BRAEE

L. A. Building Aheod of '57

13uilding in Los Angeles city ancl colurt)- is running slightly al'read of 1957 figures, reports the L. A. Chamber of Cornmerce Research del>artment. The October cotrstruction report shovr.ed a total valuation of $1,106,161,400 for the first 10 months oi 1958, an increase over last year of .9'y'. Drrplexes ancl otl'rer types of multipledrvellirrg units are the only housing ieacliug 1957 figures. There n'ere 31,912 corrstructecl so far this year, fi.3/o above tl'te 1957 figure. Construction of sirrgle- fanrily clwellings droppecl sharply in l95fl to 21,751, 2+.7% rrncler 1957. However, the Cl.ranrber reporterl, trencls indicate the ltercentagc of <lecreasc is being narrciu'ecl each rronth this year. The city's October builcling totalecl $.10,650,700, comp:rred rvith $35,714,000 in September. The county's October figrrre u'as $101,030,- 000; above September's $81,209,000. October cln'elling rrnits constructed were 1,425, against Septenrber'l 1,0111. The county's October l-rousing rrr-rits were 5,138, against 3,801 in September.

New Home Stondqrds Eqsed

\\iashirrgton, l).C., Nor'. 20-Sn.raller houses, lo'r,r,er ceilings and sn.raller lots u'ill be some of the iterns pernrittecl rurrcler a rnassive revision of the Fecleral Flousing Aclmirri stratic-r tr's n erv mitrimur-n starr clarcls f or clrv el l i n gs, a-n lro u llccs FII .\ Conrnrissiorrer Nonnan P. I'lason, Nerv l,-rrglanrl lunrber dealer. The changes n'ill be ellective arourrrl April l to <1rr:rlify ft-'r l'-I I A llrurtgage iusunurt'e.

Saicl X,Iason: "We have hoped to provicle brrilclers n'itli u'a1.s of constructing perfectly adcrluate I'rorrsing at a sar'irrg u,hich they can l)ass olt to consrrmers."

Insicle kitchens u'ill nou' be acceptable u,'ith mecharrical '"'cntilation and artificial iight substitrrtecl for r,r.inc1ou,s. Although t'nost stantlarcls were liberalizecl. some F I l:\ rerlrrirements u'ere tightened : l-os r\ngeles citl- and c()ultt)' olhcials \\'arne(l that the ner,v FHA n-rininrrrrn starrclarrls annorrrrcecl in \\tashing-ton last nrolth do NO'fin the nr:rin confrir-nr to local cocles. \\rhile Iil'lA loals ruav be marle rrncler the neu, starrrlarrls, Gilbert llorris, general malrascrr of the City Dept. of l3uilding & Safetl-, saicl pernrits l'oulcl not lL>e issue<1. Nlorris said in p:rrticular that a u'irrclou'less kitchen is forbidclen ncit only br.city corle but by state 1au'as rvell. Citl-:rncl corrrity lalvs u'ottlcl forbid hrrmau occupallcy of basenrents u.ith lou,ered ceiling, accrtrcling to\\,rillian .f errsetr, zrssistant corrnty srrperintenrlent of builrling.

L l{oonr sizes must be slightly larger.

2. jJe<lroom sizes :rre r-nore fle-rible but the smallest bedroonr nrrrst l'rave ert least 80 scr. ft. ilrsteacl ol 70.

3. (lerreral storage area is increaserl fronr 300 crrbic feet t() +ZJ.

1. I lalls rnust be at least three feet u'irrc.

The tteu' rules specifv that eacl.r dr",'elling unit nrust have at least tu'o habitable roon.rs ancl a bathroont. e\ceDt that in a 2-fanrilv house, olre apartllrent rnay be arr efficiencl- unit. llinilntrrr.r lot sizes ilre no longer specihcrl but the FIJA u,ill p:iss ()n the arle<1uacv of a lot. Ceiling heights may be clro1r1rc<l front 7 feet to (f(/' in the bzrscr.nent arrd lrom 7,6', to 6'li" in halls ancl baths. Other ceilings nrav r-ary u'ith total r<rcnn aver:rge of 7'(l'.

\\rherc the FI-:l A increasecl stanciarrls, snch as requiring 80 sq. ft. for berlroorls, Jenserr cleclarerl, "Thisis zi case u'here FIIA is conring rlp to orlr stanclar<ls. Orrr co<le is concerned u'ith structrrral safety, rvherezrs IiHA is concernecl ."vitl-r possible resale r-a111es."

U. S. Plywood Appoinfs lutz

Russel H. Lutz, -fr., has been appoir-rted sales promotion manager of Unitecl States Plyrl'ood Corporation, allnounces Richarcl S. Lowell, adr.ertisirrg and sales promotion director.