WNNDTINff - NATHAN COMPAI{Y

Wholesalers of West Coast Forest Products

564 Market St.

Main Office

San Francisco 4

2185 HuntingtonDrive

Other Offices merits of your new products as to cost, quality and appearance.

SAN MARINO 9, CALIF.

"In the end, the home buyer will be the beneficiary; and as FHA Commissioner. this prospect pleases me immensely."

Business Prospects Rated 'Good'

A leading economist declared that business prospects appear "good" for the remainder of 1959 and the first half of 1960.

Dr. Ralpli Robey, economic adviser to the National Association of Manufacturers, said such conditions can continue "almost indefinitely" and the nation can achieve pros- perity "greater than any we have ever experlsnqsd"provided the government and private industry find solutions to certain "major problems."

Addressing the annual meeting of the National Lumber I\'Ianufacturers Association. Robey identified these problems as ( 1) settlement of the current steel dispute, (2; fhe inter- national balance of payments deficit, (3) Treasury financing, (4) the danger of inflation, (5) taxation and (6) the need for further labor legislation.

Pittock Block PORTLAND 5, ORE.

Wood In A Tiving Architecture

Speech by Henry Hill, San Francisco Architect, Before 1959 Annual l\4eeting of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association

November 11,1959

Washington, D.C.

I thank you for inviting me here today for two reasons: It is good that you have asked for a voice from the West Coast; and two, I hope that I can give you something of the Architect's need Let me, in an over-simplification, tell you what a few are doing now. The Architect is no longer designing the enclosed 161-61 3 series of boxes-with holes punched into the walls through which to peek out. (The so-called "picture window" with its cellophanewrapped lamp shade in the middle, is only a larger 'hole). We are concerned with SPACE, and the three-dimensional definition of that space.

The wall is now a screen to define solid, void, flexible, obscure, grill, or even a curtain of glass-glass, not for its own self, but for what it gives The Architect uses his materials as a technical means to realize his new concept of architecture.

Now, mine is only one man's opinion, for you to accept or reject. I do not advocate one material over another; however, I love wood and, in many ways, I prefer wood over any other material with which to work.

I have read in a recent issue of the Architectural Forum that today lumber production is 15% less than it was 50 years ago. To me this does not make any kind of sense. I feel that during this period, the public (and the Architect) has grown to feel that wood is for residential work only-and when it appears in larger work, it is mostly as a decoration, or as a softening effect only. Is this good enough? And why has it come to this?

The Architect is GIVEN the information that he can span 'so and so'with steel and concrete. Can he do it with wood? Where can he find out? Who will help him? Where is the knowledge (and knowledge that is up to date) ? He knows that other materials are fireproof. The public knows this, too. It is not all the Architect's fault that he does not know that wood may do the same-ancl that woocl, too, can be fireproof. What a waste it is if you have not shared this information with him.

Contrary to the East coast, residential work in the San Francisco Bay area is the backbone of the Architect's ofince. It is safe to say that of this residential work, 1@/o is wood-frame construction. And I will say this: How shocking it is when you have the sympathetic Architect, who WANTS to use wood, who DOES BELIEVE in it, who turns to you, and is sinrply told that "it can't be done."

What tools for the use of wood have you given us? The Woodwork Institute of California has given an excellent one in DETAILS OF MILLWORK FOR CASES.

We have nothing for framing. Take the actual post-the muliion itself. It is the structural and finish piece in itself. A typical corner mullion in my of6ce is shown as made up of two pieces with the glass held by a single stop.

To you, there is the wonderful and simple economic fact: Wood IS economical, and this is NOT an apology; it is simply a positive force in its favor. An architectural problem is only to be realized and solved in three dimensions, by the balance of the SITE, the PROBLEM and the BUDGET. These are in balance, and therefore, are equal Budget sirnply being one of the three.

Why has wood slipped, and is slipping, ir-r use? Here is one ancl, I believe, vital reason, from the Architect's point of view. The Architect is a "standarcl," a corner mullion of-quite literally-l5 pieces! Our typical mullion is one piece. A so-called "standard" is made of 8 pieces; one shows 16 pieces for one mullion. To realize his belicf and conviction, the Architect has in the past (and unfortunately in the present) developed his detailing by himself. We have nothing that we can use for the framing of openings-this SPACE I have spoken of.

A few years ago, the Woodwork Institute started a wonderful survey-Architects cooperating, giving their details-but nothing came of this. What we do have is hopelessly outmoderl, details of 50 years ago, and for East coast conditions at that.

The California Redwood Association has done a good job, but it is not enough.

"Wood is inherently a vital and living material. More than any, other material we have, it has an extraordinary abundance of the best that is in the human being: life and warmth, and a vital quality of expressing itself so that we all unclerstand it immediately, and with understanding. These qualities are understood and accepted-and, most of all, desired.

"To me; above all, wood has a dignity. To rne, it follows that wood must be treated with dignity. For this there is no apology."-Henry Hill (left), San Francisco architect, in speech to National Lumber Manufacturers Assn.

You had given us plywood, and the laminates; which is good, but not enough. More and more on the laminates, give us the research and the findings of the research!

What you have done is so little, it hardly counts. No wonder we are being threatened by being swamped by the damned curtain wall !

I do not say this to "tear down," but to point out a situation which I most sincerely believe must be corrected-corrected by research fol development, to explore and to lead, and to share. I believe that this is your responsibility.

It has gotten to the ridiculous point where some want wood to pretend to be something else or wood is distorted out of all recognition. In turn, other rnaterials, through photography or other means, are bending head over heels in order to be made to look like wood. Wood has a dignity and beauty of its own' It hardly needs our help to achieve this.

Ilut we wish to use it wisely and well. We ask for help-in standards and stock sizes for today's needs, conclitions, convictions and beliefs. Points I may have made are not made as unproductive criticism, but as an explanation on which to ,base a plea to you for your knowledge, with understanding, for our action. Can you meet this?

I sa1' yes. Many of you know that you can. But let us ALL know, and as loud as you can! Do we as a profession know? Are you helping us ?

So rnuch for the "general." Now to be specific. After I talked to the Forest Products meeting in San Francisco, ar-rd the Forest Products I)ay meeting in Sacramento, saying rnuch the same, I suddenly got a lot of maill To be extreme to illustrate a point, r,vhat I got in bulk were colored photographs, glossy paper, many many worcls, anrl practically no meat.

As a further example-in the current issues of professional magazines there is a gorgeous photograph of the Oregon Forest Products pavilion. Who gives us this? You, or your advertising agencies? Who knows your facts, you or the agency?

Organize and coordinate your effo,rts into one with one direction-to give us knowledge. You have in your material a living quality that is shared with delight and understanding by all mankind. And you have it within your capacity to share and contribute this.

I thank you for the opportunity to say that this you MUST DO.