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Durable Design:Lessons from HistoricWood Structures
Presented: 14 January 2015Webinar
Matthew Bronski, PE, Associate PrincipalSimpson Gumpertz & Heger
Disclaimer: This presentation was developed by a third party and is not funded byWoodWorks or the Softwood Lumber Board.
“The Wood Products Council” isa Registered Provider with TheAmerican Institute of ArchitectsContinuing Education Systems(AIA/CES), Provider #G516.
Credit(s) earned on completionof this course will be reported toAIA CES for AIA members.Certificates of Completion forboth AIA members and non-AIAmembers are available uponrequest.
This course is registered withAIA CES for continuingprofessional education. Assuch, it does not includecontent that may be deemedor construed to be anapproval or endorsement bythe AIA of any material ofconstruction or any method ormanner ofhandling, using, distributing,or dealing in any material orproduct.___________________________________________
Questions related to specific materials,methods, and services will be addressedat the conclusion of this presentation.
Course Description
While modern construction techniques are helpingdesigners achieve increasing levels of building performance,durability is one objective that can benefit from lessons ofthe past. This presentation is based on an independentresearch project that examined the durability of historicwood buildings in Rome in the context of their constructiondetails. Undertaken by the speaker, Matthew Bronski, overten months, the project included hands-on study of abouttwo dozen historic buildings ranging in period from the firstcentury B.C. to the early 1900s. Through project examples,Bronski will offer a compelling diagnosis of durabilitysuccesses and failures, while sharing a series of lessons andprinciples that can be used to design more durableenclosures.
Learning Objectives
1. Consider how historic wood construction details have succeededtechnically, and how they might be applied to modern projects.
2. Analyze traditional construction principles for managing water onfacades and windows, in order to promote long-term durability
3. Examine how the overall enclosure in severe climates contributesto the durability of individual exposed wood members.
4. Learn to recognize and minimize vulnerabilities in exterior woodconstruction details, promoting performance, long-term durabilityand sustainability.
Opening food for thought-Learning from Historic Precedent
Which is the more logical,durable way to build?
What does your intuitiontell you?
Which answer would astudy of historicprecedent suggest?
Stepped pyramid
Inverted Stepped pyramid
5
After all, Today we know much more about thefollowing than our forebears centuries ago:• Wood properties and behavior• Wood decay mechanisms• Structural engineering• Building enclosure design• Waterproofing• Preservative treatments• Engineered wood products• Materials science• Etc., etc., etc.
What can we really learn about durabledesign from centuries old structures?
6
What can we learn about durable design fromthese 90-150 year old houses in US?
7
What can we learn about durable designfrom these 300-600 year old buildings?
8
What can we learn about durable designfrom this 1,900+ year old building?
9
Vitruvius
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio,• Born c. 80 - 70 BC• Died c. 15 BC
Later (1684) depiction of Vitruvius presenting DeArchitettura to the Roman Emeror Augustus
De Architectura (TheTen Books”)
“Vitruvian Man” illustr.by Leonardo da Vinci
10
Vitruvius
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio,• Born c. 80 - 70 BC• Died c. 15 BC
Roman Architect (et al)• Actually an Architect,
Engineer (Structural,Mechanical, Environmental,Military), Urban Planner,Master Builder, etc.
De Architectura (TheTen Books”)
“Vitruvian Man” illustr.by Leonardo da Vinci
Later (1684) depiction of Vitruvius presenting DeArchitettura to the Roman Emeror Augustus
11
Vitruvius
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio,• Born c. 80 - 70 BC• Died c. 15 BC
Roman Architect (et al)• Actually an Architect,
Engineer (Structural,Mechanical, Environmental,Military), Urban Planner,Master Builder, etc.
