h ihs and most valuable experience that architecture can show.” richest the “The relationship of man-made structures to the natural world offers ProvinceThe Northeast Chapter 4.1 —Vincent Scully

NORTHEAST Northeast

56 4.1 ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST PROVINCE h contours of the rolling topography. the boundaries. barns fit well with them out of fields and stacked into literally grew from the land as farmers moved rambling fieldstone walls of New England farms sensitive to their sites and landscapes. The The buildings of New England are traditionally buildings. pointed comments about damp, cold masonry of building material. Writings of the period are full New Englanders strongly preferred as a Influenced by the traditions of Mother England, warm and sheltered. animals, who were more productive when kept homes—not just for the people, but for the the wall. They connected farm buildings to their chimneys within the building rather than outside today. For example, to conserve heat, they placed architectural adaptations that still work well mechanical systems to help them, they developed keeping warm and dry. Because they lacked climate. Early builders were preoccupied with design is traditionallyNortheast sensitive to the New England and Middle Atlantic States. encompasses national forests and facilities in ProvinceThe Northeast of the Forest Service NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS AND BUILT NORTHEAST PROVINCE THE CHARACTER OF OVERVIEW: of building forms throughout mountains and valleys. Scottish-Irish settlers spread this most-American settlers introduced the in Delaware. shaped by glacial freeze-thaw cycles. Scandinavian directly from the landscape of fractured rocks rural buildings of Pennsylvania seem to grow celebrated its use with elaborate design. Many settlers enjoyed brick and stone masonry Farther south, in the Middle Atlantic, German RHTCUA UDLNSFRTENRHATPOIC 4.1 PROVINCE ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST transportation, utilities, and infrastructure. concentrates buildings near existing services, it delivery. This also is a sustainable strategy as close to roads simplify snow clearance and mail today. For example, contemporary buildings placed example of a traditional idea that makes sense of crops and products to market. This is only one clustered close to roads to ease transportation Throughout the province, farm buildings were

57 NORTHEAST INFLUENCES ON To the south are the Appalachian Highlands and and, later, the “connected farmstead” of New ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER a topographically diverse landscape with plateaus, England in the latter part of the 19th century. coastal plains, and the Ozark Mountains. These In the Middle Atlantic, the Dutch, German, LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL are smoother, more rounded mountains with little and Scandinavian builders made their own “The Appalachians are immensely old—older exposed rock. The average winter temperature is contributions. These included the double-pitched than the oceans and continents (at least in above freezing. The forest is mostly deciduous Dutch gambrel (originally common only to their present configurations), far, far older than with a wider variety of trees in the wetter east barns in New York’s Genesee Valley but now other mountain chains, older indeed than almost and a dominant mixture of oak-hickory in the everywhere) and German masonry construction. all the other landscape features on earth.” drier west. The French influence worked its way up the —Bill Bryson, A Walk in the CULTURAL Mississippi and is visible in the enduring The Northeast landscape can be divided into traditions of sweeping roof forms and generous “If we don’t know where we’ve come from, three distinct ecological zones. . how will we know where we are?” The northern part of the Northeast Province —Pauline Chase-Harrell, architectural historian Swedes and Finns introduced log homes in includes the Allegheny Mountains and Maine and Delaware. Other ethnic groups adapted log During the Colonial period, the English dominated drifts into the Lakes Province. This is a glacially structures as they moved into the southern and settlement in New England, the Dutch in New York carved landscape with long, cold winters (average middle frontier. Originally they used rough logs. and New Jersey, the Germans in Pennsylvania, winter temperatures below freezing and only 100 Later cabins used hewn logs and permanent the Scandinavians in Delaware, and the French to 140 frost-free days annually). Landforms are chinking. Except for the Iroquois in New York along the lake and river system of what was then level to rolling. Vegetation ranges from broadleaf State, Native American structures have been the Western frontier. The patterns of westward deciduous forests to conifers (which grow well in obliterated, but archaeology has allowed for migration of these groups established paths of local acid soils) to mixed forests. The summer renewed interest in these forms. architectural influence throughout the region. landscape is lushly green. Fall brings brilliant The 19th century brought cultural and colors. The long winters are white and brown. The English established the prevailing cultural technological changes that blurred distinctions Little rock is exposed except along waterways. patterns, including a preference for wood among styles in favor of a national style, or architecture, especially for and The White and Green mountains of the northern rather a series of national styles. The first of , shingle, or vertical board . Steeply Appalachians, is a craggy landscape that features these was Greek Revival, launched in the 1830’s. pitched roofs are another common and prominent glacially carved granite mountains, many rock A decade later, a preference for Gothic Revival design feature. Early building types included the outcrops, and abundant snowfall. The forested and other “Victorian” styles was greatly aided by salt box (a house made by attaching a shed roof setting changes with elevation from a mixture popular pattern books for houses. The invention to a gable roof); the timber-framed “English barn”; of hardwoods and conifers to spruce-fir. of the balloon-frame house in Chicago in 1833 introduced mass-production techniques to the

