Crafting Bullseye and Oculus Openings
In the past, here on pur blog, we’ve looked at a variety of different types of opening supports and headers in masonry walls and facades used to create openings. In many cases these openings are used for doors and windows, but in some cases they’re also just used to have openings for passages between or through masonry walls. Spanning elements and masonry headers and structural supports such work relatively similarly between both brick masonry and stone masonry type construction.
The picture below shows a historic stone wall with brick quoinings beside the opening for the door. There is a round oculus or bullseye opening above the door header. This opening allows passive ventilation and is configured without a glazing.
The steel I-beam header and brick quoining at this opening and the slight off-centering of the oculus or bullseye opening indicate that the masonry opening was enlarged at some time in the building’s passed or history. If you look very closely at the brick set on each side of the opening, you can tell that this brick was set to infill and adjust the opening after it was originally built. At some point this door has been changed, and as we mentioned, it was also enlarged. Also, when you look very closely, you might notice that there is a difference in the size of the brick between the left and right side of the door opening.
The brick at the upper right hand side appears to be larger, and the facing of that brick is in fact larger, but it’s actually the same type of brick, and built with the same dimensions, with set in a different facing. The brick on the right hand side of the door is set in a shiner position.
It’s likely that the reason that the brick on the right hand side is set in a shiner position is because a portion of the original stone remains intact beyond the edge. The brick at this location was just used to finish out the surface of the masonry flush, so that the door had a complete thickness of wall at the jamb side and throat edge of the door.
In the closer view, shown in the picture below, you can see that a louver has been installed in the opening. The louver can prevent or deter the majority of precipitation or rainwater from entering through the oculus yet still allow passive ventilation to pass through. Even though the majority of the facade is built with historic stone, the area of round the oculus opening Is finished with a radius brick course, in the rowlock position.
If you look at the first picture above as well, you can see that there was an old window opening that’s also been in-filled with brick work. Over the years, there’s been multiple modifications made to this building. Changes in layout and configuration are common over many decades as building uses change with time and occupants.
The next picture below shows a different building, with a gable fractal facade. This facade also has an oculus type opening used for ventilation. The building materials and methodologies used for this construction are very different though because It is built almost entirely with brick, not a primarily stone facade. The brickwork around the opening is also set in a rowlock course, built with a radius, but this header and ring around the oculus opening Is set with a triple height rowlock.
The next picture below shows what looks to be a gable end of a building with an oculus style opening in the center of the gable. In reality, it is fractable gable with coping of the wall that rises above the roof, not a typical gable with a roof eave above the wall.
In this case, brick facade at this end of the building is built in an English bond which is a particularly strong bond, at the oculus or bullseye opening, It looks like at some point after the initial construction. they also filled in this opening with brick, set in a near matching English bond configuration.
We can Help
Our company focuses on historic restoration more than modern building upkeep, maintenance, and construction, but our company understands both types of construction very well and a full picture well-rounded approach is needed in any niche in the construction industry. Although we focus on historic restoration, repointing, tuckpointing and historic brick repair, our company also has technical knowledge and competencies in the areas of modern and contemporary construction as well as we become one of the leaders in that area of the market today. Understanding both historic and modern or contemporary construction is useful because both aspects help understand the challenges and potential solutions for challenges in building science and construction.
We can help with a variety of historic masonry restoration needs and upkeep, from modest tuckpointing and or repointing to complicated and extensive historic masonry restoration. Infinity Design Solutions is a historic restoration specialist contractor specializing in both historic masonry restoration such as tuckpointing our repointing, and brick repair. If you have questions about the architectural details or facade of your historic building in Washington DC, reach out and say hello and if we can help we’ll be glad to assist you. You can email us or call us on the telephone at the following link: contact us here.
