15Oct
Responsible design & aesthetics.
Some thoughts on
EAVES following on from the hint about inadequate eaves on the 'Wood - Architecture Compact' review and with it being Blog Action Day 09: Climate Change -
http://www.blogactionday.org/
These thoughts are coming very much from a UK perspective but might equally apply to other parts of our world.
The trend for buildings without eaves seems to be on the up. The vast majority of buildings being published as exemplars of good design seem to be lacking such an important and basic feature that one wonders how this trend has gained such strength?
The basic concept is a simple and timeless one that we can apply to pretty much all building types - the need to protect the building from water - both from a technical point of view and an aesthetic one. Masonry rain-screens which in theory should be able to take the added exposure still tend to look pretty poor after a short period of time with water running down them. When combining eaveless design with timber architecture you can add the extra concerns of durability and maintenance. Responsibly sourced timber is such an important factor in reducing CO2 emissions from the construction industry that we really do not want to jeopardise it's reputation with poor detailing?
The growing concern arises from our changing climate - the fact is we need to be designing for a climate that is differnet from todays, all the indicators point towards two new challenges for building design to take account of. The risk of overheating in buildings is not one we are used to thinking about in the UK but if we are to avoid having to retrofit air conditioning into today's designs we have to keep these real issues at the forefront of our minds. A well configured eaves can provide essential summertime shading whilst allowing winter access to passive solar gains. Significantly increased rainfall is something we are already feeling. Successful designs, long term, will be able to dispose of this water without it compromising the building fabric.
Intelligent use of eaves provides such a useful tool to address these real design issues that our personal aesthetic preferences of the day should really play second fiddle to physical environment that we are designing for?
Comments (1)
In our opinion, at Insideout Buildings, timber buildings such as garden offices are being designed without eaves for two reasons: -
1. Because it is a way of cutting costs in a competitive market. Less materials, no guttering, no drainage.
2. A lot of companies that are selling timber buildings and appear to be "designing" them do not have design and/or architectural experience and don't think about the consequences of their actions.
Many "designed" timber buildings in the garden offices market are purchased from wholesale manufacturers and the design integrity is lost because the buildings are being treated as disposable products by the building retailer. The consumer is the loser because they don't understand what they are buying.
Always buy a timber building from a skilled joiner/joinery firm with building experience or via an architect. Don't buy from someone who thinks they can make a fast buck by selling timber buildings.