Architecture Villa PDF

Reconstructing Palladios Villas: 1
Reconstructing Palladios Villas:

A Computational Analysis of Palladio's Villa Design and
Construction Process
By
Lawrence Sass, PhD

ACADIA Conference Proceedings, 2001

Abstract

This project is ongoing research focused on finding a method of reconstruction, using
computational devices to build, represent and evaluate Palladio's un-built villas in three-
dimensions. The first of The Four Books of Architecture contains text and images
explaining Palladio's design and construction systems in the form of rules. These rules
were written for the masons and craftsmen of the 16th century, offering one and two-
dimensional data on each of Palladio's villas, palaces and churches. The text only offers a
general treatment of the villas; it is missing construction data and rules needed to execute
a full reconstruction of an un-built building.

Many have attempted to reconstruct Palladios work in drawings, wooden models and
through the used of computational devices. This project presents a new method of
reconstruction through the definition of construction rules, in addition to shape and
proportional rules defined by previous scholars. This study uses the Villla Trissino in
Meledo as a test case for the process. The end product is a presentation of a method for
reconstruction in the form of a three-dimensional analysis of Palladio's design and
construction rules and a demonstration the new construction rules, found as a result of
this study. The goal is to recreate all of the villas with the same method and rules.

The work began four years ago as a pilot study focused on modeling Palladio's villas in
three-dimensions. The models resulted in a pictorial representations of the villas found in
the Four Books of Architecture. They were not constructed by the rules in Palladios text.
This current version of the project is focused on reconstructing all of the thirty villas in
detail by Palladios rules. This method required a complete rewriting of the rules from the
Four Books of Architecture and a few additional rules from an analysis of the existing
buildings. The rules were applied to a simple floor plan and elevation drawing in order to
transfer Palladio's original sketch drawings in a CAD environment. The reconstructed
sketches were used to create a three-dimensional CAD file by construction rules.
Afterward, three-dimensional prints, two dimensional drawings and renderings were
created from the model for evaluation. Final results of each study contain textural as well
as visual information on the reconstruction. The resulting villa model demonstrates how a
villa can be built from the rules in the Four Books of Architecture. It also demonstrates
qualitative and quantitative input and output from a computational device.
1.0 Introduction
This project is a follow up on two papers written by Wittkower and Stiny, on methods for
reconstructing Palladios villas by rules, shape and computation.
1
This paper adds to the
theory by reconstructing the villas in three dimensions verses two, using computer
modeling and three-dimensional printing. This process requires information beyond the
programmatic line representations presented by Wittkower and Stiny. It requires material
related to masonry, wood and stone construction in addition to the general design
materials found in the Four Books of Architecture. Within this paper I will demonstrate
the process used to reconstruct 30 of Palladios villas in the form of computer modeling
(fig 1). Each resulting villa was represented using a variety of output devices such as
computer rendering, conventional plans, sections and elevations on paper and three-
dimensional printing. This paper will also demonstrate that how Palladios text could be
applied to the reconstruction of an entire villa exclusively by rules, from the foundation
to the roof. Most important is that the rules used to reconstruct each villa have been
rewritten in a format that should allow for a direct application to a computer program or
shape grammar. This paper does not claim that Palladios rules will lead towards a
perfect reconstruction. Instead it is a discussion of a process of qualitatively and
quantitatively evaluation and design choice. This paper will demonstrate Palladios
design rules, and a process of reconstruction starting from a two-dimensional
reconstruction, concluding with a three-dimensional representation and evaluation.
Fig.1 Process of sketch to cad to three-dimensional product representation (3d
Print)
Fig. 2 Palladio's original drawings
Fig. 3 Villa models: built in white, partially built or unbuilt in gray
2.0 Villa Design: The First Two Books of Architecture
From 1538 to 1570 Palladio designed over 30 villas throughout the Veneto of which
twenty-three are recorded in the form of drawings in the Four Books of Architecture.
Bertotti Scamozzi recorded the remaining six villas in the 18
th
century in the form of
etchings. Most important is that Palladio wrote the rules and drawings for the Four Books
after the villas were built. The drawings reflect what he wanted the buildings to be - not
the built condition. Of the thirty drawings only 19 were built and of those only two
resemble any of the drawings. Most of the built work differed dramatically from the
drawings found in the Four Books or in Scamozzis text.
2
Some of the built works are
missing the barns, towers or porticos. Again the goal here is to reconstruct Palladios
ideal intentions (the drawings in the Four Books) and not the built conditions, by the rules
expressed in Books One and Two. There are three facts relating to the drawings that
make reconstructing Palladios villas a challenge:

Palladio created the drawings and text in the Four Books of Architecture after the
buildings were built. So the drawings in the text are a representation of how
Palladio wanted the villas to be and not a representation of the built condition.

The drawings are in constant conflict with themselves, dimension strings do not
add up to over all sizes, and the drawings contain little information on the
buildings physical construction or how the rules were applied.

