The Wonder of Windows

So many choices abound in window styles these days. They virtually come in every design style, shape, size and color. When remodeling or updating one’s home, windows are an important design element to consider. They should enhance the facade and be in harmony with the architectural style of the home.

The artistic arrangement of windows on a residential façade is called fenestration. In traditional classic architecture, the fenestration should be symmetrical; windows equally balanced horizontally and vertically around the front door. Ideally, there should be two identical pairs of  sash windows on the first floor flanking the centrally positioned front entrance. They should be the same height as the front door and complement the architectural surround of the front entrance. If the entranceway is arched, then the first floor windows should also be arched. This decorative arched window arrangement or fenestration style is known as arcuated architecture. 

If the central doorway is crowned with a decorative lintel or a three part classical entablature, then the two pairs of windows should also have complementing wood or stone lintels or have lintels comprised of vertically stacked bricks centered with a contrasting stone keystone. This horizontally designed fenestration style is known as trabeated architecture.

Windows on the second floor of a classically inspired brick or stone facade should be placed directly above the first floor windows and should be the same width and have the same mullion design to maintain harmonious visual balance. Second floor windows, however, are usually shorter and typically have narrow or nondescript lintels because they are located close to the roofline.

Oftentimes you will see in the gables of traditional homes historically based window motifs. Take for instance roundel windows. These small, round windows were originally designed to let light in small, tight spaces like attics. Sometimes these round windows will be shuttered or have one horizontal and one vertical mullion, thus dividing the glass or glazing into four equal sections. They are often accented with a single small keystone at the top or sometimes they have four small keystones equally spaced around their form. Roundel windows may seem like a minor design element, but they add architectural interest and pull one’s attention upward on the façade.

Dormer windows draw attention to the roof because they project out from the slope of a roof. They add formality and dignity to a façade and let in light and ventilation to living spaces on the third floor or attic. If there is a segmental arch window in the transom over the front door, then there should be arched glazing in the dormer windows to reiterate this classic shape. In traditional residential architecture, an arch introduced on the first floor level should be repeated again in some subtle way near the top of the façade for good balance.

Another interesting and frequently used classical window is a Palladian window.  It was created by the famous Italian architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) and became one of his legendary trademarks. This window is comprised of three parts; the center section is a tall, wide, commanding arched window with a shorter and narrower rectangular window attached on each side. This window is always symmetrically placed on a façade, usually directly above the front entrance, and has a keystone at the top of the center arch.

Now for some asymmetrical window fenestration. Because of its visual weight and mass, a bay window is usually used only once on a front façade. It will be strategically positioned on one side of the front door and then asymmetrically balanced with two or three complementing windows on the other side. A bay window is a three part angular window which projects out from the facade of a house and is usually capped with a tin roof.  If the window unit is curved, it is called a bow window.  If it projects out from an upper floor and does not touch the ground, it is called an oriel window.