New Britain herald., 1923-06-28
PERRY OPPOSED ID
 ONE.ST0RY SCHOOLS
Their Construction Would Be Backward Step, Architect Says

paVA Ahulu plVp, hioiiiloel uaIo
 The erection of one story sahoa
 building instead af ane of tso, thres
 eF more floors would he step hack
 ward n New Britain, and would bf
 Impractical, according tA n, K, Perry
 architect Mr, PerFs has designed tht
 Washington, Nathan Hale and the
 l'ihn nlrritt IF, High seheals 0,
 New Britain, he also designed the one
 story building st Weihersheld, several
 hnlidinEs at sIaFrs college, a neg
 nsyehopaihie hospital at Middletawn,
 and number of other school build
 ings
 Commenting nRen the cost of school
 buildings in New Britain, he says,
 Educational buildings, especially
 These housing grade schools present
 one ef the largest problems that faces
 any growing city in our land today,
 Schools represent the greatest single
 expenditure Of city, and in cities
 Nf sA,0NA ta k0,NAA population the
 sVfraEe value of schools properties is
 approximately sa per cent ef all
 n'nnieinslly owned property School
 plants are financially non productive,
 Nevertheless they represent the eiiy's
 mos, valuable asset, the education Of
 i's children
 School building programs todays are
 perhaps more ambitious than any other city development The rapid
 growth nf the population in many cities has made unavoidable the eY-
 penditurs nf great sums of money for school housing
 George Rurnsp. one of our fore most city planners. says in one Of his recent articles. Since schools con sumo so large T proportion Of muni- tinal building funds, II logically fol- lows that school buildings must con. tribute largely to the characteristic aspect Of . city He further states that, II Is but step from recognition nf school buildings as permanent civic teatureF and of school grounds as civic recreational spaces, to realization that school areas arc public reservations which will he found to relate 10 al- most every phase of city planning
 In view Of the enormous cost rep resented hy school buildings and tho important part that they play in the educational life of city and their architectural value 10 any communi- tr, the planning of 2 modern sch ool is 2 proposition that needs careful study and consideration.
 Stcck Plans lnad,isaiie
 Tn planning 2 school building it's needs and uses. the system of educa ton to be employed. the grades which | the building shall accommodate. the number of pupils to he housed. and | the value of the land on which it is ! to be built are all important questions which enter into consideration and should become determining factors in deciding the type of building to be used, r. none of these important ques- tions required consideration and the number of rooms required to house pupils wss the only thing to be con sidered one of the city's greatest problems would he solved and q municipality could be the proud owner of a series of stock plans made up for two. fdur six eight or morei rooms which they could plant promiscuously I are needed. without regard to loca- tion, contour of site. point of compass CT anything else; but such is not the case. The problem is one that re- quires sane consideration, careful study. and hearty cooperation on the part of all interested in the citys welfare,
 More buildings are required to &C., comm odate the elementary grades and naturally form the larger part of the problem h cities which lead educa- tionally, it is quite generally conceded that it i5 better to house as many pupils in one building as is possible. This has proven an economic mea sure in the cost of buildings, heating. jani- tors service, upkeep of building, and owing to land values. The city of Wilmington. Delaware, after q careful study of the school sit nation has recommended that as far as possible new school buildings shall ake care of 2,00O pupils each With hese facts in mind ii needs no argu- ion that the best type of building for housing q large number of pupils in ,ity areas is g two or three story 1t requires less frontage on he street, and is cheaper to build han a one story building if both are quilt of first class construction
 Tn cities where there is a. density of F. population land values are too high or building of the one story type. r., l1 iY, u-h tc uild 2. small building or in outlying ections would it be practicable. The loss in tax revenue, in a short time would make D for the difference in cost. We ontinually hear that cities have al ogether too much free land and this oheme is of course, diametrically op- osed to the efficient city administra- on.
 One Story Buildings Impractical Tt is impossible to satisfactorily o 1ild one story building on the aver ge available school lot owing to the ontour of the land, which in New rltain. like the Seven Hills of ome, Is not absolutely level, and the 1e story plant in many cases would ave to be series of steps up and ,wn hill. With regard to difference
 costa between one and two story lidines. as far as actual construc- ,n of the building goes, quality of being equal; 1t stands to ason on a small building. say of two oms, perhaps three and possibly UT. the difference in cost would fired for every two story building, cause two flights of stairs are re-