Porch
**1. Types of Porches:**
– Entrance porch (e.g., 6 Chesterfield Gardens in Mayfair, London)
– Screened porch (creates an outdoor room)
– Sleeping porch (semi-outdoor sleeping area)
– Rain porch (roof and columns extend past the deck, also known as Carolina porch)
– Portico (utilizes columns or colonnades in Italian architecture)
– Loggia (covered exterior corridor or porch supported by columns or arches)
– Veranda (large porch that can encompass the entire facade of a structure)
– Lanai (roofed, open-sided veranda originating in Hawaii)
– Sun porch (usually enclosed with glass, can be a separate structure)
– Stoop (landing at the top of steps, covered by a roof, serving as a small porch)
**2. Porches in Different Regions:**
– Porches in Arizona (commonly screened)
– Porches in North America:
– Northeastern North America (small area for sitting or removing working clothes)
– Southwestern United States (used for shade in ranch-style homes)
– Southern United States (provides space for entertaining guests)
– New Urbanism movement (promotes large front porches for community ties)
– Covered porches (offer extra living space and protection from sun or rain)
**3. Historical Significance of Porches:**
– Porches in Medieval Times:
– Built of stone or timber
– Positioned on south, west, or north sides of the church
– Used for cover and liturgical purposes
– Some had two storeys in later medieval times
– Upper room used for various purposes like schooling or storage
– Some served as living quarters for church custodians
– Highly ornamented porches in some British churches (e.g., South porch at Northleach, Gloucestershire)
**4. Porches in India:**
– Popular in secular and religious architecture
– Mandapa in Hindu temples serves as a porch-like structure
– Used for religious activities like dancing and music
– Examples include Kailash Temple and Ajanta Caves
– ‘Sit-out’ is a term for residential building porches
**5. Additional References and External Links:**
– Related terms: Balcony, deck, patio, Engawa, iwan, Porte-cochère, porch sitting
– References from Encyclopedia Britannica, Oxford dictionary, Businessinsider.com, HGTV, and academic sources
– Books like ‘Preserving Historic Wood Porches’ and ‘A Visual Dictionary of Architecture’
– External links to Wikimedia Commons and Wikisource for porch-related media and historical articles
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.
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, Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, or any of the American Colonial style buildings and homes.
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).