A Castle for Every Man 27 



Holden, prominent architect and a Fellow of the American 

 Institute of Architects: 



"Even a willing public will fail to get the benefit of the 

 improvements that may be possible [in home construction] 

 if it is ignorant and complacent. In all of our large cities and 

 many of our small towns, laws have been passed to protect the 

 public safety and health against abuses in the design and con- 

 struction of buildings. But suppose a well-meaning building 

 code reads something like this: 'All exterior walls shall be a 

 rninimum of 8" of masonry construction. . . . All interior 

 wall surfaces, except where panelled in wood, shall be of plas- 

 ter or tile. . . . All floors in bathrooms shall be of approved 

 masonry construction.' These are phrases taken out of typical 

 building codes; they have the effect of preventing innovations 

 and improvements within the limits which are 'protected' by 

 such restrictive codes." 



In order to economize particularly in plumbing materials, 

 the Federal Government drew up a compromise building 

 code, which many cities and towns agreed to follow during 

 the war emergency. But they may return to more restrictive 

 codes when the war ends, unless the public demands a realis- 

 tic policy toward prefabricated building materials. 



In its 1943 report on a postwar economic program and 

 social security plans, the National Resources Planning Board 

 urged the modernization of building codes and recognition 

 of the value of modern refinements and improvements in con- 

 struction materials and methods. 



There is danger likewise that life-insurance companies, 

 savings banks, and building and loan associations that lend 

 money on mortgages may be allergic to machine-made houses. 

 These institutions naturally seek to guard their investments 

 by turning thumbs down on the use of building materials that 

 have not been thoroughly tested. But this caution must not be 

 permitted to block the use of the excellent new materials 



