1090

PRACTICE OF
ARCHITECTURE. Book III.
are to l)e avoided in sm;ill laundries,
because they cannot be maintained without consider-
able
expense.
Clothes are more easily and effectively dried when protected from rain, and
suspended in strong cross currents of air.
3020. The
water-cistern
should be as close to the laundry as possible, in order that the
pipin"' may be short, with very few joints and bends so as to be free from the risks
which attend a
variety of levels. More attention is desirable to the dimensions of the iron
piping, and the nature and position of the services, tlian they usually receive. Tlius means
should' be provided for filling, emptying, and cleaning tiie cistern or tank
;
also for regu-
lating tlie supply
during the time t!iat any portion of the piping is uiider repair. Every
risiiio- main sliotjld be furnished with at least two valves. Tlie first is best fixed in tie
junction between the rising main and the company's street main, so as to regulate the entire
tupply of the builtling.
The second should be fixed at ihe bottom of the rising main, so
as to release the water which remains in the pipe after the cistern has been filled. In some
cases an additional cock, 2 feet above eacii fioor level, for the supply of buckets, or for the
connexion of hose in case of fire, may be desirable.
3021. A few square yards o( plai/-grouhd is of inestimalde value for the labouring man's
children. One large ])lay-ground to a block of buildings is of much greater use than
many small yards to as many colta'zes, and has tended as much as anything to ensure the
success of the large blocks ol dwellings in London.
302-2. The drain-jiipes should be of tlie best description, and their diameters larger than
those employed under ordinary circumstances, l)ecause their liabilities to obstruction are
very much greater. The main drains should be external to the building, and sup)]lied
with examination holes at; intervals for repair and cleansing, and should possess tiie means
of being regularly flushed with water. When the ground is sott, the diains, butii large and
small, should be laid upon beds of concrete, to
preserve them in their proper falls. Soil
and other pipes should be ventilated by being taken above the roof of the building.
,'3023. Tiie site for a block of associated dwellings should bp as open and in a situation
as public as possible, not only to receive the adva.itages of light ana ventilation, but that it
may be easily found and readily accessible, and that its residents may have contact witli
neighbours whose habits and ajipearance are superior to their own. The ends of the site
should face north and south, so that its east and west sides slould have the morning and
evening sun. It should offer every facility for good drainage; the nature of the subsoil
should be well ascertained, and every necessary precaution taken to avoid, or to clear out,
any accumulation of foul refuse that may have been carted into the vacant site. The most
eeonomical dimensions for a site within the jurisdiction of the JMetropolit.ni Board of
Works in London, are 108 feet long by 60 feet wide. This area will acconimodate a
building 108 feet long by 34 feet wide, and admit of a playground 26 feet deep in its rear.
The multiple of 108 by 34=3600 in round numbers, is the area allowed by Act of Parlia-
ment for a buildmg containing several distinct tenements, and possessing oidy one entrance
and staircase. The height of the l)uilding is best kept at 46 feet from the groiuid-line to
tiie eaves of the roof; it admits of as many stories of divellings as can be occupied with
comfort to the tenants, and it requires no imnecessary thickness of walls. If made five
stories in height it will contain 40 or 45 dwellings, about 16 water-clo.sets, 8 lavatories,
8 wash tubs and coppers.
3024. The following paragraplis comprise a brief description of the dwellings lately built
or now constructing. In the basement, only a small cellnr need be provided lor dust, access
to it is to be obtained by a small external staircase under its first landing, but diNtinct,
so that the dust may be removed without annoyance. The ground, first, seeond, and third
floor plans may be divided througliout their entire length into two equal portions, by a
corridor 4 feet 2 inches wide, on each side of which are arranged the dwellings
{Jiy.
1354.).
In the centre is the prin-
cipal entrance, which is
5 feet 6 inches wide, and
furnished with external and
internal folding-doors un-
der tlie immediate super-
vision of the poiter wliose
office adjoins it. The
staircase, placed imme-
diately opposite to the en-
trance, is 8 feet wide, with
solid square stone steps
having a 10-inch tread,
and an average rise of 7
inches. 'I'lie side furtliest
from the corridor has an
arch 7 feel wide, and ei- rte 1864. FKaBODV iJWKLLiMJS, COlIMEliClAL ST&ilKT.