Where Do YOU Fit in This'Home of the Future'?

A preview of the "home of the future', and new ideas on how builders, architects and lumber manufacturers can work -together more effectively are contained in a report published July 1 by the National Lumber Manufacturers Association.

The report, a 187-page tr_anscript of a two-day Wood In- dustry Product Planning Conferince held in Washinston. contains more than a score of recommendations whichl according to leading architects and builders who participated would increase the use of wood in home constrirction.'

Most of the proposals call for lumber manufacturers to expand and accelerate their research in an efiort to:

1. fmprove present methods of component construction.

2. Hold down or reduce the on-site labor costs of builders.

3. Make available more pre-cut, pre-packaged and pre-finished wood items

4. Help builders to conserve materials through more precise engineering and use of the same inaterial for both structural and finish purposes.

Attended by 27 nationally-known figures in the fields of building, home design, lumber manuJacture and lumber distribution, the Wood Industry Product planning Conference was sponsored by the National Lumber Manrifacturers Association, the Timber Engineering Co., NLMA,s re_ search-engineering affiliate, and the l,lational Association of Home Builders.

The conference rvas-called by lumbermen to get the views of architects and builders on- how wood migit capture a greater share of the housing market. In this connection, builders, architects and otherJ familiar with the use of wood in home construction were asked for constructive criticism of the lumber industry and its present products.

Greater use of component parts was identified as one of the building industry's primary objectives for the 1960's, the decade when new home ionstruction is expected to break all existing records.

. One- build_er spokesman said he believes it possible, through an all-out effort on the part of builders and'building materials_producers, to reduce. liome building costs from thE present $10-per-square-foot and up, to apprdximately $5. The' consensus among architects ina buitders -as that wood has a "tremendous future,' in home building if the lumber industry will undertake the product re"sea-rch necessary to keep pace with competitive materials.

Voiced frequently at the conference was the recommendation that various elements of the wood industries cooperate to launch a mammoth _research program and set up a central Ho^using Research and Development Laboratory.

One function of the laboratory, panel members said, should be to develop technical slanilards for wood as a building material-an activity now conducted mainly by the federal government. Another purpose of the laboritorv would be to furnish architects and builders with complet'e technical information on all new developments conceriring wood.

A key proposal of the conference was that ,.some sort of master Tinker-Toy" system be developed so that wood parts could be fastened together into structural frames or panels by unskilled mechanics.

Architect-s participating in,the meeting called for greater emphasis of good design and special features that in'crease the livability and individuality of homes.

These factors, the architects contended, should be given ju* as much consideration as building costs.

One builder representative agreed-that the building in_

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