• Wrote De Architectura (OnArchitecture) c. 25 BC
• Only surviving architecturaltreatise from classicalantiquity (either Greek orRoman)
De Architectura (TheTen Books”)
“Vitruvian Man” illustr.by Leonardo da Vinci
Later (1684) depiction of Vitruvius presenting DeArchitettura to the Roman Emeror Augustus
12
Project
not a study of Vitruvius,• nor his treatise,• nor his built work
not a study of how Romanbuildings were constructed
13
Project
Inspired by the methodology of Vitruvius(Book II). He
• Studied construction that either proveddurable or not
• Diagnosed WHY• Developed and published lessons learned for
building more durably
G. Fox Building, Hartford(Cass Gilbert, 1917) 14
Project
Inspired by the methodology of Vitruvius(Book II). He
• Studied construction that either proveddurable or not
• Diagnosed WHY• Developed and published lessons learned for
building more durably
My approach, goals similar - to develop“lessons learned” for
• rehabilitating existing buildings, and• constructing new buildings, more durably (and
hence more sustainably)
G. Fox Building, Hartford(Cass Gilbert, 1917) 15
Project
Vitruvius studied• Durability of buildings andmonuments from ancient Greece toRome (c. 25 B.C.)
Using his basic methodology, I• “Picked-up where he left off” in time• Studied a wide range of buildings fromancient Rome, through Renaissance,etc., to 20th century modern icons
16
Project
My work in U.S. - bldgs span 200 yrs.My project in Rome – bldgs span 2,000 yrs.
• different climate,• different construction
On Borromini’s Oratorio dei Filippini (c. 1640) Early archival photo of AAR Fellows17
Project - Overwhelming need for this researchin both Historic preservation andcontemporary architecture
Most building envelopes and structuresactually succeed or fail at the intermediatescale
• By better understanding how details and designswork technically, we can better understand how topreserve or design these buildings
Failed
Failed
SucceededSucceeded Succeeded 18
Overwhelming need for this research-in contemporary Architecture
EIFS (“synthetic stucco”) houses in theS.E. USA
Highland District Hospital, Hillsboro OH
Current durability issues inArchitecture
• High-end to low-end• Renowned to unknown architects• East Coast to West Coast• Immediate recognition of issue
19
Overwhelming need for this research-in contemporary Architecture
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Thousand Oaks California
Stata Center, MIT, Cambridge
Current durability issues inArchitecture
• High-end to low-end• Renowned to unknown architects• East Coast to West Coast• Immediate recognition of issue
20
Overwhelming need for this research-in contemporary Architecture
Sustainability:
Durability is fundamental tosustainability
Sustainability advantages of buildingsthat last centuries
• Massive embodied energy savings of onedurable building over severalreplacement buildings
• Reduce landfill from demolition debrisfrom numerous replacement buildings
Villa Medici, Rome (c. 1544)
Palazzo Braschi, Rome (c.1790)
21
Paving new aesthetic ground, and related perils;Philip Johnson House, 1942, Cambridge MA• His Master of Architecture thesis project• Modernist notion of bringing the outside in• Enclosed courtyard with seamless in-plane (at grade) transition
from inside to outside
22
Philip Johnson House, 1942, Cambridge MA
• At grade transition from inside to outside• Not a slab on grade!• What technical difference does this create?
- Here - Versus here?
23
Philip Johnson House, 1942, Cambridge MAAt grade transition from inside to outside
24
Localized floor failure led toinvestigation
Philip Johnson House, 1942, Cambridge MA
25
Investigativework:
Philip Johnson House, 1942, Cambridge MA
26
Solution: Collaborative mock-ups ofperimeter floor repair
Philip Johnson House, 1942,Cambridge MA
27
“Historic” ain’t as easy as it looks;Old South Union ChurchBuild 1854
In 1991, completelyrebuilt after a fire, toexactly match theoriginal appearance
In 1998, went to paintthe steeple…
28
Original structure lasted 137years.
Why was damage noticed onthe rebuilt structure after 7years?
Old South Union Church
29
Conducted an investigation
Problems were less aboutdifference in the woodspecies (pine)
More about detailing
Old South Union Church
30
Solution: Preventative DetailingLittle details mean a lot!
Round trim (rondel windowsand clock face)
Old South Union Church
31
Solution: Preventative DetailingLittle details mean a lot!Shiplap siding on upper spire
Old South Union Church
32
Undercurrents throughout thispresentation
Historic construction details that persist over long periods oftime are usually:
• highly evolved, and• reflect accumulated wisdom and experience
Need to look closely at historic construction details to:• understand what you see, and• learn the broader lessons and principles
Thus, it’s important to look to the past in order to moreeffectively:
• Design and build well in the present• Innovate for the future
33
Seek to Understand What You SeeExample – Traditional Roof Eave Detail, RomeVery common detail –1st c. A.D. to early 20th c.