Defining the rules, what are they, how do they work in construction and design.
What are the unit measurements that Palladio uses to define sizes of objects, and
how do these objects work by the rules in a space or spaces.

There are two types of villas within the corpus, the country villa or farm villa, and the
urban villa. The country villas were composed of a main house and barns, set at the outer
ends of the site. The barns extended from the main house towards the front of the
property ending with a wall and a small opening aligned with the entry of the main house.
Country villas were farms, whose income offset the costs associated with owning such an
expensive piece of property in the countryside. The area within the barns was used to
grow expensive crops and care for livestock. Urban villas such as the Villas Foscari and
Rotunda were used for entertainment and as an escape from the hectic pace city life, they
did not have barns (fig. 4).

For both the county and urban villa, the main house contains three levels of service. The
main level or the one elevated from the street level known as the piano noble was used
for entertainment, and as sleeping quarters for the patron. The second floor contained
apartments for servants and storage space for grain. The lower level was used for
cooking, storage and cleaning. Spaces were organized symmetrically around a hall, such
that all spaces on the right were the same as those on the left.
3
Principle spaces (loggias,
halls, and courts) were seen as the most beautiful to be placed in full view upon entry.
4

3.0 The Reconstruction Process
The goal is to reconstruct Palladios villa from the drawings in The Four Books of
Architecture and Scamozzis etchings by Palladian rule. This task requires far more
information than the two-dimensional reconstructions of Stiny/Mitchell and Wittkower.
The construction of walls, ceilings, roofs and basements require information not always
found, or clearly articulated in the Four Books of Architecture. That material is acquired
here through a constant survey of the built conditions and Palladian research. In addition
to the construction material, the process must also contain methods for checking rule
application during the process and in the resulting model. In summary, the process
involves qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating and testing the process and
resulting model.

Fig. 4 Country villa (Pojana) and an urban villa (Foscari)
The process used here is done in a series of steps starting with a villa manual and
concluding with a three-dimensional representation known as a villa model. The villa
manual is a clarification of rules from the Four Books, by rewriting and illustrating each
rule in the form of a simple line of text. This manual contains all of the programming,
construction and ornamental rules needed to reconstruct a villa from a site plan. The first
step is to reconstruct the site plan of the villa and the barns, in form of a line drawing a
process similar to Palladios sketch representations not found in the Four Books (fig.5).
The second step is to apply construction rules to the line representation of the plan in
order to create a digital representation of Palladios design intensions. The third step is to
reconstruct a digital representation of the elevation from the previous digital plan and the
elevation drawing in the Four Books. Finally, three dimensional construction rules and
ornamental rules are applied to the plan and elevation drawings leading to a villa model
representing of half of the final villa (fig. 10). The villa model is used to create plans,
sections and elevation drawings for measurements in addition to a three dimensional print
and renderings of complex spaces. Throughout the process each rule taken from the villa
manual, or rule invented by the author or others is recorded on a spreadsheet. (see:
Appendix-A)

Fig. 5 Reconstructing the Villa Pojana plan in line form from the site and barn on the left
to the reconstruction of the final plan in line form on the right
3.1 Reconstructing the floor plan
This reconstruction system is a set of parametric shapes, systematically applied to the
plan diagram (fig. 5) once the proportions and general shape of the plan has been
constructed (fig. 6). The construction system is used to create a finished plan of walls,
ceilings, porticos and stairs. These shapes are plan views of construction items and new
rules created by the author. New rules must be written to fill the gaps for general rules
written by Palladio. They are scalable, stretchable images representing design and
construction rule sets that are dependant on the completion of the previous set of objects
on the plan for their parametric assignment. For example, villa wall thickness is defined
by the ceiling type assigned to the plan, if a room has a heavier ceiling then the walls
must be thicker. If a lighter ceiling type, such as wood joist are used they require a
thinner wall thickness. But door or window placement does not depend on wall thickness;
it is dependent on room adjacency and views to the outside world. So, wall thickness
cannot be assigned to the plan until the ceiling type is defined on the plan diagram. The
process requires the assignment of nine steps each with a series of rules from the villa
manual that can be applied to the plan. The final representation is a quantitative
representation from Palladios plan drawing in the Four Books.

Plan Reconstruction Steps (fig.6)
1. Assignment of spaces
2. Ceilings notation
3. Wall thickness notation
4. Portico
5. Columns and arches
6. Stairs and stair pedestals
7. Door notation
8. Window notation
9. Detail notations

Fig. 6 Reconstruction of the Villa Cornaro plan drawing from a line
3.2 Reconstructing the Elevation
Palladio's elevations are pictorial representations of the plan, projecting and adding
elements from the piano noble. A closer look at the plan and elevations demonstrates that
two drawings dont match. Lines are off or sometimes drawn differently from the plan all
together. The elevation design sketch is transformed to a digital representation in nine
steps, each focused on representing some aspect of the construction, such as wall height
variation and column location. Most are focused on a pictorial representation of the parts
by locating windows, doors, pediments, moldings and entablatures. Each step listed
below for this system was taken from a survey of villa drawings in book two of the
Quattro Libri. Most steps in this section are symbolic notations that can be applied to the
initial wall shape. Most of shapes for the elevation reconstruction are fixed
representations or symbols used to locate the objects on the elevation. Finished sizes are
not of the highest concern here the goal is to create a pictorial reference for heights and
symbolic location.

