This must not be thought of as an entirely separate problem, for no
truly architectural intellect will ever arrange a plan without seeing
generally, in his mind's eye, the superstructure which he intends to
rear upon it; but the detailed treatment of this forms a separate branch
of the design. Then comes the third and very important problem--the
covering in of the space. Next to the plan, this is the most important.
All building is the covering over of a space, and the method of covering
it over must be foreseen and provided for from the outset. It largely
influences the arrangement of the plan. If there were no roofing, you
could arrange the walls and carry them up pretty much as you chose, but
the roofing of a large space is another matter. It requires extra
strength at certain points, where the weight of the roof is
concentrated, and it has to be determined whether you will employ a
method of roofing which exercises only a vertical pressure on the walls,
like the lid of a box, or one which, like an arch, or a vault, or a
dome, is abutting against the walls, and requires counterforts to resist
the outward thrust of the roof. We shall come upon this subject of the
influence of the roof on the design of the substructure more in detail
later on. Then, if the plan is convenient and effective, the walls
carried up with the architectural expression arising from the placing
and grouping of the openings, and the proper emphasizing of the base and
the cornice, and the horizontal stages (if any) of the structure, and
the roof firmly and scientifically seated on the walls; after all these
main portions of the structure are designed logically and in accordance
with one another and with the leading idea of the building, then the
finishing touches of expression and interest are given by well designed
and effective ornamental detail.
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