Skinny Columns Hold Their Own
Don't let their size fool you: Thin columns provide strong support and big visual impact
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
Columns are one of the basic elements of architecture. Functionally, they are vertical elements that transmit loads from above to below, say from the roof to the ground. Metaphorically, they are like humans, standing on the ground; the ancient Greeks even fashioned some columns in the shape of the female body (caryatids).
So columns appeal not just because they serve a structural purpose but because they reflect something of who we are as people. The classical orders — Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian — are still used today (if in a more stylistic manner), thousands of years after they were articulated. Modernism, which sought to break itself from tradition, still incorporates columns but does so with different materials — steel instead of stone — and in slender proportions that betray the classical orders.
This ideabook looks at houses that use these skinny columns, or what are sometimes call pilotis, a term Le Corbusier popularized when he called for buildings to be elevated above the ground. These houses are more restrained then Corbu's in terms of columns, but they nevertheless show the strong impact of such small elements.
So columns appeal not just because they serve a structural purpose but because they reflect something of who we are as people. The classical orders — Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian — are still used today (if in a more stylistic manner), thousands of years after they were articulated. Modernism, which sought to break itself from tradition, still incorporates columns but does so with different materials — steel instead of stone — and in slender proportions that betray the classical orders.
This ideabook looks at houses that use these skinny columns, or what are sometimes call pilotis, a term Le Corbusier popularized when he called for buildings to be elevated above the ground. These houses are more restrained then Corbu's in terms of columns, but they nevertheless show the strong impact of such small elements.
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| A row of round, black-painted steel columns marches down one side of this small house in Austin, Texas. They support a roof overhang that incorporates a timber beam running the whole length. The contrast between round and boxy, steel and wood is appealing, as is the way the beam cantilevers beyond the roof. |
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| The extent of the overhang is quite apparent from this angle. It's also clear how the row of columns defines an edge and creates a subtle sense of enclosure, which makes sense given the expansive landscape around the house. |
| More wood and steel contrast, this time with two-story square steel columns supporting a wood trellis and wood beam. The assembly shades the tall expanses of glass and defines an outdoor space. |
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Square steel columns alternate with a concrete hearth in this house. The steel structure accommodates the second-floor cantilever, easily the most striking aspect.
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These round steel columns are double height and sit behind the glass exterior of the pool house. With the ground-floor glass wall opening on two sides, the columns help support the header and provide some lateral stability to the glass wall above.
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| This house's renovation focused on the lower level, which from this angle is recessed below a large terrace. Galvanized columns supporting an I-beam below the deck are spaced to allow cars to access the garage. |
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| Where skinny columns support a roof, the load is considerably less than occupied space. In this house a generous cantilever requires additional support, which comes in the form of two slender columns. These further define the dining area adjacent to the pool, and they probably provide a sense of security for those sitting under the second floor extension. |
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| This column supports the extension of the second-floor roof. Note how it's located between the two lines of stepping stones. Columns may first be part of the structural order, but they also have to take into account the spatial order of a house, part of which they help create. |
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| I find the single, double-height column supporting the generous cantilevered roof here very appealing. It might have been possible to pull off the roof without the column, but its presence is a strong anchor to the outdoor space; the eye is led immediately to the column. |
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This single column deals with the span of the breezeway. Wood beams cannot span as far as steel, hence the need for a relatively short expanse here.
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Outdoor spaces are an important part of this house, with its L-shaped plan. First is the skylit walkway adjacent to the living area. At the elbow between the living area and bedrooms is an open corner.
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This corner is also capped by skylights and basically acts like a breezeway, but at a 90-degree bend. The skinny columns help to incorporate the large overhangs that provide additional shade.
| Columns have their place indoors as well. These steel ones help visually separate the eating and living areas in an otherwise open space. |
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In this view, the skinny steel column appears to act like a hinge that the large open plan revolves upon. Another column is actually out of sight to the right, but this photo illustrates how strong of a presence a column can have, even when it's less than a half-foot in diameter.
More:
Classic Design: The Language of Columns
When a Column Doesn't Look Like a Column
More:
Classic Design: The Language of Columns
When a Column Doesn't Look Like a Column
Ideabook published on Feb. 20, 2012.
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My very first inclination when we moved into the house was that the spindly, wimpy looking rods had to go...I wanted to replace them with something with a bit more volume. I'll take a step outside and see if I can look at it in a different light. :)
midmofan - Yes, indeed. There are some on Houzz that are similar:
Erin - Keep in mind that what you do, if anything, near the columns will influence if the columns are OK as is. Having a fairly modern and open exterior to go along with it will make it work. If you're going in a different direction, then beefing them up may make more sense.