Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-20

The 1925 national better homes arcni-
tectural competition conducted by the
Home owners Institute, Inc, and spon-
sored in this region by The Star, is
drawing rapidly to a close and within a
few days winners of both the national
awards and of regional contests will be
announced.
During the coming week the national
Jury Of award will meet in New York
to select the three winning house de-
signs from among the 80 regional prize
contest winners, including the three
from The Stars area. There will be
three grand prizes of $1,000, $4,000 and
$500 for the national winners in addi-
ton 10 the $500 prizes for designers of
the 80 winning regional contest plans.
The names of the designers of houses
In the national contest will not be
known by the jury or the public until
after the winning plans have been
selected.
Raymond Hood of New York. inter-
nationally known member OF the Ameri-
can Institute of Architects, is chairman
of this jury. Other members are Benno
Jansen, F.. A. 1. A, Pittsburgh; Albert
Kahn, A. I. A. Detroit; John w. Root,
A. 1. A., Chicago: Frank j. Forster,
A. I. A. Ralph T. Walker, A. I. A; H.
T. Lindeberg. r. A., all of New York.
Col. John Reed Fitzpatrick. vice presi-
dent of the New York Building Con-
gress and vice president of the George
A. Fuller Co, is the contractor member.
Winold GeisS of New York is the deco
rator MEMBER and Herbert U. Nelson,
executive secretary of the National As
ISOLATION Of Real Estate Boards, Chi
cago. is the realtor member.
AS soon as this jury has awarded
prizes the names of all winners will be
announced, and they will be authorized
to proceed with preparation of complete
= working drawings in order that con-
Struction of the houses may be started.
Within a very short time after the ma
tional jury meets a plan book incor-
porating all these winning designs will
be published.
English Trend Noted.
A trend toward small homes of Eng
fish lines and feeling is evidenced by
the regional prize winning designs in
the 1929 National Better Homes Ar
'chitectural Competition. An analysis
by Home Owners Institute of prize win
ners as selected by the jurieS of award
for the Is regions indicates that even
in Florida and California the popular
itv of the stucco and half-t imbered
house is increasing.
This veering of the popular taste in
architecture, as reflected by the work
entered is further evidenced, accord
ing to Arthur Bates Lincoln, consult
ing architect of the institute. by the
number of houses which are of no
pronounced architectural type. 1t
should be recalled, Mr. Lincoln points
out, that the 10 regional competitions
were conducted for plans particularly
suited to construction in the areas
where they originated. The fact that
public taste is turning toward homes
of English feeling. and away from
types which have been looked upon as
standard in certain areas. such as
the Colonial in New England and the
Mediterranean in California, is con-
sidered by the institute as evidence
that in architecture the people of this
country are firing of precedent.
1t would appear, the analysis by the
institute indicates, that residential de-
sign in America is undergoing a neu-
tralization process, with the older ar
chitectural forms being blended to-
gether into composite designs. Home
buyers are seeking a different type of
architectural expression.
Others Have Seen Tendency.
1t Is evident, according to Mr. Lin
coin, that the juries of award, which
included architects of note as well as
realtors, builders, decorators and edi-
tors whose business it is to have their
nized this trend. Otherwise plans eX-
pressive of it would not have been
selected almost without exception as
winners and mention designs.
This breaking away says MIR. Lin
coin, undoubtedly will become more
pronounced and will exert an increas-
ingly important effect on values and
new construction as the home buying
public becomes more articulate III the
10 ~ INn
Spread of this knowledge and its ac-
companying tendency must be watched
not only by architects and builders, but
also manufacturers and owners
A desire for informal living is seen
by Mr.. Lincoln and his associates at the
institute in the preponderance of houses
OF English tendency and in the infor-
mality Of the treatment of the Colonial
among the winning and mention de-
signs. Study of these designs" says
this architect, would indicate that
families are unwilling to have archi-
lecture prescribe shape of rooms, place
ment of window openings, arrangement
OF furniture and routine of family life,
as has been the case with the more
rigid and formal types of design Amer
leans are less ready to accept the limi-
tation imposed by pure architectural
form: they are demanding that their
houses shall be designed as machines
for giving creature comfort first and
then made pleasing through architect
ural skill.
Informal Design Gains.
1.-THE work submitted in this compe-
tition shows the tendency already noted
by merchant builders toward informal
design. Even more important" Mr.
Lincoln continued, lit shows the skill Of
American designers in creating houses
GE===lL 60. I'll