Why I Love Columns

I love columns inside and out of homes and cabins. In the process of designing either, I often hear a client suggest elimination of the post I’ve located on the edge of the great room. “Can’t you just add a big steel beam to carry the loft above?”. “Of course I can, but then the column wouldn’t be there to greet you in the morning.” I retort.SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

At my cabin the first column to greet guests is a large red tree, which I refer to as Minnesota redwood. My wife is credited with the Chinese red paint which she applied while I was out fishing. Once inside, guests will experience two tree columns on either side of my kitchen island. They not only hold up the second floor, but help in defining kitchen from dining room. The larger of the two carries a significant gravity load, whereas the other, a distant cousin, is just there to help out.

SALA Architect Dale MulfingerSALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

I may have fallen in love with columns in 1966, when as a student I found myself ascending the steps to the Acropolis in Athens. The majestic Doric columns of the Parthenon loomed before me, although what caught my eye, was the caryatids of the Erechtheum, off to the left. There several women stood tall holding up the temple frieze. Wow! Columns could be both functional and decorative. Today, I can only imagine what we could achieve with a crafty chainsaw artist.

SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

Christopher Alexander in A PATTERN LANGUAGE, instructs us through pattern #226, Column Place, “a freestanding column plays a role in shaping human space. Two or more columns together define a wall or enclosure”.SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

The enclosure of an entry can be defined by two columns and a roof. If the columns can’t bear on footings, they can be replaced by diagonal brackets back to the house frame. If a singular column is preferred under the entry canopy, diagonal bracing can be added to stabilize the post. Or a tuning fork cedar tree can be used to make an entry more casual.

SALA Architect Dale MulfingerSALA Architect Dale MulfingerSALA Architect Dale Mulfinger SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

The diagonal columns within an A-Frame can be exposed to define a dining place. The realm of a kitchen can be defined by columns in two directions with swinging seats in between. A living room can include a corridor defined by a colonnade. Or the solo stout metal column in a bedroom can provide sentry to a good night’s sleep.

SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger SALA Architect Dale MulfingerSALA Architect Dale MulfingerSALA Architect Dale Mulfinger