Trim Detail

I find this to be a pretty common situation; someone not exactly happy with a detail or details, but not sure exactly why. I believe that the cause of this dissatisfaction stems from the same reason that so few houses built in the last 150 years are really pleasing to the eye. In my opinion, this architectural dysfunction results largely from a lack of attention to geometric proportion.

Prior to the early 1900's, there were few sources for manufactured building materials-sheetrock, plywood, modular windows and doors, cabinets, etc. Before modular building components entered the scene, architectural designers had fewer perceived constrictions on the design process. The key components to the design process were: 1- practical needs for space, 2-shelter, and 3-geometry. Geometry was the basic organizing principal; organizing simple shapes into patterns that worked in a practical sense and brought harmony to the vision of the observer. This had been the guiding principal in creating the best architecture for thousands of years. Unfortunately, this started to unravel with the advent of modular components; ceilings should be 8' high to accommodate sheetrock, doors need to be 6'-8" or 7', trim should be 3 ½" wide or 5 ½" wide because that's the size that it comes�.. The past 100 years have produced so many pre-determined material and component sizes, and standardized construction techniques, that it's become a rare treat to see a house that's less than 100 years old and elegantly proportioned and detailed.

Back to the present situation (pre-rant); many houses that have some design challenges don't necessarily need major structural change to clean them up visually. In the case of my brother-in-law's house, the exterior façade has plenty of potential to come together by progressively simplifying and de-cluttering the trim and siding. Being able to realistically model changes to the façade can be really helpful in visualizing what a building can look like with simple changes. Here is a sample of cleaning up the window casings and surrounding siding and trim in the situation from the previous photo.

This took me about an hour using Vectorworks Architect CAD software. In another 15 minutes, I can produce working drawings (plan, elevations, and details with dimensions). I basically tweaked the dimensions of the window casings, adding a pediment at the top of the windows to both shed water and improve the look, added sills, got rid of the wide water table along the deck, and added a copper flashing detail to direct water away from the siding, trim, and deck. These are all relatively simple and inexpensive steps. Another important upgrade, which would probably triple the life of the siding and trim, would be to space the façade (siding and trim) away from the sheathing on furring strips, creating an air space to move moisture away from the living area, and dry out the façade.

Marianne Cusato has written a great book on using and correcting architectural details and elements. It's called Get Your House Right. In my perfect world, designers and builders would embrace the sense of geometry and proportion that has produced so many of the truly classic buildings that have endured for hundreds and thousands of years. This doesn't only apply to traditional looking structures, Frank Loyd Wright's buildings were as geometrically elegant as some of the finest European cathedrals, Roman Amphitheatres and Shaker buildings.