The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-06-09
UPPER FLOOR



| them it is profitable to be able to arrange
such quarters so that they will be regular.
| ly occupied az dwellings, II not as offices
| In all large cities there are many quarters
| where the rooms above the stores cannot
be rented proiltably for offices, particular.
| ly in buildings on side streets or slightly
| removed from the business centers.
The French flats or those Of Italy offer a
solution to this problem. However, it is to
be borne in mind that the arrangement OF
an apartment building cannot be trans
ferred from one Of these countries to an
other, principally on account of the differ
enCe in the arrangement of the store build
ings, which renders court on the ground
floor impossible An American store is
always a large affair; that is, it covers q
great deal of floor space. In the foreign
countries the storesare mostly small-from
Is to 30 feet deep-and the space back of
them is used as a court and for the living
quarters Of the concierge or caretaker. In
the French apartment hoases the first or
ground floor is never used for q high grade
of living apartments.
In the plan which herewith submit we
have 25 feet of ground with light from
the front only. For the purpose of adding
to the difficulty of the problem | have
inclosed the rear end as well as the side,
though in practice the rear would general
ly be open and not unusually part of one
side. 1t will be seen that the entrance to the
apartment is at one side of the store build
ing The passage is Lighted by window
in front and at the side near the show
window of the store. The stairway from
the landing is amply lighted from the
court above and the skylight which covers
a part OF the rear Of the store
part Of the store stairway so lighted
projects into the store room. However, in
considering the effect of this projection
and any deleterious effect which it may
have with respect to the store, we must
bear in mind that it adds to the revenue of
the floors above, certainly to q greater ex-
tent than it depreciates that of the room
itself. Another thing to bear in mind is
that the arrangement of the apartments is
OF such character rs to provide court
which lets more light into the rear and
middle of the store than is common with
the ordinary plan Of store building. This
in itself would more than compensate for
the disadvantage of the projecting stair
way.
Each apartment has four rooms, kitchen
and water closet, besides seven closets and
hDSi"l hCNIhbS III inc way ol CupDoafuS,
sink, fly safes, ETC., in the kitchen. After
passing from the stair hall through the
door one is in his own quarters, quite as
independent and isolated as if he were
alone on a large lot. The writer lived in
seyetnh story fat of this character for sew
eral months and did not know one of the
other occupants. The kitchen range in
such an apartment is built under hood,
so that all heat and odors are directly re.
moved from the kitchen. The upper stories
in building of this kind should not be
more than ten feet high. This makes less
stair climbing. 1t is the Last two or three
steps in fight Of stairs that are the
hardest.
1t is to be noticed that the rear rooms
in this apartment are lighted from the
court. LOUIS IL GIBSON.