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kitchen, the ice-doors, and the like, as well as for the occasional filling of the coal 

 bins. The garage should also be placed in connection with the service vard. 

 The drive may be made equally convenient as a main entrance, regardless of 

 which side of the house it is placed. Hence in properties of this size the driveway 

 is preferably on the service side of the house, and this may well be at that side 

 of the house which is nearest the boundary. 



If the dining room must be on the side overlooking such a driveway, this 

 need not be considered unfortunate, for a dining room does not need especially 

 beautiful outlooks as much as does the living room. The dining room is used for 

 considerably less time than is the living room, and one is somewhat preoccupied 

 during meals, and much of the time meals are served when it is quite too dark to 

 see outside anyway. Morning sunlight in the dining room and in the kitchen 

 is, however, very desirable. Also, it is quite possible, even in small and unpre- 

 tentious houses, to arrange for the serving of occasional meals on the rear porch 

 or on the terraces. First-floor plans may dispose of a kitchen toward the front 

 or toward the back of the house but always adjoining the driveway, and still 

 allow for a dining room that will command some view toward the rear if this 

 seems preferable to the front outlook; but in any case, when a choice must be 

 made, it is both reasonable and feasible to correlate the dining room primarily 

 with the service side of a house; and it is likewise reasonable for the service side 

 of a house to be quite near the side boundary. 



What, then, are the minimum requirements for space on the service side of a 

 house? The driveway need be no wider than eight feet, and this width is neces- 

 sary only for safety in darkness and when excessive snow makes it difficult to keep 

 the road. In addition to a driveway, it is highly desirable to have room for a 

 strong boundary hedge, which, in maturity, may require five feet of ground space 

 and become ten or twelve feet high. One may think he will not want so large a 

 hedge, but it is better to allow for space for it, if possible, as the desire for a higher 

 hedge may grow faster than the hedge. Some turf is desirable between the house 

 and the drive, and likewise between the drive and the hedge, wall, or fence. 

 It is also likely that one or more shrubs will be wanted at the house corners. 

 Hence it is hardly safe to allow less than from ten to fifteen feet between the 

 house and the boundary on the narrow side. But, with this explanation of the 

 factors involved, rather than to endeavor to lay down fixed dimensions for ex- 

 tremely variable conditions, it would be better to suggest that the precise position 

 of the house with respect to its side boundaries should be determined only after 

 due consideration of the plans for both sides of the house. It is not desirable to 

 have cramped appearances in any situation, and only by patient study may 

 the best allotment of space on all sides be obtained. 



While for the necessary and work elements, space may be limited to the extent 

 of convenience and satisfactory appearance, there is no limit to the area and to the 

 opportunity desirable for the recreational elements, both inside and out. There- 

 fore it is fortunate if living rooms, porches, and terraces can be on the sunny sides 

 of houses, and overlook the wider side yards and ample rear areas as well. There 

 are times of the year and times of the day when each side of a house is more 

 pleasant than the others, but for a greater part of the time the sunny sides are 

 more pleasant. Furthermore, most plants grow best in full sunlight, and this is 

 especially to be desired close to the buildings. It is far easier to make those 



