Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-01
ARCHITECTS COMPETITIONS
Suggestions to D Hiding Committees He
specting Requirements.
fAmerican Archltect)

We have received two documents de-
scribing competition for certain
church. one from a member of the church
committee, who thinks We might IKE To
publish IL for the benefit OF our readers,
apparently because he supposes II Is 50
good and another from an architect,
who also thinks II would be benenciai 20
have IL published. because IL Is SO pda.
on studying the documents themselves
II appears to us that neither OF our cor
respondents is right, and that the pro-
gramme Is neither very good nor very
bad There Is none of the shainefui eVi-
dence of intended trickery which Is so
easily detected IN many competition pro-
grammes: on the contrary, the paper IN
dicates an intention on the part OF pe
church committee to treat architects iait-
ly II somewhat austerely. ana It's taliurr.
which Is certain to interest respsctan,e
members OF the profession. Will be due
less to any intention OF treating them
unfairly than to ignorance of the duties
which architects are called upon To tuiill'
For example. the programme, after s,y-
ing. with franknesS which IS rather
attractive. that The entire cost
must not exceed $4,000 and II We
can get what We want for less mOney
we will be Pea,ed and living Nv l;,,o !. V,ry ory
number Of drawings required, goes ON 10
say that complete building specifications
must be attached, accompanied ny IN csc
innate or tnc COST. ne tlIIHfihtpo ~
this estimate must b. guaranteed by the
| architect. his guarantee TO be secured
| first. by the amount OF his own fees. anu
! secondly. by such other security ~ IN
committee may require, IL being the inten-
| tion of the Nestry not TO commence th'
work until reasonably assured # the
cost"
WELL WORTH IT.
II is pity that before making this
extraordinary stipulation, which VIII cause
every respectable architect whose suaran-
tee il worth anything to throw the paper
into the waste-b tsket. the committee had
not consulted some member ~ th' PROBES
! sion, or, AT least some one VINO hheN -
I little about an architects work. He would
| have told them That To write complete
| building spechcltions" for such struc-
| turc is we'll worth the six or seven nun
| dred dollars that any architect whose
! specifications are OF any value would
/ charge for maxim ng them; that 50 &C. ,hca-
| tions that would be- anything hut mislchi-
] ing could not be- written except IN c"nil'c-
tion with a set Of ffv or sixty com
| pletely- finished working drawings, Tor thr
| preparation OF many OF when eiabottre
| calculations Of weights. supports thrust5'
| ties huttresses. wind prrssur~. ana coun-
| ter-bracing would hc necessary, ana that
| 70 do this work with even moderate care
| would require AT least three months iul'
| i'm any architects office As - the "tsu-
mate of cost" he would trll them mat,
| while an architect can - lml'" II neces.
! sary, the amount ~ work ana ma'@ridi
| shown by his Il signs. and can SAY plltc
! accurately how much such Work ana ma
/ terials will be worth "a current pr COS,
| IL Is utterly imf o-sible lor ann TO KNOW
| anything about n. combination OF build
| ers, or the other clfcum stances Whlch
| will affect the actual cost.
| The estimates Of most builders are al
| most pure guesswOrk. We have heard a
| builder, with Il large business too, say
| that he never read specification. tie
! Counted the pages" as he said, aud
| 10 hfs al apPOFIfUxiN We Knew
| another man, no was the lowest bidder
| for a large buil,iing-a church. II We are
| not mistaken. The contract was aWafdeu
| To him and the building was we'll along
! before h. discovered that the plans on
| which he had made his estimate We're
| drawn nj scale Of one eighth OF an inch
| 10 d foot, instead of the usual one quar-
| ter: and although the scale was plainly
| marked on The drawings, he had based
his proposal on an estimate which made
| the cubic contents OF the building only
| one eighth OF what they were required To
be by the contract which he had signed.
| NO GUARANTEE
| II may be imagined that architects who
| have either money or reputation 10 lose
| never under these circumstances. give
| any guarantee OF the cost Of executing
| their designs. They are willing 10 use
| their best judgment and experience. and
| most good architects can tell with tolera-
| bic accuracy how much, under average
| conditions. given building should cost
| but 10 warrant the caprices Of local con-
! tractors would be piece OF folly which
| would stamp an architect, In the mind Of
| the profession, as reckless and irrespOns-
BILE
or course, II IL not unnatural for the
| committee TO wish 10 be sure OF the cost
| Of their building before beginning work
| but the way 10 do this Is not 10 drive
| away all the careful and skilful archi-
| tects and invite solely the reckless and
| dishonest ones, who have no money to
lose, and know plenty Of secret ways by
| which they can reimburse themselves for
whatever part Of their legitimate fees
the committee may conflscate; but 10 Sc
| cure designs from men OF skill and eX-
perience, by the offer Of rational and de-
| Gently remuneratiye terms then to have
the designs judged by another skilful
| and experienced architect, who will throw
out all that. In his judgment. cannot be
| executed for the sum proposed, and.
finally. after the architect thus selected
has reviewed anI worked up In detail all
fide tenders from responsible contractors
for carrying IL out. II the tenders are
too high, the architect VIII modify his
designs without charge until satisfac-
tory result IS reached; and. with a good
| contract, a good architect. good plans,
and good specifications. the building can
| be carried out without a dollar OF extra
expense; while. with an ignorant archi-
tect. unskillful plans and specifications.
and a careless contract. no guarantee on
the architects part. even II IL could be
enforced, which would very rarely be the
case. can save such a committee from
having to pay much more than II Is worth
for an ignorant. dLscreditable, and un-
lcat az