Elevations Reconstruction Steps (fig. 7)
1. Initial Shape
2. Walls and Floors
3. Cornices
4. Portico Steps
5. Columns
6. Moldings
7. Doors and Windows
8. Roof and Pediment
9. Details


Fig. 7 Reconstruction of the Villa Cornaro elevation
3.3 Constructing the Villa Model
The Queen Anne Grammar
5
and the Frank Lloyd Wright Grammars
6
use parametric
grammars used to specify shapes in the styles of the architects. The difficulty with the use
of these grammars here is that the origin of the sizes for the shapes is unclear. There is
little documentation defining the sizes of the objects and the reasoning behind their
fitness requirements. To address the issue, this study has created a spreadsheet containing
variables missing from Palladios drawings.

There are twelve steps toward constructing the final villa model. Each step requires sizing
and location information from the reconstructed plan and elevation drawings. Just as with
the Queen Anne grammar, a building part is assigned a set of variables also listed on the
spreadsheet from rule variables defined in the villa manual. The rule application
developed here is not formed from many pre made objects that are combined to make a
final product, but formed from procedures and profiles designed in the Palladian style.

Villa Construction model Steps (fig.8)
1. Initial plans
2. Walls
3. Ceilings
4. Cornice
5. Portico
6. Staircase
7. Columns
8. Moldings
9. Doors
10. Windows
11. Details
12. Roof

Fig. 8 Three steps within villa model reconstruction (Initial plan, walls, columns)
4.0 Villa Manual of Rules
The Four Books of Architecture breaks rules up by object, proportion and spatial
ordering. Text rule representation in the text and application to a reconstruction can be
confusing, the text was meant to be read by a 16
th
century mason or architect. The villa
manual is broken into 16 sections based on vicenzentine brick, means of measuring,
objects such as columns and mathematical rules such as ceiling height or window
opening sizes. Within each section of the manual is a rewriting of the rule from the Four
Books or a new rule needed to construct a detail or a space not mentioned in Palladios
text. A typical series of rules from the villa manual are written in the following format:

RULES FOR STAIRS (fig. 9)
8.1.pa - Staircases may not obstruct other places, nor be obstructed by them
7

8.2.1.pa - They should be hidden from those that enter the house
8

8.2.2.pa - They should be in a place so that the most beautiful part of the house is seen first
9

8.3.1.pa - Three openings are required in staircases
10

The number on the right of the rules indicates the rules section, and rule division within
that section. The pa refers to a rule written by Palladio. A rule labeled ls or sm
means that the rule was author by someone else. Within the text rule representation and
application can be confusing and hard to apply. In this study the manual of rules is based
on three rule types: plan programming rules, construction rules and ornamental rule.

Fig. 9 Rules for a stair construction. D = riser height & brick thickness, tr = tread
depth
4.1 Input - Plan Programming Rules
Plan programming rules are spatial, two-dimensional rules used to construct or
reconstruct any plan (with some degree of accuracy) by rule and proportion in line form.
These rules organize the plan from the site, to wall and stair layout. Two examples of
plan programming rules are those used to organize the loggias and internal spaces by
Palladian rule. First, Palladio says that the loggias, halls, courts and magnificent rooms
as principal spaces.
11
Second, that these principle spaces should be seen first (halls) and
the secondary spaces should be hidden from view (stairs, kitchens, servant areas).
12

Based on these rules a villa will never have a grand internal staircase at the entry. There
are 15 plan programming rules taken from the original text that can be used to
reconstruct most villa plans. I also added eight additional rules simplifying and filling in
missing gaps from the text. For example the floor plans found in the text confuse the
issue of room size, some historians say that the dimensions listed on Palladios floor
plans refer to dimensions from face of wall to face of wall. Unfortunately Palladios
drawings vary in representation. When the dimensions are added to define the plan sizes
they never amount to a consistent rule based on measurements from face of wall to face
of wall, or center of wall to center of wall. The rule here defines room sizes from center
of wall to center of wall, adding wall thickness later. The final floor plan and barn plan is
represented by a series of line similar to Wittkowers study. In summary plan
programming rules organize the floor plan by Palladian rule from the site to the stairs in
line form (fig. 5).

