The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-06
SHE ADVISES HOUSE BUILDERS
tONSt 'LTING CLOSET tRCHI-
TECT. SHE WIGHT M CtILED.


with q RiE Eirn,--Aer shies Duty 0,
Going ever Plans ami sugKestinx
Changes for iiousek eeprr's Comfort.
Office was impressed ON me soon after
entered such an establishment a. stsnog-
rapher There wasn't a day that | didn Z
-es how n woman's advice might have
, prevented complaints that were coming
in right along The speaker was a
woman who receives large salary a.
assistant in the offices Of a firm Of archi-
tests and builders
i hadn't the slightest idea Of ever
studying architecture or even Of getting
paid for tn. few suggestions that 1 gave
when first began to Offer these sugges-
tons. That firm built mostly small fats
and suburban houses Owners were al
, ways coming IN to say thar their tenants
were complaining of some mistake or
omission made by the builder IL pay
ments were still unpaid they would often
refuse TO make good until the desired
alteration had been added or course
this would sometimes result in q dispute
to be settled in the courts
When | became private secretary Of
the manager Of the firm most Of tho COM
plants came to me before being referred
to those higher up Many OF the COM
plants were 40 reasonable that began to
overlook the plans for new buildings. to
ask questions and make suggestions.
Gradually II dawned on me that reading .
few books on architecture might help mo
and make me more useful TO my employ
ers. I became Interested and finally took
m N n mi nh Il
wasn't easy being n private secretary
during the day, working sometimes for
twelve hour~. and going TO school from
two TO four hours evenings | managed
TO get through. however. and have always
been thankful that perseyered
so far As salary goes | now get almost
ten times a. much as ] did when private
secretary Aside from that have a
recognized profession. Though my work
consists chiefly in going over and often
altering plans for the buildings which our
firm has undertaken can draw the plans
myself and make the estimates when
necessary. The men say my depart
ment is To- see that the closets are in the
right place. | let 10 60 at that. People
all want their little jokes and I am willing
to let my male competitors joke me
long as they allow me to keep on
climbing. There is plenty of room on top
FOR "a woman IN an architect Office There
are very few men builders who don't
maze a mess Of II when they plan the
kit chens in both homes and apart ment
houses They don't understand the
domestic economy OF the modern home.
and for a long time the majority OF them
appeared to consider II ~ no importance
whatever
Now take the Dlan nf this apartment
house. IL was built by our firm the year
before I came into it's Office. Look
AT the arrangement OF the floor space
and the windows IN the kitchens There
IL no place for the refriRerarors except
here. almost against the range while the
closet is way over hero in the corner.
forcing the cook TO take about five times
Az many steps ~ il necessary. Don't
you see what y saving il would b. to have
the closet and the refrigerator change
places
Look at the plan of this suburban
house. This also was built by our firm
just ahort the time It completed that
apartment hous. The range in the
kitchen il so jamm.d in one corner that
20 turn on and on the gas you have 10 all
but stand on your head. Down in the
laundry the tubs ara 80 deep and santing
that small woman would be in danger
of drowning. while tall one couldn't
work AN hour without a pain IN her back
Though there are two expensive laundry
tubs. the ledg. IN 80 wide that IL in i'm
possible to fit a wrinRer To IL. As a con-
sequence the wringer ~ fastened on "A
sort ~ shelf at the far end OF the first tub
Sine" came her" We have built several
homes IN the suburbs along these lines.
| might %ay on the same plan with thl.
one except for the interior arrangement
All the changes were made by me but
because the houses sold readily and are
giving perfect satisfaction the firm uses
the plan a. "A model for houses Of that
~iz" and cost. The laundry tubs are
neither so large nor So deep and are set
three inches higher. with the dividing
ledg" just wide enough 10 permit OF the
ad justmnnt ~ any ordinary wringer
IN the kitchen the floor and walls arc,
ti'ed with a dram at one side Just unde
rnc window so that il will be- under th..
kitchen rabl. You SEQ. having this
drain permits Of the floor being flushed
with water and swept OF with n broom.
\ tiled f'o-,r ia kitchen with a well placed
drain does away with the back breaking
operation of scrubbing a wooden floor
On each Of the upper floors you will
notice there ~ soiled clothes chute to
the laundry. while in the buffers pantry
there H. a fireless cooker built in In the
collar in the rear @! the furnace Their.
IL small drying room for Use IN rainy
or snowy weather In most houses this
cellar space ~ allowed To go 10 waste
nr being left Undivided from the coal
bins l. too dusty for hanging clothes
These httl" features add cornpsratiy.iy
nothing la III" cost OF tn. building. hut
when the selling and renting time comes
We get dollars more than We would il they
were left out.
Where We build handsomer homes
We are adding many little lux,Iries to bs
run 10y electricity In this house You will
-es. VI" have provided for both clothe,
" asher- and di-', WARRIORS The tilesI floor
IN the kitchen IL more costly than in the
simpler home but the drain Is in the "A ne
place and 10 ~ the firele~s cooker The
are the real thing and there
Is an open fireplace in nearly every room
n ne house. but there will bs no taking
lp ashes, because there il an ash chute
rom each fireplace TO the cellar
In all the apartment houses We build
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