58 4.1 ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST PROVINCE Reverence for history remains factor. an important growth of the historic preservation movement. provided counterbalance, a powerful as did the Revival and other historical interpretations England States, movements toward Colonial matter where they were sited. But in the New same and be built from the same materials no Increasingly, buildings were designed to look the during the Industrial Revolution.started Modernism continued the trend of standardization structures in the 20th century. imprint on the design of Forestpowerful Service Conservation Corps (CCC). The movement left a the 1930’s during the height of Civilian in public recreational structures, especially and Rustic design was later adapted for hotels vacation homes for the wealthy. style, created elaborate “rustic” log-and-stone decorations. A regional variation, the Adirondack buildings and custom-designed details and CraftsArts movement emphasized handcrafted as an antidote to standardization.artistry The Later in the century, several movements promoted frontier towns across the Nation. ornamental cast-iron building façades) to as shipment of prefabricated (such building parts construction of houses. Railroads fostered the Cold, wet, and • More snowfall and wetter climate • with Mountains that run north-south • Glacier-sculpted granite mountains that • Topography dominated by mountains and • E BUILT ENVIRONMENT THE CHARACTER OF THE SHAPE SUMMARY OF INFLUENCES AND RESPONSES THAT COLOGICAL vratwinters. overcast Lakes Province. the than east-west exposures. feature dramatic rock outcrops. hills with few open plains or fields. rolling I NFLUENCES RHTCUA UDLNSFRTENRHATPOIC 4.1 PROVINCE ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST Tree areas. line as low 1,800 feet in northern • Vegetation that changes with elevation from • Lush, dense vegetation. • Long vistas. • Prevailing winds. northeasterly • Dramatic freeze-thaw cycles. • with spruces and firs in upper elevations. low areas of hardwood forest to mixed conifers

59 NORTHEAST Hardwoods Mixed hardwood - coniferous Coniferous

Hills country

Mixed hardwood - Hardwoods coniferous Coniferous Scrub Tundra

Mountains

60 4.1 ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST PROVINCE Rustic design originated here in the Adirondacks • Traditional building forms include the • Users of a national forest expect cultural • The area is the most densely populated portion • Early houses are timber frame and log. • Wood is preferred over brick as a building material. • Dairy farms are typical in Vermont. • Traditional farms feature connected buildings. • Rural culture is focused on villages, hamlets, • Tourism industry. is an important • Preservation of landscapes and traditional • Early settlers were English, Dutch, French, • This is settled country, not wilderness. • C ULTURAL in vacation homes for the wealthy. brick or log mill buildings. cottage, the masonry German farmhouse, and features of their experience. as part of the United States. and small farms. townscape character is highly valued. influence is primary. German, and Scandinavian, but the English I NFLUENCES RHTCUA UDLNSFRTENRHATPOIC 4.1 PROVINCE ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST

61 NORTHEAST English influence

Mill structure Rural farmstead

62 4.1 ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST PROVINCE Scandinavian Saltbox RHTCUA UDLNSFRTENRHATPOIC 4.1 PROVINCE ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST

63 NORTHEAST ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST PROVINCE Road

SITING Front entry • Select from limited building sites because of topography and regulations to protect the landscape character. • Orient and cluster rural buildings toward and near roadways rather than lined up along a road. When practical, cluster buildings around Rear entry a common site, as seen in a village green or town center. Structures oriented toward roads • Tuck buildings into the edges of clearings and at changes in grade.

