Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1910-11-04

sarily be a highly competent architect.
Rather, executive ability is the main
requirement; for he can hire good
craftsmen, and radical changes in de-
sign are generally made through out
side sources.
Your boy has got to get into busi-
ness for himself. The requirements
for doing this are practically nothing
at all; for all he needs is the few tools
he has long since acquired and mas
tered and a place to draw In. If he
can get somebody that he knows is
going to build house to let him draw
the plans and attend to the construc-
ton, he will get fee Of 5 or 6 per
cent of the buildings cost. Then he
may be given more pretentious work,
and so on, till he successfully submits
plans IN a competition, or otherwise,
for some large public or semi-public
institution, and finds his reputation all
made, and his fortune in the making.
Between our Office boy AMI the sue
cessful architect, however, there is
long course OF studying that has to be
done besides what he has learned in
the Office. The time has long since
gone by when. an architect, so-called,
simply copied the plan of one house
when called on to lay out another:
for the modern cry is for more elab-
crate and original structures which
require the most elaborate and pains
taking detailed knowledge.
Your boys course of study, which
can be gone through at nights and
will be partly acquired in his work.
will include quite a complete knowl-
edge Of geometry and geOmetrical
drawing, as we'll as freehand and per-
spectiVe drawing architectural and
ornamental drawing, pen and ink
rendering, drawing in water color
and from nature, an extensive knOwl-
edge OF masonry and carpentry. the
latter including ornamental ironwork
and sheet metal work; wiring for
electricity, plumbing. heating and ven-
tilating, painting and decorating. Also,
he will have to be able to superintend
the construction of the buildings for
which he has drawn the plans, and
this includes general knowledge Of
all that the contractor does. Also, he
must have studied contracts and the
building permits and laws of his par
ticular locality, as they have to be
conformed to.
These subjects seem a somewhat
forbidding array, particularly when 1t
is added that the architect has to
know the strength and adaptability OF
every timber or stone or piece of steel
or iron used; but all this is no more
than thousands of successful men
have already learned, and no more
than your boy can pick up during the
course of his work-if he is ambitious
and has unremitting application. Let
me add that he should make his be-
ginning in a comparatively small Of
flee rather than by being one of
score of employees in a large archi-
tectural company. In the latter he
will probably develop facility in only
one particular line of work, and be
kept at it. In the other case he will
have opportunity to participate in
| every class of work. And it is the
all round man who stands the best
chance of making good in architec-
ture. He can specialize, if he so de-
| sires, after he has got firm founGa.
| ton. For there are architects who
| devote their time AMI energy on
churches; others who limit their serV-
ices to skyscraperS; others to stores
| and lofts. still others to dwellings,
and SO on, through the entire list Of
buildings. But it is invariably true
that every successful specialist is one
VINO knows from A to lizard about
everything there Is to know of archi-
lecture in a general way. And this
he lad sense enough to learn before
he set about specializing.
| Copyright. 1910, by the Associated Lit
erary Press)