Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-26
BE r. r. BERESFORD. Architect.


The model home demonstration
sponsored by The Star is having very
good results. Its encouragement Il
home ownership will be expressed in g
more permanent growth to the city's
population and the greater content
ment that home ownership gives. II
is proving. and will continue to prove
distinct benefit to the beauty of the
city. 1t has proven. for instance, that
rows of houses may be designed as
to eliminate the effect of mOnotony
which every American diSlikes and to
give to each house an individuality
and distinction which is desired in
home. This has been done in the
house AT Thirty fifth street and Massa
chuSettS avenue.
Similarly II has demonstrated that
very small detached house need not
necessarily look commonplace. For
by care in the design it can be made
appropriate to its situation and dis
tinctive in character. 1t can be shown
that by planning several houses at
one time group composition can be
studied out which is of benefit to each
individual home.
A very happy result of this demon
Stration also has become evident to
both the builders and the architects.
not only in the spirit of harmony and
cooperation that has in general been
the rule. but also in the realization
that both the builders and the archi-
tects have valuable points of view
which, by combining. may result in
an improved product for hte benefit
of the future home owners.
Importance of the Lot.
An instance of this kind may be
noted in the selection of the site at
Thirty.tifth street and Massachusetts
avenue. This lot is just one lot re-
moved from Massachusetts avenue, but
as it faces Il triangular public park
on the north side of the avenue it
las all the advantages of accessibility
10 a main avenue and yet Is lar
enough removed from this artery OF
travel to escape its noise and confu-
sion. In addition to this there is Il
further asset to this lot in that the
ground slopes downward tot the east,
so that from the first story porch
and from the second story windows
there is beautiful panorama of tree
tops and sky. The house Is the larg-
est of the detached types erected IN
this demonstration and is being built
by Hedges & Middleton.
One of the most important services
of an architect is his power of analy-
sis of the problem under consideration
the various factors involved. In this
particular house it involved the con-
Sideration of the factors inherent IN
the site such as the slope OF the lanu'
views both to front and rear, sltua-
ton in regard to the points OF the
compass. and to the prevailing winds
in Winter and Summer and various
other factors. With these in view the
house was planned to suit this partlcu-
lar site. 1t takes advantage or the
good nointS of the site to an extent
that no stock plan could nave done.
A great deal of time and thought was
srent in arriving at the final plan:
Many sketch plans were mace anu
enalyZed and cast aside before a
finished solution was finally obtained.
Since the lot faces west, II was lell
that the living room should be on the
south side. with south windows,
west window to take in the view over
the mark and the Winter sunsets. anu
French doors at the east end leanlng
onto the living porch, which over
looks the garden on the rear portion
of the lot and an extensive we" "e
yond.
The dining room should face prefer
ehlv toward the east and south. 10 re-
Ceiye the morning sun ana De snelIereu
from the hot afternoon sun III sun,
mer. The western sun is OF no ao-
vantage in q dining room IN " inter-
because the evening meal IS eaten
after sunset. 1nereloie, .he &c
room has been placed just north OF
the living porch, which gives 1t an
90 stern outlook over the garden ana
a southern exposure through the Nv
ing porch. ,,. in tho
kitchen being placed toward the nortn'
which is an advantage, because the
north light is the most constant anu
diffused. and, therefore, best for any
kind of a workroom.
Rear Garden Convenient.
If will be noticed that with this ar
rangement the living room, dlhlhs
room and living porch are all sneitereo
from the cold northwest Wlnos IN
Winter, and are exposed to the coollns
southern breeZes in Summer. WIN
the dining room and porch piaceo DIT
the rear of the residence, the rear
garden becomes practlcail! an ou.-
doors room of the house, thereby max
inc the back of the house equal In
Importance to the front.
II was reasoned that the proper 10
cation of the principal bedroom should
he over the dining room, In ordef 10
have an eastern and southern expo
sure and overlook the garden. Tne
other three bedrooms, which are also
corner rooms. face south and east,
south and west and north and west.
1t will be noted, therefore. that three
of the four bedrooms have southern
EXPOSURE. All bedrooms are large
enough for twin beds. There is also
on the second floor a dressing closet
or room that measures feet 3 inches
nv II feet. 1t will be evident by OBJ
serving the second-f1oor plan that am
ple closets have been provided for the
bedrooms. In the third story there are
two bedrooms. each feet by IA 1eet,
and bath also plenty of attic storage
space.
In observing the interior arrange
ment the most unusual feature is the
location of the stairs. 1t is desirable
where possible that the stairway
should not be the first object that
visitor sees upon entering the house.
1t will be recalled that in most true
colonial houses where staircases face
the front door there is usually an
erchway separating the stairs from the
front part of the hall. Generally the
staircase leads to the private quarters
of the family. Therefore, the first
suggestion that the visitor receives
should not be one Of intruding upon
the privacy of the family.
IT will be noticed that the staircase
in this house is placed in an alcove
of its own, where it is private and
still not lost entirely to view. This
curved form is both beautiful and
cminently practical. The risers,
which are the vertical portions of the
steps, are so laid out that on the
line of travel all steps are the same
I'm width. On account of the radiating
form of the steps. a tall person can,
NV walking q little farther from the