THE £1,000 ALL-BRITISH HOUSE COMPETITION
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR]
SIR,—Regarding Mr. Boumphrey's letter in your issue for the 2nd instant, the contract for the building of the particular house shown in the photograph previously sent to you, was signed in April, 1933, and at a figure of £1,083, which, as taken from a report of the time to Sir Edwin Lutyens, R.A., the assessor, was made up by extras as follows : Forming Cesspool (no sewer available) .. £15 o 0 Fencing to larger site . . . . 3 0 0
Additional decoration allowance .. 20 o o Additional 12 in. on depth at Competition rate 48 o o
(Last two items being client's wishes) .. 06 o o
Therefore, and without these abnormal items, the cost was actually £3 Jess than the Competition estimate. So much for the learned Mr. Boumphrey's " it can't be done " attitude.
As to Mr. Boumphrey's criticism of the Competition draw- ings, I would quote from a report, of October, 1933, by Mr. Edwin Gunn (one " other critic " he now tries to pass the baby on to 0, who said that the house had then been erected " with no more variation than might normally arise between sketch design and working drawings," and here I would inform Mr. Boumphrey that architects are not asked to. submit " work- ing drawings " in competitions.
I believe it was Pliny the Elder who said that we should be losing our sight if we persisted in studying detail without con- ception of unity, and this is where I consider the critics of 5932 came unstuck, and poor Mr. Boumphrey like a sheep followed them !—Yours faithfully, EDWARD BANKS. 25 Grove Wood Hill, Coulsdon, Surrey.
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