Durable Design; Lessons from Historic Structures€¦ · successes and failures, while sharing a...

Durable Design;Lessons from HistoricWood Structures

Matthew Bronski, PE, Associate PrincipalSi G t & H

Presented: 22 May 2014,

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger

Presented: 22 May 2014,Wood Solutions Fair Chicago

“The Wood Products Council” isa Registered Provider with TheAmerican Institute of Architects

This course is registered withAIA CES for continuingprofessional education. As

Continuing Education Systems(AIA/CES), Provider #G516.

such, it does not includecontent that may be deemedor construed to be anapproval or endorsement by

Credit(s) earned on completionof this course will be reported toAIA CES for AIA members

the AIA of any material ofconstruction or any method ormanner ofhandling, using, distributing,AIA CES for AIA members.

Certificates of Completion forboth AIA members and non AIAmembers are available uponrequest

or dealing in any material orproduct.___________________________________________request.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 performancedesigners 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 historicresearch 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 aboutten 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 durabilityBronski will offer a compelling diagnosis of durabilitysuccesses and failures, while sharing a series of lessons andprinciples that can be used to design more durableenclosuresenclosures.

Learning Objectives

1. Consider how historic wood construction details have succeededt h i ll d h th i ht b li d t d j ttechnically, 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 durabilityfacades 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 durabilityd t i bilitand sustainability.

Opening food for thoughtL i f Hi i P dLearning from Historic Precedent

Inverted Stepped pyramidWhich is the more logical,durable way to build?

What does your intuitiontell you?

Which answer would astudy of historic

d ?precedent suggest?

Stepped pyramid5

What can we really learn about durabledesign from centuries old structures?After all, Today we know much more about thefollowing than our forebears centuries ago:

design from centuries old structures?

following than our forebears centuries ago:• Wood properties and behavior• Wood decay mechanisms• Structural engineering• Building enclosure design• Waterproofing• Waterproofing• Preservative treatments• Engineered wood products• Materials science• Etc., etc., etc.

What can we learn about durable design fromthese 100 150 year old houses in US?these 100 150 year old houses in US?

What can we learn about durable designfrom these 300 600 year old buildings?from these 300 600 year old buildings?

What can we learn about durable designfrom this 1 900+ year old buildings?from this 1,900+ year old buildings?

Vitruvius

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio,• Born c. 80 70 BC• Died c. 15 BC

De Architectura (TheTen Books”)

“Vitruvian Man” illustr.by Leonardo da Vinci

Later (1684) depiction of Vitruvius presenting DeArchitettura to the Roman Emeror Augustus

10

Vitruvius


Roman Architect (et al)Roman Architect (et al)• Actually an Architect,

Engineer (Structural,Mechanical, Environmental,Milit ) U b Pl



Military), Urban Planner,Master Builder, etc.


11

Vitruvius


Roman Architect (et al)• Actually an Architect,

Engineer (Structural,Mechanical, Environmental,Military), Urban Planner,



Master Builder, etc.• Wrote De Architectura (On

Architecture) c. 25 BC• Only surviving architectural• Only surviving architectural

treatise from classicalantiquity (either Greek orRoman)

12


Project

not a study of Vitruvius,hi t ti• nor his treatise,

• nor his built work

d f h Rnot 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 WHYl bl h l l f• 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 WHYl bl h l l f• Developed and published lessons learned for

building more durably

M h l i il t d lMy approach, goals similar to develop“lessons learned” for

• rehabilitating existing buildings, and• constructing new buildings more durably (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 tomonuments from ancient Greece toRome (c. 25 B.C.)

Using his basic methodology, I“Pi k d h h l ft ff” i ti• “Picked up where he left off” in time

• Studied a wide range of buildings fromancient Rome, through Renaissance,etc to 20th century modern iconsetc., 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.y p j g p y

• different climate,• different construction

On Borromini’s Oratorio dei Filippini (c. 1640) Early archival photo of AAR Fellows17

Project Overwhelming need for this researchi b h Hi i i din 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

FailedSucceededSucceeded Succeeded 18

Overwhelming need for this researchi A hiin contemporary Architecture

EIFS (“synthetic stucco”) houses in theS.E. USACurrent durability issues iny

Architecture• High end to low end• Renowned to unknown architectsRenowned to unknown architects• East Coast to West Coast• Immediate recognition of issue

19Highland District Hospital, Hillsboro OH


Stata Center, MIT, Cambridge (Frank Gehry)

Current durability issues inyArchitecture

• High end to low end• Renowned to unknown architectsRenowned to unknown architects• East Coast to West Coast• Immediate recognition of issue

Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Thousand Oaks California (Antoine Predock, 1991)

20


Sustainability:Sustainability:

Durability is fundamental tosustainabilitysustainability

Sustainability advantages of buildingsthat last centuries Palazzo Braschi Rome (c 1790)that last centuries

• Massive embodied energy savings of onedurable building over severalreplacement buildings

Palazzo Braschi, Rome (c.1790)

• Reduce landfill from demolition debrisfrom numerous replacement buildings

Villa Medici, Rome (c. 1544)21

Paving new aesthetic ground, and related perils;Philip Johnson House 1942 Cambridge MAPhilip Johnson House, 1942, Cambridge MA• His Master of Architecture thesis project• Modernist notion of bringing the outside ing g• Enclosed courtyard with seamless in plane (at grade) transition

from inside to outside

Philip Johnson House, 1942, Cambridge MA

• At grade transition from inside to outside• Not a slab on grade!

h h l d ff d h ?• What technical difference does this create?

