Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-19
MORE ART IN ARCHITECTURE
Houses Now Built to Harmonic with
Their Surroundings.
CONCRETE BLOCK STILL POPULAR
Builders Are Using IL More and More,
ana Its AdvOcate Are Grow
ing Daily In Conf
dencc.

dencc.
The modern home builders idea seems 10
he that II one is planning a home he must
in the beginning see the whole scheme
through to it's completion. A man is no
longer content to place an expensive struc-
ture where it will not SHOW up for what
it is worth. and he places his house and
designs its details with an eye to its en-
vironment and location. This is an idea
thoroughly imbued into most OF the home
builders minds Of Omaha. They seem to
have a good Imagination and are able to
see how the completed house will look upon
the lot and with the environment where
it is proposed to place it.
1T is the ambition Of most men and
women to perpetuate their ideas of what
Is desirable and beautiful by building a
handsome house." said a local architect.
But the notion of such a house has
changed. 1t has not become ideslized, but
people have come to realize the truth that
the best architecture must depend in great
degree upon it's surroundings for its effect.
The idea of a house, the character it Is
to bear, must be carried out in its fur
nishing and decoration, in its garden and
grounds.
II am not satisfied to suggest a certain
style of architecture and then disappoint
the builder. The artistic impetus of the
day demands that l carry out the sugges-
ton in rounded and beautiful completeness.
A great amount of culture and forethought
now goes into the design OF a house. The
builder is no longer satisfied with a nom
descript house, which gives him merely a
comfortable place TO live, but he must
have something in a special design. And
the surroundings must conform to this and
form an harmonious whole. A colonial
house. with it's broad, ~restful, peaceful
lines, stuck on a small lot in the midst of
a busting, busy. modern city. looks as
much out of place as a colonial dame would
look in the Stock exchange. This is the
department of architecture which is re-
ceiving much needed attention today"
Concrete as a building material Is enjoy
ing as great popularity as ever in Omaha.
The foundations of most OF the houses
erected in the last few years are made OF
this handsome stone which requires neither
ouarryinE nor cutting. Some builders were
skeptical during the early days OF the use
of the new material, but the most cautious
seem now to have decided that concrete
is as durable and p~rettier than any other
material available in this part of the coun-
try.
However, a builder points out that con-
crete stone should be made with a very
wet mixture. Water is cheap, and when
this is one of the prime requisites to sue
cess. why should not plenty of it be used?
The proportion OF cement should be one
mart of best Portland to four parts of sand'
The moulded blocks should be allowed To
age for at least thirty days and even longer
for, like wine. they grow better with age
At the present time insurance agents dc
not give cement as high a rating as lts
advocates believe it deserves, but TINS Is
largely due to the fact that many people
build cement houses unscientifically. The
interlac,rg blocks are the best because they
are not subject to cracking by the influence
Of heat and cold as the solid blocks are,
at is a penny wise pound foolish policy
TO try to build a bath room in this day
with any other material than tile and
norcelain brick" said a man who has bull
many medium priced houses in Omaha. '.
don't care what priced home you are build
ing. YOU can't afford to build the batf
room with any other material. OF course
II il cheaper in the beginning to put boards
on the floor and plaster and wall paper OF
the wall. But soon this foolish builder
: will find his error. The water will no
his floor and cause it to splinter, and
will spot the wall paper and speckle thu
plaster.
ION the other hand, If he builds his hous'
upon a rock, that is. II he builds his batl
room with tile and porcelain brick he ha'
only a small increase in the initial cos
and mas a room which will be good whel
the rest of the house is worn out a room
in which his grandchildren can battle
, Water only improves tile and porcelain
brick. They can neither rot, splinter
wrinkle or speckle, All these advantage
are aside from the beauty of a bath room
made Of thse materials. The bath shoul
be one OF the pleasantest rooms in tn
house for in it you generally spend the frs
mart OF the day and It reflects Itself upoI
, YOUR mental vision. With tile and porcelain
. brick YOU can splash around all you pleas
\ and have a good time while you are hav
ing your bath"