New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-07
CRITICISMS ON THE PRIZE PLANS.

CRITICISMS ON THE PRIZE PLANS.
OPINIONS OF RICHARD NJ. HUNT, y. d. +. RAnT AND
OTHERS UPON THE NEW DESIGNS FOR HOMES
FOR THE POOR.
The results of the recent competition in de-
signs for tenemcnthouse have been criticised Sharply
by architects and others who have made study OF the
succt The competition has failed It is said. in that
il has produced radical improvement IN the methods
ofbudng heithful homes for the poor; but the fail
u1e partly the restriction i'll the condi-
lions u the competition, to the limits OF city lot All
agree that healthy and convenient tenement mousse
cannot be built within those narrow bounds
F. D. f. Raht, an architect said that the competition
had proved failure not only I'm the results obtained,
but also in the award Of prizes. No rapid progress
has been made" he said D." from the present system OF
building houses OF which the successful plans
are mere variations Houses built after these models
VIII be az unheathfu when they grow old as many OF
the present structures There should have been some
radical Improvement in method and design not servie
imitation OF present systems The committee Of award
even has shown in its distribution of prizes, painful
reluctance to depart from established methods Inc
members of the committee appear to have fixed upon
one general Arrangement, and to have given the prizes
TO dIverstes Of this plan. There should have
been groups OF plans, embracing mover designs
and improvements. and no two prizes should have
been given to variations OF the same plan.
The designs which prizes wero awarded do not COM
ply indeed with the conditions Of the competition as
TO distribution Of light and air. All the prize plans
have dark middle rooms dependent upon borrowed
light ond ventilated II at all, by narrow shafts in the
walls. IT'S difficult task to arrange on city lot
buding which shall have all light rooms but 1t can be
ACCOMPLISHED by of sdecOurts. or OF series OF
navilions OF four rooms each. The plan numbered 80
was new and nearly perfect design. am now max
ting plans for tenement-h0use to be built III Clinton
place On a lot 100 feet deep. which will have twelve
rooms on each floor aud all the rooms lighted directly
apd ~ NJ.
who thought the dark bedrooms at once condemned the
plans The space wasted In all Of the plans by the threo
omen courts would have used better I'm large
court which would have afforded more light and air
than the three small ones. While the plans had some
commendable features they differed slightly from tene-
lighthouses recently but except in the central stair
way which was grca, Improvement on former building
methods Veutatug shafts ought not 10 be allowed In
tencment-houses; they dangerous IN case of fire
in adjoining building and served frequently 10 commn-
nicate offensive and disease With the class OF
persons who occupy tcnement-hOuse, such arrange
mcnts as lifts and shoots and arshafs were productive
generally, 81 more harm than good
Maurice Fcrnachon, a Swiss architect, who has an
Office with Mr.. Hunt, declared emphatcay that the
prizr plans were full OF defects The adoption by the
committee OF these plans" he said, "pIovcs conclu-
,iyely two things that perfect houses cannot be built
on city lots aud that the authors did not appreciate the
wants Of abOrng men. The chief difficulty. however,
Their anxiety utilize every inch OF ground and to cX
tract from the largest possible revenue has been the
source o. N.ting difficulties In Paris houses rarely
cover more than tWOhirds OF the land but IN New York
they cover generally more than threequarters oft In
all the plans adopted by the committee, however. the
waste room is enormous. The space wasted IN the open
central and rear is greater than would be re-
quircd for a long which would supply
light 10 all the rooms I'm the building. LGht
and .r-shsfts are nuisance and delusIon'
and hor long let ask. would sliding doors last IN
tencment-housel The plans which have received the
two highest prizes fer little from ordinary tcnemenls'
except that they do not have much room rs usual
the bedrooms are smaller than the space allowed
patient i'm the wards hospital The lack OF privacy
/, an objection 10 the third plan. the arrangement
OF the closets IA not good IN plan NO.1 The fourth
rlan IA decidedly better than tue which took the
second prize but in all the designs the rooms are much
too small The problem OF comfortable homes for work
lngmeB has solved by this competion that
certain" - -, a.,
Henry Fernbach thought the plans selected by The
committee possessed come excellent features. ana IN
some respects were vastly superior To the ordinary
tenement house. cen RAJ nrcproOf stairway was, III
his opniol "A large stridr IN the night direction
A person who uas studied long the problem of cheap
and homes for WOTkngmen, SAID I'm any at
em critical discussion OF the results Oi the recent
comuet tOn would bee only lair to the members Oi the
committee 10 lay upon their admission OF the
| impossIby Uf securing the requirements OF physical
moral health within the narrow ana arbitrary limits
Of city lot In my OPINION the restriction OF the CON-