater Auckland area 4000 new homes have been erected in three years. A leading land and property agent informed a "Star" representative that whereas the population of Greater Auckland stood at 110,000. there were not 100 empty houses in the whole city, and that people frequently spent half .; a day in searching for a house before they found one that had a "to-let" sign showing. Last', yea'r over a million sterling was spent on .new buildings in Auckland. Messrs. WILSON & MOODIE report the following . tenders. received for the A.M.P. Society's new buildings in Queen Street:—W. A. Hutchinson, £24,500 (accepted) J. D. Jones, £25,200; Grevatt & Son, £25,222; J. Webster,

£25,753; Philcox & Sons, £27,410; Julian & Sons, £27,997; and Craig Bros., £34,900. The following tenders received for the additions to Briscoe & Co.’s new buildings:Lee McKinstry, £5397 (accepted); J. Webster, £5678; F. Nelson, £5790; Craig Bros., £5787; Grandison, £5990; W. C. Johns, £6179; J. J. Holland, £6248; J. Colebourne, £6250; McCullum & Crompton, £6300; and G. Ballard, £6410. HAWKE’S BAY. Hawke’s Bay uses between 200 and 300 tons of cement weekly, and ferro-concrete work seems to be the principal form of construction in this province. 450 tons of cement were used by the Napier Harbour Board in the construction of the Glasgow Wharf. Four tenders were received at the last meeting of the Napier Harbour Board for the supply of cement, each being at the same amount £3 7s, per ton, and it was decided to divide the order equally between the tenderersthe New Zealand Portland Cement Company, the Golden Bay Cement Company, the Milburn Lime and Cement Company, and Wilson and Co. Messrs. C. D. KENNEDY BEOS., of Napier, report that work on the Waihaparato Bridge is being pushed on. This structure is to be in ferro-concrete. The Esk Bridge, which this firm have also in hand, is the largest completed in the neighbourhood, being, with connections, about 300 feet long. The under structure is ferro-concrete and the super-structure timber. We are watching with much interest in Napier the reinforced concrete building at Ahuriri Spit for Eobjohns, Hindmarsh & Co., for which Mr. Frame is the architect, and Mr. Aleck Scott the contractor. The blocks are hollowed out and recessed for bonding, cast in moulds, a thick surfacing colour being applied at the same time, rendering them a reddish stone colour like Dumfries stone. Messrs. BEAGLEY & ANGUS, contractors, Napier and Hastings, have the following work in hand:— concrete: Acetone works and Napier refuse destructor. In brick: Grain store, Hastings; Tourist Motor Buildings, Hastings; Central Hotel. Napier; and one cottage, Napier South. In wood: Additions steam , laundry and three cottages. , Mr. BLIGHT, of Hastings, reports building eight houses in the last eighteen months, including a six-roomed bungalow with piazza. The first house in Hastings in which electric light was installed. Cost £700; also 5-roomed detached cottage cost £SOO. Mr. A. GARNETT, architect, Hastings, reports the following work in hand:—New Wesleyan Church in brick and cement plaster, with Marseilles tiles on roof, inside finished in Keen’s cement, to seat 400, at a cost of £3078; almost completed; contractor, T. S. Styles. Grain and produce store in brick, to cost £1500; almost completed; Beagley & Angus, contractors. Bungalow residence, with Marseilles tiles on roof, and rough-cast exterior finish; to cost £560; just completed; G. Hamilton, contractor. Residence with Somerset tile roof, concrete foundations and external finish in rough-cast; to cost £1400; work well in hand. T. S. Dobson, contractor. Weatherboard residence with concrete foundations; to cost £450; carpentering almost completed; contractor, Mr, T Styles. First story addition to boardinghouse; just finishing; cost £480; E. Harmon, contractor. Skating rink at Clive, in wood and

