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façade en retour

English translation: return / set back

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:façade en retour (arch.)
English translation:return / set back
Entered by: Conor McAuley

00:47 Aug 2, 2004
French to English translations [PRO]
Architecture / Building feature
French term or phrase: façade en retour
"Compte tenu de la forme géometrique des bâtiments, la façade principale accessible sera complétée par des portions de façade en retour."

Part of a fire safety doc.
Conor McAuley
France
Local time: 07:10
return / set back
Explanation:
Quite how a "façade" is "accessible" (or not) I'm not sure I understand, unless they are referring to the fire-safety access road around a building .....

Anyway, it appears to mean that the façade in question is not a straight line but is stepped (following a general diagonal to the plane of the "front" panels of the façade); more precisely, since they say that several portions of the facade are "en retour", it might be a "hit and miss" pattern or "en dent creuse", i.e. a return is followed by a section parallel to the first section, then followed by a right-angled turn back to the original plane, then "façade" again, then a return, etc.

<<Return, return end, return wall. A short change of direction at the end of a wall, usually at right angles. ...>>
[Scott/Penguin Dict. of Building]

Like your secretary's desk (you DO have a secretary, of course), which has a "return" on which she places her typewriter/computer, thus leaving the main desk area free for doodling, cups of coffee, journal intime, etc.

Maybe you could use the word "set-back" in some form to describe the "return" sections of façade (i.e. sections parallel to the facade wall, not the "return walls" proper).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 27 mins (2004-08-02 01:15:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Of course the main frontage will have to be on or behind a \"setback\" line measured from the property line. Your \"setback\" will be a second setback, relative to the first.
Selected response from:

Bourth (X)
Local time: 07:10
Grading comment
Thanks again Bourth and Brian.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1return / set back
Bourth (X)
4 +1projecting
Brian Gaffney


  

Answers


23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
façade en retour
return / set back


Explanation:
Quite how a "façade" is "accessible" (or not) I'm not sure I understand, unless they are referring to the fire-safety access road around a building .....

Anyway, it appears to mean that the façade in question is not a straight line but is stepped (following a general diagonal to the plane of the "front" panels of the façade); more precisely, since they say that several portions of the facade are "en retour", it might be a "hit and miss" pattern or "en dent creuse", i.e. a return is followed by a section parallel to the first section, then followed by a right-angled turn back to the original plane, then "façade" again, then a return, etc.

<<Return, return end, return wall. A short change of direction at the end of a wall, usually at right angles. ...>>
[Scott/Penguin Dict. of Building]

Like your secretary's desk (you DO have a secretary, of course), which has a "return" on which she places her typewriter/computer, thus leaving the main desk area free for doodling, cups of coffee, journal intime, etc.

Maybe you could use the word "set-back" in some form to describe the "return" sections of façade (i.e. sections parallel to the facade wall, not the "return walls" proper).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 27 mins (2004-08-02 01:15:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Of course the main frontage will have to be on or behind a \"setback\" line measured from the property line. Your \"setback\" will be a second setback, relative to the first.

Bourth (X)
Local time: 07:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 539
Grading comment
Thanks again Bourth and Brian.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
51 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
façade en retour
projecting


Explanation:
Petit Robert gives :"angle, saillie que forme un mur, un corps de batiment, par rapport a l'alignement du reste de la construction" and "profil d'une moulure qui présente un ressaut".

Brian Gaffney
Ireland
Local time: 06:10
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Bourth (X): Other side of the same coin! S'pose it depends which of the projecting and indented parts represents the greater length.
58 mins
  -> Yes indeed! Thanks, Bourth.
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