New-York tribune., 1911-02-19
MORE LIGHT AND AIR
Plea for These in Planning Loft
and Office Buildings.
WILL BRING BETTER RENT
So Advocates G. Richard Davis
in Lecture Before Y. M. G. A.
Real Estate Class.

| Real Estate ClaSS.
| plea for more light and air in loft and
| office buildings was made by G.. Richard
Davis. secretary Of the firm Of A. L. Morde-
cal & Son, in an address last Tuesday even
ing before the real estate class OF the West
Side Young Mems Christian Association.
Along this line Mr.. Davis said
"In connection with the planning OF build
| inrs II Is interesting 10 note the growing
| Importance Of the question OF light and air
| In all classes OF buildings. The tenement
house law was a great step IN advance
toward this desirable feature. Notwith-
standing the outcry at the time by builders
| and property owners. 1t has been found
that the compelling of light rooms has been
a benefit and not hardship.
"In the last few years the advent OF the
twelve story apartment house has Increased
| the Importance OF the subject OF light and
air and many Of the high class buildings
OF this type have made provisions for light
| in excess OF legal requirements. Some prop
| erty owners have gone 80 far as 20 acquire
! adjoining property and keep It vacant, or
| retain or erect low building upon II for
| the purpose of protecting their light 1t
! has been fully recognized in apartment
| house construction that light Is the i'm
! portant factor, and II Is the quality OF the
space that counts in renting and not alone
the quantity. In Office building likewise
| similar necessity of light has been appre-
| ciated by architects and builders. with
| consequent great improvement in the meth
ods Of planning. resulting in the light and
| airy offices that may be obtained In new
| buildings.
Builders OF loft buildings, however. have
not with but few exceptions. considered
the question Of light as 1t affects their rent
ing space Quantity Of space instead of
quality has been the keynote OF the loft
builder. So much per square foot IRE
spective OF whether 1t is light or not. Is the
rental basis of almost all loft buildings, at
least from the renting brokers' and owners
standpoint Tenants. however, have been
quick to see the advantage that light space
offers. and will pay more for loft which Is
light than loft which is dark.
within the last few years the new loft
sections in the 20's has developed enormous
ly, and practically all OF the new buildings
are from ten TO twelve. and now some Of
them sixteen, stories in height The law
permits these buildings to cover 80 per cent
Of the lot and does not restrict the height
Of such buildings, no matter what the
width Of the street is. The present custom
is to leave yarc or court at the rear Of
loft buildings ten feet in depth or less. In
a sixty-foot street built up solid with
twelve story buildings and the street In the
rear likewise, the lofts are lighted only
from the front and rear. Front light is
gained from a street sixty feet wide, the
rear light from q court not over twenty feet
wide, which is the width OF the yards OF the
two buildings. one on each street 1t is OBJ
vious that such lofts are poorly lighted.
There is 4 large quantity OF interior space
which is absolutely dark II IL were not Tor
reflected light and artificial light. Sucn
space Is unsanitary, unwholesome and un-
desira BILE and is worth less than light space.
Loft buildings are built entirely too
deep. They should have yards at least
twenty feet deep, unless they have perma-
nent side light, such as corner buildings
have. I believe that in the near future the
builders of loft buildings Will come TO real
ize this fact Just as builders Of apartment
houses and office buildings have. II might
be well to consider. however that legisla-
ton will be necessary on this point before
the proper NlclLOOS u pIdAA4HS VIII Dt 'S-
served as regards light.
There is no question that our loft build
ings are used, in a large part. for manu-
featuring purposes and are occupied by I'M
mense numbers of people who are obliged
10 spend their days in these lofts many OF
which are unsanitary, badly lighted and
ventilated Where the tenement house
law has controlled all such features IN the
dwelling houses Of our citizens the Build
ing Department should likewise have super
vision as relates TO our business structures.
AT the present time there is nothing that
can prevent loft buildings from being erect
ed without light II they desire II, but be-
lieye IL is a great mistake and that the near
future will develop this fact more promi-
nently, particularly with the growing ten
dency to increase the height OF buildings
on narrow streets and 70 make, as / said
before. quantity instead Of quality Of space
the feature.
speaking OF building construction. Mr..
Davis declared that the best Is none too
good He said:
"The second point OF discussion In con-
s,dering building construction from the
standnoint of the investor is how 10 build
a building at minimum cost consistent with
obtaining a first class structure. A good
architect. good engineer. first class su-
perintendence and plenty of 1t. are all vital
and necessary To be penny wise and
mound foolish in the selection OF your ad-
wiser before plans and specifications are
drawn, and OF taking more advice when
they are drawn and Of making changes as
the work progresses. mean increased cost
of construction Proper supervision OF Tie
construction is absolutely necessary Every
detail should be watched. Nothing Is too
good to put in building TO complete It's
mechanical and structural equipment. The
hest lasts long time, and poor material
and workmanship bring continuous trouble
and the worst results. The broad knowl.
edge OF building material, the different
hind of makes and substitutes, the latest
invention in the building material world,
the desirablity, the cost and substantially
OF each Of them, is something that every
building constructor should consider most
carefully.
THE third phase OF building construction
az IL concerns the investor is that OF OBJ
tanning the minimum cost OF maintenance
after the building is constructed. To do
this the building must be properly con-
structed, properly equipped. and withal
economically SO. Consideration should be
given always TO the economical cost OF
maintenance. One boiler in building Of
any size is a mistake. no matter how large;
two boilers are more economical. and their
original cost may be greater. but the cost
of maintenance is much less. A small coal
room is a mistake-it costs more 10 buy
coal in small quantities than In large.
r>,,,o numns are necessary: the cost Of tbeir