Cupola Design

Small roof structures have a special place in my heart. It was a belfry (cup with a bell) in a renovated 1865 school house that I took my wife Alicia on our first day. We talked about life, looked at the sun, drank a glass of wine and felt like we were at the top of the world. Almost three children and 10 years later I think the club must have participated in my happiness.

As I drive along highways, it's a bubble that I see first in the distance, where they create forest grids across the barns. These are small buildings in their own dishes on the roof of larger buildings. In the town's buildings, their activity is mostly ventilated and sometimes revealed in the blow, but no one can deny that they have been thoughtful and caring. When you see a sphere on top of a barn in a rural area, you should look very well. Often it is the only place where the builders 200 years ago had the opportunity to showcase design and detail. The barn itself usually has to be installed quickly and simply so that the farm could continue to work. The Cupola, however, is where time was spent working on detail and fun.

The role of the pillow on the roof of American homes is far and wide. Some of my favorite lanterns (bubbles that bring light into the interior) are in Greek revival and Victorian homes in the Hudson Valley. Early home designers used cupolas in the same way we use them today. They used them to ventilate the air to bring the light into the interior. They made surrounding rooms to view the world or protect their precious bells and simply used columns as decorations for their hats. When the columns are designed and installed correctly, it is difficult to imagine larger buildings without them.

Lows describe not only light homes, but also a warm glow on the snowy winter nights, which feels like the beacons lead us home.

From Oxford English Dictionary
Cupola : A Circular dome image or adorning roof or ceiling .
Belfry : The place in a bell tower or helicopter where bells are housed.
Lantern : A square, curved or polygon built on top of the dome or room with glazed or open sides.

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http://blog.crisparchitects.com/2008/11/in-praise-of-cupolas/

Source by James Crisp

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