Studio: international art (28.1903)

A Seaside House

of fishing boats, and elsewhere left in the natural
colour of the canvas. Or, again, a decoration
scheme takes as its basis the " Imperial murex dye,"
and this purple tone, with bluey greens and the white
wings of seagulls, will again suggest the colours of the
sea. In such surrounding, coral and amber will be
fitting as ornaments to the cords from which hang
silver lamps; and so both in materials, colouring,
and subjects the seaside note is again and again
repeated.

But such final adornments are but the finish-
ing touches in a scheme which mainly depends
upon the plan for what merit it possesses. It
is customary, and indeed generally desirable, to
adopt the rectangle or the square as the basis for
the plan of a house, and in departing from such
usage there must be some reasonable end to be
attained, some practical advantage aimed at. For
a house is necessarily before all things a practical
matter, and should fulfil before all things the re-
quirements of everyday life. A " phantom of
delight" it may be at first sight, but on closer
acquaintance it should prove well adapted for
'' human nature's daily food," or the delight it

" YELLOWSANDS " : VIEW FROM THE SOUTH

M. H. BAILLIE SCOTT, ARCHITECT

190

inspired will be shortlived. In making, then, the
central feature of the house a hexagon, which
forms a nucleus for four wings, it will be necessary
to show that something more than mere novelty
has been aimed at. Where the usual rectangular
type of plan is adopted there are two methods of
arranging the principal rooms. Either they may
be arranged in a row, which gives each its south
aspect and full share of sunlight, but neces-
sarily precludes compactness of plan and demands
much space to be used in corridors; or, if more
compactly planned in a square, some of the rooms
are necessarily deficient in sunlight. So the southern
aspect is gained at the expense of compactness and
vice versa. But in the arrangement shown it will be
observed that while each room obtains its share of
sunlight the plan as a whole is fairly compact, and
little space is wasted on corridors and passages.

Then, again, the three southern rooms enclose
the hexagonal terrace, which, thus enclosed and
sheltered from the north, north-east, and north-west,
becomes a trap for southern sunshine—a shelter
from all but southern breezes. On the northern
side the plan suggests the octagonal forecourt, and
a further extension of its wings, with the addition
of stables and other outbuildings, would result in
what is perhaps the most satisfactory of all plans
for a country house—the house built round a court.

In the arrangement of the surroundings of such
a house, the plan suggests the forms of terraces and
lawns, which repeat again and again its form, so
that the whole scheme develops itself naturally from
the nucleus of the hexagonal hall.

If the plan is now considered from the point of
view of the requirements of the normal family, it
will be observed that while the centre hall becomes
the general gathering place, the wings are set apart
for the various members. The study, made sound-
proof by the thick wall which divides it from the
hall, is lighted from the south-east and north-east.
The bower overlooks the southern terrace with a
small window facing north-east, which gives light
at the fireside; the children's room, also over-
looking the terrace, has a separate porch and
approach from the garden, while the remaining
wing is devoted to the dining recess and kitchen
premises, the kitchen being lighted on opposite
sides, and thus being easily cross-ventilated.

The question of routes has also been carefully
considered, and it will be seen that by screening
the space in the hall under the gallery, which runs
round three of its six sides, the various rooms
can be reached without passing through the hall
itself.