The Washington times., 1905-11-12
BUILDING REGULATIONS
FOR APARTMENT HOUSES
Committee Which Is Urging Amend
ments Will Ask Congress to Leg
islate on the Subject.

The committee OF citizens who are
urging the adoption of amended buld-
ing regulations to control the type OF
future apartment houses of the District
is getting ready to carry its fight 70
Congress. when that body assemblies for
the next session.
Nathaniel Wilson, the chairman, ana
his associates. John joy Edison. Joseph
c. Hornblower. Frank w Hackett. ana
Leon Z. Dessez. are even more earnest
now than they We're when the move
ment was first inaugurated, and it APP
pears that they viii be supported strong
" by other influences in their effort to
have the present regulations so modified
as TO compel builders OF flats TO allow
much more room for air and light tnan
is required under the present regulations.
Originally the plan OF the committee
related only to large apartment houses,
but it is now proposed to have the new
regulations so formulated as to be ap-
picabIe TO every class of apartment
structures. including the "two-family
apartments"
1t is contended by the advocates Of
the new regulations that each apart
ment house should be so constructed as
10 rely on itself for light and air. and
that the buildings should be designed
without regard to the condition of ad-
joining property and in such a manner
that the adjoining owners might build
on their land or use it in any other
lawful way. without in any degree mo-
testing the arrangements for light or
fresh air of the apartment.
1t is pointed out that many apartment
houses are built on the theory that va
cant ground next door will remain va
cant. and, with this idea, windows are
opened facing on the clear space.
These windows are apt to be cut on at
any time by the construction OF a wall
on the adjoining property, thus. in
many cases, rendering the apartments
unsauitary and anything but healthy
The committee insists that the same
rule as to the Limitation of the height
of buildings with reference to the
width of streets on which they face.
should be applied in the arrangement
of the interior air spaces of apartment
structures. In this connection il is
contended, an air and light shaft In
the center or rear of a building might
be amply large when the building is two
or three stories high and still be made
quate and even dangerously unsanitary
in a building FIVE or six stories high
In most of the large cities OF Europe
and this country the design and methods
of construction of apartment houses
are controlled by special regulations pro
/ vided particularly for that class of
1 buildings. Such structures, in many OF
the large cities form a separate and al
together Independent class and are not
controlled by the same regulations which
affect other houses. Members of the
/ committee which is urging the adoption
! OF amended building regulations ana
! indeed many architects and other we'll
advised people declare that Washing
/ ton should have separate set of build
/ ing regulations TO govern the erection
! of apartments and that only by this
/ method can tho construction OF unsani-
/ tary and disedse-breeding tenements b,
/ prevented
I The District Commissioners have haC
! several public hearings on the proposed
/ amendments TO the buildings reguIa.
/ tons, and are now considering a draT
/ Of them prepared by the committee.