User:RGKMA/sandbox/Charles Wilson Killam

Charles Wilson Killam (July 20, 1871 – May 12, 1961) was an American architect, engineer, and professor of architectural construction and engineering at Harvard University. He was widely recognized for his technical knowledge, architectural theory, educational views, and publications. Killam also took an active role in the planning and development of Cambridge, Massachusetts, was an advocate for low-cost and public housing as well as an early advocate for architectural education for women, and was a key contributor to collegiate architectural education throughout the United States.

Quotes

 * If I am entrusted with the work of safeguarding the building I should insist upon designing and supervising every detail and connection because it would be dangerous to leave any such details to a carpenter or iron worker. I would not allow the building to be weakened by the ignorance or carelessness of any workman. Mt. Vernon is the most precious private house in the country and every precaution for its preservation should be worked out carefully.

Plea for Beauty

 * Most of our buildings are so inefficiently and uneconomically planned and built that we cannot afford to live, do business, recreate or worship in worthy surroundings. The houses of nine-tenths of our people lack comforts. They are unbeautiful if not ugly; they are unkempt inside and about, often unsanitary and unsafe. Half of our school buildings are out-of-date, musty, poorly lighted, not entirely safe. Our churches are often the largest and ugliest buildings in our villages, less dignified than our pumping stations.
 * If architects say that they cannot improve these conditions; that most of the smaller buildings must be designed by carpenters and many of the larger buildings by contractors, engineers, or realtors, they are throwing away a tremendous opportunity.
 * Architects should be most interested in the broadcast, most socially useful function of the architect. The profession has room for all kinds of abilities, talents, and genius, and its field should cover, as nearly as practicable, all the shelters of mankind. To accomplish this architects must do, and do well, small buildings and large, must meet the manifold needs of housing, agriculture, industry, education, recreation and religion. The demand for monuments and cathedrals is small, but we live with and suffer every day the inconvenient, uneconomical and ugly buildings. Most of them must be utilitarian and economical. That in itself has its challenge.
 * Architects cannot flourish as a mysterious art to be appreciated only by its practitioners. It cannot justify itself to the ignorant or prejudiced layman, but it must justify itself to the intelligent layman.

Architect & Engineer, April 1935, Vol. 121, p. 72-74