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191 S i m p l i c i t y and Symmetry: A Summary o f House Form E lem e n ts S i m p l i c i t y and symmetry a r e two o v e r r i d i n g themes ru n n in g th r o u g h a l l Mormon f o l k h o u s in g ( F i f e , 1972, S ) . Even t h e t w o - s t o r y "T" o r t h e c r u c i f o r m , l a r g e and s t u r d y a s t h e y a p p e a r , a r e b a s e d on r a t h e r s im p le c o n s t r u c t i o n t e c h n i q u e s t h a t e v o lv e d th ro u g h f o l k , r a t h e r t h a n a r c h i ­ te c tu ra l, tra d itio n . The s i n g l e - r o o m c o t t a g e , o r n e a r l y s q u a r e room, i s t h e b a s i c c o n s t r u c t i o n u n i t o f a l l Mormon f o l k h o u s in g . I f a tra d e s m a n were s k i l l e d a t c o n s t r u c t i n g a s i n g l e ­ room c o t t a g e , he m ost l i k e l y c o u ld c o n s t r u c t a two-room c o t t a g e , an " I " h o u s e , a " T ," an "L" o r ev en a c r u c if o r m s im p ly by j o i n i n g t h e s q u a r e s o r j u x t a p o s i n g o r i n t e r s e c t i n g r e c t a n g l e s i n v a r i o u s c o m b in a tio n s . The b a s i c p r i n c i p l e s u s e d i n b u i l d i n g one form were common t o t h e o t h e r s , b u t i t i s c l e a r t h a t a g r e a t v a r i e t y o f hou se t y p e s c a n be b u i l t by u t i l i z i n g t h e same b a s i c b u i l d i n g p r a c t i c e s s h a r e d i n common among t h e tra d e s m e n . A p r o d u c t o f t h e employment o f Mormon f o l k s k i l l s i s symmetry i n f l o o r p l a n and o t h e r form e l e m e n t s . I t i s easy f o r a g iv e n tra d e s m a n t o b u i l d s y m m e t r i c a l l y — t h a t i s , t o p l a c e ch im n e y s, windows, d o o rs , and s t a i r c a s e s i n a b a la n c e d o r d e r and t o make a l l rooms s i m i l a r i n sh ap e a nd s i z e . 5 But i n t h e f o l k w o rld a t l a r g e , symmetry i s n o t u n i v e r s a l i n tim e 5 T h is i d e a was s u g g e s te d by A u s t i n F i f e d u r in g an i n t e r v i e w w ith t h e a u t h o r J u l y 3, 1972. I t i s a l s o c l e a r l y s t a t e d i n S lo a n e , 5 3 -5 5 . Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.