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Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



December 25, 1917 



The Architect and Built-Up Panels 



Possibilities of Interesting the Designer in Better Products for Interior Trim 



ARCHITECTS ARE PECULIAR. They are dif- 

 ferent from other people, combining, as they 

 do, engineering with art, business with a pro- 

 fession. They admit their distinctiveness, and 

 hence it may be taken for granted in considering them. 



Because they are sui generis, and stand apart from 

 ordinary buyers of various products, manufacturers 

 whose business is influenced to a large extent by the 

 way in which architects favor their goods have found it 

 wise to make a special study of the situation; to organize 

 architectural departments; to train salesmen in the proper 

 method of approaching them, and, in short, to treat the 

 architect exactly as if he were an important, particular, 

 hard-to-sell prospect. 



For that is exactly what he is. 



Although he does not buy anything outright, his abil- 

 ity to include a product or an idea in a design is so great 

 that it is necessary to get him interested as well as the 

 owner. The latter, recognizing the technical character 

 of building design, usually puts the entire proposition up 

 to the architect, after giving him his ideas in a general 

 way. Thus, no matter how much effort has been spent 

 on the owner, in getting him interested in the use of any 





particular item in a new building, it is the architect who 

 has the final say, and whose recommendation goes a 

 long way in the direction of deciding the matter. 



What does this mean from the standpoint of the con- 

 cern making high-grade face veneers or built-up panels 

 suitable for interior trim? 



It simply suggests that as part of the sales work which 

 is being undertaken, something be done to interest the 

 architects in this kind of work, and stimulate their efforts 

 to have high-class wood interiors provided for in their 

 designs of fine residences, hotels, clubs, hospitals, schools, 

 theaters and other public buildings. 



There is no doubt that a great deal could be done 

 along this line. The possibilities of embellishing interiors 

 by means of the right kind of w^ood panels, properly 

 finished, are so great that once an architect became really 

 enthused on the subject — as he would probably be if 

 he were given an opportunity to study it at short range — 

 he would be a "fan" on the use of built-up panels ever 

 after, and would lose no opportunity to improve his 

 buildings by the inclusion of fine work of this character. 

 There are so many handsome buildings which are lack- 

 ing in the elegant, rich and livable qualities produced by 

 wood panels that one is justified in assuming that the 

 lack is due to failure on the part of someone to suggest 

 this treatment to the architect. 



Of course, it would not do to go to the designer and 

 tell him of his ignorance on the subject of wood in in- 

 terior trim. He probably thinks he knows all that it is 

 necessary to have knowledge of on this and every other 

 subject connected with building. His professional dig- 

 nity might be affronted by a blunt suggestion of this 

 kind. But if a diplomatic salesman were to intimate 

 that he could show some ideas and samples having to do 

 with securing an unusual and distinctive effect for a cer- 

 tain class of buildings, the architect w^ould probably 

 unbend sufficiently to take account of the suggestion and 

 permit the salesman to show v^rhat he had to offer. 



The veneer man could work along this line with the 

 panel man. In fact, the two should do a little team- 

 work, because their interests in the matter are mutual. 

 1 he veneer man seldom hears of the job until the veneers 

 needed for the panels are to be bought, and then the 

 information comes from the concern w^hich is to build 

 the panels and install them. However, if he had been 

 apprised of the project early in the action, he would have 

 been in a position to get in touch with the architect, to 

 show him the possibilities of veneered work in fine woods, 

 and to make certain that the job would include this 

 feature. 



There is no reason why those interested in the wood- 

 work should sit back and wait for the final decision to 



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