A DISTRICT HOSPITAL : ITS CONSTRUCTION AND COST. 1 13 



have chosen ; and the material I select is corrugated iron. 

 Now, there are three objections to this material. The first is a 

 certain prejudice against it which I have found exists; a prejudice 

 which I believe is partly due to the unscientific and inartistic- 

 treatment generally given to buildings constructed with it. But 

 these are the north and west elevations of the Kiama Hospital ; and 

 I hope you will consider that the taste of the Architect, Mr. Charles 

 A. Harding, of Wentworth Court, Sydney, has produced as 

 agreeable a design in 1 his simple material as need be. (Figs. 1 and 2.) 

 Another objection is based on the score of durability. But I 

 apprehend that a faithfully built structure of this kind may be 

 trusted to endure for a generation — for 30 or 40 years at least ; 

 and, as far as I can understand, it is not considered certain that 

 such a building would not last considerably longer. But a 

 generation will do, surely. At the end of that time one of two 

 things must have happened : either the town and district will 

 have so increased that a large hospital on a new site and built 

 necessarily of brick or stone, must be put up ; or, if it should hav r e 

 remained nearly stationary, then the next generation must bear its 

 own burden by providing a new building like the old one. One of 

 these objections then is met by showing that it is, at least in my 

 opinion, unfounded ; the other appears to have no real weight. The 

 third remains, and this is both sounder and more difficult to over- 

 come ; it is that the conducting properties of iron render it an 

 unsuitable material for this climate, affording but insufficient 

 protection against the heat of summer and the cold of winter alike. 

 This has the greater force when it is understood that, in order 

 to secure the greatest economy consistent with efficiency, the inner 

 as well as the outer walls are made of iron ; but I have met it, 

 and met it successfully, by adopting the following method of 

 construction. In the first place the wall-space and the roof-space 

 are freely connected ; this is done by means of a duct which 

 continues the former around the wall-plate (Fig. 3). In the second 

 place, the combined spaces mentioned are very carefully shut off from 

 communication with the rooms of the building ; the ventilation of 

 the latter is quite independent of the roof space, instead of being, 

 as usual, into it. In the ridge are placed large louvered lanterns, 

 (Fig. 1 .) which form exits for the air passing through the roof and 

 wall-space ; these louvres should admit of being closed, or nearly 

 closed, wdien desired by a suitable arrangement of connecting rods 

 accessible from the floor level outside. All round the building at 

 the bottom, and below the iron of the w T alls, runs an opening eight 

 inches high ; this being divided into suitable lengths of about 

 eight feet, is closed by a series of longitudinal doors. They have 

 hooks to support them open ; they should shut down on a strip 

 of rooting felt, and should be close 1 with pressure fastenings.. 



H— August 3, 1887. 



