THE CHEAP COTTAGE PROBLEM.
[To TUE EDITOR Of TUE " SFECTLTOR."] SIE,—Referring to Mr. Strachey's cottages, they are certainly not cheap, compared with some I recently erected in the Midlands covering exactly the same area. They contained living-room, 14 ft. 6 in. by lift.; kitchen sculleries, 10 ft. by 9 ft. 9 in.; store, coals, larder, w.c., and entrance-lobby bedroom, 14 ft. Bin, by 11 ft.; bedroom, 8 ft. 3 in. by 7 ft.; and child's room, 7 ft. by 6 ft.; with cupboards in two rooms. Gas was laid on and fittings provided, tip-up baths and dressers were included, and soil and surface drainage laid and connected with sewers. The brick walla were covered with cement, rough-cast outside and plastered inside, and finished with
"Dureoco." These cottages were built under stringent by- laws and the builder's contract was £140 each. The builder was Mi. C. Bryant, Small Heath, Birmingham.
I have sent you a 2150 plan in comparison with Mr. Strachey's. I do this simply to illustrate my point that it pays to let an architect prepare the plans and specification (at a cost of, say, 25 Ss.) without superintendence. Although I have not actrially built from this plan, I have just received an estimate of £165 for building a detached house exactly similar in size and elevation, with a bay-window, ingle-nook, and greenhouse in addition ; these additions added to the extra cost of building a detached house would account for the extra £15.
If the parlour shown on plan were turned into a bedroom, and the back bedroom omitted, about £8 would be saved oa each house, and the second bedroom would be increased in size to 12 ft. 6 in. by 10 ft. 6 in. Of course, this type of plan is of no use for agricultural labourers. Cottages for this class containing large living-rooms and washhouse, with two bedrooms, should be built for £100, and with three bedrooms for £110, and others with large living-room, kitchen, and three bedrooms for about £125.-1 am, Sir, Scc., W. G. LEWTON, Architect. Shinfield, Reading.
[Unless there was some extraordinary circumstance, such as bricks obtainable below cost price, Mr. Lewton must be congratulated on a remarkable success in building £140 cottages. The elevations show a very pleasant-looking house. The plans given above are attractive, and we are glad to have his positive assurance that the cottage can be built for 2150. We see no reason, however, to think him too optimistic, as many excellent cottages were built at Letchworth for the first Cheap Cottages Exhibition to compete for the prize for the best £150 cottage. As we have said repeatedly, there is no mystery about the matter. Good cottages can be built for £150 on many designs provided that great care is given to the avoidance of unnecessary expenditure. Owing to want of space we have been obliged to leave out a portion of our correspondent's letter, but we may note that he makes the excellent suggestion that County Councils should purchase from architects well-thought-out plans of cheap cottages and supply these to persons desirous of building at a nominal price. County Councils could have alternatives as to material to be chosen from according to the price of materials in particular districts.—En. Spectator.]
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