Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1896-05-17
LONDON TENEMENT HOUSES.
Law. rh.. Govern Construction In rh.,
City.

-
Laws That Govern Construction In That
City.
First of all should be mentioned the
provisions for the two great requisites
of light and air. The buildings will
be our and five stories high. and each
building must be separated in all direc-
tions from any opposing building by
nm open space Mt lcas; equal to its own
height. II Mas with the greatest diff
iiculty hat the New York commission
secured the passage OF an net limiting
the ground AREA & be covered to as per
cent. These official London tcncmcnts
will not co.cr more than SIS per ccnt.
of the building lots.
liabitable looms must not be less
than eight feet six inches in height.
Rooms must have efficient ventilation,
=" the principle OH which 'back-to-back'
houses are built being carefully avoid
cd." This precludcS the construction
of n building more than two rooms
deep. IL such II rule were enforced in
New York, the city would be revolu-
tiorizcd. The aim of tenement house
architecture in America is TO get ut
least two, and perhaps four, families
on each floor of IS feet width. The
London houses, as n matter of fact,
will lie only one room deep. Living
rooms in them must h. CO not less than
III feet super fetal floor aroa. Bed
rooms must he of not less than 96 feet
superficial floor area nor less than
seven feet nine inches wide. Staircascs
must have horizontal ventilation di-
rect 10 the open air; corridors must he
ventilated on the open air; staircases
and halls must be lighted day and
night. The last-named regulation is
with n view 10 prevent the immortality
and frequent accidents which lack of
light in such places is known to pro-
ducc in tenement houses. \ proposed
statute calling for light after eight 4.
III. until ten p. III. aroused much opposi-
tiOn in Albany.
After light and air, safety from fire
may I've regarded as the next essential
of Model tenement house construction.
The London law provides thai all walls
slIal be of "firc-resisting'' material.
and that all staircascs must be fire.
proof, and so separated from apart
mcnts that they will not afford a fluc
for the conduct of fire from one ilo..
TO another. as so often occurred in IN
tcncmcntS of New YORK. But the coun.
council has learned that il will pa
TO go beyond the law, and to make IT,
buildings absolutely frcproof. II
first cost will be very li;l:
greater, and will he far more than al,
set by the decreased cost OF repair
md the greater ~peTmanrEcc of ia.
'.l':""s. without going into tcchn:-
81 al .l's pf construction, ii may l."
80 90 49, s':.rNvays are of iron, stonc
s. , meat: that floors are bull: with
49, ".r'i'rS and brick arches; that the
wca", "':'. See is laid on solid cement:
thai - I..;i' woodwork is used in the
'"or'. - "--iblc; and that the plaster,
"'c" rtr3, partitions between rooms OF
~" ..r . %'artnlcnt, IS laid on iron or
IRE - lead of on wooden latHing. OF
'irv T. '',HEs completed il is no idle
'."' 'r'." architect 90 say that n fire
l.! -" ~ s'arted in any room without
"Ht'"' - any other room. The cost
off,. - tIms reduced TO minimum,
HLG st / f""i the buildings Is increased
-."'ii ~ estimated ut $50 years. simply
!'r.u.r II SEEMS absurd TO name n
hi - . !rTinh. As n matter of fact, the
h~"l'r-s, IL u~ndisturbcd. VIII practi-
rai'.' last forcvcr.-Edward Marshall,
III Century.