Perhaps you recognize this little acrylic rendering to be of Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate south of Alexandria, Virginia.
And you are probably aware that GW was his own architect, redesigning and enlarging his iconic home several times.
You’ve probably even visited the house, perhaps multiple times. On any of those visits, did you notice the asymmetry of the façade? It’s true. Take a look under the central pediment, and compare it to the idealized version above.
That central portion was the original house, and though I believe he relocated the door to be centered under the new pediment, nothing could be done about the window locations.
I love this “flaw”. It shows how sometimes symmetry is less important than other factors: balance; rhythm,and syncopation, and grouping; solid vs. fenestration. And perhaps most importantly, it shows how a strong roofline and roofscape can dominate and direct a composition.
