Ársrit Verkfræðingafjelags Íslands - 01.01.1914, Side 31

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mentioned to several men in this town, that I thought
it advisable to restrict in some measure the building
of wooden houses here in Reykjavík, especially in
the middle of the town, and along the main streets
in the other parts. Only very few thought this pos-
sible, some people found the idea most absurd. But
now in a very short time, things liave changed so
much, that, in my opinion the proposal of a similar
limitation would not meet with any opposition, worth
mentioning. It is hardly exaggerated to say that the
building of wooden houses has been overdone, and
a good manv people have a clear understanding of
this fact. Now we have had some experience as to
the durability of houses built from that kind of
wood which has been obtainable during the Iast
years. As time goes on, the costs of preservation of
these houses become a heavy burden, although it
very seldom is possible to keep them in a state that
would pay the costs.
The expenses of building a house of concrete
and those of building a wooden house are now-a-
days pretty nearly equal. But, in my opinion, there
is more Icelandic work represented in the price of
the concrete buildings, than in the price of the
wooden houses, or in other words, the latter cost
more money out of the country. For economical
reasons the wooden houses seem to me not to have
the future before them, as the durability of the
concrete houses must be quite dilTerent to that of
equally well built wooden houses.
The greatest dangér that could befall the stone-
and concrele buildings, would be an earlhquake. Of
course many people are deterred from stonehouses
by this reason. But when the matter in question is
something so capticious as earthquakes, it is as well,
not to make any assertions. In this case like in
others we must follow the experience of times gone
by. As far as we know, all tlie time since the days
of the seltlement, there has never collapsed a single
cottage in these parls of the country, and for this
reason Reykjavík was made the capilal — a litlle
more than a century ago. It may be pointed out,
that here in Reykjavík a stonehouse from the days
of the »Skaptár«eruptions (the ministerial building)
has been preserved unshaken, although it is nol at all
more carefully built, than houses are now-a-days.
And in the neighbourhood there are several houses
from the middle part of the 18tu century, viz. the house
and the church in Viðey, the house and the cliurch
in Bessastaðir, and the house of Nes. No — earth-
quakes should not deter people from building from
stone or concrete. In case of eartquake, concrete
walls would probably prove safer tlian slonewalls,
and well slrengthened wilh iron bars they might
keep stand just as well as wooden walls.
Then the great iirerisk of the wooden houses
has to be mentioned, a fact which does not make
them fit to be recommended in a densely populated
place. The corrugated sheet is certainly a good pro-
tection from the spreading of fire — but not at all
safe or sufficient, and it is uncomfortable in a densely
populated place to Iive in houses which in a few
minutes might turn into an ocean of fire.
An alleralion which seems to me absolutely neces-
sary is an improve'd arrangement of the town. On
the whole it should be more densely populated. It
may seem going the wrong waj' to make population
denser, when there in other countries is a strong
movement rising, tending towards its scattering. I
mean the Garden Cities. But speaking ot the crouded
multitude of great cilies and of the sparse populalion
of our little towns — is a different thing. As far as
I can see, the wide expanse of this town renders it
very difficult to keep it decently clean, to take care
of the make and repair of streets and pavements and
to procure lighting, sewerage and other tliings, pro-
moting the general cleanliness. In my opinion, some
parts of the town must be built more densely, and
then it will be necessary to build from a material
more fireresisting and more durable than wood is
known to be.
I do not think it is necessary to make a closer
enquiry as to the reasons for a more durable style
of building, than the one which has been in use up
to this. It can hardly be said that any remains can
be seen of all which has been built in this countrj',
from the time of the settlement up to this day. We
ean not refrain from following the example of olher
countries, by choosing the stone as the chief material
for building.
The building regulations of this town should not
only be a slave of the inhabitanls but also a good
guide, it should provide againsl a bad and unsuitful
architecture, and contribute to something better, it
should limit the building of wooden houses and in-
crease the building from stone and concrete.
In the building regulations now in force, there
are hardly any provisions regarding the arrangement
of the town, neither do they authorize the building
committee or the towncouncel to make any reforms
in these matters, excepl when the question is of the
make and breath of streets. I think it is evident tliat
the building regulalions should contain some provis-
ions dealing wilh the general arrangement of the buil-
ding, at least it should not be permilled lo build on
a new area, unlill the proposed streets and blocks of
buildings had been chartered, and if possible, no
liouse should he built, if the street leading to il had
nol been finished, likewise the aqueducts and sewes.
The building regulations should also contribute to