Professional Societies New Session of the R. I. B. A.
The Inaugural Meeting, which will be opened by the President’s address, will be held at 9 Conduit Street, W. l, at 8. 30 p. m., on Monday, November 7.
The medal for the year 1926, which was awarded to Mr. Hubert Lidbetter, A. R. I. B. A., for Friends’ House, Euston Road, will be presented to Mr. Lidbetter.
The Institution of Civil Engineers
The Council of the Institution have made the following awards: —
The Howard Quinquennial prize to Professor W. E. Dalby, M. A., B. Sc., F. R. S., M. Inst. C. E., in recognition of his researches on the strength and structure of iron and steel. The Indian Premium to Mr. A. W. Stonebridge, M. Inst. C. E.
For Selected Engineering Papers published during session 1926-27: —
A Telford Gold Medal to Sir E. Owen Williams, K. B. E., B. Sc., M. Inst. C. E. (London); Telford Premiums to Messrs. E. H. Salmon, D. Sc., M. Inst. C. E. (London), R. S. Cole, M. A., Assoc. M. Inst. C. E. (India), H. Mawson, D. Sc., Assoc. M. Inst. C. E. (Liverpool), and A. H. Douglas, M. C., B. A., B. A. I., Assoc. M. Inst. C. E. (London); and a Crampton Prize to Mr. D. McLellan, M. Inst. C. E. (Glasgow).
For Papers read at Students’ Meetings in London or by Students before Meetings of Local Associations during the same session: —
The James Forrest Medal, the James Prescott Joule Medal and a Miller Prize to Mr. R. F. Legget, B. Eng., Stud. Inst. C. E. (Liverpool); and Miller Prizes to Messrs. A. H. D. Markwick, B. Sc., Stud. Inst. C. E. (Ferrybridge), F. C. Jordan, B. Sc., B. Sc. Tech., Stud. Inst. C. E. (London), L. G. B. Rock, Stud. Inst. C. E. (London), C. J. Chaplin, B. Sc., Stud. Inst. C. E. (Wakefield), and F. V. Cornish, B. Sc., Stud. Inst. C. E. (Tankerton).
Southeud-on-Sea and District Society of
Architects
President, Sir Charles A. Nicholson, Bt. A general meeting of the Society will be held on Wednesday next at the School of Arts and Crafts, Southend, at 8 p. m. Mr. Leonard Freeborn, M. B. E., A. I. Struct. E., will lecture on “East Anglian Brickwork, ” illustrated by lantern slides.
The Incorporated Association of Architects and Surveyors
The opening of this Association’s new headquarters, 1 Wilbraham Place, Belgravia, London, S. W. 1, will take place on October 22, at 11 a. m. The second annual dinner and dance will be held on the same day at the Hotel Cecil, W. C. 2. An attractive souvenir publication has been issued which gives a brief history of the Association since its inception, together with illustrations of its new home.
Correspondence
Architectural School Competitions
To the Editor, The Architect & Building News.
Sir, — I fear Mr. Bernard Widdow’s proposals would do little to improve the present loose methods of assessing competitions. Two quotations from a paper that I read before the R. I. B. A. in 1915 may indicate where his proposed scheme would fail, and the reason why competitions often end unsatisfactorily.
“The competition for the Law Courts in 1866 and
1867 was conducted by a Commission, with whose concurrence the following were appointed as judges:
Chief Justice Cockburn. Sir Roundell Palmer. W. E. Gladstone.
W. Stirling (Maxwell).
W. Cowper, First Commissioner of Works.
“In response to an application from the competitors, two professional men — John Shaw and George Pownall — were added. The judges took into consultation every interested party they could call to mind, asking for verdicts on the plans from each special point of view. As may be imagined, though the designs submitted were only ten in number, the affair got into a desperate tangle. As an example, a report on ninety-nine various points of detail based on the views of heads of departments and other authorities shows that every competitor scores somewhere. Edward Barry is an easy first, and G. E. Street near the bottom of the list. This might in itself be regarded as a sufficient proof of the futility of this method of analysis, but if a further one be needed an inspection of the mass of reports and investigations resulting will more than suffice. ”
In this case the suggested system of marking was adopted.
From a Minority Report of the Competitions Committee, 1908: —
‘‘The present dissatisfaction is due less to the existing methods of assessing than to the lack of any defined and recognised standard as to the qualities that should distinguish a fine building, and that in default of such a standard no system of assessing, however perfect in itself, can do more than mitigate the evil.
“They consider, therefore, that the best efforts of the R. I. B. A. should be directed towards promoting a unity of aim in regard to architectural expression. This, however, does not appear to be a question on which any immediate practical recommendation is possible, being a matter of slow growth, the outcome of a better system of education. In the meantime the absence of such unity must affect the method of assessing, and the divergence of aim and difference of opinion among architects make some application of the jury system advisable. ”
A method often employed in the U. S. A. might be advantageous, where a specialist in the organisation and handling of competitions deals with everything except the actual adjudication. In this he co-operates with two other architects, generally chosen for their experience of the class of building involved. — Yours faithfully.
H. V. Lanchester.
19 Bedford Square, W. C. 1. October 11, 1927.
To the Editor, The Architect & Building News.
Sir, — We have been much interested in the letter of Mr. Bernard Widdows in your issue of October 7, his suggestions coinciding with views we have long held with regard to the assessing of school competitions, except that we would suggest that whilst there be two architects, the remaining representatives be: One from the Board of Education, one from the teaching profession, and one from the Ministry of Health. —Yours faithfully.
Biram & Fletcher.
17 George Street, St. Helens. October 11, 1927.
The tender of the Widnes Foundry (1925), Ltd., at £86, 120, was accepted last week for the new bascule bridge to replace the existing North Bridge over the River Hull at Hull.
