The industry-standard guide to designing well-performing buildings
Aesthetics are a vital part of good design. Great design emerges from a deep understanding of the functionality and constructability of details. Good details provide clear, complete, and correct information to the wide variety of users that need them. Architects guide a project from design idea to buildable reality by working with other building industry professionals and creating a set of details that show how things are put together.
Architectural Detailing systematically describes the principles for designing good architectural details. Using patterns that demonstrate best practices and consistent approaches to design detailing, this book teaches why detailing is important, what factors shape detailing issues, and how to detail a building that meets or exceeds performance requirements. Extensive illustrations demonstrate how to design building details that will not leak water or air, will control the flow of heat and water vapor, will adjust to all kinds of movement, and will be easy to construct.
This fourth edition has been updated to conform to the latest International Building Codes and International Energy Conservation Code requirements and incorporates current knowledge about new material and construction technology, including:
- Expanded patterns for sustainability, high performance architecture, and resilience
- Examples using panelized or modularized prefabricated building assemblies
- Complex case studies demonstrating the detailing design process for energy efficient structures
- Design detailing for maintenance and management of sensitive or weak spots in a building assembly
Architectural Detailing helps you bring a building together with a well detailed design that communicates effectively at all levels of the construction process.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Part I – Detail Patterns 1
Section 1 Function 3
Chapter 1 Controlling Water 5
Wash 7
Overlap 12
Overhang and Drip 15
Drain and Weep 19
Unobstructed Drainage 21
Ventilated Cold Roof 22
Foundation Drainage 24
Moisture Break 25
Capillary Break 26
Labyrinth 28
Rainscreen Assembly and Pressure Equalization 29
Upstand 34
Sealant Joints and Gaskets 36
Chapter 2 Controlling Air 45
Air Barrier System 47
Weatherstripped Crack 49
Chapter 3 Controlling Heat Flow 51
Thermal Insulation 52
Thermal Break 54
Multiple Glazing 59
White and Bright Surfaces 60
Reflective Glazing 61
Reflective Surface and Airspace 62
Outside-Insulated Thermal Mass 64
Chapter 4 Controlling Water Vapor 67
Warm Interior Surfaces 68
Warm-Side Vapor Retarder 70
Vapor Ventilation 75
Condensate Drainage 78
Chapter 5 Controlling Sound 79
Airtight, Heavy, Limp Partition 80
Cushioned Floor 83
Quiet Attachments 85
Sound-Absorbing Surfaces 86
Chapter 6 Accommodating Movement 89
Seasoning and Curing 91
Vertical-Grain Lumber 94
Equalizing Cross Grain 96
Relieved Back 98
Foundation below Frost Line 99
Structure/Enclosure Joint 100
Abutment Joint 102
Expansion Joint 103
Control Joint 106
Sliding Joint 109
Building Separation Joint 111
Chapter 7 Providing Structural Support 113
Small Structures 114
Connecting Dissimilar Materials 116
Distributing Loads 118
Chapter 8 Providing Passages for Building Services 121
Vertical Chase 122
Horizontal Plenum 125
Chapter 9 Health and Safety 129
Safe Footing 130
Fall Protection 132
Safe Edges 134
Safe Glazing 135
Nontoxic Materials 136
Fire-Safe Materials 137
Fire-Resistant Assemblies 138
Barrier-Free Design 140
Universal Design 141
Chapter 10 Providing for the Aging of the Building 145
Life Cycle 146
Expected Life 148
Surfaces That Age Gracefully 150
Repairable Surfaces 152
Cleanable Surfaces 153
Maintenance Access 154
Dry Wood 156
Protected and Similar Metals 158
Less Absorbent Materials 161
Robust Assemblies 163
Building Armor 164
Extreme Event Protection 166
Section 2 Constructability 169
Chapter 11 Ease of Assembly 171
Uncut Units 172
Minimum Number of Parts 174
Parts That Are Easy to Handle 176
Repetitious Assembly 179
Simulated Assemblies 181
Observable Assemblies 183
Accessible Connections 184
Detailing for Disassembly 186
Installation Clearance 188
Nonconflicting Systems 189
Chapter 12 Forgiving Details 191
Dimensional Tolerance 192
Sliding Fit 197
Adjustable Fit 201
Reveal 204
