An Informal Thatched Shelter

A change in the economic and social conditions as a result of the World War has had a very marked influence upon the physical aspects of the home. The difficulty and expense of employing labour to maintain the home grounds, scarcity of domestic ser vants, increased taxes and the more general use of the motor car have affected the design of the modern home surroundings. This applies to the homes of rich and poor, and to those living in the open country, in the suburbs and in the town. The result has been a concentration of area and of use. The person formerly requiring an estate of zoo or more acres carefully maintained for outdoor pleasure, is now content with half that area. The suburban dweller who formerly enjoyed ample ground space about his residence now has a confined area intensively used. The small householder is giving up his individual home unit and is moving to the multiple dwelling, or to an apartment or flat where, among other features used in common with his neighbour, may be a roof garden, a court garden or a play area. This tendency has been intensified, of course, particularly in America, by an increased concentration of people in and about the larger towns and cities.

Successful design is dependent upon rhythmic spacing terminat ing in focal or emphasis points. These may be defined by such features as garden benches, sculptural ornaments or figures, groups of figures or architectural structures, trees or plant forms. It matters not whether the design be formal or informal in spirit, the necessity for such points of emphasis prevails. This principle of spacing applies to all design as well as to music.

In landscape design, sculpture thus used is occupying an in creasingly important place. The sculptural forms need not be executed with the same degree of refinement as might properly be employed in museum pieces. The silhouette in proper scale and contrast with its surroundings is of more importance than its other perfections of modelling. Bronze is a popular medium for such features on account of its permanence, but it is not other wise successful as it does not show in strong enough contrast against a foliage background. Marble, on the other hand, is too marked a contrast. Lead, as pop ularly used in England for this purpose, does not withstand the severe weather conditions pre vailing in more rigorous climates.

There is, therefore, an oppor tunity for metallurgists to devise a metal which will lend itself to easy casting, withstand severe weather and afford a medium colour tone and texture between bronze and lead. The matter of contrast and of texture of the sculptural features in relation to the foliage mass is so important that they should be studied together and made to harmonize in one organic whole.

Multiple Homes.

This term is intended to include all struc tures designed to provide for more than one family unit. The

present tendency is toward an increased use of dwellings that provide for many conveniences to be shared in common, so arranging these dwellings as to afford a garden area, frequently an enclosed or partially enclosed court, to be enjoyed co-opera tively by all of the dwellers in that unit.

Marked progress has been made in the sphere of community or regional design. It varies, of course, in scope. A mere group of two or three homes planned in relation one to the other may come under this designation, and it may extend to include a considerable geographical area, providing for more than one nucleus or civic centre. Many benefits may be derived from thus planning home sites in groups.

Institutional Landscape Architecture.

So far as the ap plication of landscape architecture is concerned with the design of areas intended for institutional use, it follows the same motives and principles as domestic landscape architecture. Its purpose always is to provide for use of the area in the most appropriate manner and afford the utmost pleasure through the creation and conservation of beauty.

A marked increase has occurred in recent years in activity and interest in organized exercise and athletics. The schools, both public and private, as well as colleges and universities, have given more and more consideration and space to outdoor exercise. Some universities have required large stadiums with seating ca pacity for from 20,000 to spectators. This requirement must necessarily be recognized and provided for in planning these institutions. Some of the sports, such as football, baseball, racing and the like, are exacting in their requirements as to specific areas; but all may be so organized with the introduction of trees and other foliage masses as to afford a park-like aspect and influence the students toward an appreciation of natural beauty as a result of their daily and intimate contact with that environ ment.

Another sign of changing social conditions has been the adoption of the golf or country club as the centre of interest in each com munity. Yet for those who cannot afford membership in such clubs, municipalities and counties have provided golf courses on public park areas. The primary purpose, of course, has been to afford facilities for playing golf, but as the game requires large open areas on fertile soil and must of necessity be kept in an orderly condition, the opportunity for creating and maintaining pictorial effects is very favourable. While the golfer may be pri marily interested in the game of golf, the indirect and subtle pleas ure resulting from a beautiful environment must necessarily make its appeal and afford a lasting benefit.