Evening star., 1937-08-28
F. \. A. STRESSES
PROPER DESIGNS
House Planning Par|eys Pro-
moted to Foster Good
Construction.

Fostering the concept that good
design and proper construction pay
premiums to builders and lenders, as
well as beneflting the home owner,
the Federal Housing Administration
planning conferences in % leading
cities throughout the country, accord
ing to Stewart Mcdonald, Federal
housing administrator.
Conferences on design and con-
struction form one part of a three
fold program directed by the Federal
Housing Administration against three
specific abuses in the home building
and mortgage lending fields; specula-
tive building, speculative subdivision
OF land and speculative mortgage
lending.
More than 5000 builders, contrac-
tors, architects, leading institution
ofhcials and others connected with
residential construction have attended
the public meetings, and several hun
dred conferences have been held with
builders and contractors desiring to
obtain assistance with problems of
small house construction.
Construction Basic Factor.
'The Federal Housing Administra-
ton has always recognized the value
OF high quality construction in prop
erty securing the mortgage loan" the
administrator said. We believe, fur
ther, that good design and sound
construction are OF equal Importance
to the builder the lender and the home
owner, although this fact has not
been fully recognized.
conferences on design and con-
etructlon, held in more than a score
OF cities, have served the dual purpose
OF interesting builders in building
better and more attractive houses, and
OF again bringing to the attention of
the building industry the advisory
technical service which the Federal
Housing Administration is able to
render individual builders.
While public meetings have un-
doubtedly had a marked effect upon
the attitude of many builders, the
concrete accomplishment of the con-
ferences were obtained from the ad-
Nsory interviews held in the days
following the public meetings. Hun
dreds OF architects, builders, develop
ers, bankers and others have brought
proposals, plans for new developments,
plans for individual houses to be
examined by the conference staff.
Suggestions have been made as to
changes and additions which would
add to the soundness of the projects,
and the staff has been able, in this
way, to render a real service to the
building industry.
Supplies Technical Advice.
1T should be remembered that this
advisory technical service is available
to the building industry at all times,
through the architectural supervisors
IN the local Offices of the Federal
Housing Administration. 1t has been
the policy OF the administration to
employ architects capable of advising
the industry on technical problems Of
design ond construction, as well as
handling the compliance inspections
ana the analysis of properties for
commitments.
IT the conferences on small house
planning have acquainted the building
industry with the services available
through the local ofices, they have
served very real purpose. The pro-
gressive use of this service by the
building industry should result not
only in improved houses but also in
greater facility in processing cases"
The administrator pointed out that
conference discussions have featured
four important problems: Cd The need
for better technical service in the
design of houses. (2) the possibility
OF employing better workmanship and
materials in small-house construc-
ton. CD the need for the building of
. larger number of small, inexpensive
houses, 90 the possibility of reducing
production costs through efficient
planning for quantity production.