Studio: international art (71.1917)

The Lay Figure

THE LAY FIGURE: ON DOMESTIC
ARCHITECTURE AFTER THE WAR.

"A | A HERE seems to be good reason for
thinking that the war will bring
about many changes in our social
institutions and arrangements, and I
wonder how such changes will affect domestic
architecture," said the Critic. " Architects
have had a pretty bad time since war broke
out, but there is sure to be plenty for them
to do when it is all over, and the question
is, are they turning their thoughts to the new
conditions which are arising and must certainly
lead to new developments in their practice ? "

" I cannot in the least see how any changes
in social conditions such as you appear to an-
ticipate are likely to affect the building of
houses," replied the Plain Man. " There is,
of course, a very great shortage to be made
good, but after a little while things will be very
much as they were before the war, except, per-
haps, that building, like nearly everything else,
will cost a good deal more."

" That is very probable," exclaimed the Man
with the Red Tie, " and the question of cost will
itself, of course, be an important factor in future
developments. But you are entirely mistaken
in supposing that social conditions will have no
effect on building. The history of architecture
is conclusive proof to the contrary."

" Well, I cannot say I know much about the
history of architecture," retorted the Plain
Man, but after all, is it not the chief concern of
the Architect to provide people with houses
that are attractive in appearance, and will he not
continue to do this whatever happens ? "

" Your view of the Architect's function is a
very narrow one," broke in the Critic. " If he
is an artist, as he ought to be, he will, of course,
be mindful of the aesthetic problems with which
he has to deal, but he must never lose sight of
the purpose for which a building is intended,
and if that building is a dwelling-house he must
take account of the needs and circumstances of
its occupants."

" I should think the occupants might be
trusted to look after their own comforts and
convenience," replied the Plain Man. " I do
not see what social changes are likely to arise
that will make any difference as regards that."

" Social changes are already taking place
which do affect very considerably the amenities
126

of domestic life," rejoined the Critic. " If you
lived in one of those taU terrace houses with
dingy basements which the mid-Victorians were
so fond of, you would soon find how difficult it
was to get servants to live in them."

" I fancy those basements have served a very
useful purpose of late," interposed the Man with
the Red Tie. " But, of course, though they may
be all very well during an air raid, they certainly
are objectionable to live in always, and I am not
surprised at servants shunning them."

" Precisely," concurred the Critic. " And
then there are now so many other occupations
open to women that domestic servants are
scarcer than ever, and this scarcity is likely to
continue long after the war. Clearly it will be
the duty of the thoughtful Architect to take
these circumstances into account in planning new
dwelling-houses. The habitations of the future
must be adapted to conditions markedly different
from those which have existed hitherto."

" But the war and the conditions produced
by it are not going to last for ever," observed
the Plain Man.

" The war .will, of course, come to an end
sooner or later, but the changes in the status
of women which it has helped to introduce will
be permanent," replied the Critic. " And those
changes may be expected to react on domestic
architecture in more ways than one. In families
that have to dispense with part or even the whole
of the assistance they have been accustomed to
receive from servants, the demand will be for a
type of dwelling that involves as little expendi-
ture of energy as possible—domestic drudgery
must be reduced to a minimum."

" And then, of course, there will be so many
single women earning their own living that their
requirements also will have to be considered,"
suggested the Man with the Red Tie. " And
it is obvious that those requirements cannot be
quite the same as those of a family."

" Certainly, and there you come upon another
problem awaiting the architect," observed the
Critic. " If he takes a conscientious view of
his responsibilities he will not fail to devote
attention to the best means of meeting these in
common with other requirements which will
ensue from the new conditions. Architecture
is the most vital of all the arts, and the archi-
tect's chief duty is to ascertain and fulfil vital
requirements as they arise."

The Lay Figure.