Forest

Edge Buildings tucked into the vegetation on the Clearing edge of clearings Buildings clustered around a common site 64 4.1 ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST PROVINCE Detach outdoor space from the building with • Visually screen structures by planting banks • Berm the back wall of buildings into slopes. • Landscape the site for snow storage. • Design roads to be site sensitive. They should • Design buildings to step down grades rather • gardens or plazas (no attached decks). native vegetation. of through landscape. follow contours of the land like a river weaving than leveling site. Clearing of vegetation is provided in Allegheny region RHTCUA UDLNSFRTENRHATPOIC 4.1 PROVINCE ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST from main structure Outdoor space is detached landforms grades to preserve natural Buildings are stepped down patio Shaded

65 NORTHEAST MASSING AND SCALE The building’s mass should be “Simplify, simplify.” —Henry David Thoreau related to its surroundings: • Break functions into smaller building wings as opposed to using one big building. • Make buildings appear to have grown organically through additions over time. • Design rectangular buildings, as in barns or saltbox houses. • Use traditional building heights from one and a Short vegetation half to two stories that remain well suited for and moderate hills Mass should be broken into tight, restricted sites. several smaller forms • Use narrow, horizontal siding and small, punched window openings to reduce the apparent mass of a building. • Do not design rambling, irregular Victorian or Queen Anne-style building volumes. • Include small porches. • Make the chimneys visible on the gable side. Tall vegetation • Match larger buildings in scale to a larger and steeper hills backdrop.

Complicated irregular forms

Simple forms, added to each other Buildings are generally 1 1/2 - 2 stories

66 4.1 ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST PROVINCE Vertical corner-boards painted in • Weathered shingles painted white • . • materials include: horizontal patterns. Suitable this province. Wall materials are usually wood in Walls are the primary elements of architecture in W Create textures with synthetic materials by • Lay stone in patterns that mimic local geology. • Select stones that match local stones. • Use traditional, random-pattern stone bases. • Sink the base below frost line. • and snow. mud, protects the rest of the building from frost, weathering base creates a platform that A and celebrated using solid, textured materials. suggest permanence and solidity when expressed Bases are both functional and symbolic. They B ASE contrasting colors. or red. coloring concrete or using split-face stone. ALLS random pattern Natural stone: Random ashlar pattern Cut stone: Typical cellar 1st Floor Platform for developed outdoor space Stone face depth 3-4’ Frost 2’ Maximum RHTCUA UDLNSFRTENRHATPOIC 4.1 PROVINCE ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST Large gable end Building Small cut Low base wall Dominant

67 NORTHEAST WINDOWS AND OPENINGS Appropriate windows Inappropriate windows Windows are typically small, double-hung, and and openings: and openings: divided (traditionally up to 12 panes over 12 panes). • Arrange windows for symmetry. • Avoid strip windows in horizontal bands. • Use lintels, sills, and pediments for ornamental purposes. • Use single doors instead of double doors. • Use porches for public entries to buildings. • Use simple entries for nonpublic buildings. • Include air locks or vestibules.

Single door Double doors

Window characteristics: • Ornamental lintel • Double-hung window • Expressed sill

Multiple small double-hung windows Horizontal strips of windows

68 4.1 ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST PROVINCE Include snow and ice guards on metal roofs • Make gables and sheds simple uncluttered. • Avoid exposed tails for maintenance • Integrate cupola for venting. • Use thin eaves and bargeboards. • Include gutters to keep walls dry. • Reduce ice damage with a minimal (if any) • Include slate, shingle, simulated shingle, or • Use gable shape instead of a flat or • Design roof to ranges from 6:12 to 12:12 • R OOFS where “snow dump” is an issue. reasons. overhang. metal material. (unless shed extends from main building). Simple gable roof Appropriate roof elements: overhangs keep walls dry Gutters and narrow Broad overhangs may cause ice damming RHTCUA UDLNSFRTENRHATPOIC 4.1 PROVINCE ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST Flat roofs Inappropriate roof elements: nraemaintenance increase Exposed rafter tails Exposed rafter Shed roofs

