Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-17
ARCHITECTS ORGAN EXPLAINS
PROJECT OF STAR MODEL HOMES
Development Of Idea Through Cooperation Of Plan
ners and Builders and Erectionof Nine Types
of Houses Described in Magazine.

great amount of interest in The
Stars model homes demonstration
is being manifested by architects
throughout the United States. The
American Institute Of Architects. the
central organization of the profession
in this country, in praising the under
taking by The Star in its official orr
gan, the Journal of the American In.
stitute OF Architects, gives complete
J explanation Of the undertaking.
The article, in part, follows
The proposal of The Star was Asst
discussed with q representative of the
Washington chapter of the institute.
who proposed the organization of q
supervisory committee of three-one
member representing the architects,
enc the builders and the third the
municipal government. The PROPOSE
ton was agreed to by The Star, the
committee picked and the modus
operandf developed in detail at a Sc
ries of funcheons. at which the archi
tectS and the builders met first alte.
nately and then together.
1T may be said at this point tina
the builders in this instance renrf-
sented a group of operative builders
who have gone through long perioc
of speculative work and who have es
out architectural assistance. The
work produced by this group has
shown steady Improvement OF re.
cent years as a natural result of COM,
petitive selling, but ample room for
improvement existed.
The committee. having the full
confidence of the three groups IN
volved--the publishers. the architects
and the, builders-was given rather
tract was signed jointly by the archi-
tect and the builder assigned to each,
project.
Nine Houses Built.
at win also be interesting to note,
the sweeping way in which this DEM
cnstration was undertaken, 1t was
not limited to one home or to one
house of each type. Nine projects
were launched, representing almost
every type of habitation except the
apartment. and the omission of. the
apartment was not because there were
no applicants for this type. but be-
cause the publishers felt that the
building of homes should be encour-
aged.
Five types Of detached houses
We're launched-two suburban colo
malls In. frame, one Dutch colonial in
brick and stueco, one Georgian. In
brick and one colonial in stone-these
projects ranging in cost from $1,000
to about $40. 000.
incidentally, 1t was. necessary in
order I'd effect the demonstration to.
waive featuring the cost element. in:
asmuch as the builders maintained,
with Justice, that il a detailed cost
demonstration were involved the pub
lie would not make allowances for the
items of overhead. advertising, COM
missions. ETC., which, with his proflt.
entered into a builders selling price,
'In addition to athe detac'a D houses, 1
were undertaken with
q semi-detached of an English type, a
Community" or three-unit group. In
an. Italian type, and two row groups.
one of houses In. q Georgian and
one of IA houses in an English char.
acter
..In order to simplify operations.
the chapter picked its Representative
on the committee Of three and left
wholly in his haas the. interests of
the architects including the selection
of architects to handle the projects.
This chairman picked first certain
architects who had demonstrated.
either special ability IN certain styles
or through understanding of certain
types or unquestioned adaptability,
lnIS SEOup dS a tidNACuo ch0
after much discussion of pros and
cons. a selection was made Of the
architects and their assignment to the
different projects. These projects, 1t
may be added, were picked from APP
plications made to the committee OF
three by the builders after The Star
had given widespread publicity TO the
proposal It may also be stated that
if the situation had not been thor
oughly canvassed in advance with the
organization of the builders and their
various objections met and satisfied,
and IL precaution had not been taken
to obtain the support of the financial
interests, the project would undoubt-
edly never have materialized.
All Plans Passed On.
Having selected and assigned the
architects to work with the builders.
and having started each architect with
his builder-client, the architects rep
resentative then asked various of the
ablest practitioners in the chapter to
serve without pay as the chapters
Jury of control, and to this jury all
plans were submitted several times.
Every effort was made to develop
each scheme to the best advantage.
and in particular to meet the builders
objections, whether or not they were
regarded as important. Thus on the
question of front porches. which have
been the outstanding difficulty in