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PROPORTIONS & THE CLASSICAL ORDERS

It’s becoming increasingly popular for new home designs in the Boroondara and Stonnington areas to feature classical details. Architects and home designers alike draw homes with features and details to give their designs a classical appearance.

However, design guidelines have been around for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks developed a system of design rules and guidelines they could use on any building whose construction was based on a column.

These guidelines became known as Orders and went on to have a huge influence in ancient Greece and Rome. Later the Renaissance architects of Italy and the 17th Century architects of England all based works on the Greek Orders.

Proportions were an important part of the Orders. The size, spacing and decoration of building elements were all proportioned and settled into certain patterns that work well. Eventually the same rules and proportions followed through to internal detailing.

In a famous handbook where Roman writer Vitruvius describes the Greek Orders, he also defined the key qualities which architects should aim when designing a building. All buildings, according to Vitruvius, should have; Firmitas, Utilitas, Venustas. Or in today’s language; Strength, Usefulness, Beauty.

These 3 qualities, and the traditional design rules, still remain just as important in home design today.