TRAJAN'S
COLUMN ·
NEWS
NOTES
TOPICS
chance to argue matters out in a debated the point under the auspices
common cause.
AGENTS BEWARE!
There is a move in England to list on all technical advertising matter the cost of the particular equipment or material being sold. It is a most
of the R.I.C.S., A.A., R.I.B.A., and in Government departments. Matters arising have ranged from tender pro- fixed prices, to job cedure and
and control,
control, through management and technical co-ordination and design co- operation. It seems that cost planning and analysis call for attention by all concerned with building, and the
welcome move. A natural reluctance amongst manufacturers to commit themselves in this way was under- publication of cost information would standable when costs were fluctuating the time between signing a contract be a boon we all know that during
from day to day. But now that and work actually starting, the con-
the costs of all the materials he wishes
tractor finds that steel has risen in
greater economic stability has been achieved the publication in advertising price by $10 a pical and we have no literature of clearly-indicated prices reliable means of checking his conten- is a thing to be commended. To the
tion! Perhaps the Society of Archi- busy architect, contractor, and client, tects could turn its attention to cost to consider are of paramount impor- would be very welcome and highly analysis. A symposium on the subject tance, and as the great majority of the handouts of technical data used regarded in all quarters. in Hong Kong comes from the U.K. *Antispiralatics there is hope that the advertising agencies' publications will, ipso facto, The B.B.C. is now broadcasting a be to our benefit also.
BROADCASTS ON BUILDING
series of weekly programmes for
control.
―
the science of cost
THINGS TO COME.
Ear-to-the-ground reports tell of rum-
people interested in building. Under Almost as important is the obtain- the title of "Building Matters" a ing of technical advice from the blings in military circles, half-a-dozen most mundane and unromantic name, manufacturers, agents and suppliers, of our leading locals being hard at incidentally, and so terribly lacking but the knowledge of some (not all, work trying to conform to a staff pro- in imagination -the half-hour talks by a long way) of these gentlemen of gramme of re-organisation and rebuild- cover every aspect of the industry from the import-export world of the pro- ing in the Army lands on the island, planning and design to materials and duct they are selling, is deplorable, and in Kowloon and the New Terri- methods. It uses an open forum and We had a call from a salesman tories. A stiff time-table indeed, with takes in developments in the United recently who, with a flourish, deposited the War Office in London being allow- Kingdom and abroad.
a large sample of paint on our desk. ed almost as many weeks to sort out its But, to use on what, he had no idea. approvals as is given to the architects The idea is commended to our
Wall, floor, plaster, woodwork, prim- to make their surveys and prepare local radio organisations, whether the cultured tones of Radio Hong Kong, ken.
er or finish; it was just beyond his their sketch plans. However, some in- He also sold cooking fats and teresting building will no doubt result. the enterprising sights and sounds of face powders! An importer of wood Then there is the new library for the flooring did not know how his University, coming off the drawing matter-of-fact aspects of Commercial material could be fixed, whilst a local board any time now; an imposing Radio. After all, with an annual paint manufacturer's salesman just pile despite site limitations and access expenditure of some $200,000,000 per wanted his material used. He had no difficulties. As for our Asian neigh- year on private building and $40,000, idea what sort of work the office was bours, the Mekong River project is 000 on Government projects, in addi-
engaged upon and, in fact, he was getting well under way, with surveys tion to the millions of dollars spent obviously under the impression that and investigations at any rate. Bang- on pure engineering works such as he was visiting quite a different archi- kok is to have a new city plan, and dams, roads, etc., there is bound to
Rediffusion, or the more material and
be a great deal of interest from the listening public. It might also be opportune to use this medium for
tectural firm!
ANTISPIRALATICS.
the Minister for National Development in Singapore has announced his five- year plan to build 83,647 dwellings for 420,000 people; three times the 12-year achievement of the S.I.T.! We will see.
correcting misunderstandings, dis- Proceeding a stage further in the seminating knowledge, and stimulating search for economics and the curbing interest in good design and construc- of inflation, the study of antispirala- tion. After all, the average layman, tics* is receiving a great deal of atten when in the role of client, always tion these days. Över the past two seems to know better than the archi- years conferences, seminars, symposia Prof. W. G. Gregory, Professor of tect or contractor and here is a and other learned gatherings have Architecture at the University of Hong
THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER
VOLUME 14, NUMBER 3
TRAJAN
27