iron; to open next week; cost £380; J. Laurenson, contractor. Just completed, bungalow residence in Napier; cost £500; W. J. Rood, contractor. Calling tenders for residence, to cost about £SBO, with rough-cast and weatherboarded external finish. Mr. LEIPST has been successful in boring the well for _ the Hastings Borough. The depth is about 160 ft. in the gravel, 6in. bore. These artesian wells give a rise of 6ft. on an average. The derrick for boring is compact and portable, and is easily transported from place to place with , a traction engine, which furnishes the power for boring. Mr J. A. _ LOUIS HAY, architect, Marine Arcade, Napier, reports work in hand as follows:—Doctor’s residence, Bluff Hill, Napier, f o P°M° r ’ s residence, Marine Parade, Napier" £2OO. Shop and offices, Taumarunui, £IO6O. Two shops and offices, Wairoa, £lßsl. Coronation Hall at Petane, £825. Three-story brick building for Mr. S. Parker, Napier, £6567. Cottage in Cameron Road, Napier, £6lO. Bungalow at Wairoa, £768. Farmstead at Omapere, £I3OO. Dwelling at Mt. Herbert, Waipukurau, £2230. Garage for Tourist Motor Co. at Hastings, £2582. Several smaller works for Arcade Co., Neal & Close, Masonic Hotel, etc. Plans being prepared for Mr. T. Tokson, of Waipukurau, and Mr. W. J. Douglas, of Paukawa. Mr. E. A. Williams, who recently severed his conection as architectural draughtsman, etc., on the staff of the Napier Borough Engineer, has started practice as an architect at offices in Tennyson Street, Napier, and has completed several residence of the pretty bungalow type, including the residence for the caretaker in the Wm. Nelson Park; also for Miss Heays, Mr. A. McCarthy, Mr. J. T. F. Fawcett, Mr. A. Stubbs, Mr. S. H. Tuck, etc., and the pumping station for the Napier sewerage scheme, and several other works in ferro-concrete, and has work in hand running into several thousand pounds. Mr. Williams was also draughtsman for some time to Mr. W. P. Finch, F.N.Z.1.A., architect, find supervised the erection and executed all detail work for the Napier Municipal Baths. Before coming to New Zealand, he served under Messrs. Spalding & Spalding, F.E.1.8.A., architect on church and office block work in the city of London, and under Mr. G. L. Sutcliffe, A.R.1.8.A., on large country residence work. Mr. Williams has been for some years past the instructor of building construction and drawing at the Napier Technical College, and was recently elected Associate of the N.Z. Institute of Architects. Messrs. BURE & MIEFIELD, architects, of Haillenstein’s Buildings. Gladstone Road, Gisborne, report.— construction of a modern bungalow, consisting of 6 rooms, natural lighting and ventilation being features of the design; roof “Poilite” tiles; price, £700; contractors, Messrs.-Colley & Co. Renovating the Gisborne Hotel for Mr. J. Martin, manager Mr. G. B. Oman; price,, £120; contractor,, Messrs. Colley & Co. Alterations to “Whatatutu” Hotel; £l6O. A 2-story furniture factory for Mr. J. Townley; price, £490; contractors, Messrs. Colley & Co. Warehouse and offices in' brick and plaster (stone finish), also for Mr. Townley, having tiled vestibule on the ground floor, with offices on either side, and a large bond store and cellarage for Messrs. Parker Bros. & Sheridan,, wine merchants. The top floor is designed as show-rooms for the D.A.C.; there is an oriel

window in centre of facade, while the skyline is relieved with pediment' and coping flanked with octagonal terminals; contractors, Messrs. Colley & Co.; price, £4OOO. A residence at Kaiti of 7 rooms for Mr. J. Adair; price, £9OO. A homestead at Ormand for Mr. J. H. Reynolds, 2-story building of 14 rooms, 2 cottages for stat cm staff, stable building and coach-houses; contractors, Messrs. lloweii Bros; price, £2,300. ‘Plans being prepared for Gisborne Fire Station, to cost £2500; Anglican Chinch, Kaiti, £700; shops and dwellings for Mr. F. W. Williams; repairs and alterations Bradley estate ;> ti new hotel. Hot Springs, Marero. u Messrs. LANGLANDS & CO. have the breakwater extension contract wei'l in hand at Gisborne. The mole is to be extended 200 feet, and will be a great protection to the entrance. The contract price is, we are informed, £17,000. Wilson’s Star brand cement is being used in the manufacture of the blocks. Messrs. GRAHAM & BROWN, architects. G’sborne, report the following work recently completed:—Church at Manutuke in brick, exterior rough-east, roof Calmon’s asbestos slates, wrought-iron frames and casements, g’azed in leaded lights; contractors, Messrs. Colley & Go.; price, £2065. Premises for the Gisborne Club; contractors. Messrs. Colley & Co.; price. £1577. Residence, Tokomani, for Mr. E. R. Murphy; contractors, Messrs. Clayton Bros. Residence, Puha, for the Hon. W. D. S. McDonald; contractor, Mr. George Smith, Master’s residence for the Gisborne High School Board, and further additions to same; contractor, Mr. George Smith; cost £3288. Buildings in course of erection;Holy Trinity Church; contractors, Messrs. W. Webb & Son. Business premises for Mr. J. R. Redstone, Peel Street; contractor, Mr. George Smith; cost £2700. Residence, Whataupoko, for Mr. W. G. Maclaurin; contractor. Mr. M. Haisman; cost, about £2OOO. Opera House, for the Gisborne Opera House Co., Ltd; contractor, Mr. George Smith; cost, £II,OOO. Mr. G. Smith has the erection of the Gisborne Steam Laundry Co.’s factory well in hand. The framework and roofing are up. and the boiler is being installed. The washing and ironing p’ant is on its way out from home.