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The following is a transcription
of and article that appeared in the Calgary Herald in July
1953 (no author is credited). Click the image on the left
to see an image of the article |
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From the Calgary
Herald, Saturday July 4, 1953
The Builder's Column
Calgary To Have Share In Trend House
Project
Calgary
is to share in a $500,000 major program in 1954 being undertaken
by British Columbia's forest industries to boost retail lumber,
plywood and shingle sales across Canada.
The various manufacturers concerned are sponsoring the design
and construction of contemporary "trend houses" in
Calgary and nine other key Canadian cities - Halifax, Montreal,
Toronto, London, Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria.
The houses will be built this year and opened for inspection
early in 1954. Target date for the Calgary house is April 5.
Joint sponsors of the project are the B.C. Lumber Manufacturers
Association, the Plywood Manufacturers Association of B.C. and
the Consolidated Red Cedar Shingle Association of B.C.
Ten of Canada's outstanding firms of architects have been appointed
to design the 10 trend houses. The Calgary house will be designed
by Peter Rule of the local firm of Rule, Wynn and Rule.
Widely varying climactic conditions, and equally divergent local
preferences in the matter of architectural design will be taken
into consideration in the planning of trend houses. In each
case however, the houses will be slightly more advanced than
are currently being built in the area.
To the architects and their advisors, will fall the interesting
and challenging task of demonstrating how effectively British
Columbia woods, in one of another of their many finished forms,
can be adapted to regional tastes as varied as Canada presents.
In each house the architect will place emphasis on the users
of one particular species of Western woods with the other species
being brought into play in various combinations of trim and
finish to show how well they complement each other in utility
and flatter one another in aesthetic effect.
Some houses will feature Douglas Fir plywood including modern
time-saving and space-saving plywood built-ins.
Others will feature various forms of red cedar and Pacific coast
hemlock boards and siding.
All will be roofed with red cedar shingles.
The decorative value of British Columbia softwoods, either in
their natural state of treated with any of an almost infinite
variety of finishes to bring out to the full the rich warmth
and beauty of their grain and texture will be seen to their
best advantage in the interior panelling designed by trend house
architects.
Each interior will be treated separately by each architect in
a manner best-suited to the overall plan using one or more of
the following types of panelling - clear red cedar, Pacific
coast Hemlock, Douglas Fir plywood and knotty red cedar.
The trend houses will be largely in the medium price range,
but will vary in size from 800 square feet in Victoria to 1800
square feet in Montreal.
Trained hostesses will be assigned to the houses to supervise
what is being termed one of the most extensive promotions ever
conducted in Canada in the public inspection of merchandise.
The homes will be open to visitors six hours daily, seven days
a week, for four months.
It is estimated that 30,000 people will visit the Calgary home
during this time.
Wholehearted endorsation (sic) of the project has been voiced
by E,C, Manning, president of the National Retail Lumbermans
Council of Canada, who also commented that "the project
is given additional and important prestige by the impressive
roster of well known Canadian manufacturing firms which will
equip and furnish trend houses." |
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For more information contact Michael
Kurtz |
