Part 2 of 5 Recreating the French Country Castle: Design basics of Grounds, Structure, Interiors.

foreign this is part two of a study of French castles and country houses the distinct architectural characteristics from property and grounds to the importance of proportions and materials used part 3 will include samples of American French country residences and an updated portfolio of Concepts and projects by architect John Henry the larger French Chateau represent great wealth based on land Holdings military stature or political power the castles were set typically on hundreds or thousands of acres and were entirely self-sufficient these are the principal characteristics of French country Villas and larger residences for wealthy landowner nobility the court and the King [Music] historic French Chateau command the landscape a greek temple conception they are not covered in vines or shrubs except through neglect they usually have gravel drives and formal flower or garden beds in a designated area standing alone in Majestic Grandeur on large properties with decorative grounds and parties [Music] thank you [Music] French formal architecture is a play on the Italian Palazzo and Rural Villa models including the formal Garden the French developed their Royal and upper-class Residences after studying the Italian Renaissance Villa and Palace they developed their own National style afterward engaging highly creative and competent Architects interior decorators and Landscape designers foreign ly the Renaissance conception is pure symmetry but exceptions arose depending on existing structures that may have been Incorporated military defensive cores and rare opportunities in the landscape see brissack for example which retains the original rebuilt defensive Towers but has a post-renaissance structure attached smaller lots and contemporary floor plans may result in asymmetrical layouts and elevations facades but it is rare as many elected to force Symmetry by adding sections to the original farmhouse the French country Concept in the U.S is based Loosely on Southern French country houses as in Provence their Italian counterparts are Tuscan Villas which are completely symmetrical while the provence farmhouses are organically developed and most often asymmetric L most Farm homes were left without stuccoed stone walls those closer to town and of higher value received stucco or stone veneer the citizens in these European countries looked at the Royal residences for inspiration and copied much of the principal characteristics when building their own Urban or rural country houses each design became unique small and large and there was a competitive inventiveness to see which landowner could build the most spectacular Chateau or country house [Music] apart from Total symmetry in the facades in the grand examples there includes a mixing of the castle and pleasure Palace by incorporating defensive appearing turrets and battlements mixed with a regular open fenestration foreign castles often were created with faux battlements towers and other defensive nods to their medieval past this Chateau was built in 1898 a perfect mirror of the many houses built during the Gilded Age in the United States a Pure Fantasy at one time most defensive castles were order taken down in order to relieve the Monarch from having to order incessant sieges when landowners oppose taxing and other decrees the use of Greek and Roman columns arched windows and stone walls with commensurate details distinguish French formal design the very steep pitch decorative roof is the foremost difference between the exterior architecture of the French Chateau and Italian Palazzo windows were rarely full round topped but segmented and more Stone carved details were evident on the facades of French castles the Royal French Chateau tend to have more intricate Stone carved detail on the exterior and interior than the Italian Palazzo or Villa see the profuse sculpture work on chambord's roof a design attributed to Leonardo da Vinci the double helix stairway a true Innovation allowing unimpeded passage up or down simultaneously Italian Architects and Artisans were consulted on major French structures including Versailles for many years benini provided schematic drawings initially the French country homes in Provence tend to be two-story and plastered with mainly symmetrical elevations unless a Farm location where an original house had additions constructed over the years and symmetry was totally incidental French and Italian palaces and castles were constructed of thick stone walls wooden roof trusses and floors and slate or ceramic tile roofs especially the smaller Villas in Provence they had stone interior details on walls and even ceilings in some cases with Limestone and marble and decorative wooden floors and painted beams hand-formed stucco interior details and colorful painted canvases or fresco paintings with gilded wood carving were also common in the higher quality residences exterious finishes included plaster and stone or brick Interiors tended to be symmetrically disposed if built from scratch following the symmetrical elevations with an axial geometry as they followed their facades face in French but many were asymmetrical due to special landscape features or if added to existing structures based on defense what has come to be termed French country here in the United States is a Whimsical copy based on the smaller upper-class country house which relied on agriculture and animal husbandry but the translation is rarely authentic with poor proportions and details French country houses were created in you completely symmetrical when enough wealth was accumulated and the older small dwelling in barn were torn down there was plenty of land and no reason to limit the extent of the floor plan note that the southern French houses tend to have shallower pitches those asymmetrical structures were usually the result of an addition to the medieval Fort Farmhouse and Bar narrow Lots in smaller subdivisions necessitate some creative floor planning as we attach two or three car garages that must be accessed from the front of the property and these are marked by a Whimsical naive design approach foreign floor-to-ceiling Heights in the larger French houses and palaces ranged from 12 and 16 feet to 24 feet and higher if you wonder why the French Chateau during and after the reign of monarchy are so large it is due to the fact that entire wings were dedicated to the king in his Entourage to Curry favor and for complete accommodation including horses and carriages these Royal living guest quarters comprise the idea of the stateroom and these areas or Wings usually half the size of the house were more extravagant in their