• Ornamental? Just habit?
Traditional Roof Eave Detail, Casa di Dante, Rome (Trastevere)34
Seek to Understand What You SeeExample – Traditional Roof Eave Detail, RomeNot ornamentalHIGHLY evolved technical form
• Functional, structural,architectural are integrated
• A masterful symphony
Traditional Roof Eave Detail, Casa di Dante, Rome (Trastevere)35
Seek to Understand What You SeeExample – Traditional Roof Eave Detail, RomeNot ornamentalHIGHLY evolved technical form
• Functional, structural,architectural are integrated
• A masterful symphony
Traditional Roof Eave Detail, Casa di Dante, Rome (Trastevere)36
Seek to Understand What You SeeExample – Traditional Roof Eave Detail, RomeNot ornamentalHIGHLY evolved technical form
• Functional, structural,architectural are integrated
• A masterful symphony• Even the smallest detail is
evolved
Traditional Roof Eave Detail, Casa di Dante, Rome (Trastevere) 37
Seek to Understand What You SeeExample – Traditional Roof Eave Detail, RomeAccumulated wisdom of the tile overhang onwood -
• 3 cm (1-1/4”) – too short• 12 cm (4-3/4”) – too long• 7 cm (2-3/4”) – perfect!
7 cm (2-3/4” inch) clay tile overhang, Pallazetto Cenci (16th c.), Rome38
Seek to Understand What You SeeExample – Traditional Roof Eave Detail, RomeReason for the roof to overhangthe wall generously -• To protect the wall• (wood actually making stone
more durable!)
Casa de Salone Nero (L), Ercolano (Pre 79 A.D.) Via Porta San Pancrazio, Rome39
Seek to Understand What You SeeExample – Traditional Roof Framing, RomeRafters used “on the flat”?Square or round purlins?
• Structurally illogical, right?• Reconsider
Casa di Dante, Rome (Trastevere) Typical roof framing, Rome
Typical roof framing, Rome
Common Roman truss, antiquity – late 19th c. fromJ. P. Adam, Roman Building; Materials and Techniques
40
Recognize and Minimize Inherent VulnerabilitiesTraditional Roof Framing: Anglo- American
Traditional timber framing details in New England,1685-1735 (from Abbott Lowell Cummings)
Anglo-American timber framing:• Beautiful, elegant, revered craftsmanship,but has some vulnerabilities...• Deep cuts weaken structural members• Structural failures tend to occur at
connections (inherent vulnerability)• Very time-consuming to build
41
Recognize and Minimize Inherent VulnerabilitiesTraditional Roof Framing: Anglo-American
Structural failures at deeply-cut mortise and tenon connections, American roof framing
Anglo-American timber framing:• Revered beauty and craftsmanship,
but has some vulnerabilities...• Deep cuts weaken structural members• Structural failures tend to occur at
connections (inherent vulnerability)
42
Recognize and Minimize Inherent VulnerabilitiesTraditional Roof Framing – Roman Tradition
Traditional Roman trussconnections
Roman Timber Framing Tradition:• Romans built their furniture with intricate mortise and
tenon connections, but not their structures• Roman structural wood connections less intricate, but
have elegance of simplicity:• No deep cuts – no weakening of structural
members• Very quick to build• Trusses and connections easily dissassembled, and
all parts easily reused
Common Roman truss, antiquity – late 19th c. fromJ. P. Adam, Roman Building; Materials and Techniques 43
Perils of NOT Seeking to Understand What You SeeEx. – Walter Gropius House (1937)
Walter Gropius – 1937 inspired by the vernacular white clapboardfarmhouses and barns of New England – reinterprets it
But – failed to understand the technical logic, or benefit from theaccumulated experience & wisdom of the vernacular
Gropius House, window detailing, 1937 – failureTraditional window detailing, 1923 44
Perils of NOT Seeking to Understand What You SeeEx. – Traditional, Vernacular New England HouseModern detailing failed the application– not the material
Gropius’s design failed to understand thetechnical wisdom of the vernacular hereinterpreted
Gropius House (built 1937) , 1990’s wood failures from poor detailing45
Canary in a coal mine aspect of wood construction
• “Canary in a coalmine” aspect• We learn detailing lessons more quickly with
wood than w/ other materials
Old barn just down the road Failures of 0-4 year old houses in Southeastern USA
The lesson of dryingpotential
• The garage paradox
46
Principles of Durability-Enclosure Form-finding
• Which is the more logical,durable way to build?
