Evening star., 1936-05-30
MOMENTOUS GAIN
SEEN IN 70 YEARS
Structural Design of Homes
0utstrips Advances of
All Previous Time.

fIOBIcSS III QeSIgIl, QuTdpultys cl1l-
cheney Of structural methods in home
building today as contrasted with only
20 years ago has been as great as can
be shown by any industry, when it Is
considered that the task of this in
dustry in a single generation has been
to better something that all the civili-
cations since the dawn of human
history have been striving to improve,
j. c. Nichols, Kansas City, Mo-. holds,
in an outline of these changes pre-.
sented to members Of the National
Association of Real Estate Boards.
= Mr.. Nichols, vice president Of the
association for the south central re-
gion, and recognized nationally as one
of the leading home builders Of the
country, cites progress in bettered hv-
ing conditions in homes and apart
ments, greater efficiency in CONNER
cial structures made by the archaic"
building industry within the last gen.
Grafton. In bettered city planning, he
emphasizes especially the lengthening
of blocks in residential areas, thereby
reducing the cost of street improve
ments, as well as reducing the cost Of
future maintenance and other ex-
pense to the city. movement in
which the association pointed the
way. And he sees here greater prog
ress to come in differentiation in the
widths of streets to serve their various
functions, in greater variation in the
size of lots and blocks.
Checkerboard Plan Unwise.
"There has been no greater curse
in our city building than strict ad-
herence to a checkerboard, standard
lied street plan providing no circum-
ferential, diagonal or main highways,
and failing to recognize topography
and the wide variance of street needs
and functions" he says. Fortunately
most of our communities are still
small. The skeletons of our cities are
still plastic and permit re-direction
in conformity with the future needs
of the larger cities which they aspire
to be-"
AS to the broad scope of progress
he says:
Consider the present simplified
architectural style Of a home: the
conveniences and equipment, as COM
pared with homes Of even 20 years
ago. Note the improvement in land
scape development; note the parks and
Fairgrounds which are the lungs of
{ 8 town.
The old narrow 20 or IS foot lot,
numerically crowding the houses to-
gether on the street, is largely a thing
of the past The unsightly alley has
largely gone; the offensive stables dis
appeared with the passing of the horse.
The garage took its place at the rear,
and gradually as we knew it better, 1t
moved up and attached itself to the
house, or actually moved into the
house.
Front Porches Move.
1.-THE front porch, as automobile
traffic became intense, moved around
to the side of the house for greater
privacy, and in some instances 1t has
now completed a half circle and finds
itself In the rear, intimately related
TO the garden side Of the home. The
design Of the front door and its pedi-
ment is again recalling the splendid
and artistic designs Of early American
domestic architecture.
with the advent of the compact
and beautifully designed heating
plants with high overhead ducts or
concealed airwayS for condition
ing heat, the former damp, stuffy
basement, which was the catch-all
storage dump for the entire house.
hold, has become one of the most
'serviceable parts Of the house. Work.
shops for the child, recreation rooms,
play rooms or pingpong and card
rooms have become as clean, attractive
and desirable in the basement as they
would be on the first floor of the
house. In sections where Easements
are not the custom, compact storage
space combined with provision for
heating plant, hot-water tanks, laun-
dry etc, have been worked out as part
Of attached garages or integral parts
Of the first floor Of the house itself.
1--WE have two or more bath rooms
where formerly we had only one or
none, splendid dressing rooms; win
dows carefully weather-stripped and
with venetian blinds, washable walls
and ceilings, insulated to give cool
ness in Summer and heat saving in
Winter; clean, air-conditioned, clock
controlled heat, well circulated and
with much-needed humidifcation.
- Air Cooling Achieved.
"Air-cooling is already here-par-
Gcular1y in commercial structures,
and many realtor- builders In new
structures are making provision for
the later cooling when further re-
duced costs make it practical.
I'VE have careful orientation of the
house and an arrangement of the
colorful rooms and windows to give
the most light, air and sunshine.
THE wasted space of the old-fash-
toned parlor has been utilized in an
all-use living room or combination
living dining room; the large inefi-
cient kitchen with its ice box on the
back porch Of a few years ago has
given way to small, convenient one
OF Pullman-type arrangement elm
mating unnecessary steps. Electrical
refrigeration, ventilating fans, dish
washers, well-planned cabinets, light
sockets in every conceivable place
all are common today.
Window space has been greatly in
creased, carefully placed for proper
ventilation and vision.
Expensive, elaborate cornioes; un-
necessary exterior brackets, finals,
grills, meaningless projections and
other costly ornamentation of the sos