A survey of housing research in the United States. (1952)

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HOUSING AND HOME FINANCE AGENCY Office of the Administrator Home Loan Bank Board Federal Housing Administration Public Housing Administration National Housing Council FHBlikrll»SiiHhirtM<MltlDKiiMMi ,I .LGmniMirtPTtati i«0«ki ,Wiil i i^ MnSSJI

foreword This survey was undertaken by the Division of Housing Research of the Housing and Home Finance Agency in order to provide industry with as much information as possible about what is being done in housing research by educational institutions, scientific founda- tions, professional societies and trade associations, and commercial laboratories The study was carried out by the Building Research Advisory Board of the National Academy of Sciences, under contract with the HHFA. It is the first such survey ever made in the United States and is, therefore, a pioneering accomplishment The survey is intended to assist the housing industry to make the most efficient use of current research activity and to provide information as to facilities available for further housing research. Director, Dtmston of Housing Research III

contents Page F O R E W O R D iii T H E B U I L D I N G R E S E A R C H A D V I S O R Y BOARD, A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E F O R HOUSING R E S E A R C H S U R V E Y vi P R E F A C E vii S U M M A R Y ix PART I—DEFINITION OF HOUSING RESEARCH 1 D E F I N I T I V E L I S T 4 PART II—SUBJECTIVE CLASSIFICATION OF REPORTED RESEARCH 9 I N T R O D U C T I O N T O R E P O R T E D R E S E A R C H C L A S S I F I E D BY SUBJECTS 11 I N D E X O F R E P O R T E D R E S E A R C H 13 P R O J E C T L I S T I N G S BY SUBJECT 17 PART III—ORGANIZATIONS AND T H E I R WORK 161 I N T R O D U C T I O N T O S U M M A R I Z E D R E P O R T S O F R E S E A R C H ORGANIZATIONS 163 I N D E X T O ORGANIZATIONS R E P O R T I N G H O U S I N G R E S E A R C H 165 Educational Institutions Reporting Housing Research . . . 165 IV

THE BUILDING RESEARCH ADVISORY BOARD Advisory Committee for Housing Research Survey Charles S Ascher, Professor Department of Social Sciences Brooklyn College A CarlBredahl Better Homes Bureau 'Westmghouse Electric Corporation Renato Contini, Professor College of Engineering New York University John Cover, Professor Bureau of Economics and Business Research University of Maryland Ralph J Johnson, Consultant Division of Engineering Resources Public Health Service Federal Security Agency Burnham Kelly, Director Bemis Foundation Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology George Rapp (BRAB), Assistant Director John B Pierce Foundation Carl A Rishell, Director of Research National Lumber Manufacturers Association Vl

PART III—ORGANIZATIONS AND T H E I R WORK—Continued I N D E X T O O R G A N I Z A T I O N S R E P O R T I N G H O U S I N G RESEARCH—Continued Page Educational Institutions Reporting No Housing Research 166 Foundations and Nonprofit Agencies Reporting Housing Research 168 Professional Societies and Trade Associations Reporting Housing Research 168 Commercial Laboratories Reporting Housing Research 170 S U M M A R I Z E D R E P O R T S O F R E S E A R C H O R G A N I Z A T I O N S 171 PART I V — S U R V E Y OPERATIONS 693 SCOPE O F S U B J E C T M A T T E R 696 M E T H O D O F S E L E C T I N G ORGANIZATIONS S U R V E Y E D 697 T H E S U R V E Y Q U E S T I O N N A I R E 699 CANVASSING O P E R A T I O N S 700 E D I T I N G M E T H O D S 701 T A B U L A T I O N O F S U R V E Y DATA 702 R E V I E W AND O V E R - A L L ANALYSIS O F S U R V E Y R E S U L T S . 703 APPENDIX 709 S A M P L E C O V E R I N G L E T T E R T O O R G A N I Z A T I O N S 710 F O R M , " G E N E R A L I N F O R M A T I O N O N HOW T O R E P O R T " 712 T H E Q U E S T I O N N A I R E F O R M S 713

THE BUILDING RESEARCH ADVISORY BOARD Advisory Committee for Housing Research Survey Charles S Ascher, Professor Department of Social Sciences Brooklyn College A CarlBredahl Better Homes Bureau 'Westinghouse Electric Corporation Renato Contini, Professor College of Engineering New York University John Cover, Professor Bureau of Economics and Business Research University of Maryland Ralph J Johnson, Consultant Division of Engineering Resources Public Health Service Federal Security Agency Burnham Kelly, Director Bemis Foundation Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology George Rapp (BRAB), Assistant Director John B Pierce Foundation Carl A Rishell, Director of Research National Lumber Manufacturers Association Vl

