The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-15 00:00:00

Royal Institute of British Architects.

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An ordinary meeting of the members of this institute was
held on Monday evening—Mr. Tite in the chair--when a
paper was read by Mr. Tayor " On Building and Sanitary
At rangements." The arrangements proposed by Mr. Taylor
are of an eminently practical kind for promoting comfort
and preserving health in all dwellings, whether of the rich
or poor, by keeping out damp, by improving ventilation,
and preventing chimneys from smoking. His attention was
principally directed to keeping houses dry, by preventing the
entrance of water through either of three sources by which
it geerally finds access, viz., by rising from the ground, by
penetrating the walls, or by descending through the roof.
The usual methods adopted of preventing the ascent of damp
from the ground by laying a course of sheet lead or slates
has been found very inefficient, for Mr, Taylor observed
that through any hole or crack in the lead and at the junc-
tion of the slates the moisture will ascend through the mortar
The plan he had adopted, which has been found an effec-
tual preventive of the rising of moisture from the ground,
is to lay a course of bricks made of earthenware that is im-
pervious to wet, which bricks are perforated with holes ho-
rizontally to admit air under the rafters and prevent dry
rot. For the protection of houses from the effects of drifting
rain, he introduces a facing of bricks made of terra ciatta,
so formed as to have air spaces in the walls, and to, give
them greater rigidity. The interior of houses du's con-
structed are so free from damp that the walls tray be pa"
putt]. soon after they are built, without any risk of injury
to the most delicate colours. Mr. Taylor mentioned, as
illustrations of the advantages attending this method of
building, that in nine houses erected together, those in:
which his piriti had lteta adopted were quite free from mois-
ture, whilst the walls of the other- houses were so damp
that the papers were completely spoiled. With respect to the
best method of protecting the houses from. descending rain,
he considered that tiles are far preferable to slates, but their
greater weight have hitherto prevented their general adop-
thin, He has, however; contrived a form of tile which is
equally lightas slate, and the tiles are so constructed as to
prevent snow or rain from being blown through the crevices.
He also exhibited specimens of earthenware ridges for the
roofs of houses, and of flat tiles adopted for the tops of walls,
which he considered would effectually keep out the rain. Mr.
Taylor's arrangements for improving domestic architecture
are, indeed, all based on an extended use of tiles and terra
cotta, numerois adaptations of which to suit various pur-
posesornamentaler thepurposes
external externwael
decoration
the wat mth and ventilation of dwellings. An ingenious kindof tile, with flanges, was also shown, intended to serve for
rrartraibti iotned a,ain wcalun d
a ina
the flooring of houses for the peer, by which contrivance the
surface of the floor is maintained level and more free from
damp. Mr. Taylor then explained the operation of a new
kind of fire place for economising fuel by burning the swore
ftp,k.3 causing currents of warm air to enter a room from the
fire-Mace, which is supplied with air externally, so as to
prevent cold drafts from doors and windows. This paper
was illustrated by a great variety of diagrams, and by speci-
mens of the manufactured articles to which Mr. Taylor re-
ferred.
In. the short discussion which took place Mr. Jennings
raised some objections to the plans on the ground of cot,
and on the difficulty of carrying the arrangements into
practice without skilled labour. Other memberi, however,
including the chairman, thought they deserved the serious
attention of architects, and all agreed in approving the plan
of introducing a cour.-e of perforated earthenware bricks for
the prevention of moistut e rising from the ground.

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