Belt Line
It wraps around a building, not your pants, providing structure and sometimes playfulness to a home exterior's design
In architecture a belt line is a horizontal exterior trim element that wraps around a building. The belt line helps organize a home design's exterior into zones and creates a reference line for the placement of windows and other architectural elements.
While a belt line can provide a rigid visual structure to an exterior design, it can also be playful with different colors, dimensions and placements.
A useful way to think of a belt line is that it's the exterior equivalent of an interior chair rail or plate rail.
While a belt line can provide a rigid visual structure to an exterior design, it can also be playful with different colors, dimensions and placements.
A useful way to think of a belt line is that it's the exterior equivalent of an interior chair rail or plate rail.
A belt line or two helps organize the exterior design by dividing it into horizontal layers. The belt lines also provide a reference point for the placement of windows, which are sometimes hung from a belt line and sometimes sit on the belt line.
Sometimes a belt line can be interrupted by an important architectural element. Unlike the other windows that are hung from the belt line in this photo, the large and special window breaks the belt line, bringing emphasis to itself and its dominance.
By dividing an exterior elevation into horizontal layers, a belt line creates opportunities to use multiple exterior finish materials, colors and textures.