lic Park, an Iron Kiosk, a Casino, a Dwelling House, a • School of Chemistry, a School of Medicine and a School of Architecture. As the class become more advanced, details upon a larger scale are often required. The time allowed for these problems varies from a couple of days to a couple of months according to the difficulty of the work, the experience of the students, and the number and size of the drawings required. Each class do ten or twelve of these exercises in the course of the year.

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The subjects, as will be noticed, are most of them somewhat out of the line of daily experience. More practical problems would require for their solution more practical experience than such classes as these can possibly have had, involving for their solution numerous considerations of detail, which it would not do to slight, but which students in the beginning of their studies are not prepared to entertain. Work of this kind, on the other hand, while it taxes their powers to the utmost, both in the execution of the drawings and in the design, does not demand, for its satisfactory performance, any greater resources either of knowledge or skill, than they have at command. Besides, its remoteness from daily use and observation, not only stimulates the imagination and fancy, but necessitates the study of the books and of the work of the best masters.

The classes are made up, besides the regular students of the Institute, of boys just from school, of mechanics wishing to become draughtsmen in offices, of draughtsmen who have already had office experience and who wish to learn what an office does not give, and of graduates of colleges who desire to enter upon their profession in the most rapid and intelligent way. It is not possible to lay down a strict course of study that shall equally meet all the wants and occupy all the time of persons varying so much in personal training. But the special work of the school is new to all alike and serves equally well for all as their chief interest and object of study. Moreover, the largeness of the company is an advantage, and all would suffer if they were broken up into smaller groups. The work done is equally in

structive to all, whether the result is more or less excellent in conception or in execution. In point of fact, although at the beginning of the year there is great difference in the work, by the end of the year it is often hard to tell the work of the beginners from that of the more experienced hands. Meanwhile the resources of the establishment are open to all, and as much is done, and as much is learned in volunteer work, especially tracing and sketching, not to speak of reading, as is accomplished under the requirements of the programme. The students learn much more than they are taught, and what they thus teach themselves is not likely to be forgotten.

ARCHITECTURAL PROBLEMS.

AN OPEN PORCH BEFORE A PRIVATE HOUSE.

December 1.

The house to which this porch or portico belongs is supposed to be situated in the principal street of a city, the steps of the porch descending to the sidewalk. The upper platform or landing is to be raised nine steps from the sidewalk, the threshold of the front door forming a tenth step. This platform is to be about one hundred square feet in area, more or less. The steps must not be more than six or seven inches high, nor less than twelve inches wide. Balustrades must not be more, nor much less, than three feet in height. The whole is to be constructed of stone, and is to conform in its proportions and its details to the regular rules for the Five Orders. The whole problem is to be regarded as an exercise in the practical application of those rules. If arches are used, they will accordingly be semi-circular.

REQUIRED: A Plan, showing the platform, steps, sidewalk, and the beginning of the vestibule of the house, the horizontal section being taken at half the height of the columns, and cutting through the front wall of the house and the front doorway.

An Elevation, showing the front of the porch towards the street, and the main doorway at the back of the porch.

A Section, taken through the middle of the porch, and extending to the vestibule.

All these drawings to be made on half an Imperial sheet of Whatman paper, stretched, to a uniform scale of a quarter of an inch to the foot, and finished in pencil, with the shadows cast in India Ink. Color may be added, if desired. The elevation will be set above the plan, on the same

vertical axis, and the section at the side of the elevation. A side elevation may be added, if desired.

This sheet of drawings must be handed in on Monday, December 8.

A TEMPLE TOMB.

December 3.

It is the custom in some countries to erect over a grave or tomb a small temple or oratory, just large enough to cover it, containing an altar where a single mourner may offer prayers for the dead.

It is required to design such a structure, making it in the form of a small Grecian temple, with two columns, prostyle, all the details being Greek rather than Roman in character. The plot of ground is supposed to measure six feet by twelve.

REQUIRED: A Plan, Section, and two Elevations, on a uniform scale of half an inch to the foot, with details one-eighth full size, all on an Imperial sheet.

A DRIVE-WAY.

December 9.

The object of a Drive-way is almost the same as that of a porch; it differs only in that it serves as a shelter, not only to pedestrians, but to those who come in carriages. The proposed structure would be part of a rich private house erected on a public square. for a carriage to pass freely under, and at the same time give access to the It must be sufficiently large main hall of the house. The plan must be so arranged that pedestrians need not meet the carriages, in order to avoid accidents. The greatest dimensions of this structure must not exceed 500 square feet. The doorway must be about four steps above the roadway, with proper steps and platforms between.

