Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-07
Building q House IN Steps

|
A firm OF architects in Paris has completed a
| somewhat fantastic seven-story apartment house
which is claimed to embody all the advantages OF
| hillside dwelling-lght, air and good view
| even on a comparatively narrow street his
| maison gradins or house of steps stands on
the Rue Vavin. Each floor is set back several feet
from the one below thereby giving the front OF the
| apartment a decided slope. This plan has been
suggested for Office buildings in crowded cities
where light and air are at premium; here 1t IS
seen as successful reality. Says Charles J.
Storey writing in the American City:
Paris, in spite of its many wide streets and
its splendid system OF bouevards and frequent
squares and parks, has large number OF ancient,
narrow streets and it is in these that the archi-
tects expect their scheme of building to be OF
great use Each floor above the third is set back
some eight feet, and the space thus left open is
converted into a balcony or terrace. By means
of an ingenious arrangement of the overhang,
the privacy of the occupant below is secured for,
although an unobstructed view of the street is
given, the terrace below cannot be seen. In the
finished house the terrace has row of plants
along the edge, and the green, viewed from the
street has most pleasing effect. An ornamental
iron railing protects the edge of the terrace and
provides an open-air playground.
This style of building, if constructed on both
sides Of street, will give almost as much light
to the lower stories as to the top ones. Actually,
the apartment on the Rue Vavn gains an hour
more OF sunlight day than do houses of ordinary
construction situated on the same side of the
same street.
Although the building covers more ground
than an ordinary one, the increased cost OF land
is made up by the increased height to which the
building can abe raised without interfering with
the light Of the lower floors of those the
street This is especially advantageous in Paris,
where the building code does not permit build
ing on street, say twenty-seven feet wide, to
@La~ L. At,nL
Above this height it must recede. By the plan
OF Savage and Sarazin, the architects of this
innovation, ten stories may be built conforming
to the spirit and the letter of the law where only
six main and two inferior floors could be con-
structed under the usual design.
"All rooms in the model apartment have direct
light either from the street or from the court at
the rear. Central heat does away with the in
Vulnerable chimneys common to Paris-one for
each fireplace in each room-and the architects
claim substantial saving from this one item.
THE facade of the building is finished in white
glazed brick with a simple and pleasing decora-
tive motive in bright blue bricks, which we'll set
of the green howef gardens on the terraces. The
rooms are painted in quiet colors, and unlike
many French houses are devoid Of plaster deco
ration. having only picture molding. This, Of
course, has reduced the cost of the building as
has also the simple exterior treatment
Another point of interest is the ownership
Of the building. The house has been constructed
by company formed of persons who were willing
to live together and each sharehold owns his
own apartment. This cooperative plan insures
each member of the corporation the full or par
tial ownership of his home, according to the
amount invested. For example, if man has
subscribed $4,000 he will have reduction in his
rent Of say, $500 year He will in reality have
his apartment rent free and also receive dvi-
dend on his investment if the venture proves as
profitable as is anticipated By having an owner
tenant for every apartment the yearly income
is greatly increased, as the architects calculate
that the loss through empty apartments in ordi-
nary houses reaches 20 per cent"