International studio (27.1905/1906(1906))

The Dromenagh Estate

and in the second how those that lie towards the
road will help to makeascreen between the houses
and the main road with its possible fnotor cars in
future. A glance at Fig. 6, of which I shall have
more to say below, will show the setting of another
of the houses. On this part of the estate there
were no trees on the site selected, though there
was a beautiful wood of pines at the back, and an
avenue of limes has therefore been planted to lead
up to the house.
A consideration of the natural features leads
inevitably to that of the building materials of the
district. Brick with some treatment of rough cast
would seem to be the most appropriate and eco-
nomical, and one of the characteristics of the
neighbourhood appears to be a brownish tile
which, if properly sanded, gathers a golden liehen.
For “Little Coppice” (Fig. 2) I used a grey-green
slate in preference to the tile, and it certainly looks
well against the dark wall of pines at the side of
the garden. The pine forest is indicated in the
drawing. For the rest, it is my object as far as
possible to save superfluous mechanical detail; to
keep the Ornament simple and severe, reserving a
few good or individual pieces of handicraft for
each house or group of houses rather than to

multiply complex machine mouldings; and, above
all, to keep the proportions good.
As for the type of houses, they will be roughly
of two sorts : those of the larger type of which
three are here shown, and those of the smaller,
which will be built in small blocks with gardens
behind and in front. One of these, a block of
five, is about to be built at the entrance of the
village of Iver Heath at the Western end of the
estate (Figs. 4 and 5). It is shown with two
village shops at the wings on either side, a
butcher’s shop and a störe. The little houses in
between these will be let at rentals of about 6s. to
js. 6d. a week. As for the finance of the larger
houses, it is proposed to build from about ^1,000
upwards, and to build for the tenants themselves
at a small ground rent or to give them easy terms.
The house shown in Fig. 7 is thus being built for
a rentof g6o a year, with Option of purchase at an
easy ground rent. The plan of this house explains
itself: it was determined by the tenant’s own re-
quirements. The colour effect is white and red,
with a yellow tone on the tiles when they begin to
weather.
As it is our object to give to each house a
character of its own, and at the same time to so


“Back elevations


Plan of Front Garden,and Elevation of lence

FIG. 5.—PLAN OF COTTAGES AND SHOPS FOR THE DROMENAGH ESTATE
5°

C. R. ASHBEE, ARCHITECT