Mike Lamb Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 What is the architectural name for this? Click to Enlarge 30.66 KB Click to Enlarge 65.33 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspectorjoe Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 It's a pediment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Moore Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 I would call it a "false front". That particular style may have its own name, but it's a false front nonetheless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lamb Posted April 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Joe's right. It's a pediment. From "Illustrated Architecture"....... "A pediment is a low-pitched triangular gable on the front of some buildings". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspectorjoe Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Actually, it's a false front pediment. Richard was right, too. Two heads are better than one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 It doesn't have the elements to be a pediment. It's a false-gable parapet wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspectorjoe Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Bill, what are the missing elements that prevent it from being considered a pediment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Yeah, it fulfills every requirement that I can find. It's a pediment, false front or not. In my reports, I call it a front gable parapet. Everyone seems to know what that means. More importantly, if there's a problem with it, which there always is, I have a picture of it with an arrow pointing at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 The front of a building with a hard on? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgbinspect Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 I've always called it a "false front" too, or a "facade". In fact, Funk and Wagnalls number two definition of the word "facade" is: A front or a false appearance. So, calling it a facade is accurate. And, it is indeed also a parapet, which by vurtue of its appearance serves as a facade. I just finished paging through Architectural Graphics Standards, thinking I'd probably see a detail that would name it, but no luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Bill, what are the missing elements that prevent it from being considered a pediment? A pediment is not a triangle stuck onto a building. A pediment has projecting moldings of the cornice around the perimeter, resulting in a recessed area called a tympanum. The earliest had releif sculptures within the tympanum. The Greeks created the pediment. It was the decoration of the end of the roof at the gable-end of their buildings, which is the facade. The Romans took it and stuck it over doors, windows and niches. The Italians took a bite out of the peak - it's called a broken pediment. 17th century British architects stuck a finial in the gap of the broken pediment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 I've always called it a "false front" too, or a "facade". In fact, Funk and Wagnalls number two definition of the word "facade" is: A front or a false appearance. So, calling it a facade is accurate. And, it is indeed also a parapet, which by vurtue of its appearance serves as a facade. A facade is the entire front or "public face" of a building - not one element. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgbinspect Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 I've always called it a "false front" too, or a "facade". In fact, Funk and Wagnalls number two definition of the word "facade" is: A front or a false appearance. So, calling it a facade is accurate. And, it is indeed also a parapet, which by vurtue of its appearance serves as a facade. A facade is the entire front or "public face" of a building - not one element. I just zero'd in on the word "false" in that definition, figuring it meant both - a front or a false front. [:-wiltel] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kogel Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 You could just call it a waste of bricks. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Baird Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Kibbel is the closest here. I think the pointy part is nada more than part of the parapet, maybe call it a pointy-pet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Baird Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 BTW I hope that thing has some rebar or something to stiffen it. The right puff of wind might make it a headache hazard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgbinspect Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 BTW I hope that thing has some rebar or something to stiffen it. The right puff of wind might make it a headache hazard. Being 12" thick, I'd venture that it is brick backed with 8" block - core filled with rods and mortar. The brick and block will be tied together with duro-wall. I've laid up a few of those. Of course, now that I've posted this, it will probably topple and smash a car tomorrow... [:-wiltel] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Chicago is full of them. Here's one thing I know for sure........ If you wrap roofing up over the back of them, they condense so much moisture that the things freeze/thaw wildly and the frost heave causes them to lean outward over the sidewalk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgbinspect Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Chicago is full of them. Here's one thing I know for sure........ If you wrap roofing up over the back of them, they condense so much moisture that the things freeze/thaw wildly and the frost heave causes them to lean outward over the sidewalk. I gather that also causes greater than usual efflorescence, Yes? If memory serves, I don't remember ever dealing with an anchorage system for the cast coping, but it's awfully heavy. Two guys had a hard time gently easing it into place, so the wind would have a hard time budging it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lamb Posted April 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 From a week ago. This is similar and had roofing and roofing cement all the way up the back of it. I don't think it was leaning. There were interior moisture problems. Click to Enlarge 93.99 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 17th century British architects stuck a finial in the gap of the broken pediment. Yup. And the Greeks ended up taking the rap for that too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emalernee Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 From a week ago. This is similar and had roofing and roofing cement all the way up the back of it. I don't think it was leaning. There were interior moisture problems. Click to Enlarge 93.99 KB Look at that, Mike's post shows a "Pediment" over the front porch. It has the Raking Cornices, a Horizontal Cornice, and vinyl covered Tympanum. If the tympanum is filled with sculptures, it could have been built by the Greeks and we should notify the Smithsonian, they may be looking for a missing archeological treasure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exploreparadise2 Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 This is similar but not identical. What would you call these art deco architectural details projecting above the parapet? They look like they're leaning in the second photo, but they're not. The top surfaces are sloped back to the roof for drainage. Click to Enlarge 74.12 KB Click to Enlarge 56.57 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 What would you call these art deco architectural details projecting above the parapet? I think your description would be the most accurate name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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