interior decoration everything foreign oil paintings and Fresco themes for individual rooms and Suites were taken from mythology and religion Whimsy heroic battles Etc heavy luxurious window coverings were used that remained fixed in place compromise is the bottom line in taking cues from history and using the best ideas to create contemporary homes after the Gilded Age during that time the Vanderbilts and other wealthy families built extravagant residences around the country as close to original historic models as possible [Music] the same copying of historic castles and Residences in France continued up to World War One Castle Building of this scale ceased and the new design ethic based on mass production techniques replaced nearly all period style Revival recreating details even remotely similar to the French styled Biltmore castle out of Asheville the Vanderbilt Genova say style mansion in Newport or the Italian Villa viscaya in Miami from the early 20s would cost upwards of 2500 per square foot now due to the necessary quality of materials and hand-wet craftsmanship modern methods of construction ease that cost and the availability of stone brick slate Woods iron work intricate plaster work and other telling details made from synthetic materials can be used to create a striking replica nonetheless observe the following 12 points to create the most authentic French country Chateau and custom country houses for our modern world 1. large property symmetrical facade for a royal look asymmetrical design only for smaller tight Lots do not landscape around the perimeter no part of the structure should be hidden by shrubbery try to incorporate a long driveway in surprising turns in the approach to build anticipation use crushed stone and French drains to channel water away from the structure find a suitable location where water cannot pull around the buildings the base of most castles has important detailing that should not be hidden by plantings you don't have to build a moat but building on the edge of a water body allows impressionable reflections 2 grounds should be totally symmetrical if main structure is geometrical patterns and mix of Promenade areas to Landscaping pools and statuary important axial planning do not overshadow the main house with the garden see the asymmetrical grounds of philandry incorporate gravel and stone walkways add water features gazebos statuary established geometric Precision with focal points landscape features varied Heights with steps and ramps if sloping employ partes as in vaux levikant note that the rambling organic English romantic Garden is not our model on a very large property obscure the main architecture with Landscaping wandering Road and entry gate build anticipation as in the Biltmore in North Carolina the architect Richard Morris hunt studied in Paris concrete or asphalt roads leading to the main house should be avoided if possible for a pure period approach add small pedestals with statuary periodically on the entry Drive topiri Hedges ornamental trees and carefully landscaped flower beds 3. consider accessory buildings in larger manners they house delivery and horses dry food storage hay blacksmithing cheese production even greenhouses and small historical replicas of structures from foreign lands in some Chateau and smaller Country Homes an Armory could be found as well as chapels some of which were attached to the main house on larger Palace grounds even romantic ruins and larger residences were placed in the larger piles an English term the architecture of the accessory buildings complemented but never overshadowed the main house see Blenheim here [Music] in smaller designs the Barns and other houses were Simply Built and often attached in intermediate designs the Armory and Chapel might be out front with long walls attaching them to the main house 4. follow correct proportions for every facade window door in detail per first and second story Heights to the massing of the structure Windows should not be larger than wall areas spandrels nor Too Tall per floor to ceiling always vertical proportion columns especially should be of correct diameter and height in proportion group narrower columns in pairs smaller columns on pedestals acceptable chopped off roofs to meet local zoning bastardize the idea of French select another architecture instead with lower pitched roofs [Music] 5. the main entry is the focal point of the front elevation it is like the face which is observed directly more often than body and extremities frame with columns and arches or solid projecting surrounds always an elevated entry of three to five steps or more stats allow a basement with high windows and a grander impression 6. thick walls if your principal structure is wood then opt for two by eight or two by ten studs especially if no stone veneer will be applied stucco adds only 5 8 inch to the thickness of the wall plus sheathing scratch coats and vapor barrier you can also increase the thickness of the wall up to one or two feet with framing to make period correct and Achieve higher insulation values 7. inset Windows align windows to the inside of half the stud or stone width then placed on the very outside wall surface making a thinner wall appear thicker windows can be metal framed or wood framed painted or stained with larger panes than American colonial style trimmed with stone chasing or using synthetic or cast concrete moldings [Music] 8. stone veneer or thicker Stone running bond courses Class 2 or 3 Limestone for the perimeter exterior wall coursing should be large blocks saw cut Limestone traditional in France or even cast concrete can be used Corners often trimmed with decorative carving the smaller country look may even have a regular Ashland stucco stucco can be made to look like stone with scoring thickened coins banding and the effect of vermiculation created with rock salt when the stucco is wet 9. exterior Design Elements architectural design and details should include columns and arches segmented arched and flat top Windows not half arches but done in Chambord separated by Stone trim if possible coursing moldings and profiles figurines Etc fenestration French word describing sizing and Order of Windows between spandrels plus trim should always be vertical not horizontal and tend to repeat sizes and style per story and Vary with headers of different geometry Dormers in high steep pitched roofs and chimneys should be elements to keep in mind and can be of varied shapes and designs Towers turrets tall chimneys and even castle-like crenellation protruding cobbled rooms Etc add a defensive look a nod to a glorious past 10. the roofs of most French Chateau were made of slate smaller houses of flat ceramic tile some