The order of application begins with site rules followed by loggia rules, and last are
spatial rules used for room layout and ceiling height proportions, starting with principle
spaces. For example, site rules used to reconstruct the a villa say; the house should be
placed in a convenient location in the middle of the site.
13
Second the barns may not be
an impediment to any other part of the main house, thus they are placed at the perimeter
of the site. Third, the steward and bailiff should be placed near the outer gate for safety,
creating dovecotes and a large fence at the villas entrance completing the barn assembly
(fig 5).
14
Rules for the main house also follow the plan programming process by placing
the loggia at the front of the villa. The first space entered is a magnificent barrel vaulted
hall, and the stairs are out of view, while the nicest rooms are at the front of the villa, the
smaller lesser rooms are towards the back. The final plan (fig.5) is a line representation
based on dimensions from the original drawing, prepared for construction details and
information.

4.2 Input - Construction Rules
The second set of rules are construction rules applied to the line drawing to create a
functional floor plan followed by an elevation drawing from which three dimensional
villa model can be constructed. The construction rules are applied the floor plan line
drawings to define wall thickness, stair sizes, and true window and door locations (fig 6).
Construction rules are also used to create the elevation, accurately. Rules are given by
Palladio to define the outer shell of the elevation drawing (fig. 7 - 1-boundaries).
Construction rules are used to define the cornice, column types and roof slope. The final
representation in the plan and elevation is a representation of the drawing from the Four
Books, each reconstruction in nine steps. Most important is that the digital representation
demonstrates conflicts in the relationship of the plan to the elevation. For example the
bumped out areas of the plan are not represented in the elevation. Columns may be too
thick to allow a person to pass through the portico comfortably in elevation, when they fit
perfectly in the plan. These two dimensional conflicts are resolved within the three
dimensional reconstruction.

4.3 Input - Ornamental Rules
The final rule type in the villa manual are ornamental rules applied to complex areas or
surfaces in order to cover imperfections in construction, or to set a particular design
feature apart from another (window moldings, column capitols, etc.). There are some
rules written for the construction of an ornament in the Four Books such as doorframes,
window moldings and column moldings, but there are few rules that state the conditions
under which they should be applied.

5.0 Output - Representation
The case studies are a presentation using four methods of representation and evaluation,
each method addressing both qualitative and quantitative issues.
15
These representational
methods address Schon's points on action-in-reflection in that this process is one of
learning by doing.
16
Here the four methods include rule graphs, also known as
spreadsheets, used record object variables and rule equations, 3D printing of the model
file followed (fig. 11) by 2D documentation and finally rendering used to visualize areas
of spatial conflict. The concept of representation is that the more opportunities offered to
visualize the design, the better the design results. Filmmakers and artists follow a similar
process by changing the viewer's position in relation to the artificial world with devices
from stereoscopic glasses to virtual reality. Their mission is to visually engage the viewer
in the subject matter by changing the viewers point in relationship to the object being
viewed.
17
In this study, rendering and model making tools as output materials from a
CAD file are used to create different architectural perspectives from a variety output
materials.

5.1 Output - One-Dimensional Representation
One-dimensional output refers to the graph presentation (spreadsheet) of text rules used
to build each villa model (found in the appendixes of the previous two chapters). They
are accompanied by graphic descriptions, but are not meant to serve as a substitute for the
geometric material.
18
Each graph contains the rule, the element upon which the rule is
applied and a reference number for pointing to the rules definition. The rules in the graph
serve as text functions used to determined shapes from room size to column depth or
mathematical formulas used to determine window heights, room heights or Principal door
sizes. This method of presenting textural rules along with the graphic representation is
similar to a method used to describe shape grammars where the element is described
along side its function.
19
Text representation in this study will be used as a quantitative
means for evaluating the villa models.

Fig. 10 Cad representation of the completed Villa Cornaro vila model
5.2 Output- Two-Dimensional Representation
Two-dimensional output refers to conventional drawing - plans, sections and elevations,
used as comparative tools for evaluating the villa model against other drawings, such
those of Bertotti Scamozzi. Plans are cut four feet above the finished floor. Sections are
taken at the mid-point of both axes and elevations are taken at the extent of the property
lines. A bar scale and a north arrow accompany each drawing when necessary. These
drawings are a quantitative means of representing the villa model.

5.3 Three-Dimensional Representation
Three-dimensional output refers to physical model output from machines in the form of
plastic or cornstarch. Three-dimensional printing or Fuse Deposition Modeling (FDM)
stands as the moment of truth in CAD modeling and detail. Mistakes created by
miscalculations in the creation of the CAD file, reveal themselves once printed in three
dimensions. The output process is similar to conventional printing with the exception of
the material and the output platform. The villa model or CAD file is cut into many plan-
sections at intervals of 1/100 of an inch per section. Each plan-section represents one
print file. Each plan-section file is sent to the printer one layer at a time and printed upon
the previous layer. The final output is in the form of a plastic or cornstarch three-
dimensional object. The final model has a maximum size of 10" x 10" x 10" per part.
Large models are printed in pieces and glued together. Because the villa can be printed at
any scale it stands as both a qualitative and quantitative means of representation (fig.11).

