The
Vocabulary of Architecture
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| Gambrel
Roof |
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| Modillions |
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| Cornice |
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| Corner
Quoins |
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| Fishscale
Shingles |
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| Queen
Anne Windows |
By Holly Chamberlain
The vocabulary
of architecture is rich and varied. In the Portland area, we have
myriad examples of architectural forms and styles, all with their
own structural and stylistic lexicons, some of which overlap styles
and eras. As one of my professors used to say (although I am not sure
that he originated the definition), a building is “an efficient
container of flexible space.” The “efficient container,”
however, is composed of many parts and can be decorated in countless
manners. Roof, walls, foundation, window and door openings, decorative
and structural details — all have names (sometimes more than
one). Familiarity with these terms enriches our experience with architecture
— and the sheer fun of knowing what you’re seeing when you
look at a building.
The roofline is
one of the most distinctive features of any dwelling (not to mention
being important structurally), and very often a clue to the style
of the building. The most common residential roofline in this area
is the gable form, which is constructed with a variety of pitches
and with a number of subtypes. According to First Century BC Roman
architect and engineer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, peaked roofs were
among the first building innovations developed by ancient peoples
because they shed rain better. For our general purposes of identification,
however, think triangle. Two flat planes meeting to form a
peak form gable roofs — the gable ends therefore form a triangle.
There are many variations of gables, and they are found within many
styles.
Gambrel
roofs are another easily recognizable form, and are sometimes combined
with other rooflines on the same building. The gambrel, often associated
in the western United States with Dutch Colonial Revival, Shingle,
Georgian Revival, and Colonial Revival buildings, has a central ridge
where two flat planes meet in a gentle pitch; those planes in turn
break into a separate steeper pitch down below. Think barn.
Once again, the extra attic space provided by this form allows more
room for living or storage. No, the Pacific Northwest does not harbor
any Dutch colonies heretofore unknown to historians, but many early
20th- century homeowners in the region sought the romanticism of the
past when they chose that roof form, and a few from the late 19th-century
as well.
A much less common
but very recognizable roof form is the mansard, named after
17th-century French architect, Francois Mansard. The mansard roofline
was popularized in France between 1852-1870, during the Second Empire
reign of Napoleon III. Spreading from France to England, and from
England to the United States, the mansard roof is emblematic of this
style. As with many building innovations, the steep boxy pitch evolved
for the practical reason of creating more space on the uppermost level.
The ornamental aspects were applied later. Second Empire buildings
were generally built in the United States between 1855-1885.
So what can be
found below those roofs? Many roof-wall junctions are marked by a
cornice line. No, not the long-running Broadway musical, but
rather an ornamental detail that helps cover the joint between the
roof and the wall. The cornice originates in classical architecture
and comes in many different forms, from simple to ornate. Details
can include dentils (rectangular blocks reminiscent of teeth) and
modillions (scroll-shaped to block brackets), both typical
of Colonial Revival styles, and large, elaborate brackets, typical
of the Italianate style.
Below the cornice
may be a frieze, a long panel running along the wall line just
under the eaves. Like the cornice, friezes are from classical beginnings
and range from the plain (simple flat panels) to elaborate (decorated
with botanical or zoological themes or human figures). While looking
for classical details, be sure to check for corner quoins —
stone blocks or wood panels that cover up the joints where wall plane
meets wall plane.
Beyond their practical
role in keeping out the weather in tight regimental fashion, shingles are a common decorative feature found in many styles and forms. When
they cover the entire house, it is a pretty safe bet that the building
falls into the Shingle-style category. More often, they are used to
sheathe only a part of the home and as ornament — in gable ends
or to clad the base of a porch, for example. For decorative purposes,
shingles were often sawed into different patterns on the ends to be
exposed. Look for uses of fishscale, diamond, and sawtooth shingles
on many Victorian-era homes — and some later vintages as well,
such as Craftsman and Bungalow.
The practical
aspects of admitting light to buildings over the centuries have been
solved in many ways, many of them ornamental as well as utilitarian.
Your basic window, with lintel on top, sill on the bottom, and sash
in between, takes many forms, from those flat with the plane of the
wall, to projecting dormers and bays of various configurations. The
16th-century architect Andrea di Pietro della Gondola, known as Palladio,
popularized the Palladian window in his Four Books of Architecture.
The Palladian window — a multi-pane central arch flanked by two
multi-pane rectangular windows — is a frequent guest in Colonial
Revival homes, and sometimes makes a more surprising appearance in
Queen Anne homes. Of course, Queen Anne residences are full of eclectic
details put together in unexpected ways. Set amid the asymmetrical
massing and variety of textures, you will frequently see various interpretations
of the Queen Anne window — a single pane of glass outlined
by multiple panes of stained glass. Another typical Queen Anne window
frequently seen on later styles such as American Foursquare and Craftsman
is the lozenge — a single large pane topped by a leaded glass
panel with lozenge-shaped panes.
The 20th-century
architect Mies van der Rohe claimed that “less is more”
and “God is in the details.” If you wish to disagree with
the former and follow the latter, you can find more information about
architectural details in A Field Guide to American Houses by
Virginia and Lee McAlester (Knopf, 1984), which provides a good overview
of styles and their particulars. There are a variety of dictionaries
available as well, including Dictionary of Building Preservation edited by Ward Bucher (Preservation Press/John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,
1996).
Holly Chamberlain
is the Membership and Programs Coordinator for the Bosco-Milligan
Foundation, which offers a variety of historic preservation education
classes over the course of the year. They range from neighborhood
history walks, lectures on particular styles or architects, to hands-on
demonstrations of building rehabilitation skills. For more information,
call 503-231-7264 or logon to www.architecturalheritagecenter.org. |
