20 Miracles Ahead! 



go along copying the wagon. They produced an entirely new 

 type vehicle. Why shouldn't we architects do the same in- 

 stead of copying French chateaux, Spanish villas or ante- 

 bellum mansions?" 



Mr. Keck believes that houses should be designed to afford 

 a maximum of comfort and convenience. In planning his 

 houses he uses the sun's rays to aid in heating them. Thus the 

 south wall of the house is made chiefly of glass. A wide flat 

 roof overhangs the edge of the building to shade the glass 

 wall. 



"The object here," he explains, "is to shut out the intensely 

 hot summer sun, as with an awning; and when the sun is low 

 on the horizon in the winter, to admit the winter sun. In this 

 manner one takes advantage of the sun in the wintertime when 

 it is desirable to have the sun heat, and controls the hot sum- 

 mer sun. Such an arrangement will help heat the house in 

 winter and keep it cooler in summer, and will make all 

 the rooms in the house very pleasant places to be at any 



time." 



This house is basementless with panel floor heat, which 

 means that the floor is a moderately warm radiator which 

 heats the house. Panel floor heat keeps the feet warm, and 

 children rolling and playing on the floor will not be cold. In 

 the coldest weather the floor can be kept at 80 to 90 degrees 

 Fahrenheit and can provide comfortable room temperature. 



The northern side of the house is almost a solid wall to 

 provide utmost insulation against the wind and cold of win- 

 ter. The projecting eave lines of the roof prevent blowing 

 rains from entering any openings in the house. 



The roof is flat, and strong enough to carry a thin sheet of 

 water for summer cooling. The sun's rays cool the house by 

 evaporation, just as they cool a swimmer in a wet bathing 

 suit. This idea is an application of one used by the ancient 



