Inspiration

Inspiration

Throughout this blog I've highlighted and created links to exceptional individuals and organizations who design thoughtful homes, environmentally responsible communities and historically based building products. Some of them are local to me, while others I've yet to meet. They are exceptional because at some point in their careers, be it a moment in time or countless hours spent around a conference room table, they decided to do what was right...even though their wallets might be fatter if they just followed the crowd. Their hard work and dedication to their chosen craft is now paying dividends in the form of homes and communities that will age gracefully and be admired for generations to come...and maybe even be an inspiration to others, like they were to me.

Thomas J. Ryan, Jr. - Architect

Like most of the internet, blogs read from newest to oldest entry...this one works best by reading the first three posts in chronological order, starting with the Welcome! post. Just scroll down on the right side of this page until you see the Blog Archive list...click on 2011, then scroll down to the bottom after the new page appears. Please email me with any comments and thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Approachable Porch...


All porches are not created equal...some are welcoming and some look like they were designed to keep people away...usually because of their height off the ground and overuse of brick or stone.  This porch is a great example of how to properly welcome your guests.

Notice the foundation...piers, not a massive stone or brick monolith.  Many homes have it exactly the opposite way...lots of brick or stone at the porch to impress the guests.

The proportions look good as well...the rectangular openings bounded by the floor, columns and beam should be more vertical than horizontal.

The only issue that jumps out at me would be that the short end of the porch (on the right side of the shot) usually looks better if it's held in fron the corner a bit...so the porch roof dies into the front wall of the house, not around the corner.