Floor-Ceiling Vaults

Loggia dei Lanzi. Photo: MatthiasKabel

Problem We seek a ceiling vault shape which will support a live load on the floor above, form the ceiling of the room below, and generate as little bending and tension as possible so that compressive materials can be relied on.

Solution Build floors and ceilings in the form of elliptical vaults which rise between 13 and 20 per cent of the shorter span. Use a type of construction which makes it possible to fit the vault to any shaped room after the walls and columns are in position: on no account use a prefabricated vault.

- Pattern 219. (Please note that this is a limited version of pattern 219. The original pattern is at nine pages, with beautiful and useful illustrations.)