The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-05-27
RoGREss IN Ar cHlTEcT UREss
Has Developed Glass Of Specialists
Who Are Gaining Great Fame <jss6:
Il IL. in England. :s.s$s 5z2sE Ss= b

Specialization has made great strides
was when a single architect with
skilled assistants planned and designed
buildings from cellar to root, consult
ing an architectural engineer perhaps,
if the work was of such size and formsas
to- Involve serious engineering ploblems.
Then came the era Of architectural
firms. One member Of such firm, says
the New York Sun, would be specially
skilled as designer, the artist OF COM
bination; another acquainted with ma
terials and methods of construction, so
that he was able to superintend the work
OF the contractors; third good at
specifications or perhaps specially rich
In friends and able to deal with clients.
Architectural firms in which men of
various gifts participate are still nu-
merous, but specialization has developed
Independent architects who are con-.
suited by many firms upon special prob
lens. There are men who do little or
nothing but write specifications and
others who are employed by MANY of
their fellow architects in preparing the
colored drawings intended to make un-
imaginative clients see how building
WILL look when completed. Architecture
81 engineering is more than ever a pro-
tessiOn In itself.
meanwhile the architectural draughts-
man has also had his development Eng
fish architects are surprised to find how
large share of important work, in the
offices OF New York architects is left in
the hands of so-called draughtsmen.
inese are often carefully educated
young architects who hope sooner or
later to set up independently or get into
some established firm as junior partners.
In some cases draughtsman develops
into sort of managing clerk, just as
some law clerks become the executive
omcers OF important law firms.
Other draughtsmen are priced for the
taste and skill in decorative design.
Such men are sometimes employed to
do large part of competitive design
submitted for important buildings. pub
lie or private. However little the en-
ploying architect may have advised in
this work, he and not the designer gets
the credit, and the prize if it is success
full
New York has few such architects as
have attracted special attention in Eng
land by methods unusual in this coun-
try. The English architects in question
are men who work largely alone, having
10 partners and employing few draughts-
men. They do not seek to create great
business, but are content to build COM
paratively few houses. They do, how.
ever, place their individual mark not
only upon the general design of the
houses they build, but upon every detail.
This method of work makes it impossi-
BILE that they should intrust to hired
draughtsmen a great variety of details
such as in this country is done Z by
draughtsmen - ~
This architect works almost purely
as an artist. with jealous care that moth
ing shall go out from his office that he
Is not ready to father in all its impor-
tant details.
Such architects do not earn great in
comes, for the comparatively small
volume of the business makes that i'm
possible; but their fees for individual
houses are relatively large, and only the
well-to-do can employ them. Their
work is known all over the British Isles
and even in this country. The few
American architects who work in this
fashion attract less attention than like
men in England