Doors
Obviously door openings should be of sufficient size to admit the free passage of a tall person. The minimum height for ordinary doors in domestic buildings should be six feet nine inches, and the width two feet nine inches. For entrance doors under similar conditions the width may be three feet six, but when it is more than this the door should be in two halves.
No. 182. General proportions of doors and windows.
The size of doors should be proportioned to the building, and should be designed to meet probable requirements, thus in public buildings door openings should not be less than six feet wide.
Generally a satisfactory proportion may be obtained by making the height twice the width, and the framing architrave one-sixth the width of the opening.
If a frieze and cornice are carried over the door the height inclusive of architrave should be half the width of the opening.
No. 183. Door Treatment.
A. Architrave with simple pilasters and consoles. B. Ionic order rusticated, with pediment. C. Doric order with pediment. D. Doric order rusticated.
In addition to the framing architrave narrow pilasters bearing consoles supporting the cornice are sometimes used. The total width of architrave and pilaster may be about one-third the width, and the entire entablature one-third the height of the opening.
The mouldings and decorations used should be in harmony with the general structure and in character with the order if one is used.
Occasionally columns or pilasters are introduced, with or without the arch, but the same general proportions apply, the aperture being two squares.
When doors are placed under arches the top line of the entablature should agree with that of the impost.
When a pediment is used, the height should be one-fourth the width of the base.