Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1922-02-16

park adequate for all the school build
ings Of the town and with enough land
for Fairgrounds, gardens and aquar-
lums roundabout. Straitened circum-
stances though have forced most COM
munities to use what they could buy
and pay for at the time. This course
is often regretted, for posterity blesses
the man who sees largely, especially
|if the community is persuaded to do
what he suggests. Every school ought
to have land for adequate play
grounds and school gardens, where
the children under proper direction,
can come into closer contact with The
mystery of growing things. Any
other plan is short-sighted and
foolish.
Today the tendency is toward more
permanent materials for school build
|ings and the giving over Of the wood
en- type, because it is expensive to
keep up, likely to be damaged badly
in case of fire, cold in winter, and
warm in summer. Moreover, the type
of building that is now being erected
constantly approaches simpler forms
in general structure and ornamental
ton. 1t is considered important to
erect the building from the inside out,
as it were, rather than from outside
in. Consequently, emphasis is placed
upon lighting. Several forms of build
ings are now erected in the cities,
among them the H and E types; the
first building of two large wings,
with connecting center, in which are
to be found the gymnasium and
ASSEMBLY hall; the second building
with wings extending from the ends
and the center both of these forms are
advantageous, since they allow of ex-
pansion to meet the future demands.
The student of school architecture is
impressed with the fact that it has
moved forward just as fast as there
has been a development of education
theory, and the larger view of educa-
tional possibilities in the field of voca-
tional training, kindergarten instruct
ion, and domestic art has a marked
effect upon the size and form of build
ings.
! Some of these points may be mem
toned in detail.
The Easements of buildings should
be in the neighborhood of ten feet
in height and not more than three or
four feet below ground. The area
should not be chopped up. into little
rooms, but so divided as to furnish
adequate facilities for normal training,
domestic science, or gymnasium work
The elementary .schoolrooms ought to
be about 24x32, and II IL feet. in
height, with the seats so arranged
that no child will be more than thirty
feet from the blackboard. The general
rule for determining the width of the
room is to make it twice the height of
the window tops from the floor. Long
experience has shown that by such {.
relation proper lighting can be secured
when the rooms receive their light
from one side. The color of the walls
should be light gray 1or light buff.
The red end of the spectrum should
never be chosen for colors, but rather
the white end. Perhaps, one of the
most important features to be kept in
mind is the fact that no schoolroom
should be decorated OH the basis of
home color ideas, since the whole sur
roundings and point of view of the
schoolroom are totally different from
those that prevaild in the house. The
purpose of subsiding the colors is to
relieve the eyes from strain, and in
many schools this is materially helped
by placing unbleached. muslin. over
blackboards when not in use. The
woods that are used should retain, SO
far as possible, their natural color,
and should not receive high polish or
finish, since that reflects light as well
as shows the dust. The deadening Of
floors by the use Of asbestos not only
raves tie floor but renders it difficult
TO hear the movements of classes from,
below.
Since mechanical draft is now re-.
sorted to as a means of ventilation,
transoms should not be placed over
doors, and it is question also wheth-
er doors leading out of classrooms
should have glass in them, since it is
likely to be broken, and, what is more,
adds to the possibility of the accumu-
lation of dust. The question Of venti-
ilation, though, is by no means settled.
The author Of an article entitled
"Stuffy Rooms in the November.