Here Versus here?

Philip Johnson House, 1942, Cambridge MAAt grade transition from inside to outside


Localized floor failure led toinvestigation


Investigativework:

Philip Johnson House, 1942,

Solution: Collaborative mock ups ofi t fl i

Cambridge MA

perimeter floor repair

“Historic” ain’t as easy as it looks;Old South Union ChurchOld South Union ChurchBuild 1854

In 1991, completelyrebuilt after a fire, torebuilt after a fire, toexactly match theoriginal appearance

In 1998, went to paintthe steeplethe steeple…

Old South Union ChurchOriginal structure lasted 137years.

Why was damage noticed onthe rebuilt structure after 7the rebuilt structure after 7years?

Old South Union Church

Conducted an investigation

Problems were less aboutdifference in the wooddifference in the woodspecies (pine)

More about detailing


Solution: Preventative DetailingLittle details mean a lot!Little details mean a lot!

Round trim (rondel windowsand clock face)


Solution: Preventative DetailingLittle details mean a lot!Shiplap siding on upper spire

Undercurrents throughout this t tipresentation

Historic construction details that persist over long periods of time 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• learn the broader lessons and principles

Thus, it’s important to look to the past in order to more effectively:y

• Design and build well in the present• Innovate for the future

33

Seek to Understand What You SeeExample Traditional Roof Eave Detail RomeExample – Traditional Roof Eave Detail, Rome

Very common detail –1st c. A.D. to early 20th c.

• Ornamental? Just habit?

34Traditional Roof Eave Detail, Casa di Dante, Rome (Trastevere)


Not ornamentalHIGHLY evolved technical form

• Functional, structural, architectural are integrated

• A masterful symphony





• A masterful symphony





• A masterful symphony• Even the smallest detail is

evolved



Accumulated wisdom of the tile overhang on wood -

• 3 cm (1-1/4”) – too short• 12 cm (4-3/4”) – too long• 7 cm (2-3/4”) – perfect!

387 cm (2-3/4” inch) clay tile overhang, Pallazetto Cenci (16th c.), Rome

Seek to Understand What You SeeExample Traditional Roof Framing RomeExample – Traditional Roof Framing, Rome

Rafters used “on the flat”?Square or round purlins?q p

• Structurally illogical, right?• Reconsider…

Typical roof framing, Rome

Common Roman truss, antiquity – late 19th c. from J. P. Adam, Roman Building; Materials and Techniques

39Casa di Dante, Rome (Trastevere) Typical roof framing, Rome

Recognize and Minimize Inherent VulnerabilitiesTraditional Roof Framing: Anglo AmericanTraditional Roof Framing: Anglo American

Anglo-American timber framing:• Beautiful elegant revered craftsmanship• Beautiful, elegant, revered craftsmanship,

but has some vulnerabilities...• Deep cuts weaken structural members

St t l f il t d t t• Structural failures tend to occur atconnections (inherent vulnerability)

• Very time-consuming to build

Traditional timber framing details in New England,1685-1735 (from Abbott Lowell Cummings) 40

Recognize and Minimize Inherent VulnerabilitiesTraditional Roof Framing: Anglo AmericanTraditional Roof Framing: Anglo American

Anglo-American timber framing:• Revered beauty and craftsmanshipRevered beauty and craftsmanship,

but has some vulnerabilities...• Deep cuts weaken structural members• Structural failures tend to occur at• Structural failures tend to occur at

connections (inherent vulnerability)

Structural failures at deeply-cut mortise and tenon connections, American roof framing 41

Recognize and Minimize Inherent VulnerabilitiesTraditional Roof Framing Roman TraditionTraditional Roof Framing – Roman Tradition

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:g p y• No deep cuts – no weakening of structural

members• Very quick to buildVery quick to build• Trusses and connections easily dissassembled, and

all parts easily reused

Traditional Roman truss connections

42

Common Roman truss, antiquity – late 19th c. from J. P. Adam, Roman Building; Materials and Techniques

Perils of NOT Seeking to Understand What You SeeEx Walter Gropius House (1937)Ex. – Walter Gropius House (1937)

Walter Gropius – 1937 inspired by the vernacular white clapboard farmhouses and barns of New England – reinterprets it

But – failed to understand the technical logic, or benefit from the accumulated experience & wisdom of the vernacular

Gropius House, window detailing, 1937 – failure Traditional window detailing, 1923 43

Perils of NOT Seeking to Understand What You SeeEx Traditional Vernacular New England HouseEx. – Traditional, Vernacular New England HouseModern detailing failed the application– not the material

Gropius’s design failed to understand the technical wisdom of the vernacular he reinterpretedreinterpreted

Gropius House (built 1937) , 1990’s wood failures from poor detailing44

Canary in a coal mine aspect of wood construction

• Thus, “canary in a coalmine” aspect• We learn detailing lessons more quickly with

wood than w/ other materials

• The lesson of drying potentialpotential

• The garage paradox

Old barn just down the road Failures of 0-4 year old houses in Southeastern USA45


• What traditional details and strategies have evolved?

