Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/24

 8 THE BUILDING NEWS. Jan. 5, 1872. Re ae ua FOR HOUSE PLANNING. N INTENDING COMPETITOR” asks how the cubical contents of designs are to be com- puted. Wereply,simply by ascertaining the number of cube feet contained in the building (including chim- neys, projections,and the thickness of walls) above the ground line. Suppose the house, above the ground, to be a solid mass—and find its contents in the same way as those of any other solid mass—such as a mass of earth or masonry of the same form and size. We think it better to leave the height from ground line to floor to the judgment of each competitor. Whether that judgement has been wisely used will in this point, as in others, beamatter for the considera- tion of the referees. SAL G.” if stables are to be included in the mansion and the villa,” meaning, we presume, in the sum allowed fcr those buildings. We reply, no; the specified amount is, as stated, to be expended on the house, and does not include what are usually detached out-buildings. “B.S.” (Belfast) asks us to fix for all competitors a uniform list of rooms and offices required, and consequently, to let the competition consist in attempts, better or worse, to pack these rooms and offices into the cubie space allowed. We adhere to our first opinion, that competitors will have a better opportunity for the exercise of thought and in- genuity if they are not too closely tied down on this point. A clever planner will be able to get more apartments into his space than an indifferent one ; and by turning odd corners and bits of waste room to account, may often introduce very useful features which still could not have been prescribed as neces- sities. If we were already in possession of the best conceivable plans for the two classes of house men- tioned, we could tell to a certainty how many and what apartments might, by absolutely perfect arrangement, be brought together for the money. As it is, any list would run the risk of comprising either too many or too few. In the first case, the designs would all be spoilt by the smallness of the rooms and offices; in the second, space would be wasted, and nothing done towards getting the best house that can be had for the money. In general terms, we may say that it is not desirable to cramp the recep- tion rooms for the sake of unnecessary offices ; neither will it be wise to adopt a modern West-end system, and sacrifice the whole house for one large drawing- room. To be more precise will, in all probability, only be to shut out useful suggestions, and to prevent competitors from exercising their minds, not only on the size and relative position, but also on the number and description of the rooms to be provided. It is a mistake, as one of our correspondents remarked some time since, to fancy that every client has a prophetic vision of all that he will want and look for in his new building. In practice the architect has inquires ‘ to suggest requirements himself, as well as the way of meeting them; and this is what we propose he ee ey now. . T. B.” (Bedford) should consider that if we were. vary rthe price per cube foot accordirg to the greater or less amount of work each part of the house may contain, it would lead to endless complications, and would render it impossible to compare any two designs. We have specifled an uniform price per cube foot as the simplest means of forming an ap- proximate estimate. But if we are to admit ore price per foot for one class of apartment and another price for another, where are we to stop? The only logical result would be that we must publish a sche- dule of prices for every trade, and have the quanti- ties accurately taken out for each design, One ex- ception, for a glass and iron, or glass and wood con- servatory, it does seem possible to make; and the price for such an addition wi'l be found below. — It appears just as fair to cube up as a solid a verandah with brick or stone columns as to cube up the roof of the house solid; the former will cost as more, in proportion, than the latter. Any perspectives which may be sent need not be on the same sheet as the other drawings. Like them, they should be shaded only in line, for convenience in photo-lithographing. 5. H.,” there is no objection to any competitor’s submitting more much or In answer to “ than one design for either house, if he thinks it wiser to divide his efforts than to concentrate them. “G. H. S.” isinformed that there is certainly no objection to cellars. To admit more plans, elevations, and sections than those specified would, we think, lead competitors generally into needless labour, and would awkwardly crowd the one imperial sheet al- lowed. We see no more difficulty in ascertaining the cubical contents of a building than of any other solid ; but should there be fair ground on any point fora difference of opinion we should be sorry to err on the side of severity. At the same time, it is as easy to keep a design a few feet under as a few feet over the allotted size, and if we announced that a definite per-centage of excess would be permitted, there would be as much probability that competitors would over-run the new limit as the old one. Several correspondents think the prices per cube foot too high. They were, however, only assumed as standards of comparison ; and for the purposes of the competition it comes to much the same thing whether we say the Villa is to cost £2,000 at eight- pence, or £1,500 at sixpence ; or simply that it is not to exceed 60,000 cube feet altogether. In this case, therefore, we abide by the original instructions ; but in the Mansion, to create a greater difference be- tween the two classes of plan, we are willing to lower the assumed price to tenpene+ per foot cube. To meet a difficulty referred to above, the cost of at- tached conservatories of wood or iron and glass may also be calculated at fourpence per foot cube instead of at the price for the houses to which they belong. = SIR GEORGE BOWYER’S TRAMWAYS. IR GEORGE BOWYER has patented an inven- tion which he describes in his specification, of which we have received a copy, as an ‘“improve- ment” in the construction of tramways. We fail altogether to see the “improvement,” and the only new idea in the scheme is that of the method of laying down the “tramway,” which appears consi- derably more inconvenient than that usually adopted with the material of which it is composed. The “tramway” consists of asphalte laid in lines, on either side of which the ordinary paving remains. The asphalte is laid in trenches upon concrete, and is of sufficient thickness and width to obtain adequate strength. The surface of the asphalte line. or rail, is brought up level with the road surface on either side, and then curved down under the same, and in the centre of each line is a shallow but broad depres- sion or channel, intended to guide the wheels of the tram carriages without interfering with those of other carriages. The wheels of the tram-cars may, if required, be rounded off at the sides so as to pre- sent a convex surface, The figure appended repre- sents a cross-section outline. a, b, c is the asphalte ASPHALTE D b D b D a Cc a C tram; D D D is the roadway, which may be pave- ment, or macadam, or of other material, a, c, a, ¢ are the points to which the curved surface of the asphalte tram is carried under the road, in order that the wear of the road may not leave any angle inconvenient to traffic. 