DOI Heft:
No. 62 (May, 1898)
DOI Artikel:Townsend, Charles Harrison: "Cliff Towers": a house on the Devonshire coast, by C. Harrison Townsend
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18391#0265
A House on the Devonshire Coast
living in a very actual world, and of the architect friendly account. To work apart from such con-
specially may it be said that he shows himself to siderations, to design an " ideal house," is as though
be truly an artist just in proportion as he succeeds a painter set himself the silly task of painting the
in triumphing over his imposed conditions. It is " ideal man." Without problems where is the
for him, perhaps, more than for any other crafts- one artist or the other, and how, when absolutely
man to turn what seems to obstruct into what actually unconditioned, are either painter or architect to pro-
helps, and he shows his skill by so moulding his duce more than airy nothings, lacking the strenu-
difficulties as to shape them into his successes. ousness and reality due to actual difficulties
Climate, exigencies of site, conditions brought squarely met and conquered ? A mere paper-
about by the building materials available, the design for some kind of house, for some one, some-
idiosyncrasies and peculiarities of every client— where, is but a thin, impalpable and purposeless
these may be disregarded by those who design affair. An artist produces not a house but the
houses to be read about, not to be lived in. But house—that is, the house for such and such a man
they are features, and helpful features, that an of so much (or so little) income, with such and
architect face to face with a real problem turns to such needs, and for this given position, and under
these local conditions.
Therein lies the chief
r——-— charm of an architect's
jJJ I HJjJj, work; for no problem
jr^r^H submitted to him is, or
A Jr A can ke' solvable in exactly
/ xv A the same way as the last,
/ J? \ and h^s creative faculties
^/ jy^ | and originality are always
being confronted with
fresh material which his
ingenuity kneads and
shapes in proper form for
his desired end. His
work is interesting so far,
and only so far, as it is the
outcome of necessities
M moulded by invention.
PPpPB gQ much by way of
'3^2 ^ A apologetic introduction to
£™ the following notes on my
CLIFF TOWERS." SECTION C. HARRISON TOWNSEND, ARCHITECT drawings for Z. hOUSe in
living in a very actual world, and of the architect friendly account. To work apart from such con-
specially may it be said that he shows himself to siderations, to design an " ideal house," is as though
be truly an artist just in proportion as he succeeds a painter set himself the silly task of painting the
in triumphing over his imposed conditions. It is " ideal man." Without problems where is the
for him, perhaps, more than for any other crafts- one artist or the other, and how, when absolutely
man to turn what seems to obstruct into what actually unconditioned, are either painter or architect to pro-
helps, and he shows his skill by so moulding his duce more than airy nothings, lacking the strenu-
difficulties as to shape them into his successes. ousness and reality due to actual difficulties
Climate, exigencies of site, conditions brought squarely met and conquered ? A mere paper-
about by the building materials available, the design for some kind of house, for some one, some-
idiosyncrasies and peculiarities of every client— where, is but a thin, impalpable and purposeless
these may be disregarded by those who design affair. An artist produces not a house but the
houses to be read about, not to be lived in. But house—that is, the house for such and such a man
they are features, and helpful features, that an of so much (or so little) income, with such and
architect face to face with a real problem turns to such needs, and for this given position, and under
these local conditions.
Therein lies the chief
r——-— charm of an architect's
jJJ I HJjJj, work; for no problem
jr^r^H submitted to him is, or
A Jr A can ke' solvable in exactly
/ xv A the same way as the last,
/ J? \ and h^s creative faculties
^/ jy^ | and originality are always
being confronted with
fresh material which his
ingenuity kneads and
shapes in proper form for
his desired end. His
work is interesting so far,
and only so far, as it is the
outcome of necessities
M moulded by invention.
PPpPB gQ much by way of
'3^2 ^ A apologetic introduction to
£™ the following notes on my
CLIFF TOWERS." SECTION C. HARRISON TOWNSEND, ARCHITECT drawings for Z. hOUSe in