5.4 Renderings
Renderings are used to simulate various design conditions such as lighting, surface
textures and form while placing the viewer inside of the space. Rendering output here is
focused on design issues and not on representing the full building. In most cases, the
issue is about the lighting conditions of a space or the formal qualities of an outdoor
space, such as a loggia. Each study uses geometric models of a particular space, the only
areas modeled are those in relation with the issue. Renderings are used here to
qualitatively evaluate interior spaces and some exterior forms.

The rendering process uses radiosity models, whose surfaces are texture mapped and
raytraced. In order to save on computer processing time, the full CAD file is copied, and
areas not within the view of the rendering camera are erased from the file. The goal is to
create a stage set of geometric surfaces from the villa model, upon which textures can be
applied. The process starts with a solid geometry file, which is translated to a facial
representation. All solid information is removed model to be rendered. In other words the
only geometry translated from the CAD representation to the radiosity program contains
the geometry of the space and adjacent spaces within the frame of the camera.

Texture maps (taken from photos of existing villas) are used to create surfaces similar to
those in the built conditions. These maps allow the viewer to evaluate rendered images on
that architect's terms. This means the walls appear to be the walls that were built by that
architect. High-resolution texture maps are applied to each geometric surface within the
frame of the camera. When rendering ideal day lighting conditions are needed to define
surface texture, color and smoothness. The goal is to infuse the model or space with just
enough light so as not to over or under illuminate a surface, which creates dark patches in
detailed areas. The lighting goal is to offer just enough to create a contrast in surfaces.
The final step is to raytrace the radiosity model and texture mapped surfaces, resulting in
a high-resolution image

Fig. 11 3Dprinting techniques used to view models in physical form. Smallest
model is a sketch representation with very little detail, largest model is a detailed
representation
6.0 Case study a: reconstructing The Villa Trissino, Meledo
This chapter is a presentation of four attempts to reconstruct the un-built villa Trissino in
Meledo (fig. 12) reflecting how the villa would have been built using the rules in the villa
manual. The three previous reconstruction attempts were evaluated in rendering or 3D
print form only. Each result from the studies differed slightly based on different
interpretations of the rules by different people. The first attempt, was part of the simple
representations constructed for a CD-Rom project (fig 3). The villa model had no
interiors or detail such as column or cornice moldings. The second reconstruction was
undertaken in a workshop the following year. Students reconstructed parts of the villa,
later combining those parts to create a full villa model. The final results were composed
of interior and exterior renderings and a three-dimensional printed model. There were no
attempts to record decisions or a documentation of the final model. The third version,
completed by Isaac Persley an undergraduate architectural student, was a research project
focused on building by the rules and recording the steps in graphic and textural form. The
rules used in this study were recorded on a spreadsheet along with a drawing file defining
the application of the rule visually in the form of step-by-step pictorial documentation. It
was also printed three-dimensionally. The fourth and final version was created using
methods defined in this paper. There are one, two and three-dimensional records of all
decisions used to reconstruct the villa model as well as a three-dimensional print and
renderings of the central space.

Fig. 12 Palladio's plan of the villa Trissino in Meledo
The existing site for the Villa Trissino contains two dovecotes and parts of the lower
barns and a stone fence. It has been debated whether the designs of the barns are
Palladio's, or that of a lesser architect.
20
History has it that the villa was never constructed
and that Palladio never designed the existing dovecotes. As described by Palladio, the
main house sits atop a beautiful hill over looking farms and small waterways.
21
The villa
itself is similar in design as that of the Rotunda, a suburban villa with a circular hall and
adjacent hall spaces. The Villa Trissino in Meledo combines a sense of dramatic theater
like that of the Villa Rotunda, with the workings of a true farm like that of the Villa
Pojana Maggore
22
Staying true to his rules, Palladio places the villa atop the highest
point on the site from which barns cascade down and around to its outer ends.

To start, the reconstruction an initial grid (a & b) for the main house was placed atop the
hill along with a barn grid at a lower point. These grids are used to define the spacing of
the walls and columns. The measurements for the villa plan where taken from Palladio's
drawing (fig. 13), while the barn grid was an interpretation of the dimensions (fig. 14)
from the drawing-there are no measured drawings of any kind for this building. The barns
are divided into two sections, one circular and the other half square. There are two
methods that could be used to find the center point of the circular barns. The first method
is to add the distance between the columns and the diameter of the column defining the
barn circumference.
Fig. 13 Site plan of the Villa
Trissino with grid-a and grid-b
Fig. 14 Grids-a and grid-b
The second is to measure the distance from the edge of the steps leading to the lower
terrace to the first column in the circular barn. The length of the barn is found by adding
the columns and their diameters. I had to refer to Bertotti Scamozzi's drawing for the
number of columns and the spacing between the columns to define the length of the
barns. The villa barns also sit alongside of a thin waterway, specified in Palladio's
description of the villa.
23

