Ancestral Roofs

"In Praise of Older Buildings"

Monday, April 19, 2010

Things to do with Bricks

I am always amazed at the variation in brick craftsmanship that reveals itself when I look closely at old buildings. So many details capture the eye first - applied stone or cast iron cornices, dichromatic effects, flamboyant vergeboarding........ But a close look under the eaves, or at the corners, or close to the top of a facade of many brick structures offers up countless variations on a brick on brick theme. I imagine local builders solving construction problems while showing off their signature style (it pays to advertise), working in less than ideal conditions with basic tools, referring to pattern books perhaps, or just drawing on experience. The end result is a legacy for us to enjoy over a century later in warm, rich, enduring red clay brick (no suburban cement versions here)

A nod to the Classical,
and a Medieval touch


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