Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/448

 426 THE BUILDING NEWS. May 24, 1872. —_——_“a“*mh*>x [>——>—>_l__syxzIIIrErrrree————————————— EEE after effect in more than one portion of the design, especially in the enormous roofs, the extreme pitch of which is overbearing and unnecessary. With regard to the plan, the offices are unusually complicated, and need remodelling. The recess in dining-room is an excellent feature, especially among the Highlands on a cold winter's night, although the rest of the room is likely to suffer in consequence ; an additional fireplace, therefore, should be provided. The first floor is designed without reference to the support of the partitions and roofs. This is unfortunate, and might well have been avoided by enlarging the size of bedrooms. In my experience, I have found that clients much prefer large and airy bedrooms only to those of limited size having dressing-rooms attached. Although dressing-rooms look very well on plan, yet in practice they will not be found of the immense value which some correspondents attach to them. It is a mistake to cut up and destroy the true construction of a build- ing to provide a few small rooms hardly eyer used, and never absolutely necessary.—I am, &c., Hi. Srr,—I am sorry to see by Mr. Hicks’ two letters of May 3 and 17 respectively that he is rather apt to lose his temper ; for in the first he falls foul of a Torquay builder for writing a very sensible letter, and in his second he takes toabusing those who (in reply to your general invitation) had the hardihood to criticise his design amongst others. Mr. Hicks will neither better his work nor gain anything by endeayouring to stifle discussion ; and unless you had allowed criticisms on those designs which you have published, I do not see how the purpose of this competition, so liberally con- ducted by you, could have been fully obtained. I think the tone of Mr. Hicks’ letter quite justifies me in asking of you the favour of inserting these few lines. —I am, &c., London, May 18. Rts THE CHORLEY TOWN HALL COMPETITION Sir,—This competition is another added to the long list of competitive failures, with injustice to the com- petitors. My drawings were this week returned—car- riage paid, of course—but without thanks or other acknowledgment of time and services rendered—I may now say, wasted. The Commissioners haye, however, presented the competitors with Mr. Paley’s report and award of the prizes as adopted by one-half of the Com- missioners who attended the special meeting for that purpose. Mr. Paley states that the sum of £10,000 is quite insufficient for the construction of a well-con- structed building suitable for the town. Considering that the population of the town does not exceed 20,000, and is neither very thriving nor wealthy, I think this sum is very fair, and the very fact of the instructions stating that the front must only be in stone, the others in brickwork, is sufficient evidence to my mind that they did not wish for the erection of a costly building. I certainly supposed that Mr. Paley’s duty was simply to advise the Commissioners in making the awards according to the strict letter and meaning of the instructions, and that with the question of the cost, he could in no way interfere, as that had been already decided by the Commissioners and observed by a great number of the competitors, whose designs were necessarily of a plain and unpretending cha- racter. Mr. Paley assumes that £15,000 is the least sum that would have been required for this purpose, and there- fore argues that it is impossible to erect the buildings for the sum named, and then acknowledges that there are plans—that had kept within the prescribed sum, but not one of them with any claim to his consideration —that can be carried into execution for the sum named, so that this most important condition as to excessive cost cannot be so used. TI think this argument will scarcely satisfy the competitors, who had a perfect right to expect the award to be made, as it can only be honestly made, according to the strict letter of the instructions, apart from the consideration or opinion of any person upon any design that may have been submitted with full confidence of the Commissioners atleast abiding by their own adopted instructionsand conditions. Thus Mr. Paley complacently ignores the question of cost, and says he has carefully kept in view that the award should not be given to the finest archi- tectural design, but to the plan with the best appro- priation of the ground, combined with a most suitable elevation. (What about the £10,000 ?) If I am rightly informed by the notices of the plans which have appeared in the local papers, the designs which Mr. Paley considers the best appropria- tion of the ground have shops in the Market-street front, with dwellings, back kitchens, yards, and back passage through the most valuable portion of the plot, thus leaving an ugly unnecessary gap between the two blocks of buildings, and this is Mr. Paley’s opinion of the utilisation of the best site in the town, which has cost some £7,000 or £8,000 to procure; and is similar to the arrangement suggested by the sur- veyor, but which it