120 Notes and Reflections during a Tour : — 



have to be kept than is usually done in such places ; because, 

 among other things, there is the sea air to contend with. 



Aji Architecfs House. — An architect near the Oriental Gar- 

 den, whose name we do not mention (not that we do not know 

 him to have too much good sense to take offence at our re- 

 marks, but simply because we intend the essential part of these 

 remarks to apply generally, and in truth knowing very few 

 exceptions), has built himself a fanciful house, bearing consi- 

 derable resemblance to the King's Pavilion. It is a fact, that 

 very few architects build for themselves such houses as a private 

 gentleman would choose to live in : they are so completely en- 

 grossed with the means, that they forget the end ; so entirely 

 occupied with their knowledge of their art, that they forget 

 to be wise, i. e. moderate, in its application. Economy and 

 convenience necessarily require much of the architect's consi- 

 deration, and, unfortunately for the health of occupiers, these 

 requisites lead to the practice of getting many parts into little 

 i'oom. In his own house the architect generally contrives to 

 have something of every thing, because he is proud to show 

 that he knows how every thing may be provided for; and his 

 desires, in consequence of an ill-regulated mind, from defective 

 education and prejudiced taste, exceeding his means, he is of 

 course compelled to have every thing in very little space. A 

 gardener is likely to fall into the same error in laying out his 

 own garden, and very probably there is no architect who would 

 not make the same objection to our crowded little paradise, 

 that we do to their miniature mansions or palaces. The 

 iapartments in the house we allude to are numerous and ele- 

 gantly furnished, but so very small and low, that the cubic 

 feet of air contained in all of them put together would not fill 

 more than a good-sized sitting-room. We are persuaded that 

 the importance to health of having an ample volume of air, 

 and of having a stream of fresh air constantly entering into and 

 passing from that volume, is not thoroughly understood among 

 architects generally, otherwise they would never build such 

 houses for themselves, nor consent to such low ceilings and 

 small'-sized rooms as we find even in the best houses. Rooms 

 with low ceilings are often rendered still more unhealthy than 

 they would be, by the windows being so placed as not to admit 

 of complete ventilation. Wherever the windows of a room are 

 not carried so high as the cornices, the stratum of air above 

 their level may be considered as undergoing very little change, 

 even when the windows are opened, and scarcely any change 

 ti^hen they are shut. The unwholesomeness of servants' bed- 

 rooms in great houses, and of tiie upper bedrooms in many 

 of the street houses in London and Brighton, in this respect, 



