Classical Orders
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Four traditions, one modulus. Proportion columns from a single module — or from the place itself.
Classical Orders is a free, honest calculator for proportioning columns and elements across four great building traditions. No fudge factors, no hidden constants — just the documented proportions, honestly flagged where they’re contested.
What it does
Three ways to work
- New construction — perfect ratios from your chosen modulus.
- Fit to a fixed length — for existing conditions and real-world constraints.
- The Solstice Quadrilateral — the frame computed from latitude alone, from the sun’s fixed solstice declination (±23.44°).
Four traditions
- Greek / Roman — Vignola proportions (Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Composite).
- Egyptian — papyriform and lotiform columns.
- Indian / Tamil — the Mayamata canon.
- Chinese — the Yingzao Fashi cai module and dougong.
Two unit systems — centimeters and feet/inches, with the column diameter entered in both at once.
The Mandala of Place — compute the solstice quadrilateral frame from latitude alone: the MC and MS measures, the element lengths, and the Sons and Daughters squares.
Why it’s honest
- Proportions are best-studied references, flagged where values are contested.
- The solstice quadrilateral is computed from latitude and the sun’s fixed declination — nothing invented.
- The Mandala of Place draws on Secrets of Sacred Geometry (Crowley-Susani, Parker & Susani), with a link to the book rather than a reproduction of the authors’ interpretation.