CORRESPONDENCE.
A PISE. DE TERRE COTTAGE.
(To THIS Eorroa or THE " SPECIATOE...] Sra,—It will I feel sure interest the readers of the Spectator to know that I am about to try an experiment in Cottage-Building in Pied de Terre, the method of construction with compressed earth (dry and not wet like cob) which has been often described in the Spectator—a method which I was able to use on a small scale during the war, for earteheds, garden sheds, and a dining-room for soldiers who were in hospital in•my house. I may slid that the late President of the Board of Agriculture was kind enough to express great interest in the experiment and a strong desire that I should carry it out, and he further offered to give me any help that might be in his power in the matter of securing -materials. Happily, the question of materials has greatly reduced terrors for the Pied builder. The one walling material that, as not risen in price is earth.
The building will be carried out under the direction of Major Clough Williams-Ellie, an architect who is much interested in Pied de Terre, and who, the readers of the Spectator may remember, designed and erected the cheapest cottage in this Cottage-Building Competition at Merrow Common in 1913-1914.
Later on I hope to publish the plane and specification of my Plod cottage and to be able to arrange that readers of the Spectator who visit the Surrey Hills can see it. When visibility -is assured notice will be given of 'the fact in these columns.
While dealing with the question of Pisd I should like to add an account of a Pis6 building inspired by the Spectator articles and erected in South Africa.
The building in question was erected by Mr. Pickstone, the well-known fruitgrower. On the strength of what he had read -of Pied de Terre in the Spectator Mr. Pickstone under- -took to build a station building and stationmaster's house for the railway station -at Simondium in the Drakenstein Valley, a place which during the summer is noted for its great heat. In the January number of the South African Railways and Harbour, Magazine Mr. Pickstone gives a detailed account of his bold and successful experiment, and illustrates it by a reproduction of some of his photographs. Here is his own account of what he did:- " It ,must bare been about eighteen months ago that the Railway Administration decided to promote Simondium Siding to the dignity of a station. As a siding it had always been a busy place in the fruit season, during which time a permanent checker had for-some years been kept quite busy, his accommo- dation being a couple of small tin shanties, and he had been accustomed to-board out where be could. Now we were to have a ' pukka' stationmaster and, presumably, suitable premises. The department quickly got to work and the stationmaster's house arrived. It was what one might call a second-hand, or even a third- or fourth-hand one, consisting of the inevitable sheets of .galvanized iron and the ever-essential Oregon and Swedish timber. Our new stationmaster also shortly after- wards arrived, and turned out to be a married man with a -wife and four children. The stationmaster was not a grouser, but during the hot summer—and it is terribly hot in the Drakenstein Valley during that time of the year—he com- plained to me that it was almost impossible to hold on, owing to the conditions under which he and his family had to live. It was just about this time that I saw in the Spectator a series of articles strongly advocating ' Pied de Terre' construction for buildings of all kinds; especially was it recommended as it war-time expedient for rapid and economical construction for barracks and hospitals, and, indeed, it was strongly recom- mended by Mr. St. Loe Strachey, the Editor, for all sorts of general building and military purposes. It is a curious fact. which many readers could verify, that frequently one lives one's life under certain conditions, and in reality remains absolutely blind to their presence and potentialities. Here was I, living in a country where some of the most beautiful old homesteads are on the principle of the 'Plod de Terre construction, and a large proportion of the older farm buildings in this district also built of similar material, with the additional pleasing accompaniment of beautiful beams, ceilings and floors made of Colonial pine—one may advisedly add, the despised Colonial pine. Some of these buildings have stood the wear and use of close on a century, and are still an object of joy to those privileged to have an eye to see. Here lived I, as I say, blind to its potentialities for to-day, although it had been clearly appreciated and carried out with the most charming and solid results by our great-grandfathers in the old slave-labour days." - The supervising architect, Mr. Kendall, who was responsible for carrying out the work to the admirable designs of Mr. Herbert Baker, gives the following description of the way in which the work Was actually executed. It contains several very useful hints :— " The construction of walls determined upon was that known as ' Pied de Terre,' consisting of earth walls some 18in. to ffiie. thick, which owe their solidity to a simple process of ramming between wooden casings previously placed in position on both sides. These walls are built in stages of some three feet in height, the wood casing being raised at intervals as required. The frames for doors and windows are placed in position at the right time and anchored into the walls by means of long hoop-iron ties. -These walls, when completed, give a surface almost as hard as burnt brick, but the external angles present a slight point of weakness, as from their exposure they would be naturally inclined to chip away in cases of rough usage. In order to overcome this it was arranged that irregular brick quoins -should be embedded in the angles all the way up as
the work proceeded. The walls when completed were they
plastered and whitewashed, and present as good an appearance se more expensively plastered brickwork. As additional security the weather sides were given, prior to whitewashing, a coat of hot gas tar direct on the plaster, which in all exterior work was lime plus 10 per cent. cement. The roofs are of thatch with a fairly good overhang at the eaves in order to form a protection for the walls."
On one point I may reassure 31r. Kendall. I do not think he need be afraid of his walls being destroyed by the weather even if he has no overhang. Part of a Pise wall in my cartshed, built in a very exposed situation, has no over- hang. Further, the wall is not covered by cement or any other protective covering. The compressed earth was left quite bare, and yet the three worst winters of alternating wet and frost known for many years have made no impression upon the wall. It seems to be both rain-proof and frost-proof.
I may add that 31r. Pickstone informs me in a letter dated February 19th that the rise walls have proved an enormous success from the point of view of protection from the heat. Whereas in an iron building lined with wood the temperature in the hot weather went up to 104 deg. Fahrenheit, in the stationmaster's Pise de Terre dining-room the thermometer registered only 86 (leg. Those who have ever lived where such temperatures prevail will note the immense advantage gained by the Pisti walls. Such temperatures try strong men and women, and for children they are positively death-dealing.—
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