6.1 The Reconstruction
One fundamental problem with the Palladio's drawing is that one of the side rooms is
missing a dimension note needed to define the width of the room space and the adjacent
run of the stairs. Palladio provides the length (30ft.) but not the width. This dimension
defines the overall size of the space, and it helps to define the shape and ordering of the
stair. It is possible that the width of the space could be a ratio such as 2:1 (15'), or 3:5 that
would make the missing dimension 18'. Both numbers are too small to create the adjacent
flight of stairs that would clear the doors below. The proposal here calls for the space to
be 22' wide, which should clear the door if there is a winding stair (fig. 15).
Fig. 15 Two solutions for the missing dimension. Scheme (A) offers a good ratio
for the space 2:1 but there is not enough space in the stair to clear the 6'6" door.
Scheme (B) offers space for door clearance but the number does not fit with
Palladio's proportioning system. Any number greater than 22' dramatically breaks
Palladio's rule for the maximum length of a stairs run (Palladio, A., p. 34).
6.1.1 Plan Reconstruction
The plan was reconstructed from the dimensions listed on Palladio's drawing and the
conjecture defined above (fig. 15). Once the basic layout for the wall grid along with
dimensions was established (fig.14), and the process of adding reconstruction begins (fig.
16). The only area of conflict within the plan reconstruction was in the connection
between the house and the circular barn. It is unclear how the two were connected in the
Palladios drawings. In this solution, the attempt was made to join the barns to the outer
wall of the main house.

6.1.2 Elevation Reconstruction
The elevation did present some problems in height definition, which varies a lot between
the two barns and the main house. In addition to the variation in heights of the barns, the
dome became as much of a construction issue as was a design issue. The dome is drawn
in the Quattro Libri with a straight line at its base, where the roof of the villa meets the
dome, similar to the drawing of the Rotunda. There are no rules for the height of the
dome, nor rules for its construction. Here again, another conjecture is made to define the
height of the dome. In this case the guess is set at 72' to the top of the dome, the same
dimension as the inside radius of the barns (fig. 17).

6.1.3 Model Construction
Model construction is broken into 12 parts as mentioned earlier. Here the main conflict
expected to be resolved in the modeling process is the construction of the large dome
over the central space. Additional areas are the stair construction, basements, junction
between barns and the house and the roof of the main house.

6.1.3.1 Initial Plans
Although the first level of the plan shows the barns and the basement as one piece, the
site separates the villa and its into three separate pieces: the basement, the upper barn and
the lower barn. The walls at the basement of the villa follow the rules system for walls,
which states that they are to be twice the thickness of the walls at the piano noble.
However, the upper story walls do not follow Palladio's rules tha call for them to be half
a brick thinner than the piano noble. Since the outer wall is flush and without moldings at
the second level, I constructed them at the same thickness as the piano noble (fig. 18).

Fig. 16 Plan reconstruction derivation
Fig. 17 Elevation reconstruction derivation

6.1.3.2 Walls
The floor-to-floor height is missing from the original Palladian drawing for the piano
noble and the barns. However he does give dimensions for the height of the walls from
the piano noble to the bottom of the roof cornice. Here 17' was given to the first floor,
one to the floor thickness and 8'-0" was given to the upper story. In this case the
conjecture for the basement wall height was taken from previous studies defining the
basement at 11'-0" in height. The barns were given heights of 15' for the lower barn and
15' for the upper.
Fig. 19 Wall derivation
Fig. 18 Plan Reconstruction using wall notations from the plan reconstruction
6.1.3.3 Ceilings, vaults and floors
The only ornate ceiling in the villa is perhaps a barrel vault at the entry hall. It turns out
that there are two rooms with the possibility of supporting a vaulted ceiling the entry
room and the small outer room, adjacent the connection to the barns. The middle space is
a double height space similar to a large palace space with a flat ceiling. Basement vaults
are semi elliptical vaults (fig. 20).

6.1.3.4 Cornice
The cornice is the most complicated part of the assembly. Each cornice type (c1, c2, etc.)
is composed of three design conditions - an extrusion of the profile, a cap condition at the
corners where two cornices meet and a reverse cap condition where two cornices meet in
a corner. Composed of two parts, the Corinthian order is customized in four different
ways. The first of the Corinthian orders is used for the balcony projection under the
portico (c2); the second is used at the rotunda (c3), the third is the most ornate (c4), in
this case placed under the pediment; the last is a flattened version with the least
ornamentation, and it is used under the roof (c5). The most complicated connection or
joint is at the portico. Here Palladio extends the ornate entablature (c4) over the columns
away from the flattened cornice (c5) that surrounds the walls.
Fig. 20 Ceiling derivation