0b b are the concave channels in which the wheels are to run. We think before his tramway comes into very general use Sir George Bowyer will have to furnish somewhat more precise details of the exact thickness and width of his lines, and next to satisfy the general public of the superiority of his gutter-like channels over the tram-line flush with the surface of the road as at present in use. ——_@—_—_—<—_ CLERGY-HOUSE AND SCHOOLS, S. PETER'S, FOLKESTONE, S one of our illustration this week we give a view of a new clergy-house and schools for the parish of S. Peter, Folkestone, to be erected upon land (given by the lord of the manor) immediately adjoining S. Peter's Church. The clergy-house has direct communication with the church, and contains upon the two upper floors the bedrooms and private studies for the vicar and assistant priest, and a large priests’ living room, and on the ground floor the hall and kitchen apartments, and a detached room for business or parish pur- poses. The entrance to the clergy-house leads into a groined corridor, which also will be the public entrance to the church. The school building will contain school and class- room accommodation for seventy-five boys, seventy- five girls, and seventy-five infants. is on the lower floor, above, each 41ft.x17ft., and each class-room 17ft.x13ft. The ceiling of the boys’ room and all the roof will be open, of clean wrought Memel timber, not stained or varnished, and plastered between the joists and between the rafters, and all the framing pinned together with projecting pins. The outer walls are hollow, built of brick and faced with local red kiln brick, ‘and the roofs covered with red tiles. The windows have solid frames, with open casements in small squares below, and lead lights in various patterns above the transoms. Alf the internal joiners’ work is stained only. The master’s house contains two sitting-rooms, three bedrooms and other usual accommodation, and stands facing the clergy-house on the lower side of the quadrangle. Tenders from local contractors for the erection of schools were submitted in October last, and that of Mr. Dunch for £1,023 was accepted, and the works are now in progress; but the commencement of the clergy-house is likely to be delayed for some short time. The architect is Mr. S. Slingsby Stallwood,. of Folkestone. The boys’ room and the girls’ room een HIGHFIELD GROVE, STAFFORD. ops house, recently erected on a portion of the Rowley "Park estate, near Stafford, is in the Italian style - architecture, and is built with white bricks, relieved with red ones in plinths, cornices, windows, and other arches, with dressings of Hollington and Darley Dale stone and terra-cotta. The roofs have large projecting eaves, and are covered with Bangor slates. Messrs. Nevett Brothers, of Ironbridge, were the builders; and Mr. Griffiths, of Stafford, the architect. ————————— CAMBERWELL AND THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS. O* Friday week a deputation from the Vestry of Camberwell presented a memorial to the Metropolitan Board of Works, praying that the Local Management Act might be amended so as to give Camberwell two instead of a single representa- tive member. The main point relied on by the memorialists is that not one of the six metropolitan parishes in Schedule A entitled to send two repre- sentatives to the Board of Works is anything like equal in size to Camberwell, which, in fact, has the largest acreage of any metropolitan parish e (4,342 ecres), yet remains in Schedule B, with a” single representative only. But in addition to its size, Camberwell appears to have other claims to attention. Densely populated in parts, a great por- tion of the rest is available for building purposes, and houses are rapidly being erected thereon. The number of assessable houses in 1855, when the Act came into operation, was 11,568, and the rateable value was £232,365 10s.; whereas at the present time the number of assessable houses is 20,034, and the assessable value of the property, as shown in the valuation list, under the provisions of the Metropolitan Valuation Property Act, is £478,118, showing the increase of the rateable value of the property of this parish since 1855 to be £246,153. A strong point is made by the memorialists in the extent and importance of the works that have been executed by them since January, 1856, in sewerage, paving, lighting, and other improvements in this parish, at the following cost, viz.:—Sewerage works, £206,221 10s. 4d.; paving, repair- ing, and other general improvements, £235,609 7s. 1d.; lighting, £92,578 17s. 1d.: total, £534,409 14s. Gd. These works have necessitated frequent applications to the Board, and have also demanded constant care and labour on the part of the Camberwell represen- tative. The memorial was referred to the Works and General Purposes Committee for consideration and report. ——_—__ TO THE ARCHITECTS OF ALL NATIONS. WE are requested to announce that the First Commissioner of Works has received a pro- gramme for the erection of a new House of Parlia- eae at Berlin, for which the architects of all nations are invited by the Imperial Government to compete. The particulars will be reprinted for the use of architects, and be ready for distribution at the Office of Works on Monday next. The designs will have to be sent in to the Imperial Chancery at Berlin, with the author’s name, before the 15th of April next, and a prize of £844 will be given for the best design, and a fifth of that amount for each of the four next best designs.