Evening star., 1937-08-28
new YORKER WINS
ARCHITECT PRIZE
Gets Cash Award and Com
mission to Design Ideal
Home.

ACCORDING 70 an dIulOullCSIIlcIlJ Hldue
yesterday Perry M. Duncan, archi-
tect. of New York, has been awarded
first prize in House and Gardens first
annual architects competition. The
judges in the contest were three men,
bers of the American Institute of
Architects: Harrie T. Lindeberg and
Allnon B. Fordyce of New York, David
Adler of Chicago and the editors of
House and Garden. They based their
decision on plans and photographs of
homes designed by registered archi-
tects in the past three years. The
entries were divided into two classes
according to size. Glass l included
houses of to 10 rooms Glass 2 houses
Of rooms and under.
First prize in class l was a cash
award of $500 and the commission to
design House and Gardens ideal
house of 1888, plus an honorarium of
$3.50. Second prize in this class, won
by Gardner A. Daley of San Francisco
was cash award of $3.50. In class
J the winner, F. C. Stanton of Bel
lingham, Washington, received $500
and the commission to design the
House and Garden house for two"
plus $3.50 for plans and sketches
Second prize in this class was won by
William Wilson Wurster of San
Francisco, who received $780, Two
honorable mentions in each class,
carrying prizes of $50 each, were
awarded to Frank w. Green of Los
Angeles and John Hatton and Ralph
Spearman Myers of New York in class
!. and to James Kirst of Yonkers
and Reinhard M. Bischoff Of West
Hampstead, in class 2
Completion Unusual.
The House and Garden competi-
ton was unusual in that it involved
not only the usual awarding of prize
for meritoious work, but the selec-
tion of an architect to design house
The jury chose designs that were
fresh and contemporary rather than
initiative. They were guided by the
following points:
/. A well-designed house should be
attractive from all angles. Don't judge
house from the front alone; ex-
anime the sides and the rear with as
much care as the front. 1t is con-
ceivable that one facade may properly
be made the most important but the
others should be carefully designed
and well studied, nonetheless.
O. The day of on-functioning Or
namentation is past. Plain surfaces,
unencumbered by senseleSs scrolls
ato
desirable. There is, after all. nothing
ugly about simple wall, we'll proper
toned and with windows nicely spaced
nothing which requires the addi-
ton of meaningless applied art"
When the basic scheme of a house
Is symmetrical-for example, think of
square plan with hall running
symmetry of the mass should be main
tanned Some otherwise lovely de-
signs of this type are considerably
weakened by having a little wing jut-
ting out at one side, destroying the
balance, or by having windows, CHM
neys or other details unsymmetrically
arranged.
AVOID Awkward Roof.
). Awkward roof effects should be
avoided. One can sometimes plan a
house that wanders about in a most
intriguing way only to find that it
yields very ugly roof, a tumble OF
different levels, pitches and intersec-
tions. Again, simple surfaces, and
not too many OF them, are best.
4. Selection and use of materials
for the house should be discriminate
ing. According to the architectural
style OF a house, or its location, there
are certain materials more appropri-
ate than others, and the proper use
OF each material involves technical
skill and artistic Judgment to insure
the best effect and the best construc-
ton
5. Windows are important in the de-
sign of house-as they are in its
functioning. Windows should be con-
sidered elements in design and the
sklllful architect will contrive so to
place them that they have an ordered
arrangement in the facade which adds
to the beauty Of the design. Windows
OF odd shapes and sizes, scattered ap-
parently at random over a wall sur
face, detract seriously from the ap-
pearance of house.
Designs begin with plan, and no
design can be considered apart from
the plan. Therefore, look for a plan
which has an effect of orderliness and
simplicity, one which offers the re-
quired space in correct proportions
has convenient and logical rela-
tonshlp between the different rooms
does not waste space in intricate or
unnecessary halls and passages, is
skillfully related to outdoor living
areas, and promises attractive back
grounds for decoration and furnish
ing.