with lead sheets many roofs have a splayed area just over the fascia they should include Dormers of varied size and style note the entablature just under the eaves resting on the palasters here you will have a great habitable attic with a steep roof these should be decorative on larger houses and can be mixed in geometric design and size decorative and profusely carved chimneys are also characteristic of French Chateau here on Chambord alternating with adicules and Dormers Pinnacles and metal filigree between large spiers also common do not undersize spiers metal originally lead was used on flattened curved mansat-styled roofs in the late 1700s now a wide metal standing seam metal sheet or synthetic slate can be applied as in this example divide roof into several elements on larger designs a three-part is Common Center and two sides separated by intermediate lower roofs Chevy shown keep in mind that pure symmetry in smaller designs with little detail can appear boring but with a smart color palette period shutters and delicate detailing can be made to look quite Charming for spectacular effects combine defensive design with Renaissance Serenity for an asymmetrical and organic presentation these latter Confections are romanticized you can do the same see the Rothschild Chateau Waterston Manor a tour de force erected in England 11. interior architectural design develop a route from foyer to intermediate space to large hall or Ballroom living or family room build anticipation [Music] the two-story plus elliptical rotunda Great Hall at vauxla vikant is spectacular notice that the grand stairways are hidden from the foyer and the rotunda at least 12 foot to 16 foot first floor Heights and second floors not less than 10 feet double height foyers and halls in many examples Stone and wood floors throughout or ceramic Accents in any rooms also in baths and kitchens heavy wood beams in ceilings especially if your model is an older Castle more decorative delicate and painted in a Renaissance styled residence unless a royal residence muted colors on wood and plaster moldings with intricate detail simplified for smaller houses stained or painted wood latter entails lower costs for scarfed wood casings rather than bare wood with no irregularity which must be stained case starches columns and beamed or crown ceilings with details in real or simulated plaster with delicate and profuse ornamentation wainscoting and entire rims of oiled wood paneling large decorative fireplaces of stone marble probably the most important single interior feature exterior entries cased with decoratively carved stone wood floors throughout with herringbone and other geometric patterns with occasional marble and granite inlay separating rooms at doorways and cased openings thank you grand staircases in foyer single run if narrow doubled if much wider do not crowd foyer with stairs make it wide enough for a double stare should you elect to do so and going beyond the foyer the Next Room cannot be narrower but at least as wide and preferably wider at least as tall or higher ceiling [Music] each formal room should be treated separately and differently than the other in terms of moldings flooring ceiling wall decoration and color [Music] do not incorporate modern details on walls floor or the ceilings hide Supply and return air with moldings or behind structural elements or run Supply Air with floor registers create axial and symmetrical layouts although the smaller contemporary house will not showcase an infallaid most of the smaller French Chateau had interior hallways which opened on each side with secondary rooms some opening to each other as walk-throughs one can create believable period effects with synthetic moldings coloration flooring materials Etc that are off the shelf and quite affordable use torches and chandeliers and conceal minimize or eliminate completely any type of small down lighting or can lighting push button light switches get as close as possible to a period look when only candles and chandeliers and wood torches lit Interiors at night [Music] castle bathrooms contain small cabinets a sink and a stool not very extravagant but one should get creative even during the Gilded Age bathroom seemed understated but here one can improvise and make more elaborate in the earliest Chateau and country houses kitchens were located outside of the house or in the basement under vaults local produce and livestock were handled there and food prep cooking in the same rooms the later medieval-based agricultural French country houses had more up-to-date Kitchens on the main floor of the dining and living rooms although butchering could be done in a nearby shed Outdoors 12. furnishings and accessories chairs and tables in the 16th through 18th centuries were of a smaller scale than ours today due to the fact that physical Anatomy was smaller and so when placed into cavernous rooms chairs stools and tables make the spaces appear even larger there were carved and stained woods with fabric seats and backs side cuts musical instruments chests gaming and other smaller tables settees Etc were common as well as writing desks [Music] secondary bedrooms tended to mimic Royal Chambers with four post beds fabric canopy tops and other accoutrements armoires and chests stored clothing and private accessories there were no built-in closets paintings and tapestry decorated walls with fabric covered walls also featured chints note that extravagant window treatments tended to be permanent while interior Shutters on the larger Chateau modulated the natural light the smaller French country houses had drawable curtains and shutters that closed from the outside for smaller items of Interest scattered on tables or pedestals there were some reliquaries antiques plaques busts urns memorabilia music boxes books vases candelabras and clocks as well as small figurines foreign [Music] gilded wood and metal knickknacks Collectibles books were displayed in more private rooms mirrors were installed as part of the wall decoration in several rooms mirrors allowed the darker Interiors at night to be lit better by reflecting the candlelight owners showed Heritage in standing with Stags heads mounted on walls with other animals thank you for watching Parts one and two an overview of the design elements of french-styled Chateau and larger country houses in part 3 we will present american-style French country houses and a portfolio of traditional and french-styled houses sketches and ideas by architect John Henry please subscribe to find part 1 and 3.

Channel: John Henry

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Id: 4FzC72LwsOc

Length: 25min 9sec (1509 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 19 2023