The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-07-11
Women as Architects.

of chagrin to the superior being,
man, should she continue to develop
her capabilities to grasp the different
branches of art, science and the pro-
fessions which for ages he has seen
fit to consider his exclusive following
She has failed thus far to cast her
eye toward one niche which as yet
remains untitled by the advancing
army of women workers, one which
could be admirably filed by woman
and whose requirements demand her
quick, deft fingers and sharp BRAIN
architecture.
The interior arrangements of apart
ment houses and flats are designed
without apparent reference to the
needs of the labor question, and by
men who have judgment about
placing water and gas pipes so as
to save a few feet of tubing, but
who had evidently never done a
days work in the kitchen. A tramp
ing in search of place that would
satisfy very ordinary notions of sani-
tation and convenience would show
that designers of flats were not
women, or those who know the needs
of dom este service. Only man
who lived at his office all day would
plan hall requiring forty yards of
carpet to cover it bedrooms. Sx9 feet /;
parIor 20x30, while the kitchen
formed an l. with not sufficient room
for a table, unless it quite touched
the stove; one window and minia-
ture sink in the darkest corner;
bathroom with air, but gloomy light
and perhaps two small closets in the
whole place. The apartments may
glitter with brass and colored glass.
and the price be equally as brilliant,
but not one bedroom out of the three
would hold a dressing case beside
the bedstead. Surely a woman's
judgment is not displayed here.
1t is believed that feminine intui-
ton, if not actual knowledge by ex-
periance of the domestic department
of homes would work a beneficial
change in this branch of architecture.
Women have shown themselves equal
to certain requirements of the profess
sion, and it is strange that they have
not ere this assumed the domestic
branch. That greater success would
attend the renting of houses, designed
upon the principles which govern
domestic science can hardly be dis
puted. AS a rule, i'll all houses the
kitchen sink is put out of the way in
some dark spot, away from the light
and air. Of all parts of the domes-
tic machinery, none so much de-
as the kitchen. Where all food is
cooked and prepared there should be
an abundance of pure air and sun
light. Where the greatest amount of
plumbing fixtures is placed there
should be the best ventilation. The
sink, with its steady stream of re-
fuse contributions poured down it's
waste pipe, should have the very
choicest place for light and air. The
refrigerator, where edibles are to be
kept rom contamination, too often
is found in some dark passage way or
closet. These features, and more
that might be cited, lead one to the
conclusion that sanitary science and
architecture did not, when the major
ity of houses were built, go hand in
hand.
Building, laws, health department
regulations and certain restrictions
placed upon plumbing methods may
in time work an improvement, but
the feminine knowledge of conven.
eince will still be required to give a
perfectly constructed kitchen for do
mestic purposes. That there are to-
day fine examples of all there quire-
ments TO be found on large scale in
mansions, hotels and public build
ihgs gees without saying. But 1T is
100 true that modest homes 20 not
possese what they might. Let the
touch of feminine discrimination
show in the departments wherein chat
mighty ruler of the household is
directly concerned, and see if tasks
will not be lightened. Let health and
all it's laws be we'll studied before a
hand is put to paper to design, and
keep convenience and sanitation we'll
in mind while the work of home
building goes on.
For tho accommodation of excur-