The San Francisco call., 1899-10-16

c. Building privacy.
d. new phase Of factory work for the home
This question of the home environment
ls3 like all the rest that bear upon ways
Of living, made easy or difficult by the
depth of the purse But for the rich or
those of moderate purse must be first of
all some sense of beauty and fitness, or
the story of their lack will be plain to
read in every line of the building and its
surroundings The country home should
seem to have grown naturally in the spot
where we find it. even if set close among
its neighbors. The city house is limited
IN expression by the narrow space upon
which 1t stands; yet even this, as we
shall presently see, is capable of different
treatment, and is already receiving it.
But for every town and village that has
come TO the sense of beauty sufficiently to
desire the best arrangement and planning
a harmonious whole, it is still possible to
reconstruct at least a part of the space
smallest settlement will be subject TO
laws laid down by competent authorities,
ana every house will be planned with re-
and from the beginning it has all been
chance work, and the thought of a gem
eral unity Of plan and effect absolutely
unknown. Ppblic buildings have been at
the mercy. of mere contractors, and each
town has been mere tumble of incOher-
encies. A change in this respect means
change in the whole handling of every
phase of building; the growth Of the civic
sense and of that sense of common Obli-
cation to make the most and best of every
opportunity for larger, happier living. To
this end a group of friends who propose
building could easily take counsel to-
gether, pool their resources, employ
thinking architect and start in with a
definite conception of what plan of plant
ing and building would produce the best
results; The very fact of having begun
with this united purpose would give a
different expression to the whole. AS we
DO and always have, done, a town. even
show them to real advantage. The
Weather people are planted in the best
places: and when it is presently discov-
cred that parks and boulevards and free
access to a lake or river, for instance, are
public needs, every desirable foot of
ground has already been appropriated and
everybody wonders why nobody thought
about it in the beginning.
Some thought and plan, then, is what
all must take with them who make a
one must live in a block? Even then we
are by no means so helpless as we have
believed. The great apartment houses
increased by the lessening of labor, a
common heating apparatus and plumbing
system doing away at once with some OF
the heaviest labor of the private. home.
the care Of the fire and all the dirt and
trouble of coal and ashes. A well-known
Brooklyn builder. Alfred White, who put
since built block of small houses, the
first one in this country, about an open
court with fountains, trees and shrubs.
No millionaire's house has more, perfect
finish, and building an entire block al
once the expense for each house was SC
reduced as to enable the landlord to rent
them for less than the same sum charged
for individual houses. On a small city
lot there seems no chance for change.
Not long ago one Of our best and most
progressive architects, Russell Sturgis,
told us in a popular magazine how to
build on a city lot so that there might be
an actual front yard planted in such
fashion, all given in detail, drawing
by drawing. that the street seemed quite
put away.
Note-Mrs CampbelPs studies will be
continued next week.