In
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
, an ell is a
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...
of a building perpendicular (at a right angle) to the length of the main portion (main range).
[Ching, Francis D. K. (1995). A Visual Dictionary of Architecture. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. p. 26. .]
It takes its name from the shape of the letter
L. Ells are often additions to a building. Unless sub-wings or a non-rectangular outline
floor plan exists such a wing makes the building L-shaped or T-shaped "in plan" (shape from above/below), though if not central nor at one end of the building the T-shape will be an offset T. Where a building is aligned closely to
cardinal compass points, such a wing may be more informatively described by its related side of the building (such as "south wing of the building").
Connected farms and large rural homes
In
connected farm
A connected farm is an architectural design common in the New England region of the United States, and England and Wales in the United Kingdom. North American connected farms date back to the 17th century, while their British counterparts have a ...
architecture and homes that were the economic hubs of large grounds including in Mediterranean and northern European traditions, one or more ells (wings) will usually be extended to attach the main house or range to another building, such as a barn or stables, or a tower or chapel or defensive range in the case of a castle or palace. In formal and early modern settings it may take the form of a well-sunlit long
gallery; or it may be a plant-growing section or open-sided walkway, if outdoors, a
colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or cur ...
, plant-covered walkway (
pergola
A pergola is most commonly an outdoor garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are trained. T ...
) or the indoor analog, a gallery
conservatory.
See also
*
Hyphen (architecture)
In architecture, a hyphen is a connecting link between two larger building elements. It is typically found in Palladian architecture, where the hyphens form connections between a large ''corps de logis'' and terminating pavilions
In architec ...
References
External links
This Old House Carlisle project (connected farm)"Additions to historic buildings: between parasite and prosthetic architecture""Addition to historic building: A hermeneutic interpretation"
Architectural elements
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