Evening star., 1933-02-04
FABRICATED UNITS
FOR RHOMES URGED
WheIan, Capital Architect,
Points Way to Lower
Building Costs.
Continued From First Page.)

the application of unit shaft to each
floor plan
Outlining some of the costly methods
struction work, Mr.. Whelan said:
Trades must be segregated. Wit
ness the plumber and steamfitter wait
ing for the carpenter and mason to
build walls before he can place his
pipes and the carpenter waiting for
the electrician to put In wires before
he can finish his walls. These, as well
as numerous delays. are prevalent
throughout the home building industry.
Such practices waste time and money,
and must be discarded as antiquated.
Weather Is Problem.
Climatic and weather conditions
must be coped with. Our present start
and stop, grasshopper method of pre-
cedure must be eliminated and progress
of work allowed to carry on without
interruption.
The trial and error practice Of fitting
and refitting piping must be minimized.
It is costly in both time and material.
Leads must be concentrated so that
heavy walls and bearing partitions
may be minimized.
tralized. Ducts, pipes, wires and con-
QUITS must have direct short runs to
outlets and must be accessible for re-
pairs. Our present haphazard method
Of running pipes and wires in a tan
gled maze without regard to the fall
lacies such as leaks and short circuits,
that may occur after they have been
inclosed in the walls, Is deficiency.
Motor energy must be concentrated
to avoid unnecessary duplication of
purchases. Home owners should not
have to buy a motor to operate an oil
burner, another motor to operate an
electrical refrigerator, another to create
a vacuum for vacuum cleaning and still
others to run the clothes washer, the
air washer and the dish washer, all ap-
pliances that eventually become part of
the home ownership"
The plan developed by Mr.. Whelan
to meet such problems would call for
provision for all mechanical equipment
In the units of the shaft.
The first unit as proposed would con-
tain such equipment as an air-condi-
toned heating system, a hot-water
heating system and storage tank. a cocl-
ing system and refrigerator plant, a
water softener, an incinerator, vacuum
cleaning system and service connections
for sewer, gas, water, electricity and
telephone.
Other Uses Possible.
II the conditioning system be not
desired, its space could be used for a
steam or hot-water furnace with a gas
or oil burner
The second unit, in such a system,
would contain a kitchen sink and
drainboard, fabricated kitchen
dresser and electric refrigerator Though
intended primarily as a pantry for a
small house, it could be converted into
a kitchen by the use of a stove In place
of one of the dressers.
The third type of unit could be a
complete bath room. with a tub and
shower combination, toilet, lavatory,
medicine cabinet, metal floor tiling and
all electric fixtures and accessories.
The ceilings of the second and third
units would be fitted so they could be
dropped In the manner Of a trap door
so that the piping above could be read
lily reached in case of mechanical
trouble.
Any necessary utility connections on
the various floors Of house or other
type Of building could be made in the
units Of the shaft at floor levels.