Many of our clients confuse pilasters with columns. And that's perfectly understandable! Most people don't deal with architectural terminology every day.

A pilaster is a flat vertical projection on a wall surface that imitates a column. Essentially, it's a "ghost column" embedded in the wall. It has all the same parts—base, shaft, capital—but it projects from the wall by only a third or a quarter of its width.

Historically, pilasters served not only as decoration but also had a structural role—reinforcing the wall at points of greatest stress. In the classical orders, pilasters often "supported" an entablature or a pediment (which sounds like a good topic for the next explanatory note).

So when do they work in modern architecture? It's an interesting question we often kick around with colleagues.

Here are a few situations where pilasters can be a great solution:

— When renovating or restyling historic buildings, pilasters help preserve the authentic character of the facade, even when the interior is fully modernized.

— In modern minimalist projects, pilasters can be a subtle way to add rhythm and vertical articulation to a facade without overloading it with detail. We recently finished a project where very shallow pilasters in light-colored concrete created a barely perceptible play of light and shadow on a monochrome facade.

— Pilasters can also help correct a building's proportions visually. On a tall, narrow house, horizontal articulation and wide pilasters create a sense of stability. Conversely, on a squat building, vertical pilasters add a sense of height.

— An interesting modern approach is to use contrasting materials for the pilasters. On a plastered facade, for example, pilasters of clinker brick or natural stone become striking accents.

Have you noticed pilasters on buildings in your city? They're far more common around us than you might think at first glance.

A window casing — is the decorative frame around an opening on the façade, whether a window or a door. It also serves a structural purpose, covering the gap between the wall and the frame.

It can be open, U-shaped, or wrap around all four sides.

Every architectural style brought its own features to the look of the casing. The Baroque style, for example, is known for casings with ears and stucco.

Modernism calls for less opulence and more elegance.

Russian carpentry, starting in the 15th century, introduced openwork carved casings with rich ornamentation.

In the conservative version of the English style, the window frames are restrained — light stone set against dark brick.

Modern casings can be styled in many different directions, using materials such as coated polystyrene foam, fiber-reinforced concrete, fiberglass, natural stone, and more.

We're working on a project. The facade looks the client is drawn to include half-timbered, Tudor and Provençal styles.

We try out different variations on the house.

The client went with a striking look featuring contrasting half-timbered decor.

What makes the facade so expressive? First, the horizontal layout of the decorative cornices; second, the relief treatment of the walls with natural materials; third, the plinth built up at different levels.

The most contrasting part of the trim — is the upper, stucco floor with its dark wood (half-timber) decoration. On the lower floor, we used light decor around the window frames to make them stand out against the colorful Bavarian masonry tiles. The light stone of the plinth, with its interesting pattern, makes the house easier on the eye, both floor by floor and as a whole.

For this project we propose finishing the house with Nichiha panels and Cedral fiber cement siding. The accents will be decorative metal inserts with a graphic pattern on the bay window.

They catch the eye on the spare, monochrome facade and refresh it without overdoing the look.