The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-01-27
Expert Advice on The Construction
Of Buildings.
GIVEN BY PROF. ELMER E. BROWN
Plans That Have Proven Satisfac G.
tory in California - Applicable
Here-Light and Ventilation.

School nspector-General Townsend
has received from his friend Prof.
Elmer E. Brown of Berkeley circular
letter on school house construction.
The expert advice given includes YER
diets reached after years of expert
ence and outlay. Professor Brown
compiled the matter for California
educational factors. Much if not all
the planning suggested is applicable
to conditions in Hawaii. The main
points and those interesting bidders
on new schools for Oahu and the edu-
cational bureau, are as follows:
Lighting-The window surface in
each room should equal at least one
fifth of the floor surface. The win
dows should be grouped, and in order
to avoid cross-lights should be either
all on one side of the room, the left
being the best, or should occupy three
fourths of the left side toward the
rear and one-fOurth of the rear toward
the left. A schoolroOm lighted from
three sides has about the worst posi-
BILE lighting. Since the best light is
from above, the windows should reach
nearly or quite to the ceiling. Their
stills should be four feet from the
floor The shades should be of a light
lavender or green color, and should
roll from the bottom to the top, though
it is we'll to have thin white shades
rolling from the top to regulate the
light. Sliding blinds are better than
shades.
Heating and Ventilation.-It will
generally be found necessary in large
buildings to employ a fan in order
to secure sufficient movement of air
for ventilation. The best authorities
maintain that warm air should be in
troduced at some distance above the
heads of the persons in the room, and
foul air withdrawn through openings
at or near the floor. 1t is estimated
that thirty cubic feet of fresh air per
pupil should be admitted every min
ute.
Rooms.-The best shape of school
room is an oblong, with the width to
the length as three is to four. The
lighting of the room should be chiefly
or wholly on one of the long side. In
our California; climate it is best to
avoid admitting the light on the south
side of the room. The width of the
room should not be more than one and
one-half times the height of the top
of the windows from the floor. Very
high ceilings are not desirable.
chr OF
square feet of floor space to each pupil,
and at least one hundred and fifty
cubic feet of space to each pupil.
The walls Of the room should be
colored in neutral tints, and surfaces
that reflect a glazing light should be
avoided. The blackboar1s should not
be on the same side Of the room as
the windows. The lower edge Of the
blackboard should be within twenty
inches of the floor for the
youngest pupils, and within thirty
inches for the largest. Blackboards
should be made as smooth as possible.
Stone slate blackboards combine
smoothness and dead" surface with
other advantages. They are extensive
ly used in both city and country
schools in San Bernardino County and
in other parts Of the State. The floors
and walls should be deadened to pre-
vent the transmission of sounds to the
neighboring rooms. Transoms over
doors and windows should be hinged
from the bottom and open inwards.
Grounds-It is highly important
that the school house should be erected
in ample Fairgrounds. Both the build
ing and the grounds should be thor
oughly drained The grounds should
be so graded as to slope down gently
from the building in all directions.
The distance Of neighboring build
ings should be at least twice their
height, in order that sufficient light
and sunshine may be admitted.