General Elements of

Architectural Design
Developed for the Champaign
County Early American History
Museum
By Zachary D. Cain
AHTC Summer Fellowship 2005

Introduction

In every type of house, there are many

different types of architectural design
elements that are incorporated to created the
finished product. The following PowerPoint
slide show will examine some of these basic
elements of architectural design and provide
visual examples of the different styles that
have been used over time. Use your
Elements of Architectural Design Graphic
Organizer to help you take notes on the
various different design elements.

Types of Roofs

Houses have various different rooftop designs that are used to be both
functional and visually appealing to
the eye. Here are some examples of
different types of roof-top designs:

Roofing Materials

Just as there are various different

types of roof-top designs, there are
also different types of materials that
are used to make roofs both
functional and visually appealing.
Here are some examples of roofing
materials:

Roofing Materials

Walls and Siding

There are many different types of

exteriors that are used in the
construction of houses. From logs to
concrete bricks, walls and siding are not
only used to keep out bad weather and
insects, but also to show some aspects
of architectural design. Here are some
examples of materials used for walls and
siding:

Windows

Windows have always been an important

part of many homes. From a sources for
allowing in natural light and a refreshing
summer breeze to a means of expelling
nasty odors and smoke from fires and
stoves, windows have an important
function in the architectural design of
many homes. Here are some examples
of various different types of windows:

Doors

Doors have long stood as the first

and most noticed part of a house.
For this reason, many different types
of doors have been designed and
used for both a functional and
ascetic purpose. Here are some
examples of different door designs:

Porches

While the main function of a home is

to be a place of safety and protection,
many architects have also
incorporated a place where people
can sit outside and enjoy nature, while
still having some aspect of protection
from the weather. Often we refer to
these areas as porches, which come in
many different architectural designs.

Other Details

As one can see, houses have many different

types of the same basic architectural design
elements such as roofs, doors, windows,
walls, siding, and porches. These elements
all serve the same functional purpose, but
offer different visual and ascetic aspects.
Here are some other architectural design
details that are some times used in home
designs for visual and ascetic purposes.

Assignment

Now that you have a working idea of the

various different architectural design
elements that are used in the construction of
homes, you will use your Neighborhood
Identification Worksheet of General
Architectural Design Elements to locate at
least two different types of architectural
designs for the following elements: Roofs,
Windows, Wall/Siding, Porches, Doors, and
Other Details.