Colin Rowe, a Cornell Architecture Professor, wrote an amazing essay I studied in college called "The Mathematics of the Ideal Villa." It compared organizing principles behind the best of Classical and Modern Architecture...if you can grasp it you can get what good architecture is all about. If you can't grasp it don't worry...just hire a good architect.
Rowe's book discusses 'phenomenal transparency' ... an analytical term attempting to explain how LeCorbusier's and Palladio's work is so magical. Rowe describes the thoughtful layering, proportion, and interaction of architectonics; the foundation of any good architect's design. While phenomenal transparency was challenging to grasp in school, I find being in practice stretches me in different directions. Clients' needs are different than architects', entering into the realm of what I call "value." The building has to perform once it's built, along with being delightful.
I know you aren't building Villa Savoye or Foscari, the two gorgeous classics pictured above. All you need is the home you live in to perform over time while you grind a fresh coffee, wake up to the calming effect of eastern light, worry about your adult children and grandchildren and enjoy the time saving conveniences of a well designed residence. And so in practice I strive for "The Mathema-tricks of the Ideal Villa", meaning a balance of theory and practice. If I spend time reading Rowe, then I spend time reading codes. Codes can be tedious. They can also be a great source of ideas based on experience. Engaging as proportion and light? No. Just as important? Yes.
In my infancy of architectural practice I come across clients and prospective clients who have already burned themselves with their first project. Two years post construction the un-forseen problems of their architect-less structures are keeping them awake at night. They realize they are burning serious maintenance money on square footage they don't need or don't like. The elevations don't work. The floor plan is awkward. Ring-less nail shanks are popping above the deck planking after a few moisture cycles. Ouch. Tough on the toes.
Consider the following "tricks" I added to my practice bag thanks to the 2006 International Building Code, Forest Products Association article and attending the '08 Build Boston Conference:
1. Keep pilot holes a maximum of 70% of structural bolt diameter.
2. Consider an oil based wood spray sealant in lieu of a silicone based caulk. It will stay pliable longer and maintain a weather seal around bolt openings more effectively.
3. Heartwood of Redwood, cedar, black locust and Black Walnut is naturally decay resistant. Redwood and Eastern red cedar are termite resistant. They don't have to be purchased in large quantities to be effective, just designed in the right locations.
4. Wood rots at a moisture content above 19%. Insist your architect specify paint applications per the manufacturer's recommendations when using it in exterior applications. Estimate your project based on these specs. The additional cost of Benjamin Moore's recommended specifications will be well worth it in the long run, especially in the extreme environments of Northern New England, where I live and practice.
5. OSB sheathing, if installed properly, is both a lighter weight and stronger diaphragm than plywood, although less resistant to impact forces.
6. Use hot dipped zinc-coated galvanized steel, stainless steel, silicon or bronze or copper fasteners at preservative treated wood assemblies.
Bored yet? Hardly mind blowing stuff. Yet the mathema-tricks of the ideal villa will keep you delighted and pleasantly un-surprised five, ten years down the road when the excitement of construction has died yet the delight of your well performing project remains.
Image: Villa Barbaro (Foscari) at Malcontenta by Palladio (right)
Image: Villa Savoye by LeCorbusier, Poissy
