My OperaBricks. It gets complicated.
Thursday, May 1, 2008 3:44:09 PM
There is a push on to complete the brick sidewalks in and around the Blagden Alley and Naylor Court community. The authorities seem to be in synch. Won't be done immediately, and will probably need some capital budget appropriations, which adds a year or two, but does make it a done deal. Usually.
But there is a catch. At the February meeting, Jack Evans said he was good with the idea. He'd helped move such things along in other neighbrohoods. In at least one case, a certain pattern was laid according to requests from interested parties. Then the whining started about "wrong pattern", "terribly inartful", and even "not fit for Shaw". (OK, made the last two up.)
So as this brick thing gets underway, the BAANC community needs to pick a pattern or two that it wants
to live with. I'm guessing that it will probably vary by block, usually matching the part of the block that already has brick. That seems reasonable. Trying to get a totally matching pattern across the neighborhood seems a bit de trop. A dog's breakfast of patterns seems more organic.
At this point, some are probably wondering what the big deal is, as there aren't that many patterns. Ah, but there are.
One set of historical designs can be found here. It can even get mathematical, as it does here. Note what not having the bricks all the same shape, perhaps by including half-bricks (squares) can do to the design. (The last references Coxeter, a geometer. Don't you just love it when they say "A number of conclusions can be drawn immediately from the above definition").
I'm guessing, and not an expert, but the designs probably under consideration are
Jim Loucks has identified the patterns in the immediate neighborhood:
Not trying to coordinate the sidewalk patterns with the Alleys and Courts will probably save years on the project.
But there is a catch. At the February meeting, Jack Evans said he was good with the idea. He'd helped move such things along in other neighbrohoods. In at least one case, a certain pattern was laid according to requests from interested parties. Then the whining started about "wrong pattern", "terribly inartful", and even "not fit for Shaw". (OK, made the last two up.)
So as this brick thing gets underway, the BAANC community needs to pick a pattern or two that it wants
to live with. I'm guessing that it will probably vary by block, usually matching the part of the block that already has brick. That seems reasonable. Trying to get a totally matching pattern across the neighborhood seems a bit de trop. A dog's breakfast of patterns seems more organic.At this point, some are probably wondering what the big deal is, as there aren't that many patterns. Ah, but there are.
One set of historical designs can be found here. It can even get mathematical, as it does here. Note what not having the bricks all the same shape, perhaps by including half-bricks (squares) can do to the design. (The last references Coxeter, a geometer. Don't you just love it when they say "A number of conclusions can be drawn immediately from the above definition").
I'm guessing, and not an expert, but the designs probably under consideration are
- Running bond (or "running road").
- Herringbone.
- Diagonal.
- Basketweave.
- Spanish Bond.
- Diagonal Basket Weave.
Jim Loucks has identified the patterns in the immediate neighborhood:
- Ninth Street has the Basket Weave.
- O Street has the Herringbone.
- M Street has the Running Bond.
Not trying to coordinate the sidewalk patterns with the Alleys and Courts will probably save years on the project.
