Porch
A porch (from Old French porche, from Latin porticus "colonnade", from porta "passage") is a room or gallery located in front of an entrance of a building. A porch is placed in front of the façade of a building it commands, and forms a low front. Alternatively, it may be a vestibule, or a projecting building that houses the entrance door of a building.[1]
"Front porch" and "Back porch" redirect here. For the video synchronization techniques, see Analog television § Structure of a video signal. For other uses, see Porch (disambiguation).
Porches exist in both religious and secular architecture. There are various styles of porches, many of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location. Porches allow for sufficient space for a person to comfortably pause before entering or after exiting a building, or to relax on. Many porches are open on the outward side with balustrade supported by balusters that usually encircles the entire porch except where stairs are found.
The word "porch" is almost exclusively used for a structure that is outside the main walls of a building or house. Porches can exist under the same roof line as the rest of the building, or as towers and turrets that are supported by simple porch posts or ornate colonnades and arches. Examples of porches include those found in Queen Anne style architecture, Victorian style houses,[2] Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, or any of the American Colonial style buildings and homes.[3]
Some porches are very small and cover only the entrance area of a building. Other porches are larger, sometimes extending beyond an entrance by wrapping around the sides of a building, or even wrapping around completely to surround an entire building. A porch can be part of the ground floor or an upper floor, a design used in the Mrs. Lydia Johnson House (built in 1895).
Ancient examples[edit]
The Apadana palace of the city of Persepolis was built in the first half of the 6th century BCE. The palace has open columned verandas on three sides which is a unique feature among all palace buildings at Persepolis. In Ancient Greek architecture, the peristyle was a continuous porch with a row of columns around the outside of building or a courtyard.
In India, porches and verandahs are popular elements of secular and religious architecture. In Hindu temples, the mandapa is a porch-like structure that connects the gopuram (ornate gateway) to the temple. It is used for religious dancing and music, and is a part of the basic temple compound.[14]
Examples of Indian buildings with porches include:
The term sit-out is used to describe the porch of a residential building.[15][16][17]