Evening star., 1932-01-24
TheDaring Ideas of
Norman Bel Ged-
des, Designs
His Houses and
Buildings forLiv-
ing Conditions of
Twenty Ye ars
From Now.
BY HYH4N S4NDOW.

BY HYH4N S4NDOW.
N 1850 everything now facing the front OF
the middle class American home will face
the back-eXcept the front door Elec-
trio robots will serve and clear away the
dishes; trains will be stream-lined, like
auto racers today; big cities Will nave
triple -decked streets airplane hangers with
landing roofs and gigantic Skyscrapers from
whose upper floors the earth Will sometimes
be shut off from view by clouds and giant
airplanes carrying a thousand passengers will
hop from Chicago to Europe in 20 hours!
This startling picture of life short 20
years from now is based upon the well con-
sidered opinion of Norman Bel Geddes, famous
designer for art and industry, to whom great
many point a specialist in what's new and
coming.
"By the middle of the twentieth century"
MIR. Geddes declares, I'VE shall be complete
masters of the machine age. Now we are its
slaves, much of the time.
I'VE are SO infatuated with our sclentlhc
wonders that We don't half try TO control them
for our greatest good. Our city life, particu-
larly, Is restless and hurried because we still
have to learn that the inventions of science
are to serve us, not that we are to serve them"
in his late 3Os Mr.. Geddes is a highly
! successful artist, architect, stage director,
interior decorator, lighting and industrial eff
cheney expert. and designer of costumes, stage
sets and industrial articles. He has designed
the stage sets for over hundred theatrical
productions, including Reinhardts stupendous
religious spectacle THE Miracle"
within quarter century," Mr. Geddes con-
tinued "the conventional private family house
Of today will be outmoded the kerosene
lamp most of us can remember using. Even
the family with modest income will be able
81 Lx,x, For 81 49, 81
five to seven rooms, depending on their size
that will afford convenences not available to-
day even in most duplex apartments on New
Yorks Park avenue
Rooms will be fewer but larger Walls will
be sound -proofed-your neighbor's radio won't
disturb you Cooking, heating and lighting will
all be automatic-probaby electrical. Windows
will be twice as large as and made of glass
that will permit the ultraviolet rays of the
sun to pass through.
But the windows won't open They won't
have to. The rooms will be kept in even
temperature all year round with washed air,
warmed or cooled according to season. OdorS
will be eliminated, too.
This house, according to my present plans,
won't be built of brick, stone or lumber. In
stead fabricated steel, concrete, alloys, glass
perhaps with integral metal, asphaltum, and
other materials combining iightness and dura-
biity with low cost and ease of installation
will be used.
al ARGE sections of the walls floors, parti-
l. tions and roofs will be factory built. They
will then be assembled on the lot with the aid
Of tractor and crane, like skyscraper.
"But the home will offer plenty of opportu-
nifty for the expression Of the owners taste
and temperament through wide choice Of de-
signs. This will be Of greater Importance than
ever, in the next few decades because our
constantly improving educational and cultural
influences are giving families of limited in
comes an artistic taste far in advance of their
present means.
'aThe roof OF this house will be fiat Most
houses now have sloping roofs because they are
not built to support a heavy weight OF snow.
But with steel construction, fiat roofs will AFFORD
no such danger AS result, every home will
have roof space for gardens, Summer lounging
quarters and childrens play yards
even the two-story house will have terraces,
like skyscraper setbacks which will allow plenty
of light to reach the ground floor and also give
additional recreation space
"This house of 1850 will have everything
that's now at the front at the back-except
the front door! The kitchen will face the
front and so will the garage, thus saving the
space now needed for a driveway and small
public yard that is waste space. If there are
servants quarters, they will also be at the front
"The family living and bed rooms will face
the back, looking over gardens and giving the
utmost possible privacy.
1.-The dining room will be a sort of extension
of the living room, perhaps more in the nature
of an alcove and raised 10 inches or So with
q couple of steps leading up to it. Much of
the furniture in the various rooms will be metal
as beautiful and simple in design and con-
struction as it will be useful and durable.