Section and structure

Drawing the section for the Hill house brought to light an interesting problem. If the hill overhangs the house after cutting into it, I need some sort of structural reinforcement. For this I decided on a simple technique that has been used for thousands of years. Corbelling is a technique using flat stones to create a dome or arch. An ancient example of corbelling is found in the houses of Alberobello, Italy. The technique is believed to have been first used in the beehive tombs of ancient Greece. Just like any dome or arch, the corbelled dome (in this case only a partial dome) the weight above is transferred down the curve of stones and the structure is intrinsically stable.