Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-01

Leading American architects and
| building engineers are closely co-operat-
| ing with leaders in the automotive in
siustry in efforts to solve the traffic con-
gestion problem by developing new and
efficient methods to handle parking in
! the big cities.
| Problems created by the rapid multi
plication of the automobile, which al
ready have exercised a dominant influ-
ence on architecture. will be responsible
| for even more radical changes in the
construction of new Office buildings and
apartment houses and will bring about
greater engineering feats of building
| than any now known. according to the
| testimony Of Americas most prominent
architects.
Plans already developed to practica-
BILE stage include the construction of I'M
! derground garages, Easements in office
and apartment buildings for parking,
special type roofs on Office buildings to
store cars. combined garages and Office
buildings construction Of ramps in ONCE
buildings so that cars may be driven UP
and parked on certain floors, and, in at
| least one instance a fantastic scheme
1 for an underground city under the heart
of the business section of Kansas City
| has been proposed.
In each case plans are predicated on
! the fact that fumes and dangerous gases
coming out of the exllaustS of thousands
of automobiles can be carried away by
/ fan ventilating systems similar to those
| used on larger scale in the Holland,
Liberty. Moffat and other tunnels.
| Illustrative of the architectural trend
is the fact that one nationally known
engineer has patented new type Of
Office building. the principal feature of
| which will be ramps of only per cent
| grade, which will enable tenants to park
automobiles Immediately adjoining their
offices. It is understood that one of the
| first buildings of this type will be con-
structed in Akron, Ohio. The building
will have central ventilating and heat
| ing plant, but air conditioning viii be
| further aided by series of supply and
! exhaust fans on each floor.
| A special commission appointed by
Congress for the purpose is planning an
underground garage in Washington. 1t
viii be a city block long and wide
enough to house the automobiles of both
the members of the Senate and the
House Members of Congress experience
| the same difficulty that an ordinary citi-
zen of Washington does in finding a
place TO park their automobiles, and the
| idea of an underground garage was hit
upon as means of remedying the stu
/ atom. III Will De mechanically Ventllated
| by system separate from a new air
conditioning plant, which is to be In
stalled 10 supply the assembly rooms Of
Congress with fresh air
Chicago has taken the lead among
American cities in developing new park
| ing facilities In buildings for automo-
biles. Various new apartment buildings
| there include garage on each floor for
| the convenience Of tenants. The ma
| chimes are taken w in elevators Sew
ersl once buildings have been construct
ed there In which automobiles are
parked on the roof. These are taken up
in elevators and on ramps. but the
| height of these buildings so far has been
limited to 10 floors, and larger area of
ground space usually Is required
! According TO Joseph c. Huber, ir.,
prominent Toledo architect, department
stores in many big cities are installing
parking facilities In their Easements for
convenience of customers. Other stores
are issuing tickets which give limited
| free parking In public garages nearby.
| Another development in this direction
has been what Is known as the Auto
market in which a housewife may now
! .--