Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/356

 336 THE BUILDING NEWS. Aprit 26, 1872. eee DESIGN FOR MANSION. OMPACTNESS of arrangement, economy of space, and effective groupirg of the various parts, are the chief characteristics of this design. By adopting a plan as nearly square as circumstances will permit, long, draughty, unlit corridors are very carefully avoided, while boldness of elevation is obtained on all four sides. The hall is kept well into the interior and all the principal rooms are arranged roundit. The orly passage on the ground floor is one about 20ft. in length communicating with the hall and back lobby. This lobby (which is lit by stair- case window) is also well into the interior, and is shut off from kitchen and scullery ; the last named are specially ventilated through the lantern light shown on plan. Notwithstanding that the principal rooms are a few fect only from the kitchen, the pos- sibility of smells or objectionable air penetrating into them or ascending to the other floors is thus reduced to a minimum, while the arrangement has also the advantage of preventing draughts. The rooms are disposed in such manner as to receive the sun’s rays when they are most likely to be occupied. We have too many dull days in this country for the contrary to be advisable. The windows are especially large and supplied with movable sashes. A “porte cochere” might with advantage be placed in advance of the vestibule and a conserva- tory communicating with it adjoining the drawing- room. The first-floor plan is an exact reproduction of the ground plan, and the brick partitions throughout are carried up into and support the roof. The ad- vantages of this method of construction are so mani- fold and obvious that they need not now be re- peated. A stair landing of ample dimensions is provided on first floor, from which the principal rooms are entered directyas is the case on the ground floor. A fireplace is also provided on this landing which should be regularly utilised that the vitiated air be imme- diately consumed, and the temperature regulated. It is a matter worthy of serious consideration whether water-closets should be excluded from the first floor when additional sturies are provided. For ordinary use that on the ground floor is available, from which a special ventilating flue is provided. Other water-closets would be arranged on the second floor, also specially ventilated. The bell turret would be utilised as a ventilating shaft for servants’ water-closet. It will be seen from the above that more than usual precautions have been taken to render the building pure and healthy, and for these reasons the water-closet was purposely omitted from the bedroom floor, but there are convenient places for it should it be insisted on. It is very generally supposed that a building of great width such as this is very difficult, awkward, and expensive to roof, and hence houses of this kind are almost invariably disproportionately long and narrow. ‘The roof plan will, however, at once dispel this idea, There is no gutter of any kind, the centre is utilised as a cistern, and this cistern is amply supported on several brick walls. If it were desirable to store the whole of the roof water it might be made considerably deeper than shown in section. Nore.—The incidental statement of the referces that no provision was made for storing water on any of the plans was a mistake, The children’s nursery is placed that the noise should not cause annoyance to the occupants of other parts of the house. The eubie contents of the entire block above the ground floor are about 156,000ft. or 157,00%ft., and from comparison with other buildings which the author has erected he is confident that it can be executed complete for the sum mentioned in the con- ditions—viz., 10d. per foot cube, or less than £7,000, Mr. James Hicks, of Redruth, architect, is the author of this design, to which first honourable men- tion was awarded, ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS. T the ordinary general meeting of this Institute, on Monday evening last, the President, Mr. T. H. Wyatt, occupied the chair. The minutes of the last ordinary general meeting having been read und confirmed, The Presipenr announced the decease of Mr. Bowen, of 16, Walbrook, Associate The Secrerary, Mr. C. L. Eastlake, announced several donations to the Library, and read a list of books purchased for the Institute at the sale of the late Professor Willis’s library. A yote of thanks was unanimously accorded to the various donors, and to Mr. Wyatt Papworth for his kindness in as- sisting the Library Committee in selecting from the catalogue of Professor Willis’s books those most suited for the purpose of the Institute. The following gentlemen were then balloted for and duly elected members of the Institute :—As Fellows: Mr. J. F. Fuller, 179, Great Bruns street, Dublin; Mr. F. B. Osborn, Birmingham; Mr. J. Redford, 39, Princess-street, Manchester ; and Mr. J. H. Sanders, Derby.—As Associates : Mr. A. W. Archer, 12, Sise-lane, E.C.; Mr. T. L. Banks, 23, Finsbury-cireus, E.C. ; Mr. J. B. Cohen, 15, S. John’s Terrace, Regent’s Park, N.W.; Mr. S. Hill, 233, Camden-road, N.; and Mr. C. Reilly, 52, Old Broad-street, E.C. The Presmenr said he had recently seen some correspondence which had passed between Mr. Ham- mond, Acting Secretary at the Foreign Office, and an engineer in the service of the Turkish Govern- ment, with reference to the condition of the interest- ing ruins at Baalbee. Tie had also received a letter from Mr. Grove, Secretary of the Palestine Explora- tion Fund. The Council propose? to refer those matters to the Committee on Ancient Monuments, so as to be able to take steps to co-operate with the parties as to their respective objects. At the approach- ing Conference it was hoped to receive reports from Committees appointed by the Institute on three important subjects—viz., professional charges, com- petitions, and the employment of surveyors. When these reports were in a forward state it was ar- ranged that there should be a special gencral meeting of the Institute to consider them before they were read at the Conference. It was proposed to have that special meeting on the 20th of May. Mr. C. F. Haywarp asked whether the Council had taken into consideration or had been asked to give advice respecting the important competitions now pending, He thought it desirable that some action should be taken with reference thereto, with- out waiting for the report of the Committee. The Preswenr replied that no application of the nature referred to had been made to the Council. Whether the Committee had received