preface In appraisal and evaluation of the results obtained as presented in this report, the Building Research Advisory Board of the National Academy of Sciences wishes to make the following qualifying comments: 1 This is the first published comprehensive survey of housing research in the United States,, although other surveys and reports exist which cover more or less thoroughly some fields of related research activity. The quantitative and qualitative limits of this survey are completely set forth on pp. 704-706 As the first comprehensive survey, this operation had to overcome certain obstacles of understanding in regard to the scope of the subject. This report should have value as a basis for subsequent studies or surveys of either past or future research activity. 2. The number of organizations and research operations reported in the survey is also necessarily limited, as described in detail on pp 700 and 705. This report gives very little information concerning a great body of research, largely devoted to product development, which IS being done in industry laboratories Some parts of the report indicate the volume of work sponsored by industry through trade associations and professional societies, but this information is rather general in nature Otherwise, the report is complete and all of the information contained is factual. 3 Time factors influence the value of the report in some respects In the first place, subject matter reported in terms of research projects was limited to rather narrow time limits in order to be qualified as recent research Obviously research activity—in terms of specific projects—will not remain static and this information will soon be outdated. On the other hand, descriptions of projects and research subject matter adequately indi- cate fields and areas of research activity at various institutions These are frequently areas of specialization in which continual work is being done by the reporting institutions In this sense the project reporting has real usefulness in defining experience of the reporting agencies. 4 The data on research facilities and personnel of the various research organizations are much less affected by change over a short period of time than the subjects of projects. Hence the data on facilities and personnel should remain useful, and add materially to the description of the experience and resources for research of certain kinds 5. The arrangement of research subjects into a classified index in one section of the vil

report should be highly useful in obtaining a quick and relatively accurate knowledge of the activity in any specific field or area of resezu-ch. This section of the report will lend itself to many interpretive analyses in the plzmning and conduct of research activity 6. On the basis of content, the usefulness of the repwrt can be judged favorably When considered from the viewpoint of its usefulness to people engaged in research, there appears to be practical value in the data for many persons and organizations interested in the progress of housing and building. (a) People engaged in research will find in it the most complete compilation to date of information useful to the programming of housing research, and useful for establishing cooperation with fellow workers in the same or other fields of research endeavor (b) People not engaged in housing research previously, but now interested, possibly to a point of participation, will find opportunities with these data to acquaint themselves factually with housing research activity, and to avoid duplication of adequately treated subjects. They will be able to identify sources of advice and cooperation for their entrance into research activity. (c) Industry's research organizations may find the report useful in their analysis and comparison of research activities (d) Some academic institutions, as a result of filling out the survey forms, have already indicated the anticipated value of the whole survey as a guide to them for coordination of their own activities at the campus level or as a means for providing greater cooperation between one or more academic institutions. Professional societies, foundations, and non- profit research organizations of all kinds can derive sinular benefits (e) Finally, this report was prepared especially for the use of the Housing and Home Finance Agency, an agency of the Federal government, with responsibilities for organiz- ing, sponsoring, and conductmg a general program of housing research The data also should be useful to any other government agency planning and carrying out research related to housing and building technology In conclusion, the Building Research Advisory Board transmits this survey as a collection of factual data which appears to have significant usefulness for the orderly, cooperative development of housing research The data of the survey itself provide evidence of the need for much more cooperation between research agencies and individuals, and for far greater integration among the various disciplines which comprise the complex science of housing research The "Definitive List" has <dready demonstrated promise of usefulness as a starting point for cooperation between research jjeople to establish a better understand- ing of the breadth and scof>e of housing research and the job of integration to be done Finally, BRAB believes that this survey has created an instrument for shaping the nature and direction of expanding activities in housing research It was done with an understanding that a first survey must be refined, enlarged and continually kept up to date in order to remain efTective. This Survey of Housing Research in the United States pro- vides a suitable framework for further reporting and collection of housing research data viii

summary The Building Research Advisory Board was engaged by the Housing and Home Fi- nance Agency to conduct an intensive Survey of Housing Research in the United States among specifically designated types of organizations totalling 861, comprising 220 educa- tional institutions, 46 foundations and nonprofit research agencies, 187 commercial laboratories, and 408 trade associations and professional societies. Since no generally accepted definition of "housing research" or a comprehensive classification of its many fields was known to exist, the BRAB survey developed such a definition and classified all technological and nontechnological fields of research having a direct or indirect bearing on housing and building research This listing, although only the starting point for the survey proper, was the first formal effort of its kind and has, through widespread acceptance, become a major product and contribution of the survey Planned and coordinated mail canvassing operations brought replies from 766 dif- ferent organizations, or 89 percent of the total number to whom questionnaires were sent Of those replying, 199 organizations, or 26 percent, reported a total of 1,089 current housing research projects. Educational institutions accounted. for 63 5 percent of the total number of projects reported, trade associations and professional societies, 20 3 percent, and all other types of reporting organizations 16.2 percent. Seventy percent of the projects reported were in the fields of technological research, while 30 percent were m social science and other nontechnological fields Research con- cerned with physical elements of the building structure represented 73 percent of the number of projects in technological fields. In the social sciences, research in urban studies, general economic and social data, and social psychology, accounted for 52 percent of the total After reviewing and editing the survey returns the data were classified, compiled, and arranged to provide ready reference to the narrative descriptions of each research project and to supply a considerable amount of information concerning the organizations reporting the research, their facilities and potential for housing research. IX

Within its assigned'area of coverage, the Survey of Housing Research in the United States represents an initial and pioneering accomplishment, affording a p>oint of departure for its continuation and expansion. It reveals the major fields in which housing research is being done and discloses possible gaps in the sum total of housing research. As a co- ordinating effort, it will undoubtedly serve to better acquaint members of the housing and building industry with what is being done in the many fields that compose housing research in its broadest sense.

Parti DEFINITION OF HOUSING RESEARCH