REQUIRED: A Plan, Section and Two Elevations, on a uniform scale of one-eighth of an inch to the foot, to be drawn in pencil, shaded with India ink, with or without color, the sections to be tinted in carmine, the plan in vermilion, and the whole to be drawn upon a half-sheet of Imperial Whatman, the top of the paper being the narrowest, and to be cut up to a uniform size of 21 inches by 14 inches, with a border within.

The drawings will be handed in on Monday, December 16, at half-past three o'clock in the afternoon. The adjacent parts of the house may be indicated.

A PORTICO IN A GARDEN.

December 17.

This little building is supposed to be erected at the extremity of a garden attached to a palace. It is intended for rest and shelter for persons walking in the garden, and also for the reception and protection of a number of

bas-reliefs and statues. It forms the principal object in looking across the garden from the windows of the palace, and should have the architectural character appropriate to its position and uses. It must be of only one story in height, and may be covered either by an inclined roof or by a terrace surrounded by balustrades. There must be in some part walls for the bas-reliefs. But, in general, the structure is not enclosed, and the roof is supported by arcades or colonnades. The width of these openings should not be much less than five nor much more than ten feet. Mansard roofs are not to be used. The greatest linear dimension must not exceed eighty feet. The building must comprise, within or around it, seats for conversation, steps, fountains, vases, &c.

REQUIRED: A Plan, on a scale of one-sixteenth of an inch to the foot, showing the arrangement of the garden in the neighborhood of the portico; A principal Elevation, and a Section, on a scale of one-eighth of an inch to the foot. This difference of scale will be found convenient in practice, as the total dimensions shown on the plan can be laid off on each side of symmetrical axes in elevation.

The whole to be drawn on two-thirds of a sheet of Whatman, the border lines enclosing the sketch being 17 and 19 inches long. To be handed in, drawn in pencil, shaded in pencil or India ink, and tinted, on Wednesday, December 24, at half-past three o'clock. Put your names and the date on the back of the drawings, with a minute of the time spent upon them, beginning with this morning's hour.

We suppose a public building, built on three sides of a hollow square, to be entered by a porch or portico, of six Corinthian columns, surmounted by a pediment and preceded by flights of steps, and situated at the bottom of the court-yard. Elsewhere the court-yard is surrounded by a colonnade, which is interrupted by the portico, and which is of much smaller dimensions. It may be of either order. Arches are not permitted. The hexastyle portico will have columns twenty-five feet high, including base and capital. The size of the others is left to the taste and judgment of the designer.

REQUIRED: An Elevation of the portico, showing both orders, on a scale of a 'quarter of an inch to the foot.

A Side Elevation, showing a section of the colonnade, to the same scale. A Plan, on a scale of an eighth of an inch to the foot, showing the entrance doorway or doorways and indicating the vestibule within.

These to be drawn on a single sheet of Whatman's Imperial and cut up to a uniform size of 18 inches by 28. To be finished, with the shadows cast in India ink, either in pencil or line, with or without color, on Monday,

January 12, at 3.30 P. M. Put on the back of drawing name, date, and number of hours' work.

This little structure is for the sale of flowers in a public square or park. It must be constructed of iron, open on three sides at least, with projecting roof to give shade. It may be raised on a platform of stone, with balustrades; and is to cover, exclusive of the platform, about one hundred square feet.

REQUIRED: A Plan, on a scale of a quarter of an inch to a foot; an Elevation, double that scale; and details, showing the construction, on a scale of one inch to a foot. All on a single Imperial sheet.

This staircase is supposed to occupy the central hall or vestibule of some public building, such as a State House, Library, or Museum, in which the principal rooms are in the second story. It must be built of stone or marble. The hall or vestibule is to be covered by a vaulted or domed ceiling, and may be lighted either from above or by windows on one side, where the hall may be supposed to come to an external wall. The form of this hall, as well as that of the vault above and the disposition of the stairway itself, and the means of supporting them, is left to the judgment of each student. The staircase will extend only from the ground floor to the main floor, and the area of the hall will be about 2,000 or 3,000 square feet. The height of stories is not fixed.

REQUIRED: I. A Plan of the Hall taken at the level of the main story looking down upon the staircase, and showing three doorways, by which access is had to the principal apartments.

II. Two Sections taken vertically, at right angles to each other, showing the design of the staircase, of the vaulted or domed roof, and of the hall or vestibule in both stories. All on a uniform scale of1⁄2 in.=1 ft.

The drawings will be on half sheets of Imperial paper, and will be inked in and colored, with the shadows cast. A brown-paper sketch will be made on Tuesday morning, January 13, and the drawings handed in on Thursday evening, January 22.

This little building is situated on a bank, ten or fifteen feet above a stream navigable for row-boats and wherries, and surrounded elsewhere by gardens, of which it is a principal ornament. It comprises, besides the Billiard Room itself, the following parts :

1. A Porch, open or enclosed.