any applica- tion for advice he did not know. Mr. Haywarp submitted that when any series of important competitions was before the public, it was highly desirable that the Council should take cogni- sance of them, for the matter was of much greater importance than many cthers that came under the consideration of the Institute. It was a matter that ought not to be shelved nor allowed to wait for Com- mittees’ action. He spoke with especial reference to the School Board competitions. Some of the School Boards had made really handsome offers; others quite the reverse. A large number of architects were engaged or proposed to engage in designing schools, and for almost every school proposed to be built in London six architects would be invited to compete. In all probability the invitation would be responded to by each. The School Board proposed no premium of any kind, except that the building would be entrusted to the successful competitor for execution. As one of the Fellows of that Institute (Mr. T. Chatfeild Clarke) was an active member of the London School Board, it appeared to him that the matter might be taken up with great advantage, and some plan devised by which a large amount of this labour would be saved. In making these remarks he had in his mind more particularly the large series of competitions which took place three or four years ago in connection with the Metropolitan Asylums Board. At that time it was regarded as unfortunate that the Council had not taken some action in the matter, as a useful precedent might have been laid down for future guidance. The Presipenr said that the Council had not had any application made to them either on the part of the parties originating these competitions or from any of the parties taking part in them, and as there was a Committee engaged in considering the question they did not feel it necessary for them to take any further action. However, he would bring the matter before the Council at the next meeting. At the Conference he hoped that the matter would be satisfactorily dealt with. Mr. EAsriaAke, the secretary, said that in the absence of the members of the Committee on Com- petitions, he might say that the opinions expressed on the subject throughout the profession generally were widely at variance. Until these opinions were well considered the Council would find great difficulty in laying down any rule. The Presipenr next announced that a letter had been received from Professor Smidt, of Vienna, ex- pressing his appreciation of the honour conferred upon him by being presented with the Royal Gotd Medal of the Institute. Captain Seppon, R.E., then read a long and elaborate paper ‘On the Necessity and Method of Testing Building Materials,” but as the paper was not in type, and the MS. could not be lent to the reporters, we deem it best to postpone our report of it rather than trust to the accuracy of a transcript of such notes as we were able to take (necessarily disconnected) from a paper bristling with dimensions and figures, and very rapidly read. The paper was so long as to preclude discussion, but it was most valuable and important, inasmuch as it was illustrated by a large number of specimens of materials which had been tested on a much larger scale than in any previousexperiments. The author clearly demonstrated the value of such experiments, and showed that the experiments which had hitherto been carried out with such small pieces of stone and wood as lin. and 2in. cube did not give such reliahle data as those made with cubes of 1ft. or 18in, He pointed out the great diversity existing in the works of authorities on the strength of materials, ob- serving that such diversity doubtless arose from the use of different apparatus, from the materials being tried under varying conditions, and from different methods of recording the observations. Te entered at great length into the subjects of iron, wood, stone, and concrete, and produced tabulated statements of recent experiments made by Mr. Kirkaldy with different varieties of those materials on a larger scale than has hitherto been attempted. In conclusion, he urged upon architects and civil engineers alike to one and all co-operate in ascertaining the strength and peculiarities of the various materials with which they had to deal, and tius set at rest many doubtful and perplexing points. This was a most serious and important matter, and affected not only one’s pro- fessional reputation, but the safety of the public. We hope shortly to be able to publish the paper. The Present said that as the paper was so long and important, and could not be worthily discussed in a few moments, it would be best, if it suited Captain Seddon’s convenience, to postpone the dis- cussion of the paper to another evening. (Hear, hear.) The next meeting was a special general meeting, and the one after that was a meeting for settling and arranging various matters connected with the approaching Architectural Conference ; but the next ordinary meeting, he thought, might be appropriated to the discussion of the paper, when he hoped that Mr. Kirkaldy and other gentlemen then present, who were entitled to speak upon the subject, would again favour the Institute with their attendance. He was sure that the meeting would be unanimous in thanking Captain Seddon for his paper, though he would not then formally propose a vote of thanks, but leave it till the evening when the The paper most ably treated of one of the most important subjects that they, as architects, could give their atteution to. (Applause. ) Captain Seppon intimated his readiness to attend on a future occasion, Mr. Russevu then explained to the meeting a very ingenious instrument invented by him for taking perspectives. The instrument, which the inventor terms the ‘** bicentrolinead,” is described by one of our correspondents, * P. E. M.,” at p. 345 of the present number of the Bur~pinG News. The Prestpenr then declared the meeting ad- journed. The next meeting will be a special general meeting of members only, to receive report and balance-sheet for the past year, and to elect officers for the ensuing year. ——— ———— Bricuouse Cemerery.—The Local Board of Health of Brighouse have selected the design (marked “ Experientia”) of Messrs, William Gay and F. Bartram Payton, of Exchange-buildings, Bradford, architects, for their new cemetery, and have instructed them to obtain tenders for, and to carry out the works at once, subject to some con- ditions, ‘The Board have also conferred the second premium on Mr. Helliwell, of Brighouse, architect ; and the third on Messrs. Holtum and Connor, of
 * paper would be discussed.
 * Dewsbury, architects,