was stated in the instructions should notin any way interfere with, or limit the free and full scope of the architect. The premiated designs have, however, failed to improve upon the general features of this most objectionable arrangement; but, notwithstanding, they have been approved by Mr. Paley, and adopted by the Commissioners, who have probably spent as many weeks in examining the drawing as Mr. Paley has hours, and whose previous selection was totally different to Mr. Paley’s award ; and how they could be brought to approve of designs which were against their more matured judgment, and also against the expressed opinion of the public very recently and clearly given at a public meeting, I am at a loss to understand. The chosen designs stand with their backs to the principal front—Market-street. The public accommodation varies from 700 to 1,300 in the large hall, when 1,000 was the number required in the instructions, and not one of them can be executed for anything like £10,000, and even supposing Mr. Paley’s estimate of £15,000 be correct as the least estimate, it is more than probable that the total cost will in that case exceed £20,000 in execution. It may afford some satisfaction to the dissatisfied competitors to learn that it is not probable that any one of the premiated designs will be carried into execution, for the above very sufficient reasons. Mr. Paley’s report is an injustice to those competi- tors who have kept the cost within the stipulated sum, and who, in the exercise of their own judgment, have so utilised the site that they huve offices, &c., in lieu of back yards, kitchens, and back passage, and which arrangement, I believe, will be more commendable to the common sense of the public of Chorley than any showy elevation, with such interior defects as are shown to exist in the premiated designs.—I am, &c., A CoMPeETITOR. PRICES IN THE NORTH AND THE WEST. Srr,—Since Mr. Hicks’ design for a villa has been illustrated, exception has been made by several corre- spondents to the possibility of work being executed in Cornwall at a price so much lower than it can be pro- duced elsewhere. That work is done much cheaper in the West I give the following instance:—In your issue of May 10, under the heading of ‘Statuary forthe Bradford Town Hall,” we read that Messrs. Farmer & Brindley haye modelled Richard Coeur de Lion, as a sample for a number of figures to be cut for the facade of that building, and are prepared to carve the same—each about 6ft. high—for £60 a-piece. Ata meeting of the Committee of the Plymouth new Town Hall recently, it was, according to the local papers, decided that the architect’s report should be adopted, and that similar sized figures should adorn that edifice, but the price submitted to themin the estimate was about one-fifth of that quoted for the Bradford figures. Iam not unacquainted with either of the buildings in question; both are now well on, and we begin to see what they will be like when completed; and for quality of workmanship in the carved decoration each are alike good, and creditable to those who are exe- cuting them. To what, then, are we to ascribe this difference in price? Are the rich merchants of Bradford asked very stiff prices, or, are those of the West dispropor- tionately below those of any other part of England? Perhaps, after all, Mr. Hicks is not so far out as those accustomed to London and Yorkshire prices would imagine.—I am, &c., Je iV PROFESSIONAL CHARGES, Srk,—Will you allow me to draw your attention to the enclosed advertisement, culled from the Church Times of Friday the 10th instant. It may be worth the consideration of the Committee appointed by the Royal Institute on Professional Charges :—** To Clergy- men and others.—Plans, specifications prepared, and surveys made for churches, parsonages, and schools in town or country, by an experienced London architect and surveyor. Terms 2} per cent., or by mutual arrangements.—Apply to Architect, 19, Duke-street, Manchester-square, London, W.—I am &c., E. J. 8. Se CHIPS. A new United Methodist Free Church has been opened at Normanton. The cost was under £800. The contractor was Mr. John Foster, of Normanton, and the architect was Mr. William Watson, of Wakefield and Doncaster. 8. Mary’s Church, Hurst Hill, Sedgley, was con- secrated on Whit Monday. The cost has been £3,000. A new Wesleyan Chapel was opened on Monday at Hednesford. The cost was £400. The Royal Archeological Institute is preparing a general index to the first 20 volumes of its Journal. The competitive plans of Mr. Trevail, of Par Station, selected by the S. Austell School Board, for the Town Schools, mentioned in our last issue, have since then obtained the approval of the Education Department of the Privy Council without any revision. No parts of the land within the enclosure of Finsbury and Southwark Parks are to be let, leased, or sold for building purposes. Such was the result of a report submitted to the Metropolitan Board of Works, and adopted on Friday last, after warm discussion, by a majority of 27 to 6. The restoration of Purton Church, in Wilts, after the designs of Mr. Butterfield, is progressing; it is expected the east end will be ready ina few weeks for the services, which are now performed in the west end, where much work is also begun. It is proposed to restore the parish church of Back- well, near Bristol, at a cost of £4,000. ‘The church is ina highly dangerous and dilapidated condition, and is at present closed. Intercommnication, ———— QUESTIONS. [2568.]