69 NORTHEAST STRUCTURE Buildings of this province do not typically include Typical roof elements: heavily expressed or exposed structural members. • Gable roof Rustic, CCC-inspired buildings are suitable for • Cupola for roof venting picnic and cabin structures in remote areas, • Simple gable dormers but they are out of character in settings • Minimal overhang classified as developed on the ROS. • Narrow fascia board • Avoid exposed structure on exterior; (no exposed ) • Include some exposed timber framing on the interior.

Simple entries:

Heavy, expressive structures

Gable porch Shed porch

70 4.1 ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST PROVINCE Waste quarry stone. • Concrete pavers (tumbled block • Stamped concrete for walkways. • Granite curbs. • Crushed granite. • Suitable site materials include: Mediterranean tile. • High-tech looking, sleek, or • Metal buildings in public areas. • Glass “curtain” wall. • Asphalt-shingle siding. • Stucco or synthetic stucco. • Avoid: Use metal or vinyl siding for low-maintenance • Use durable, natural, local materials such as • M ATERIALS to add texture and look rustic). smooth materials. utilitarian buildings. include textured, colored concrete block. stone, wood, and clapboard. Alternatives Wood, slate, fiber-cement, rcomposition shingles or Inappropriate roof materials: Appropriate roof materials: Tile roofing Seamed metal RHTCUA UDLNSFRTENRHATPOIC 4.1 PROVINCE ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST Paint porch ceilings using historical colors, • Contrast colors in “detail areas” such as • Other Guidelines: Warm tones with a wide range earth of accents • White, red, gray, and naturally weathering • Naturally tones weathering materials and earth • Naturally tones weathering materials and earth • grays, and browns. Follow the ROS guidelines: Take cues from the setting, emphasizing blues, C OLOR uhas robin’s egg or sky blue. such wall. dark with a light wall and trim trim windows and doors. For example, use dark in rural settings. materials in rural settings. roaded natural settings. with limited accents drawn from nature in settings. with no accents in primitive or semiprimitive

71 NORTHEAST SUSTAINABILITY

• Recycle materials and components from other structures. • Reuse existing and historic structures. • See the “Common Principles” section in the introduction to this chapter for more recommendations on sustainability.

Simple, adaptable forms Additions planned for the future constructed as necessary

72 4.1 ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST PROVINCE or at least matches for suitable materials. rocks provides ready-made building materials and landscape. The preponderance of native trees structures so they seem to disappear into the forest and lush vegetation can screen many forgiving place in which to build. The dense Yet Province the Northeast can be a active or passive solar heat. low potential for implementing For example, cloudy winters offer maintenance, and sustainability. presents challenges for building, The climate, harsh at times, coastal climate. England’s in New and comfortable materials that proved durable house employed forms and For example, the saltbox design and construction. of from these earlier models designs. But we can learn Valley to create successful the barns of Genesee houses found on Cape Cod or need to reproduce the saltbox we do not In the Northeast, SYNTHESIS RHTCUA UDLNSFRTENRHATPOIC 4.1 PROVINCE ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST • Large gable ends • Shed porch • Simple roof with gable dormers • Clapboard siding • Multiple double-hung windows • Buildings step down grades • Simple forms, added to each other Clustered compound on a slope characteristics:

73 NORTHEAST Visitor facility characteristics: • Saltbox form • Simple forms repeated • Single, punched windows with divided lights

Administration/ maintenance compound characteristics: • Simple forms repeated • Clustering of smaller masses

74 4.1 ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST PROVINCE • Minimal base • Simple forms characteristics: Overlook RHTCUA UDLNSFRTENRHATPOIC 4.1 PROVINCE ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST • Mass broken down • Clustering of forms • Gable roofs with attached shed forms Maintenance shop characteristics: • Entry porch• Entry • Simple gable end • Steep roof with Restroom characteristics: minimal overhangs • Minimal base • Light structure window • Small ihdivided lites with

75 NORTHEAST