Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-03
..)DE[ CAMPA|G
HAS WIDE APPEAL
ar Cities Watching Capt.
ais Move to Raise Stand.
ards of Home Building.
BY HORACE W. PEASLEE.

airman Of the American, Institute of
Architects Committee on the National
Capital.
It is doubtful if any demonstration
O. model housing such as this one
0nsored by The Washington Star
ever been undertaken. At first
appearance there are nine projects;
but these projects are not for indi-
v.luaI houses. and the result has been
that IS houses have been constructed
der the auspices of The Star.
In the demonstration have been in
yolved not only the nine architects
: nd the nine builders who did the
houses, but an advisory committee of
!, ne additional architects, representing
the Washington Chapter OF the Amer
loan Institute of Architects various
Interested members of the operative
uilders and real estate organizations
and Il supervisory committee of three.
The Star has fe2 tured -Ae demon
stration regularly III its columns. and
i has thus been followed closely by
very large number o. observers
cached THROUGH tho interested organ
cations as We'll rs throo-A the col
umns of The Sta. Tla effects of the
demonstration ere U3Qu1Sti0nably
going to he far reachIn:s. not only
upon housing in WASHINGTON, but
upon hous:NI IL othe.. cities which
lave ais been keeping IN touch with
what has been GotnG on here.
Some Points Not Covered.
1t is no. 10 he inferred that lust be-
cause OF The sic of the project or of
the number Of people Interested It is
comprehensive. flu! and final in its
results. It was imn0ss.htH to deal
with various other types OF design and
construction which ii might have been
desira BILE to consider. and likewise the
limitation OF time and the process of
keeping actively together the various
dement's involved. most of whom were
inexperienced at such a demonstra-
ion, made it impossible to carry all
he projects 70 the most desirable con-
clusiOn.
Thus it was not possible to take ad
vantage OF the offer Of the profess
sional interior decorators to super
wise the careful furnishing of the
houses in full conformity with the
architectural setting, nor was II posi-
BILE, because Of cost limitations. fully
to carry out the plans desired by the
cooperating landscape architects
committee.
Back Yard Important.
In this. perhaps. there has been the
greatest loss because ii was especial
ly desired to show how much could
be accomplished by the intensive de-
velopment of the lots III their entirety,
especially the so-called back yards, in
stead of limiting the efforts Of the
landscape architects to the planting
of a few shrubs around the front
door. 1t is hoped that such Il demon
stration of the possibilities of the neg
lected back yards may subsequently
be undertaken.
The really great gain of the demon
stration has been: First. the gain of
an active championship for the cause
Of good housing, with Il definite valu
able contribution toward the subject |
through the agency OF The Evening
Star: second, the bringing together of
the architects and the. operative build |
erS in Il practical working cooperation |
which has not hitherto seemed feast |
BILE, and without question the develop |
ment of mutual respect for each |
others capa bilitieS: third. the awaken |
ing of the public interest to definite |
and underSta nding of !
the possibilities of such cooperation |
between architect and builder and of |
the direct part which the public itself |
may play by manifeSting an intellf- |
gent interest in its own housing, and |
by insisting upon due consideration of |
its desires in future housing develop |
mentS.