Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-02-20
LOCAL BUILDING NOW NEARING
COMPLETION Is MOST MODERN
STRUCTURE IN SOUTHWEST
lnN ndM. ". nobcrts. surl. OF con.lrnelIonl


To a majority Of people not faniil-
lar with conditions, construction IN
government work seems to move very
slowly. compared with local CONNER
cial building. It is true that govern
ment work moves SLOWLY and in the
following article | have attempted to
describe in detail the many reasons.
After the appropriation is secured
from congress for the erection of "a
building and after the purchase Of q
suitable site, the office of the super
Vising architect sends Il representa-
tive to the city securing the approp-
Ration and the matter Of the best
available site is gone over. The nat
ural growth of the city. the best adj
Nantages for receiving and delivering
the mail and the general comfort Of
the public are the things considered.
The site is finally selected and pur-
chased. a detailed report is made
and submitted to the department
Now comes the designing of the
building. the preparation of the nee
essary drawings and specifications GA
which bids can be Obtained.
The report covering the nature of
the site, the local conditions, the par
ticular part Of the country, etc, Is
turned over to one of the designers
IN the ulaftiilS room OF the SuitiNlS is
ing architects office with instructions
to prepare a suitable design. The
amount Of the appropriation available
for the building being kept l mind.
Taking for instance Albuquerque.
the designer finds he has to plan al
building that VIII be suitable to i
semi-arid country. where the climatic
conditions are not as severe as found
in the northern states. Consulting his
tnt.1r hp finds flint Snanieb fpflupDrr t
nee predominated, and that this in
nuence is strongly seen in the older
and best classes Of buildings Illus
rated In the architecture b0oks IN
file at the office. He concludes that
Spanish Renaissance would be the
best style Of architecture to use and
begins to prepare sketches along those
lines.
Someone may ask why Spanish Re
n~aissance. Why not use Greek or
Roman or perhaps Colonial. Sould
Qne stop to consider the surrounding
country, its broad mesa lands and bis
graN mountains, and wonderful blue
skies, the conclusion is readily reach
ed that the Spanish style Of archi~
lecture is the one most adaptable.
The design is now prepared. being
drawn up at q small scale, generally
one sixteenth of an inch TO the foot.
Three elevations. in front. one side
and the rear. also the floor plans are
made, and rendered on color. rms
takes q sheet of a per Approximately
iG inches by "a inches. The chief
uf the drafting room submits the
scheme to the supervising architect,
who signs the sketches and submits
them to the secretary of the treasury
for his approval After obtaining the
approval Of the secretary of the
treasury, the sketches are submitted
to the postmaster general for his ap-
prevail, and to other officials directly
interested in the building. A month
has practically been consumed since
the preparation of HE design to the
obtaining of the approvals Of the diff
erent departments.
The design is now returned to the
chief of the drafting room with in
structiOns to prepare the necessary
scale drawings. The chief turns the
approved sketches over to one of the
head craftsmen and the preparation
OF the drawings commences rms
craftsman is assigned FIVE other
craftsmen. Ts these. instructions are
given as to what the building VIII
contain, the finish. the arrangement
OF the different rooms, etc. The tloof
plans, sections and elevations are gem
orally worked up at the same time by
the different craftsmen. These are
drawn to a scale of one-quarter of am
inch to the DOT. ON these drawings !
are placed all measurements govern
ing the openings for windows. doors,
etc. also the kinds of material used
in the construction. together with the
placing OF the plumbing and gas pip
ing. After finishing the quarter scale
drawings. the three-Quarter scale de-
tail drawings are started. These
drawings cover the details OF the win
dows and doors and the entire cons
Structive features Of the building.
These are prepared with great care,
and are checked over many times be-
fore being submitted for the sigma
ture of the supervising architect. Ip
connection with these drawings there