THE BERZELIUS CLUB YALE UNIVERSITY 
By George Lanctot 
A MONGthe numerous club and society buildings 
^ devoted to the undergraduate interests at 
Yale University, few have embodied the sane and 
“liveable” qualities which mark the dormitory of the 
Berzelius Club, the senior society in the Sheffield 
Scientific School at New Haven. This building, the 
home for the time being of the members of the so¬ 
ciety has been designed, not for the purpose of cre¬ 
ating an atmosphere of mystery which characterizes so 
many of the undergraduate society houses throughout 
the country, but for the purpose of fulfilling the re¬ 
quirements of the men whose home it is. To this end 
the house was designed along old Colonial lines, and 
the rooms and furnishings have been arranged and 
selected for the purpose of creating what is essentially 
a home atmosphere. 
The exterior is exceedingly well proportioned, 
designed with dignified freedom and detailed with a 
high sense of artistic feeling and restraint. The 
novel treatment of the street facade is refreshing, yet 
withal utilitarian and sane. The balance of the 
twin entrances, another most attractive feature of the 
facade, is admirably sustained. 
Good Colonial is as scarce as poor French is ram¬ 
pant, and by far the greater part of the failures in 
Colonial are due to the unsympathetic or faulty 
handling of the column treatment. The designer of 
the Berzelius, in spite of the height given to the 
entrance portico, has made his column treatment a^ 
very successful part of the whole, lending a dignity 
otherwise impossible. 
As an example of careful execution, both in the 
splendid mod¬ 
elling of the 
detail and the 
handling of the 
brick, the Ber¬ 
zelius presents 
many points 
of superiority. 
Simplicity is 
the dominant 
note in the dec- 
oration and 
furnishing of 
the interior. 
The decorative 
details are har¬ 
monious, the 
hangings and 
rugs rich, 
though low 
in tone, and 
every piece of 
furniture selected with thoughtful care and well- 
defined purpose. The accompanying photograph 
shows the main living-room. This room has been 
so planned that every bit of furniture may be used 
to the best advantage. The windows are broad and 
high, flooding the room with light in the daytime, 
the fireplace, a great old-fashioned affair large enough 
to allow of the burning of huge logs, and the reign¬ 
ing spirit one essentially of homeliness and comfort. 
It is but one of the many just as successful rooms 
in the Club’s home. 
Indoors and out the design is Colonial, good Colo¬ 
nial, and the Berzelius is fortunate in possessing a 
house so comfortable, yet architecturally so admira¬ 
ble. 
The greatest satisfaction is felt with the result of 
the decision of the members who actively participated 
in the building of the new home to have the entire 
work done under the new “one-contract” system of 
building. Messrs. Hoggson Brothers, 5 East Forty- 
fourth Street, New York, are the designers of this con¬ 
tract which includes every detail of the designing, 
construction and furnishing. They were given the 
commission outright—and their novel method of 
building has seldom found more successful expres¬ 
sion than in the case of the Berzelius Club. To 
place in the hands of one firm the entire responsi¬ 
bility for a completed home is nothing if not a start¬ 
ling innovation in building, but the advantages to 
the prospective owner are many and great. 
Artistically, a consistent uniformity of style and har¬ 
mony of architectural treatment is assured, as the best 
of talent is re¬ 
tained for the 
solution of all 
problems, while 
a’t the same 
time the owner 
and architect 
is relieved from 
the annoyance 
of incessant 
watchfulness 
overthe matters 
of material and 
construct! v e 
detail—holding 
Messrs. Hogg¬ 
son Brothers 
directly respon¬ 
sible. 
Limit of cost 
will appeal to 
the experienced 
147 
LOUNGING ROOM 
