House and Garden 
DESIGN NO. 4—WELL SUITED TO TYPE C 
Nettleton & Kahn, Architects, Detroit 
This is an ordinary suburban villa, to be built in Portland, Oregon, and will cost $8,000, complete in all particulars and fireproof. 
The man for whom I designed it likes the idea of or the appearance of wood siding and shingle exterior, so I will design it to look 
something like design No. 4, which he likes very much, but the walls will be hollow tile covered with asbestos siding and shingles, instead 
of wood, and painted any colors he wishes. The partitions will be hollow tile and the floor construction of wide-span tile without steel, 
hut the finish, doors and top flooring, etc., will be wood—he wants it so. The first floor shows open porch at A, parlor B, sitting-room 
D, dining room E, kitchen F, pantry G, ice S, hall C, hats and coats T, and stair at H. Note that the stair is entered from pantry, 
as well as hall, and serves as “back” as well as main stair, and its being closed assures perfect privacy. There is a wide door from 
the hall, and windows of art-wired glass; also an outside door for the boys on the landing of the basement stairs. These generally noisy 
fellows may go up to their room without going through any part of the house. Second storey has bedrooms at I, J, K, L, bath at Q, 
closets at M, linen, etc., at P and R. There are three bedrooms in attic and a well finished basement with laundry, heating plant, etc. 
A well-equipped, modern house. 
plished a duty toward himself, his lellow men, his 
city and, necessarily, his country. 
Years ago, when fireproofing was costly, people 
knew it and cited that as one argument why the better 
construction should not be used in houses. People 
have never forgotten the argument, for it is still 
heard on every side. It is well known that precedent 
and custom have a strong hold on our people! As 
a matter of fact, to build a house of wood in a way 
approaching what might be termed the perfection 
of imperfect construction—that is, with furred walls, 
deadened floors, and all that sort of thing (which 
people resort to in an attempt to make the best out 
of a bad bargain)—your wooden framed house not 
only costs you more in the long run, but more actually 
in first, primary cost, than one of ordinary fireproof 
construction where no such extraordinary care has 
to be taken. 
In closely built blocks in the cities, where danger 
is even greater than in the suburbs or the country, 
fireproofing is all the more necessary. Admitting 
its necessity, and that it is not the costly thing you 
used to imagine, you naturally ask, “what does con¬ 
stitute fireproof ?” You have heard about so-and- 
so’s building which was “slow-burning,” or some 
people even called it “fireproof,” and it burned 
down inside of an hour; and’such another, an apart¬ 
ment house or church in which all the framing was 
of steel, and the outer walls of stone, went by the 
board in even less time; it didn’t burn but it fell down, 
all warped and mangled by the fire. Therefore— 
“What is fireproof ?” 
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