Evening star., 1935-07-13
new YORKER WINS
HOUSING CONTEST
Design for Low-Cost Home
Picked by Judges in
Al. A. Competition.

For his design of home aimed
TO meet the needs Of rs per cent
of the Nations population, j. Andre
Fouilhoux of 40 West Fortieth street
has been awarded first prize in low
cost house competition of the New
York Chapter of the American In
stitute of Architects, it is announced
by Hobart B. Upjohn, president of
the chapter.
Second prize went TO John Theo-
dore Haneman and third prize to
Frederick G. Frost Another entry
by Fouilhoux took fourth place.
Forty-one designs from 80 architects
were submitted in the effort to solve
the problem of providing decent, ade-
quate houses for families in the lower
income groups"
The contest called for dwelling
to be occupied by a family of two
adults and two children. AS to cost,
1t was pointed out to the contestants
that families with incomes ranging
from $1,000 to $4,000 are the most
numerous in this country. This group,
it was stated, can afford to buy
houses, including land, costing from
$4,000 to $4,000.
Problem Below $1,000.
The most needed solution is for
houses below the $1,000 limit" said
a statement of the committee, of
which Oliver Reagan is chairman
There is no inherent problem con-
fronting the architect in the design
and construction of siX-room houses
costing $4,000 or more. Architects
cannot hope to solve the problem OF
individual houses of proper stand
ards for the lowest income groups;
namely, for families having COM
bined annual income of $1,000 or less
This class, estimated by the Ma
tional Housing Administration as rep
resenting one-third of the population
of the United States, must receive
Federal or other subsidy, and 1t is
probable that much of the housing
for this group will be multi-family
or row houses.
Under the uational housing act
the financing of houses of many OF
the lower income groups is made pos
sible in way that has not hitherto
been available. There still remains,
however. the technical problem of how
to procure buildings which will prop
erly fill the family needs at a cost
which can be met.
Sought to Determine Costs.
"The competition sought designs. in
cluding construction methods and ma
terial which will represent a real con-
tribution to solving the problem of
how to provide the much-needed,
proper, low-coSt housing, 1t also
sought to determine the exact cost
in different localities of such a house
of fixed accommodations and reasona-
BILE standards. under present condi-
tionS of architectural practice.
Such costs will vary greatly in
different localities. and the informa-
ton thus gained will be of vital i'm
portance to the profession and to
prospective house builders. The COM
petition was essentially a matter OF
study and research"
Mr.. Fouilhoux was born in Paris
September 81, 1879. He received
the degrees of B. A, B. S. and B. Phi.
from the Sorbonne in 1897 and was
graduated from the Ecole Central des
Arts et Manufacturers in Paris as civil
and mechanical engineer in 1901.
He was a member of the firm of
Whitehouse & Fouilhoux of Portland,
Greg. from 1908 to 1917. He served
as major in the United States Army
from 1917 to 1919. In 1919-1920 he
was with Albert Kahn of Detroit.
Associated With Hood.
Mr.. Fouilhoux became associated
with the late Raymond NJ Hood in
1920. He was a member of the firm
of Howells e. Hood, architects of the
Tribune Tower, Chicago and the News
Building, New York City, and. later,
of Hood & Fouilhoux. architects of
the McGraw-Hill Building and the
Beaux Arts Apartments in New York,
and the Scranton Masonic Temple,
Scranton, Pa. Hood & Fouilhoux
was one of the three architectural
firms which designed Rockefeller Cen
ter. Mr.. FouilhouX is at present
architect of the M-G-M Studios of
the Chicago Tribune.
Members of the New York Chap
ter's jury. in addition to Chairman
Reagan, were: Henry Wright, A.
Lawrence Kocher, Harvey Stevenson,
Lewis Welsh, Robert Mclaughlin.
James r. Thomson. Frederick J.
Woodbridge, Ralph Walker, Harold
H., zin AA..