6.1.3.5 Portico and steps
There are three different portico stairs, each with its own function and layout. Types (s1)
and (s2) are formal types leading to the porticos of the villa. Types (s3) and (s5) are
service stairs leading to the upper and or lower barns. Type (s5) is a formal stair dividing
the two gardens. The greatest conflict is in (s5) which is modeled differently than
Palladio's original drawing. Palladio's drawings showed a set of stairs heading into the
lower barns. This gave little room for a landing. The solution here calls for a switch back
stair leading to the lower barn. The negative part of this is that it is uncovered.
Fig. 21 Cornice types, refer to fig. for profiles
Fig. 21 Porticos and exterior stairs
6.1.3.6 Staircases
There are three types of stairs, each made of the standard brick supporting system, but
there is question as to how the formal stair might have been constructed. Palladio shows
the stair as a wrapping rectangular stair without an inner wall. It is not clear how it would
support itself with out a wall so one was added in this study. The problem is that there is
little room for the door and passageway shown in Palladios woodcut.

6.1.3.7 Columns and arches
It is unclear as to what orders Palladio might have used for the barns, and the main villa.
Palladio specifies that the loggias are to be of the Corinthian order and that the barns are
Tuscan. Bertotti Scamozzi challenges this by saying that the upper barns were designed
by Palladio to be of the Ionic order and that the lower barns were meant to be of the
Tuscan. It is most likely that the real challenge of the orders is in the dome. Palladio does
not assign an order to the half columns in the dome. In the Four Books he says "There are
some half columns in the hall, that support a gallery, into which one goes from the rooms
above; which by reason they are but seven feet high, serve for mezzati.
24
" Bertotti
Scamozzi lists the order under the dome to be Corinthian. I have also listed the order to
be Corinthian in the documentation, but this will be challenged in the visualization.
Fig. 22 Interior stairs

6.1.3.8 Moldings
There are two molding types (double and single) surrounding the lower levels of the villa
and barn.

Fig. 23 Columns and arches
Fig. 24 Molding Reconstruction
8.1.2.9 Doors
Room doors worked fine when installed by Palladio's rules. The formula for the principle
doors did not work at the second story. The height of the opening and archway at the
colonnade had to be altered to compensate for the large entablature.
8.1.2.10 Windows
The generic window size formulated for the villa was also used in the upper and lower
barns.

Fig. 25 Doors
Fig. 25 Windows
6.1.3.11 Details
Here, two principal door types are used, the scroll being the most formal of the two.
Balustrades and newel post are used at the balcony level.
6.1.3.12 Roof and pediment
The pediment is of the Corinthian type angled at 23.2 degrees, supported by minor and
major types.
Fig. 26 Details
Fig. 27 Cornice, roof truss and roof
6.4 Results and Conflicts
As with any reconstruction or design problem, there are major and minor conflicts and
contradictions that are cause for design invention, in this study there were two. First,
there are no rules for defining the height of the dome. Although the villa Rotunda is
rendered with a similar dome, the two cannot be compared in construction or design. The
Rotunda's dome is drawn almost as if it were metal with little wall space between the
base of the dome and the top of the villa roof. The Trissino dome has walls extended far
above the roofline for the main house and the dome has a radius lower than that of the
Rotunda. Palladios drawing shows the Villa Trissino dome with moldings and details
around the upper portion of the dome, which could mean that the dome was composed of
brick not metal. The second conflict is over the half columns in the central space.
Palladio does not specify an order. Scamozzi speculates that the columns are of the
Corinthian order while Burns defines the order to be Ionic. The two possible orders are
tested in this next section.

Fig. 28 Three-dimensional print from the cad-model
6.5 Interior Studies
The question here is what was the order of the half columns? The possibilities include the
Ionic and the Corinthian orders as mentioned by Scamozzi and Burns. There are two
references that can be taken from other dome spaces similar in composition to this villa.
The first is the Tempietto Barbaro at Maser, which happens to also have a portico of the
Corinthian order and a domed space articulated with half columns also in the Corinthian
order. These half columns support a balcony of thin balustrades, above with no
supporting newel post. The second space is similar to the design of the Villa Rotunda,
which is of the Ionic order on the outside and frescos with columns of no particular order
on the inside. The inner wall below supports the balcony, lined with balustrades and
newel posts but not columns. Here the two are tested qualitatively.
Fig. 29 Proposals for the Corinthian and Ionic orders at the dome
Fig. 31 Rendering of the central hall with half columns in the Corinthian Order
6.6 Summary of Findings from the Villa Trissino
The Villa Trissino is a palatial villa of a massive order, set atop a hill, along side a
beautiful creek, assembled by rule with few conflicts. Here the conflicts were resolved by
referring to churches or villas of similar design and construction or resolved through a
closer examination of the physical construction (fig. 15). In spite of the amount of the
number of issues inspired by each study, each attempt to reconstruct a villa reveals
unexplored information leading to new questions and new rules. The Villa Trissino
presented a process and a product more than a particular design finding. The lesson
learned from this study was that rule conflicts lead to the invention of new rules (design)
or the rewriting of the existing. Based on information from the past set of reconstructed
villas (fig. 3) there are fore seen studies that will render many design conflicts.

