A Castle for Every Man 23 



The Apartments of Tomorrow 



What about the more than 13 per cent of American fami- 

 lies (about 4,000,000 out of 30,000,000) who live in apart- 

 ments and may continue to do so? Architects and designers 

 have not forgotten them. Apartments of tomorrow will pro- 

 vide more comfort and living space than ever before. 



Elisabeth Coit, who is one of the few woman members of 

 the American Institute of Architects, spent two years study- 

 ing the good and bad in housing, and talking to tenants in 

 low-cost apartments. She has given fellow architects a lot of 

 excellent firsthand information on apartments from the ten- 

 ant's viewpoint. 



She pointed out that the trend in apartments is toward 

 larger rooms. One survey showed that apartments with an 

 average room area of 168 square feet proved very satisfactory, 

 while one with an average of 113 square feet was hard to 

 rent. 



"This to me," she said, "is a healthy development. I always 

 urge clients to think of rooms not as boxes but as spaces for 

 certain uses. A large space is easier to adapt to several pur- 

 poses than a tiny one. 



"But let's see," she added, "how average families use their 

 homes, and whether the apartments are designed with such 

 use in view. Families in small quarters, for example, need 

 living rooms for callers, meals, quiet relaxation or emergency 

 bedrooms. Yet most living rooms are chiefly runways for en- 

 trance to other rooms. They afford neither quiet nor privacy. 



"A living room should be planned so you can shut it off 

 from other rooms when you want to. It should have a closet; 

 and be separated from the kitchen. In fact, the living room 

 might lend some space to the bedrooms. Rooms designed only 

 for sleeping are a waste, for they are used only a few hours." 



