CONSTRUCTION.
A prime consideration in the selection of material is the manner in which the separate pieces can be united and the amount of strength which will result from their union. Construction, which unites these masses and by their union encloses the spaces, is essentially dependent upon these qualities, and yet is itself one of the most essential factors in the artistic success of the fabric. It is the province of construction to arrange the necessary spaces and to enclose them with materials, also to combine the prescribed masses of materials so that, firmly united and banded, they may enclose a space. The art of construction also exacts variety in the form and size of the masses, and this variation must accord with the nature of the material itself and the dimensions of the space to be enclosed; yet almost every case permits of 1111111C7011S methods.
The style of construction affects most essentially the aspect of the design, for the question will perpetually arise which out of many possible modes of construction shall be chosen when neither the dimen sions of the rooms nor the qualities of the materials exact a special one. If spaciousness is the only object, rooms may be enclosed and covered with the least possible expenditure of material and in the simplest manner, but to produce an xsthetic result a more complex construction is demanded, and its realization will require more material.
Here also Nature gives us an unerring example. How wonderfully does she construct the skeleton, the sinews, the muscles, and the skin which surrounds them ! Nowhere a superfluous mass, nowhere a heed less connection ! For the ends of mere existence an organism may be very simple and light in structure, not requiring for the function of locomotion the strength which resides in muscles. The weight of its body is not sufficiently great to need the support of a skel eton. But the higher we ascend in the kingdom of Nature, the more complicated are the organisms and the vaster are the masses which enter into their construction, not only that they may withstand external forces and perform their complete functions, but also because a higher place in Nature's economy demands a higher organization and greater exertion. Nature's principles of construction yield for the guidance of Architecture the following law: The simplest methods should not always be adopted, for to the extent that the aim is ideal it must be expressed by more complex methods and designs. We must not limit the material to the minimum needed for safety, but must provide an overplus propor tionate to the grandeur and ideality of the edifice.'