New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-19
IMPROVED HOUSING PLANS
ARCHITECTS AT WORK ON DRAWINGS
FOR A BUILDING TO COVER A BLOCK.


Of far-reaching Importance. While these men Of
trained ability thus working some HUNDREDS OF
thinking men and women are waiting anxiously ana
eagerly for the result for upon that hinges the a..
swer to the question Of how the flower million %
the future shall live. To those students Of modern
city life who have famllarized themselves with the
cramped wrechedness. the squaor and the evil that
abound In the tenement jungles Of this great city.
this question comes with monstrous emphasis ana
seems to demand an answer. and that specify.
When q plain nard-handed member Of the count
less army Of tenement sufferers can face public
meeting and speak with rugged eoQuence and truto
Of the sporadic Philanthropy Of the hour. hue
manitarians bound TO listen and to think.
One result Of their thinking is embodied In tho
problem the architects have before them. This
problem Is embraced In the conditions governing .
competition for plans Of a model apartment-house"
The competition is the outcome Of the movement TO-
the bettermen Of the homes Of the less prosperous
class by the Association for the Improvement Of the
Condition OF the Poor.
EXAMPLES ABROAD
good many people will remember the conference
on improved housing which was held In New.York
City last March. That conference was addressed By
Professor E. r. L. Gould, who had just returned
from a tour OF European cities extending over .
period Of than two years. Professor Gould d.
voted a large part OF his time to close study Of
efforts to ame:orate tenement-house evils. and hs
found especially fruitful field In London. where
speculation has given place TO practical knowledge
that improved housing philanthropy gives return,
first In moral elevation and. second. In financial
way. In other words Il is the kind Of philanthropy
that Is self-sustainng and therefore lasting
Through II the workngman can secure a wholesome.
cleanly and healthfu home for his family He has
to pay no more than he paid formerly for dscom.
fort and misery. from which there was no way Of
escape He is independent. for he appreciates thas
his rental profitable to the investors These facts
II Ia AnrHopa
Professor Could A good many prominent men and
women took notes to aid their thinking and sooa
afterward many of them joined In declaring: 1T =
time for to do something practical and last
Ing, to make beginning that shall serve as an exc
ample for people In the other large cities OF the
country to follow" Thereupon the Improved Hous.
ing Council formulated its conditions for the COM
petition In which many leading architects are en-
gagged.
To comply with the terms Of the competition the
various plans must be In the HANDS Of the Housing
Council on or before May II. This date was fixed
upon for the reason that the council hope to be able
to have ground secured by that time which 70
the first structure and work will be begun at
once. Where is the site OF this new building? you
ask Ali that IL question good many persons
interested In realty would like TO know. The Tribune
reporter asked the question OF Professor Gould
In the OF long conversation on the subject.
and he laughingy assented to the proposition that u
will not be found on Murray Hill or fronting On
Central Park.
A WHOLE CITY BLOCK TO BE BUILT ON.
Wherever the site may be chosen. It will DO ono
to tax the ingenuity and skill Of the competing ar.
chitecs the utmost for the Intention to secure
a city block II possible and to cover 1t with the
building. In the conditions governing the COM
petition designs asked for IAN entire city block.
measuring 20xlo0 feet. thirty-two city lots The
plot TO be chosen be bounded by the avenues on
the short sides and by the streets the long
Sides The object OF the competition Is stated to b
ito obtain satisfactory type Of plan adapted to the
conditions which prevail In New-York."
The first notable thing observed In q study OF the
conditions as prepared IL the disappearance OF the
Objectionable word tenement" from the Housing
Councils dictionary. The term Of designation 70
model apartment houses" This IL q move In the
right direction The plans must be In accord certain"
Iy with the New-York Building law. Not moro than
10 per the total OF the land Is to be 90
cupied the being left vacant for light and air.
Not more than IS per cent Of the space above the
ground floor can be figured upon for walls partitions
Corridors stairways and other parts used In COM
mon The clear rentable space on every moor above
the ground floor must be equal at least to % per
cent OF the total area Of the land. No courts Inc
closed on all sides be figured to contain less tnaa
800 square feet and they must be as nearly square
az possible There must be wells light shafts.
and all windows must open directly upon the outer
air. All staircases and corridors must be lignteo ~
windows opening in this way and all apartments
must have cross-ventaton.
SAFEGUARDS AGAINST FIRE.
The compartments must be separated by unperced
fire walls extending from ground TO roof. Each
compartment must have it's own freproof staircase
nclosed with brick walls. with separate entrance
from the street. There must be a hand-lft from the
basement for each compartment, and each suite OF
apartments must have Its own water-closet opening
directly upon the outer air. Every room OF suiee
must be private. Every iiving-room - to contan
not less than IA square feet, and every bedroom
must contain at least seventy square feet OF noos
space. The plans call for a building on these con-
ditons six stories IN height. the ground noors on
the avenues arranged for stores having ceilings
eleven feet high In the Gear Ceilings Of apartments
are TO be eight feet six inches high IN tho GEAR
Each suite Of rooms must be provided with SINK
and place for q range. The apartments must DC "
suites Of two three and four rooms
Such Is the summary OF conditions aside from par
t,cular instruction as to the manner In which draw
incs are to be furnished. Even the iayman can
CLEAN more than a superficial notion Of the problem
he interest ee that many OF them al
mrabe Is worthy Of no too 2ch ,nss no may Be-
chosen to act oficlally for the Committee on Mole!
Apartment but even in this there Jos.n No
W. Auserbacn. Arthur W. Mibury. Samuel D. Bah
chsr; P,v Bsns As? Miss EdS Kendall
Ea%%S"" Marshall James b, Reynolds. Miss G
Phelps Stokes and George W. Young.
While The members Of the Housing Council feel
that this venture large scale is experimentat
vel n u 40 only In the OF magnitude. for u e
no longer necessary go to London for practical
Demonstration Of the feasibility OF IT, One house
ounc1 nv the council. 1t tenement. purcnasco
last year for $1,000 number of people combined
IN the purchase The price was divided into two
narts s. 900 on first mortgage at ~ per cent apd
second mortgage Of 200 at per cent About rns one
and putting the place In order. significant Item
the removal OF five waConosds Of ,e s, s ,rom
NJ No Az East Twenty -second-st It was almost de.
BY once In o1dsr :rH the rooms room % now
IL Si32 a month The running expenses are ~
month leaving clear profit on the lnvestmen. o. ~
appears in this that this profit s not transferred 70
TIE pocket OF the landlord 1t IA held sacred Tor use
due TO the interest account on the loan certsiniy