ᐅ Asymmetric Facades as the Preferred Option?

Hello everyone,

I have read several times that symmetrical facades are not particularly popular among experts.
What is the right degree of asymmetry? The golden ratio? The Fibonacci sequence?
What makes a building interesting, and do you have any examples?

I, of course, designed my extension to be perfectly symmetrical.

Ultimately, it is the homeowner who decides what they like or don’t like! Tastes vary, so there is no right or wrong measure when it comes to asymmetry.

In our planning, we deliberately try to avoid symmetry as much as possible, as long as it is feasible from a design perspective, financially reasonable, and sensible. We simply find asymmetry more interesting and unique. A house with four equally sized windows facing the street and a symmetrical gable roof can be found in every town in sufficient numbers.
But everyone has their own preference!

I agree with GeradeSchräg.
However, I think what is mostly criticized here in the forum is the idea that everything must be perfectly symmetrical at all costs, even if the interior spaces suffer as a result.

Our house doesn’t have much symmetry either, and personally, I find it more attractive that way.

In der Ruine schrieb:

I have read several times now that symmetrical facades don’t really excite the experts.
What is the right degree of asymmetry? The golden ratio? Fibonacci sequence? [...]
Of course, I planned my extension to be perfectly symmetrical.

I’m not particularly familiar with experts. Regarding symmetry, I usually point out a) that it can be overdone; b) that it cannot replace proportion and other aspects or dimensions of aesthetics but only complement them; and c) that if it is given too high a priority, it can effectively compete with more refined values in planning quality, often with disastrous results. With a toxic mix mainly made up of symmetry and a straight staircase, you can turn a beautiful house into a substitute villa.
Golden ratio / Fibonacci, Collatz, Euler, ... — you’d be better off planning the extension harmoniously. I hope you’re not serious about this Frankenstein extension: an kneewall only in the extension is simply not acceptable; on top of that, the window sizes don’t respond to the scale of the main house. And floor-to-ceiling windows, yikes! Then the horizontal format in the upper living space — damn, that’s hell!

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GeradeSchräg schrieb:

Ultimately, it’s the builder who decides what they like or don’t like!

It depends: the concept of “liking” is basically governed by certain rules. If someone has no sense of design or is not familiar with harmony or aesthetics, they can really create something terrible.

GeradeSchräg schrieb:

Tastes differ, so there is no right or wrong measure for asymmetry.

Yes, there is. But that’s the principle of “design,” a subject taught in training, which many people who are not exposed to it either find challenging or tend to underestimate.

In der Ruine schrieb:

Of course I designed my extension perfectly. What does that even mean: no sense of harmony, no knowledge of shapes, proportions…planned symmetrically.

What does that even mean: no sense of harmony, no knowledge of shapes, proportions…
This can be seen in this example: harmonious means something different, you might be dazzled looking at the “great windows,” but nothing really fits, not even the window grid itself.
The “perfectly designed” to me is not really successful. I’m looking for the pun here 😉
(I honestly find it extremely unsuccessful. Sorry!
Window divisions are inconsistent, sometimes horizontal, sometimes square, with all kinds of proportions between them…)
You can’t really call this beautiful. And this is not just “opinion.”

The fact is: either you can do it yourself … or you find someone who can, namely a professional.
Just my opinion!