Hi, I’m Jason Sterling. Everyone who designs a structure within the Sims game is an architect. Whether you consider your work good or bad, simple or elegant, experienced or novice you are still an architect. This series of articles will highlight individual architects from the past. A person that was responsible for establishing and defining a revolution of the discipline. Each article will also demonstrate how you can be that architect and execute their style within the game. In this article will we focus on the work of Italian Architect Andrea Palladio.

Andrea Palladio (Italian pronunciation: [anˈdrɛːa palˈlaːdjo]; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian architect active in the Republic of Venice. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek Architecure, primarily by Vitruviius, is widely considered to be one of the most influential individuals in the history of architecture. All of his buildings are located in what was the Venetian Republic, but his teachings, summarized in the architectural treatise, The Four Books of Architecture gained him wide recognition. The city of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (Information Quoted From the Entry on Palladio at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Palladio)

Have you heard of the Palladian Style?  The man above is where it’s derived from. His style is characterized by a strict adherence to symmetry. Symmetry from side to side but also often front to back. (#1) In the strictest utilization of the style even the rooms within the structure will be symmetrical in this fashion. (#2) The stricter adherence to the style will also incorporate purely decorative façade elements such as statues and urns. These should also be placed in a symmetrical fashion. Palladianism is more a technique of designing and building. Not just a decorative style. As such it has been used again and again over the last 500 years. The example shown below of Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, is from two hundred years ago. (#3) The other example illustrates the technique as applied to a newer ultra-modern building.  (#4)

I’m going to illustrate executing this style in the Sims 4 below. You can also see a video walk-through where I built this structure during a Twitch live stream here: Building a Palladian Structure

Being the Architect- Palladio:

You start with your basic floor plan. It’s easy because it’s Palladian and you can simply draw symmetrical boxes. There is an octagonal second floor that I use as a two story atrium. I have also added a half wall on the second floor. With the addition of windows it acts as a faux mezzanine level.  (#1 and #2)  Next, you add in windows and doors. Again this is an easy and quick task. Just place the same type in the same sequence of spacing. The elevation you see below should be mirrored on the other three sides. (#3)  Lastly, add various decorative elements. I have the selection I used lined in front of the build. (#4)

You can easily see where I used most of the decorative items. However two are probably not as clear.

The first is the “Short Classical Casement” window on the far left of the grouping above. I have doubled it’s size by pressing the “]” key and placed it on the wall in the basement under the “Mega Window Grand Deluxe” on the first floor. Then using the number “9” height slider I have lifted it to a height where it can act as the large molding under the window. It also acts as the shelf holding the urns to each side of the window. (#1,2)

The second item is the “Not Do Invisible Shelves” in the center of the group above. I have used this in double sized form to act as a molded edge on the front of the three sides of the building not containing stairs. I have further used it in standard size to create a molded edge all around the top of the half wall on the second floor. (#3,4)

The finished structure.

Other Simmers Being the Architect- Palladio:

Here are several examples that can be found on the Gallery using the #Palladian by other builders. You can investigate their takes on the theme as well. The links are following.

1. Villa Rotonda by chloe95emily
2. Villa Palladiana by Izzy235
3. Goodman House by Matzabat
4. Beachside Mediterranean by llbmPeter

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and the history we are all, even when unwittingly, participating in every time we design and build within the Sims. If you have any questions regarding this article please post them below. Do you have any builds you’d like to share? Please feel free to post those below as well. Thank-you for reading.