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In centres such as those of New Zealand architecture is necessarily included with building construction. In connection with these classes I strongly advocate students presenting themselves for an elementary course of practical plane and solid geometry, and model and freehand drawing, previous to their entering the building-construction section. There is a tendency to avoid doing so if possible, students being under the impression that they should enter the special class at once; much valuable time, however, is wasted by this proceeding, for the instructors spend a considerable portion of their time in explaining elementary facts of construction which ought to have been learnt previous to their entering the building classes. I would recommend these classes being well provided with models and appliances showing constructive details, and ample illustration by means of diagrams and the lantern. The text-books and works of reference generally in use were: Mitchell's "Building Construction," Longmans and Wilson's "Advanced Building Construction," Bivington's "Building Construction," Gray and Lawson's "Graphic Statics," Eosengarten's "Architecture," Gwilt's " Encyclopaedia of Architecture," " The Builder," " The Architect," " The Building News." Builders' Quantities. —Classes are held in many centres in quantity surveying, instruction being given in the usual methods of taking off, abstracting, and putting into estimating form the various materials employed in excavating and draining, brick-work, masonry, carpentry and joinery, plumbing and glazing, painting and plastering, &c. The method of instruction is by means of large scale and detail drawings, together with small scale drawings and descriptive details for home-work. Students are generally expected to have passed the advanced stage of building construction and drawing before taking up this subject. The works of reference are generally Leaning's " Quantity Surveying," or Banister Fletcher's "Quantities." Architecture and Architectural Design.—ln the larger centres in Britain there are sufficient students to form special classes in the above subjects; but in New Zealand, even in our larger towns, a sufficient number will hardly be found to form special classes in these sections. The work will therefore generally be given in connection with the building-construction classes, through which it is necessary that students should proceed previous to entering upon architectural studies, the Canterbury College architectural section being utilised for the purpose of providing the higher instruction. The course of study is based mainly upon the following sections : The orders of architecture, Grecian temples, Boman temples and amphitheatres, domestic architecture, Byzantine churches, Saracenic architecture of Cairo and Damascus, Norman architecture, Gothic styles, English and French cathedrals ; Benaissance architecture of Eome, France, and England ; colour in relation to architecture ; mouldings and their enrichments. The text-books are Eoger Smith's " Classic Architecture," and "Gothic and Benaissance Architecture"; reference works:—Classic architecture: Stuart and Bevett's "Antiquity of Athens"; Spiers's "Orders of Architecture"; Fergusson's "History of Architecture "; Chambers's " Civil Architecture"; Gwilt's "Encyclopaedia"; Eosengarten's "Handbook." Gothic architecture: Parker's "Glossary"; Sharpe's "Seven Periods of English Architecture " ; Collins's " Gothic Architecture "; Street's " Brick and Marble in the Middle Ages," &c. In Manchester the following is the order of the advanced course of work: (1) Plans, elevations, sections, and details of domestic, civil, and ecclesiastical architecture; (2) style and individuality in design; (3) the application of ornament to architectural style; (4) the application of colour to architectural style; (5) architectural perspective drawing; (6) architectural drawings from casts of different periods. Lessons are given in actual measurement, and sketching of buildings in pencil, ink, and colour. In Birmingham the students are required to design in the first section: (1) A row of three cottages ; (2) a cricket pavilion; (3) a stone lych-gate and flight of steps; (4) one of a street of houses to let at 6s. per week; (5) a cabmen's rest. In the advanced section : (1) The treatment of a site to be selected; (2) a town house; (3) a college chapel, with organ-screen; (4) stable-court, with clock-turret, for a country house ; (5) dining-room fireplace. 4. METAL TRADES. Save in the direction of mechanical drawing, little is being done in connection with the metal industries in our technical schools. It is unfortunate that the engineering school of the Canterbury College is not more utilised by the young men connected with the engineering trades, but I trust that a system of scholarships, tenable at this institution, will be made available for students attending ordinary technical classes. It seems to me that the best method of advancing our system of education is by strengthening individual sections of work in particular centres, and enabling students of special ability to take advantage of the same from the various centres. It is quite impossible to establish highly equipped institutions in each of the four centres in each branch of work. The technical schools, however, should carry on instruction in mechanical drawing and machine construction, pattern-making, turning, and fitting, with a certain amount of workshop practice, leaving the higher branches to the Canterbury Engineering College. The Northampton Institute, the newest and latest London Polytechnic, has divided the mechanical section into a series of lectures, as follows (admission, 2d. per lecture): Engineering materials, eight lectures; transmission of power, five lectures; machine-tools, seven lectures; hydraulic machinery, four lectures; machines in the foundry and smithy, three lectures; lifting machinery, four lectures ; steam-engines and boilers, eighteen lectures ; gas- and oil-engines, eight lectures; water-motors and turbines, four lectures; the cycle, construction and machinery used, eight lectures.
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