The Inaugural Meeting, which will be opened by the President’s address, will be held at 9 Conduit Street, W. l, at 8. 30 p. m., on Monday, November 7.
The medal for the year 1926, which was awarded to Mr. Hubert Lidbetter, A. R. I. B. A., for Friends’ House, Euston Road, will be presented to Mr. Lidbetter.
The Institution of Civil Engineers
The Council of the Institution have made the following awards: —
The Howard Quinquennial prize to Professor W. E. Dalby, M. A., B. Sc., F. R. S., M. Inst. C. E., in recognition of his researches on the strength and structure of iron and steel. The Indian Premium to Mr. A. W. Stonebridge, M. Inst. C. E.
For Selected Engineering Papers published during session 1926-27: —
A Telford Gold Medal to Sir E. Owen Williams, K. B. E., B. Sc., M. Inst. C. E. (London); Telford Premiums to Messrs. E. H. Salmon, D. Sc., M. Inst. C. E. (London), R. S. Cole, M. A., Assoc. M. Inst. C. E. (India), H. Mawson, D. Sc., Assoc. M. Inst. C. E. (Liverpool), and A. H. Douglas, M. C., B. A., B. A. I., Assoc. M. Inst. C. E. (London); and a Crampton Prize to Mr. D. McLellan, M. Inst. C. E. (Glasgow).
For Papers read at Students’ Meetings in London or by Students before Meetings of Local Associations during the same session: —
The James Forrest Medal, the James Prescott Joule Medal and a Miller Prize to Mr. R. F. Legget, B. Eng., Stud. Inst. C. E. (Liverpool); and Miller Prizes to Messrs. A. H. D. Markwick, B. Sc., Stud. Inst. C. E. (Ferrybridge), F. C. Jordan, B. Sc., B. Sc. Tech., Stud. Inst. C. E. (London), L. G. B. Rock, Stud. Inst. C. E. (London), C. J. Chaplin, B. Sc., Stud. Inst. C. E. (Wakefield), and F. V. Cornish, B. Sc., Stud. Inst. C. E. (Tankerton).
Southeud-on-Sea and District Society of
Architects
President, Sir Charles A. Nicholson, Bt. A general meeting of the Society will be held on Wednesday next at the School of Arts and Crafts, Southend, at 8 p. m. Mr. Leonard Freeborn, M. B. E., A. I. Struct. E., will lecture on “East Anglian Brickwork, ” illustrated by lantern slides.
The Incorporated Association of Architects and Surveyors
The opening of this Association’s new headquarters, 1 Wilbraham Place, Belgravia, London, S. W. 1, will take place on October 22, at 11 a. m. The second annual dinner and dance will be held on the same day at the Hotel Cecil, W. C. 2. An attractive souvenir publication has been issued which gives a brief history of the Association since its inception, together with illustrations of its new home.
Correspondence
Architectural School Competitions
To the Editor, The Architect & Building News.
Sir, — I fear Mr. Bernard Widdow’s proposals would do little to improve the present loose methods of assessing competitions. Two quotations from a paper that I read before the R. I. B. A. in 1915 may indicate where his proposed scheme would fail, and the reason why competitions often end unsatisfactorily.
“The competition for the Law Courts in 1866 and
1867 was conducted by a Commission, with whose concurrence the following were appointed as judges:
Chief Justice Cockburn. Sir Roundell Palmer. W. E. Gladstone.
W. Stirling (Maxwell).
W. Cowper, First Commissioner of Works.
“In response to an application from the competitors, two professional men — John Shaw and George Pownall — were added. The judges took into consultation every interested party they could call to mind, asking for verdicts on the plans from each special point of view. As may be imagined, though the designs submitted were only ten in number, the affair got into a desperate tangle. As an example, a report on ninety-nine various points of detail based on the views of heads of departments and other authorities shows that every competitor scores somewhere. Edward Barry is an easy first, and G. E. Street near the bottom of the list. This might in itself be regarded as a sufficient proof of the futility of this method of analysis, but if a further one be needed an inspection of the mass of reports and investigations resulting will more than suffice. ”
In this case the suggested system of marking was adopted.
From a Minority Report of the Competitions Committee, 1908: —
‘‘The present dissatisfaction is due less to the existing methods of assessing than to the lack of any defined and recognised standard as to the qualities that should distinguish a fine building, and that in default of such a standard no system of assessing, however perfect in itself, can do more than mitigate the evil.
“They consider, therefore, that the best efforts of the R. I. B. A. should be directed towards promoting a unity of aim in regard to architectural expression. This, however, does not appear to be a question on which any immediate practical recommendation is possible, being a matter of slow growth, the outcome of a better system of education. In the meantime the absence of such unity must affect the method of assessing, and the divergence of aim and difference of opinion among architects make some application of the jury system advisable. ”
A method often employed in the U. S. A. might be advantageous, where a specialist in the organisation and handling of competitions deals with everything except the actual adjudication. In this he co-operates with two other architects, generally chosen for their experience of the class of building involved. — Yours faithfully.
H. V. Lanchester.
19 Bedford Square, W. C. 1. October 11, 1927.
To the Editor, The Architect & Building News.
Sir, — We have been much interested in the letter of Mr. Bernard Widdows in your issue of October 7, his suggestions coinciding with views we have long held with regard to the assessing of school competitions, except that we would suggest that whilst there be two architects, the remaining representatives be: One from the Board of Education, one from the teaching profession, and one from the Ministry of Health. —Yours faithfully.
Biram & Fletcher.
17 George Street, St. Helens. October 11, 1927.
The tender of the Widnes Foundry (1925), Ltd., at £86, 120, was accepted last week for the new bascule bridge to replace the existing North Bridge over the River Hull at Hull.