What Is a Facade

A faà §ade is the front or face of anything, especially a building. The French spelling is faà §ade. A cedilla accent mark under the c tells us to pronounce the c as an s and not as a k—like fuh-sod instead of fuh-kade. Facade or faà §ade is a common word, so its handy to know the definition and how its used. Other Definitions The exterior face of a building which is the architectural front, sometimes distinguished from the other faces by elaboration of architectural or ornamental details.—Dictionary of Architecture and Construction, Cyril M. Harris, ed., McGraw- Hill, 1975, p. 191. The front or principal elevation of a building. Sometimes other elevations are called facades, but the term usually refers to the front.—John Milnes Baker, AIA, from American House Styles: A Concise Guide, Norton, 1994, p. 172 Can a Building Have More Than One Faà §ade? Yes. A large, ornate building, like the US Supreme Court Building, may have more than one major entrance, sometimes called the East or West Entrance or East or West Faà §ade. For single family homes, however, the faà §ade is considered the curbside or front of the building. Homeowners consider the faà §ade and everything in front of the building to add or increase curb appeal. Modern homes that are less rectangular and more parametric may be 100% faà §ade. Historic Commissions often have regulations about faà §ades of historic houses. Local historic districts often have rules about what can be seen from the street, including colors and color combinations of the faà §ade and modernities attached to the curb side of a house. For example, dish antennae are usually not allowed on the faà §ades of historic buildings. Can a Person Have a Faà §ade? Yes. With people, a faà §ade is generally a false face of physicality or psychology. A person may use a machine to fake a summer tan. People use makeup to create a sense of beauty or take years off your face. Some experts believe that civility can be a faà §ade to keep people from harming each other. Characters in dramatic works can camouflage negative behaviors with faà §ades of piety. And finally, I was wincing underneath my brave facade, was said by a person getting a first tattoo. Examples The Ladd and Bush Bank in Oregon has a cast-iron facade.Andrea Palladio modeled the faà §ade of San Giorgio Maggiore after a Greek temple.Early plans for the Park 51 Muslim Community Center called for airy lattice on the facade.The NYSE Building in NYC has an imposing facade—or two.Larry didnt know what he was talking about at the job interview, but he put on a good faà §ade and got hired. Tips and Tricks Pronounced fa-sodDerived from the Italian word facciataThe faà §ade is the face of the buildingAvoid people who arent what they appear to be; a faà §ade can cover up dishonesty and hide inadequacies.