Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-26
HOMES GIVE
PROPER LIGHT, AIR AND SPACE
Architect Outlines Advantages Afforded by Model
Group in Michigan Park, as Compared With Usual
Row Houses-COst of Construction Greater.

house is heated with hot water and is
equipped with an automatic water
heater.
In the basement is an 18.foot garage,
built largely under the rear glazed
porch and occupying less than one
fourth the basement under the main
portion of house. The garage is
served by concrete runway with slight
incline to the street in the rear. AT
the opposite end of the basement from
the heating boiler is a two-piece lauD-
dry tub. with ample window light. The
whole basement has a concrete floor
and is amply lighted with outside
basement windows.
Must Justify Cost.
In approaching the problem of
designing a semi-detached house from
the point of exterior appearance, i'll
neighborhood where the market is
for house of low cost, the matter of
expense is of prime consideration and
the greatest care must be exercised
that every element which would in
crease the cost must he we'll justified.
This type of house, in which at least
three -fourths of the exterior wall must
be treated as the front. naturally re-
Quires a more expensive exterior than
a row house. and in many sections. on
account of limited market conditions,
the builder is compelled to resort to
the simplest roof construction.
This usually results in roofs of a
single pitch. almost fiat. with 4 slight
effort at adornment on the street
front. and on Il whole results in a
square box effect with no particular
interest in the sky line. These houses
are demonstration of what can be
Il ,,,itl hs.inI IN, fn MI ~
walls as substitute for face brick.
With a mixture of arch and red brick.
with refuse Clinller brick mixed in and
a raked out mortar joint colOred a
rather rich buff. d wall of surprisingly
pleasing appearance in color and tex
ture is obtained at IL much less cost
than would be possible with face
brick.
This type of wal! treatment is possibly
more harmonious and appropriate
with the style OF architecture chosen
for the model house than it would be
with some other types.
In the model house il was decided
to add to the cost of the house in order
to demonstrate what could he done
with the roof treatment, with the
purpose in mind that such an eXpendi-
ture would be justified and appr~
ciated by the prospective purchaser,
for the reason that in a climate such
as prevails in Washington during four
months of the year it is important
to have a large air space ventilated
with cross drafts above the second
floor ceiling to make that floor as
comfortable as possible during the
warm weather. With skyline
broken by gables and chimneys in a
pleasing relation. an effect can be
produced which is impossible with the
fiat roof. box-like type of house, par
ticularly where a number of such
houses occur in a single block.
Advantage of Rear POrcles.
A similar argument was advanced
in regard to the rear porches, which
in this case were entirely finished
inside and outside with easement win
dows on three sides, affording attrac-
tive living places where the occupant
can enjoy a view of the garden, the
outofdoor air and sunshine accessi-
BILE from both floors of the house.
These porches also present an attrac-
tive view from the rear and sides and
effectually screen the kitchen porch
so that the latter can be seen only
directly from the rear. The result Is
that the houses are virtually all front
and the four sides are equally attrac-
tive. With the trees which have been
carefully protected. the garden fur
nishes an admirable opportunity and