7.0 Towards a new Palladian Grammar Reconstructing the Villas
As with most computational projects, two areas of learning are at play between the
computation and the architect. Here, two lessons were learned about Palladios design
process and construction process. First is that Palladio's plan sketches are spatial
representations from which construction rules can be applied. In other words, design rules
are represented in the form of lines drawings, while construction rules are noted by text
and graphics. Second, there are many conflicts and contradictions in the drawings,
particularly in detailed areas. The drawings were never meant for construction, they are
meant to serve as simple representations of the villas. The first thing that must happen is
to convert the plan and elevation to a digital accurate representation before any three
dimensional rules can be performed. Third lesson is that the rules actually work in
general terms. Wittkower and Stiny/Mitchell were right. Most rules were very general
mostly allowing operations on general areas of villa design and construction. Additional
rules such as wall thickness, ceiling thickness rules, or roof rafter rules were used to fill
rule gaps.

There were also lessons learned about the reconstruction process as well. First, is the
issue of evaluation and that resulting materials should be presented and evaluated under
qualitative and quantitative terms, meaning that the material must be measurable in scale
and quantity. Architects design spatial material which is best viewed in three-dimensions
either through rendering or after construction in the form of a simulated model. Last,
there is always more than one solution to any design problem. Single solutions can limit
the level of understanding for a particular issue. Multiple variations of one theme help the
evaluation process by expanding the questions through multiple representations of the
same idea.
As simple as it sounds fitness served as a major conflict in the execution of the rules.
Conflicts were the projects greatest asset, they lead to design investigation or invention.
In fact it is how Palladio designed, by sticking to most rules while breaking lesser rules,
forcing him to invent new design solution to classical design solve problems. Design
occurs at the junction of conflicting rules. Unfortunately computational rules are much
more rigid, containing many fitness requirements. Little has been written on the issue of
fitness and rule, also referred as a constraint model.
25
If the process of reconstruction
were a linear rule operation, starting with the site and ending with a pyramid style roof
set atop villa walls, each rule will define a new object that must be aligned precisely with
the previous component. As the model is constructed the program would be able to
calculate each component and adjust the size or insertion for each component
automatically through fitness extensions to each rule. Fitness challenges the extent of the
rule by requiring a certain amount of flexibility in the execution of a rule. But if the rule
is too flexible is cannot be defined as a rule of a certain category or type. The challenge
and creativity is in writing the rule not in its execution. In this study fitness pertains to
two or more objects that come in contact with other objects, requiring that one or more
objects fit inside, next to, along side of or between two or more objects.
26
A good
example of fitness is the case of the roof rafter rule. (fig.27) The rules require rafters
between roof joist every two feet depending on structural loads. Each rafter section is
made of three to four smaller members bearing loads on each other (not shown in fig. 27).
The farther from the corner the more members a section will contain. In addition the
angles of each member must support the vertical forces of the roof, and the rafters must
be placed 6' to 8' apart. Here the rule or fitness requirement used to build one rafter did
not work for another. Each rafter was of its own construction. The question here is how
to break down rule conditions based on fitness and degrees of fitness.

In conclusion this paper is a presentation of an un-built villa in many dimensions built by
Palladios rules. These rules will also be used to create 29 other villas at the same level of
detail. This project demonstrated that a computational process operates with two types of
rules, construction and design. Construction rules are predominately parametric
instruments used to construct objects once origin points have been defined. At both the
level of construction or design, real design decisions happen when rules conflict. The
question is do we create more rules to manage constraints within other rules, or is there a
process of invention based on design constraints that may lead to a better understanding
of the design machine.

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Notes

1
Stiny/Mitchell 1978 p. 6
2
Scamozzi, B., 1976
3
Palladio, A. 1965 Book I, Chapter 21 par. 1
4
Palladio, A. 1965 Book II, Chapter 2 par. 1
5
Flemming, U. 1987
6
Koning, H., 1981
7
Ibid., Book I, Chap 28, par 1
8
Ibid., par 2
9
Ibid.
10
Ibid.
11
Ibid,
12
Ibid,
13
Ibid, Chapter 13, par. 1
14
Ibid, par. 5
15
Tufte, E R, 1997
16
Schon 1987
17
Crary, J. 1990 p.39
18
Mitchell, W J., pp. 137-153
19
Stiny, G. 1981
20
Puppi, L. 1973, pp.384-385
21
Palladio, A., 1965 p.51
22
Ackerman, J, 1966, p.73
23
Palladio, A. 1965 p.54
24
Palladio, A., 1965, p. 51
25
Gross, M 1987
26
Ibid., p. 95

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