With and Without a Porch

It has been almost 20 years since Taunton Press asked my colleague, Sandee Mahoney, and me to write a book on porches.  Although we loved and still love porches, we were reluctant to take on a significant project like writing a book while running a busy architectural practice.  Ultimately, we made the right choice, and On the Porch was born.  At that time, book publishing had big budgets, so we had the help of illustrators and photographers who added greatly to our mission. I have included some illustrations showing the importance of porches and the value of proper scale and proportions when designing a porch (or really anything).

Have you ever looked at a house and sensed that something about it wasn’t quite right? Perhaps it didn’t look finished or feel balanced. Was it the placement of the windows? The pitch of the roof? The size of the porch? It’s not always easy to pinpoint what’s wrong, but it helps if you understand a few principles of good design. These drawings illustrate the difference between porches that are appropriately placed and in proportion to the house and those that aren’t.

Before and After Entry Porch

Before and After Entry Porch

On the Porch

Photos by Rob Karosis  Curated Brochure by Crisp Architects: Portfolio

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