The Octagon House Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Octagon House - Essay Example The building is made of bricks, sandstone, and cold stone. The six-sided building has a symmetrical wing that fits well with its triangular lot (Lonely Planet, 2014).   The building closely resembles the octagonal and circular buildings that prominently featured in England during the 1700s and the 1800s (Fodors, 2014). The building is a notable example of U.S. federal architecture. The building has chimneys and a furnace for heating water sits in the basement. It also has a central spiral staircase and the rooms are so arranged that they appear to be symmetrical while its roof is flat and surmounted by a cupola. The roof of the building is made of cedar and shingle and has a balustrade. Some of the rooms that are in the building are the treaty room, dining room, parlor, and kitchen. Today, the building is under use as a museum and hosts exhibits related to building design and architecture. Generally, the building is simple in design. It was designed differently from the traditional buildings that were common in Washington DC at the time of its construction. The traditional style at the time of its construction was Georgian. It is partly inspired by the  Federal style architecture, creativity, and Greek interior style (AIA, 2014).