Transom redux blog.

It’s practically summer here. The rains have stopped, for now, and warmer days loom ahead. Even the garden seems dry, though things aren't looking good for part of the crop.

My nephew Sam, an architecture student recently returned to Washington U in St. Louis after a stint in Italy, writes: “My first studio project in Florence involved designing a new hostel, to be built in the historic center of the city, about a block south of Santa Croce on Via dei Benci. As there are very strict rules about what can and can't be built in the center of the city, we concocted the pretense that the currently existing building had somehow burned completely to the ground and left even the foundations unusable, but without even singeing the surrounding buildings.

“In any case, your blog on transoms reminded me of some of the specifics of my design, namely that every door to every room in the building had a transom. To me they were particularly appropriate in the context of the culture, even though I did design a central AC system. In addition there was some excellent lighting benefits to be reaped -- I'll have to experiment more with transoms in the future. Just to let you know they are still prevalent and useful even in modern design.”

Glad to hear that. As far as I could tell from the office buildings and other places I go, I thought transoms were things of the past. But maybe they have a future too.