—Colouring Bricks.—What does the com- position for colouring bricks consist of which is gene- rally used in and about London 2—A SupscriseEr. (2569.J—Lines, Levels, and Elevations.—I would feel much obliged if any of your numerous readers would accurately define what is the meaning of the legal terms ‘lines, levels, and elevations of a house,” such being the wording in some Irish leases. —Z.Y.X. (2570 ]—Brick-Burning Kilns—Can any of your correspondents give me any information as to the formation of Hoffman's or other economical coal- burning brick-kilns, with particulars of patents, &c., and cost? Also, information respecting the best brick- making machinery, and where same can be seen in use, will greatly oblige your correspondent.—W. (2571.]—Prime Cost.—Can any reader quote a legal definition, or, failing that, state the general defi- nition of the specification term ‘‘prime cost’? Is is taken to convey manufacturer's list prices, or actual cost price—é.e., list price minus a fabulous amount of discount? And, again, does it represent the cost of the article in question only at the works, or does it comprehend all its surroundings, means and appliances for fixing, carriage, time expended in selection, corre- spondence, and so on ad injinitum ?—F. (2572.)—Elm in Joinery.—In a factory lately built in the midland counties, 13in. elm has been used for the treads of the staircase, and elm pads were speci- fied for fixing the door-frames in their openings. I have always understood that elm was unfitted for joiner’s work, on account of its excessive warping and shrinking. Perhaps some correspondent will inform me on this point, and state his opinion on the use of elm.—P. (2573,]—Polishing Sicilian Marble.—Would any reader kindly inform me what ingredients are used to polish Sicilian marble, and if the same will do for all kinds of marble, and where it can be had ?— STONEMASON. [2574.|— Capitals, Italian Renaissance.—Can any of your readers kindly oblige me by giving me some hints as to the carving of some capitals in the above style? What kind of form and treatment ? Can any one give me the names of any works containing illustrations which will do for reference? An early reply will greatly favour.—East Lonpon. REPLIES. (2552.]—Estimate.—No definite price per foot can be quoted for the buildings in question, prices being ruled by the extent of the job, size of the rooms, amount and class of workmanship, character of fittings, finishings, &c., style of architecture adopted, presence or absence of ornamentation, and the thousand-and- one circumstances incidental to bricks, mortar, and their accompaniments. Cubing for cost is somewhat fallacious, unless the price fixed is substantiated by reliable collateral evidence or sound judgment. Middle- class villas range from 3d. to Is. Schools the same. Churches are more readily estimated at per sitting— from £4 to £10 and more. Schools, also, at per child, from £4 upwards.—F. (2562.|—Voluntary Architectural Examina- tion.—These examinations are held once a year, in London, some time in May, provided a sufficient number of candidates present themselves. It is divided into three classes—preliminary, proficiency, and dis- tinction. In the preliminary examination you are examined in drawing, mathematics, materials and con- struction, history, and, if you choose, some extra sub- jects. In the class of proficiency, in addition to these, there is design, perspective, mensuration, physics, pro- fessional practice, and probationary work prepared beforehand. If ‘Country Aspirant ” would send name and address to 17, Redcliffe-street, London, S.W., I would forward more full particulars.—H. McLACHLAN ————__>———_—_ LEGAL INTELLIGENCE. BANKERS’ SECURITY FOR ADVANCES TO BUILDERS. —The Court of Exchequer Chamber has just decided, in the case of Smith and others v. Kirk and another, the right of a banker to his security for an advance to a builder, consisting of an assignment by the builder of his right to the balance of the contract price retained by his employers until the completion of the contract. The plaintiffs, Messrs. Smith & Co., of S. Albans, made advances of £3,000 altogether, and the security was the contract price retained. In the event, however, the banker became insolvent, and the works were finally completed by the sureties with the assent of the bankers, but without any new contract. When the contract price retained (£1,243) came to be paid, the sureties claimed it, contending that the works would never have been completed without their money, ‘Thus the security of the bankers was impugned, and the present suit became necessary. There was some division on the point inthe Court of Exchequer, but now the Court of Exchequer Chamber decided unanimously for the bankers, and there was nothing in the transaction to deprive the bankers of what had been assigned to them,