Butt Joint 206
Clean Edge 209
Progressive Finish 211
Forgiving Surface 213
Chapter 13 Efficient Use of Construction Resources 215
Factory and Site 216
Repetitious Fabrication 218
Rehearsing the Construction Sequence 220
Off-the-Shelf Parts 223
Local Skills and Resources 224
Aligning Forms with Forces 226
Refining the Detail 229
All-Weather Construction 230
Pride of Craftsmanship 232
Accepted Standards 233
Section 3 Aesthetics 235
Chapter 14 Aesthetics 237
Contributive Details 237
Timeless Features 240
Geometry and Proportion 241
Hierarchy of Refinement 243
Intensification and Ornamentation 245
Sensory Richness 247
Formal Transitions 248
Didactic Assemblies 251
Composing the Detail 252
Part II – Detail Development 253
Section 1 Applying the Detail Patterns 255
Chapter 15 Detailing a Building in Wood Light Framing 257
Chapter 16 Detailing a Building in Architectural Concrete 291
Chapter 17 Detailing a Building in Masonry on a Concrete Frame 313
Section 2 Getting Started 349
Appendix A: The Detailer’s Reference Shelf 351
Appendix B: Formulating Exercises for Self-Study, Studio, or Classroom Use 359
Index 361
About the Author :
PATRICK RAND, FAIA, is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Architecture in the College of Design at North Carolina State University. Rand has also authored or co-authored Materials for Design and Detailing for Landscape Architects, and his books have been translated into French, Chinese, and Korean. He has been named by Design Intelligence as a recipient of the Thirty Most Admired Design Educators. He was named a Distinguished Professor by ACSA in 2014. In 2019 he was a Fulbright Distinguished Chair, teaching and carrying out research for six months at Aalto University in Otaniemi and Helsinki, Finland. He was honored as the 2019 recipient of the NCSU Board of Governor’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
JASON MILLER, AIA, is a professor of Building Sciences at Appalachian State University. A practicing architect, Miller emphasizes an integrated, collaborative design approach to achieve design excellence in professional and academic settings. His research interests include design pedagogy, sustainable design-build practices, and the role of architecture as an agent of community change. For his work in professionally based design education, Miller received the 2014 Appalachian State University Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award and the 2019 UNC Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award.
EDWARD ALLEN, FAIA, (1938-2020) was a member of the faculties at both Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and frequently taught as a guest at institutions across the United States for over 30 years. He also authored The Architect’s Studio Companion; Shaping Structures: Statics; and Fundamentals of Building Construction. Among his many honors, Allen was selected as a Topaz Laureate by ACSA in 2005.
Review :
“Being both a practicing architect and design professor, I find Architectural Detailing to be an essential reference book for any practicing architect or student of architecture. The book is extremely effective in presenting how to think about details in terms of form and function and has wonderful detail drawings that help explain the concepts very clearly. I have many books on details but this is the first that helps explain the many issues that go into designing a detail to be both beautiful and lasting by dealing with water, air, vapor, heat, sound, movement, aging and assembly.” --Don Kranbuehl, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C
"Previous editions of "Architectural Detailing" have been a fixture in my architecture office for years and can regularly be found on my team's desks. The updated, Fourth Edition builds on what was already a comprehensive resource with even more drawings, explanations and insights that are extremely well presented. There are a LOT of details covering everything from controlling water to accommodating movement with thoughtful and clear descriptions accompanying them. Even though we are familiar with a wide range of construction details and methods, this book remains a valuable resource in my office and would be ideal for an architecture student or new professional." --Jeff Jordan, Architects LLC