• Timber framing in-filled with wattleTimber framing in filled with wattleand daub an extreme ex.

• Vitruvius decried wattle and daub for its lack of durability – wroteythat he wished it had never been invented

Wattle and daub panel on 16th c.Shakespear’s House, England (John Fidler photo)

Wattle and daub (lime) interior ceiling on Palazzo Braschi (1790), Rome

46


What traditional details and strategies have evolved, in harsh climates, with exposed, pnon-decay resistant wood, to make it durable over centuries?

15th c. cottage, Sussex England (John Fidler photo)

Vernacular construction, 16th – 19th c.,Comune di Ayas, Val D’Aosta (Italian Alps)47

Principles of DurabilityE l F fi diEnclosure Form finding

• Which is the more logical, Inverted Stepped pyramidWhich is the more logical,durable way to build?

Wh t d i t iti• What does your intuitiontell you?

• Which answer would astudy of historic precedentsuggest?gg

Stepped pyramid

48

Principles of Durability Enclosure Form finding

Which is the more logical, durable way to build?

Inverted Stepped pyramid

Stepped pyramid

49


Reason for the roof to overhang the wall generously -To protect the wall

50Casa de Salone Nero (L), Ercolano (Pre 79 A.D.) Via Porta San Pancrazio, Rome

Principles of DurabilityE l F fi diEnclosure Form findingWhich is the more logical, durable way to build?

Inverted Stepped pyramid

Stepped pyramid

51

Principles of Durability Enclosure Form findingInverted Stepped pyramid

• Inverted stepped pyramid• Not a new modern ideaNot a new modern idea

Paul Revere House (1680 83) Boston

Traditional Strategies for Enclosure Form Finding“Shed and Shelter”Shed and Shelter

• Shed and Shelter• Inverted stepped pyramid formpp py

• Common in wood construction across many periods and styles

• Transferable strategy to other materialsTransferable strategy to other materials

53Late 17th c. Early 19th c. Late 19th c. Early 20th c.

Traditional Strategies for Enclosure Form Finding“Shed and Shelter”

• How to make wood durable in a wet climate?

Shed and Shelter Early 20th c. house in suburban Boston

• «Shed and Shelter»• Inverted stepped pyramid

form

15th c. cottage, Wattle and daub

54

15 c. cottage,SussexEngland (John Fidler photo)

Wattle and daubpanel on 16th c.Shakespear’sHouse, England (John Fidler photo)

Traditional Strategies for Enclosure Form Finding“ h d d h l ” Renaissance-era building, Venice

• Shed and Shelter

“Shed and Shelter”

• Inverted stepped pyramid form• Transferable strategy to other

materials

55Venice streetscapes

Principles of Durability Enclosure Form finding

• Other ways to shed and shelter– Variations on a theme

Cornice projection strategy

– Variations on a theme

56The Pantheon, Rome (124 126 A.D.)

Principles of DurabilityE l F fi di

Shedding strategy

• Other ways to shed and shelter

Enclosure Form finding

shelter– Variations on a theme

57Basilica Palladiana, Vicenza, 16 17th c. (Palladio, et al)

Principles of DurabilityE l F fi di

Shedding strategy

• Other ways to shed and

Enclosure Form finding

• Other ways to shed andshelter– Variations on a theme

58Basilica Palladiana, Vicenza, 16 17th c. (Palladio, et al)

Doesn’t need to look Historicist to learndurability lessons from historydurability lessons from historyDanieleson Cottage, MackayLyons Sweetapple Architects,Lyons Sweetapple Architects,Nova Scotia

Th l f dThe value of a wrapped,sheltering roof

Key Take-awaysSmall details mean a lot for water management and durability (laps, drip edges, etc.)

High drying potential adds considerably to wood durability

Don’t weaken structural members at connections

Design enclosures to “Shed and Shelter”

“Sh d” t t f t i t l• “Shed” water at frequent intervals• “Shelter” vulnerable areas• Inverted pyramid is one common

formform• Many variations on that theme

60

Durable design; Closing Thoughts

Vitruvius told us:

ALL buildings, whether:• Public or private• Residential, civic, or

utilitarian

MUST h ll thMUST have all threequalities to be architecture

61

Q ti ?Questions?This concludes The AmericanThis concludes The AmericanInstitute of Architects Continuing Education S stems Co rseSystems Course

Matthew BronskiSi G t &H ISimpson Gumpertz &Heger, [email protected]

This presentation was developed by a third party and is not fundedby WoodWorks or the softwood lumber check offby WoodWorks or the softwood lumber check off.

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