, 1873-03-30

thing That wall shock tenant, and will in thc
possibly noar future render his structure utterly
| unsuitable. It sometimes happens that the
architect, in cautioninR his client against such
extravaganza, incn1s his displeasurc, and the lnt-
! ter disappears without paying him lliB fee Tor
preliminary drawings" which is per cent OF
| the cost of the buildings.
Sometimes client wili eve the sketches du-
biously and say that there is something about
them he DOES not like but cannot tell what it ic.
Tho architect promises to modify tho first CT
! draw IN entirely new set, an,a, upon presenting
them for inspection, his client approves OF item,
! with or without further change. Having nc
copied tho plans here roughly blocked out, tho
| architect charges nothing for them, but, coneid-
oring that he is employed for the work, elabor-
ates his rough drawing into larger plan.
! LIE. it be understood that our friend OF the
compass and ruler does not take it for granted
that he is competing for plan against some
others, unless such ia declared to to the condi-
ton previous to starting. Tell him frankly
! whether he Is competing or whether he is work.
| ing foE you, or he viii turn round ,npon you
petitors, with eyery argument on his siuo
and theirs also. Ii he lcarns of this
beforehand he will generally enter the lists
boldly, but not otherwise. He cannot afford to
waste his time my mo1e than !swyer; nor can m
| he give you instruction gratis when dis
tinguished lecturer charges $500 an hour for his
counsel.
THE woKK1Sd-nNAw1Sas.
Satisfied Of your good faith, the architect pre-
pares lis - working drawings" making them
| venient size for " figuring" upon, His working
drawings are nearly dozen ii number, being:
| baaement plan, first floor, second floor, third
floor, fourth floor and, when necessary, fifth
ton, aud section. Then he makes diagrams for
| the different classes Of work. There ia
B diagram for the iron contractor, known
ns iron-diagram;" 'fstone dis
gram for the stone-cutter, and a distinct
List Of "8pccidcations for each department.
setting forth size, quality, and tho rest Of the
thousand and one requisites over which tho con-
tractor pnzzles On his piece Of dirty paper.
supposing that the owner now comes to the
conclusion that he has received all the outside
help required, he cnn dismiss tho architect by
paying him bis percentage, and wind up BY let
ting the contracts himself, tho architects Dues
after getting everything into ehape, would be ~
per cont for dweiling-houso or residence build
ing Of any kind, and ~ Per cent for stores or
Offices, the charges being based. until actual
estimate has beon made, upon the proposed cost
OF the work. These estimates are newer sup
posed to be exact until the contracts ore award
ed, nor are they By any means binding upon tho
architect.
THE BUILDING SUPERINTENDENT.
II yon propose to dismiss the architect at this
juucture, you do him an injustice, especially If,
by mems Of hard toll and constant SUCCESS, he
has achieved reputation. Tell him what your
4A%tuLlOA n D2tOIc 10 AIhh6 P1EAu41!aiy
sketch, for, il he bo an architect of long stand
ing, he will decline to work for you. His argu-
ment is sound. He says: " II I furnish you
With these drawings, am the architect Of the
building, and as such the outside world will hold
me responsible for the success Of the building.
II I am to superintend the erection, am will
ing to assume tho responsibility, but, II some
third party is to do the experimenting, and nm
to tako the responsibility Of his ignorance or
dishonesty, then am 1T q disadvantage. de-
c}fDa nrnnokttiar r nm all cr1 \.
ing, I Cannot afford to risk the good
uame I have earned at such expense.
Go to some OF these Irresponsible hungry
yonng. chaps Mho never undertook Q big. Job in
their lives They'll be only too glad OF the per-
centage, and would not Ike to rob them Of it,"
And though the last bit Of sarcasn would be
characteristic, there would be a great deal Of
horse eonse in his refusal. II be is = good
architect, let him finish what he has commenced;
if he is q bad one, don't let him commence it.
THE CONTRACTORS.
The architect notifies the contractors rs soon
as the specifications have been made ont, and
in day or two there is perpetual swa1m Of
The contractor applies to the Office OF the
architect to lenrn what work he may have in
readiness. and, being shown tho specifications
drawn up by that o1lnipotent parsonage, Zig
urea" upon what is before him, or, in the more
inteltgtble yernacular, proceeds to make esti-
mates. It Is not unusually the case that
stranger finds some five or six earnest-looknS,
but not over r-clean1y, gentlemen clustered round
document On IN architect's table. It is noticed
that they all have little etumps Of pencil whose
abbreviated dimensions ere shocking to q we'll
ordered reporter. Each has little piece Of
paper in front Of him, and the party resembles
i knot Of ovorgrown schoolboys copying sum
from more proficient companion. They look
too earnest for schoolboys, however, and
there does not appear to ba very much friendly
feeling lost among them; As a reporter enters
an architects Office, all the contractors cease
H.
tion, on the supposition that there ia one more
competitor in the field. Whom ho is discovered
to bo mere scEhbler, the aversion becomes
obsequiousness, for everybody knows the 7a!us
Or thinks he does. The amount Of !" figuring"
done By the contractor is sometimes astonishing,
but he finally arrives st conclusion, and
world OF anxiety suddenly is lifted from his
mind. Should the specifications call upon the
contractor to mako g bid in the lump for the
whole building, our friend with the corrugated
brows and stump Of lead-pencil proceeds
with the following mental qualifications
Tho excavations for the foundation will cost SO !
much then the dimcnsion-stone and 1ubblo for |
the foundations then there ia the brick re-
quired for building labor in building, carpenter
work, plumbing, painting, iron-worI, glazing, |
and everything in building. This the contract ]
or subjects to the various branches Of building !
industry. But this system has not been fa- |
yorite III Chicago. During the great rebuilding |
season o. f@at year very few such contracts were
mada. SIAN most generally accepted gives |
the archisect the privilege Of making what con-
tracta be .:3ases. To do this he prepares |
specifications Of all necessaries in tho various
departments, and let's contractors Of gu !:
kinds figure upon them separately. Thus the |
mason has nothing to figure upon but the c1ca-
Vations, the material, and the laborer. Tho |
has his work before him, and knows
just what he wants. Tho plastcrer is responsi
Bile to no contractor, and, if tho architect is as
honorable aa he ought to be, the owner can feel |
certain that lie is not being made the treasury
for designing persons to draw Upon.
DIVISION or LABOR.
It ia sometimes the case that builder receives |
contract for stone, Here il q margin Of profit
Tor him. for he will make his contract with tho
quarrJmen, and thus two profits are made where |
ono would bs sufficient for al practical pu1-
poees.
Contractors prefer the latter method Of maxi
ing agreements.
Another form Of contract sometimes made
Is the commission system. This naturally has
lts defects, especially from the owners point OF
observation That it was practised extern
siSeiy just after the ire will be understood
By all who are familiar with building matters
and prices. When tho price OF brick was rang
ing anywhere between 915 and $40 a Thousand,
and tile price OF labor was I'D uncertain as it
was oppressive to the employer; when, indeed,
u seemed chaos, without Toico to command
Tho existence Of order, contractors would not
7sk their few remaining dollars in the ordinary