The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-04-03
HOW TO BUILDS
TOLDBY ARCHITECT
Arthur C. Clausen Ct Spokane
Gives Advice About
Erecting Homes.
HAVE FAITH IN DESIGNER
TIME AND PATIENCE BOTH
VALUABLE ASSETS IN PROJECT.

What 1 don't know about building a
home would fill a big book. but if you
want to know how to buy and sell wheat,
come over and see me-
Something to that effect is the average
expression from most men about to plan
homes writes Architect Arthur c. Clau-
sen. of Spokane. Even a contractor re-
Gently wrote me. I have followed the
building trade with consider BILE success
Tor twelve years and realize how little !
Know about making plans
Inc building of a home, especially the
llrst one, is difficult and serious under
taxing, the investment often representing
the accumulated saving OF years. When
the building OF a home by a MAJ OF wealth
IS TO INN serious matter how much
more important ii is to the man of limited
means that his money be properly invest
ed?
Buy a Desirable Lot.
First buy a good-sized lot in a desir-
able neighbOrhood. where your children
viii have proper associates, and remem-
per that II never pays to build good
house on a cheap lot. Then buy a good
book and several magazines devoted tc the
planning and designing of homes; study
them thoroughly. visit all the homes you
can, note their size as compared with their
cost and do not get discouraged when you
find that YOU have formed cream appe-
lite on skinned milk pocketbook;" that
the mental picture you have formed or
your future home must be greatly re-
duced in its proportions TO keep the cost
within the limit of your building funds.
The architects greatest problem is how
to hold down over enthusiastic people who
would Ike to build home beyond their
means. At first yon may be surprised at
not being able TO find a home already
planned or built which meets your idea /.
Planning home Is Ike selecting wife
what suits one seldoms suits another-and
each choose
taste.
Rooms and Special Features.
After you know what you can have
and keep within the amount you wish 20
spend, then decide on what you want as
to number and arrange ment or rooms,
kind of materials and the special features
that will add to the beauty and nome
like appearance OF your home. Here Is
where the task becomes difficult By this
time you have seen so many things that
tempted to try and include them. but do
not attempt it. Take this from me, that
you can not get everything that Is
beautiful and desirable under one
roof. Again. do not get discouraged
"a right mental attitude toward sue
cess In any undertaking viii have
much to do with your gaining II. II
you have found a printed plan that
would be about what you want after
a few changes had been made, make
these changes on II IN ink, or draw
rough outline of about what you want
with the approximate room sizes and
send to an architect, together with q
description OF the house you Intend 20
build Once in his hands things VIII
move along systematically toward a
satisfactory solution of the problems
involved provided you do not try to
get more house than you can pay Tor
Remember this Is the home you nave
Ionged to own for years. Be sure you
invest your money Wisely-start right.
"The homebuifder should state frank
" to his architect the amount ne de-
sires to spend, give him a general loea
of the number and arrangement or the
rooms and then leave the rest TO him
If he would have the best results. There
are. unfortunately, architects, so called
who have no legitimate right TO the
title. men in whom the commercial
spirit is so prominent that the planning
of a house becomes a mere get-out-
Rnd-get-your proposition. Inc
man who hires all his work done me
can. of course, have assistantS), VINO
does not himself work upon the draw
Ings giving his own time and atten-
ton to the working out Of the details,
IS not an architect in the true sense
OF the word.
Give Designer Time.
'Give your architect time. Plans are
not 10 be made with a rubber stamp.
Designing is hard work, mentally ia
tiguing. and is not done impulsively,
as many people think. An architect
with list of instructions does not run
his fingers through his hair and then
lot down Immediately a solution OF the
problem. Each home is a problem in
itself, and it takes time to work out
the best solution of II. Do not wait
until the last moment, and then ex-
pect your architect to get your plans
out In a week. He can not do 1t and
give you the best of his talent.
1.-THE principal advanta ges OF en-
ploying an architect are: First, a saw
ing OF time and worry; second, saving
OF cost. through the application of sys-
TEN; third, substantial construction;
fourth, homelike arrangement; fifth. an
attractive home; sixth. the advantage
OF taking competitive bids, thereby re-
ducing the cost and Of letting the con-
tract on a businesslike basis; seventh,
having three or more sets of accurately
prepared plans and specifications to
work from; eighth. knowing just what
you win get in the finished structure,
and thereby saving a long list Of ex-
tras for things that could not possibly
be covered in rough pencil sketch"