{"id":849,"date":"2011-01-20T12:52:45","date_gmt":"2011-01-20T12:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markstephensarchitects.com\/?p=849"},"modified":"2011-01-20T12:52:45","modified_gmt":"2011-01-20T12:52:45","slug":"ch1arural-housing-book-the-section","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markstephensarchitects.com\/ch1arural-housing-book-the-section\/","title":{"rendered":"Ch1a~Rural Housing Book – The Section…"},"content":{"rendered":"
Probably of equal importance to the plan is the section as it\u2019s the section that initiates a response to the site conditions and transforms the two dimensionality of the plan into three dimensions. Many believe (of which Glenn Murcutt is an example) that the section dictates precisely the end form of the building:<\/p>\n
\u201cHence a single plan and section suffice to describe the enclosure and roof covering of such houses; freedom in plan and usage, functionalism in the building envelope.\u201d<\/p>\n
The breakthrough that needs to be made in Irish rural architecture is the idea that a house design is qualified by a single section; this incongruity probably occurs in the design and planning process that is prevalent in Ireland. The design process of the ubiquitous McMansion would follow a standard pattern; a large block on the ground floor would contain the main living accommodation and the largest number of bedrooms upstairs would be accordingly to fill up a similar area. With the house at a full two storeys; little thought is required for the section (and as the planning application only requires a minimum single section); once the builder starts, he requires little further input in order to finish. Even with a two storey house of this type; difficulties can arise where the section changes for example – one recent instance is where a vaulted ceiling was required over the hall and because there was no section drawn at this point the builder continued on his merry way and the ceiling was identical to the rest of the house.<\/p>\n
I will even go as far to say that it is in the sections that a house is defined architecturally and again there is no better master of this than Glenn Murcutt.<\/p>\n
Take for example the Fletcher Page House again (section below):<\/p>\n