• What does your intuitiontell you?
• Which answer would astudy of historic precedentsuggest?
Stepped pyramid
Inverted Stepped pyramid
47
Principles of Durability- Enclosure Form-finding
Which is the more logical, durable way to build?
Stepped pyramid
Inverted Stepped pyramid
48
Principles of Durability-Enclosure Form-findingWhich is the more logical, durable way to build?
Stepped pyramid
Inverted Stepped pyramid
49
Principles of Durability- Enclosure Form-findingInverted Stepped pyramid
Paul Revere House (1680-83) Boston
• Inverted stepped pyramid• Not a new modern idea
50
Canary in a coal mine aspect of wood construction
What traditional details andstrategies have evolved, inharsh climates, with exposednon-decay resistant wood, tomake it durable over centuries?
15th c. cottage, SussexEngland (John Fidler photo)
Vernacular construction, 16th – 19th c.,Comune di Ayas, Val D’Aosta (Italian Alps) 51
Canary in a coal mine aspect of wood construction
• What traditional details andstrategies have evolved?
• Timber framing in-filled with wattleand daub an extreme ex.
• Vitruvius decried wattle and daubfor its lack of durability – wrotethat he wished it had never beeninvented
Wattle and daub panel on 16th c.Shakespear’s House, England(John Fidler photo)
Wattle and daub (lime) interiorceiling on Palazzo Braschi (1790),Rome
52
• How to make wood durable ina wet climate?• «Shed and Shelter»• Inverted stepped pyramid
form
Traditional Strategies for Enclosure Form Finding“Shed and Shelter” Early 20th c. house in suburban Boston
15th c. cottage,SussexEngland (JohnFidler photo)
Wattle and daubpanel on 16th c.Shakespear’sHouse, England(John Fidler photo) 53
Traditional Strategies for Enclosure Form Finding“Shed and Shelter”
Late 17th c. Early 19th c. Late 19th c. Early 20th c.
• Shed and Shelter• Inverted stepped pyramid form
• Common in wood construction across many periods andstyles
• Transferable strategy to other materials
54
Renaissance-era building, Venice
Venice streetscapes
• Shed and Shelter• Inverted stepped pyramid form
• Transferable strategy to othermaterials
Traditional Strategies for Enclosure Form Finding“Shed and Shelter”
55
• Other ways to shed andshelter– Planar wall, shedding
projections
Principles of Durability-Enclosure Form-findingCornice projection strategy
The Pantheon, Rome (124-126 A.D.)56
What can we learn about durable design fromthese 90-150 year old houses in US?
57
• Other ways to shed andshelter– Shedding projections
from a planar wall
Principles of Durability-Enclosure Form-finding
Shedding strategy Basilica Palladiana, Vicenza, 16-17th c. (Palladio, et al) 58
Doesn’t need to look Historicist to learndurability lessons from historyDanieleson Cottage, Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects,Nova Scotia
The value of a wrapped,sheltering roof
59
Key Take-awaysSmall details mean a lot for watermanagement and durability (laps, dripedges, etc.)
High drying potential adds considerablyto wood durability
Don’t weaken structural members atconnections
Design enclosures to “Shed andShelter”
• “Shed” water at frequent intervals• “Shelter” vulnerable areas• Inverted pyramid is one common
form• Many variations on that theme
60
Durable design; Closing Thoughts
Vitruvius told us:
ALL buildings, whether:• Public or private• Residential, civic, or
utilitarian
MUST have all threequalities to be architecture
61
Questions?This concludes The AmericanInstitute of ArchitectsContinuing EducationSystems Course
Matthew BronskiSimpson Gumpertz &Heger, Inc.
Chicago, Boston, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C.
62
Disclaimer: This presentation was developed by a third party and is not funded byWoodWorks or the Softwood Lumber Board.