Coved niche

[Gene Davis]

You see arch-topped niches in many new designs, particularly in Mediterranean stylings when doorways and ceilings are arched. See the pic.

How would one go about doing a niche with a curved back wall and half-dome top? Is this a case of having to build a symbol using boolean subtractions?

[David J. Potter]

Gene, you place a door or window (I prefer a doorway), arch the top and remove/suppress trim-sill and place a poly-line solid or soffit to close the back side. That is the most common way to do this.

DJP

[fcwilt]

Would be easier if they were symbols in the lib. Anybody make such a thing?

[Gene Davis]

The one in the photo is an easy config to make. That's not what I am after. Look at its "floor," which is a rectangle. It is an arched passthrough with a blank-off back.

I'm after one with a floor that is elliptical, and coved walls and "roof."

Modeling it is the first challenge. Actually building it is the second. Probably have to build a reverse armature and then sculpt it with bondo and plaster.

[amddrafting]

I bet you could use a curved wall with a curved/dome ceiling plane or roof to accomplish this too.

[amddrafting]

I just did it and used a curved wall. Then I used a sphere and made the radius match the curved wall. Then I used a box and made it big enough to subtract the sphere out of it and then just place the new box where I needed it to meet the top of the arch. Make sense? Then I just raised the floor of the "room" created by the curved wall to be at the height of the bottom of the opening and set the opening height above floor to match the height of the opening. You could also accomplish this by using a pline solid to create a base for the opening rather than raising the floor.

That's really all there is to it. Seems more complicated than it is.

[amddrafting]

Building it will be done with plywood. They will cut a profile out and make about 5 copies and then flare them around the radius. Then they will cut the sheet rock and score it so it will flex with the curves and they will tape and bed it to smooth it out. Again, seems more complicated than it is.

Sorry for the crude pic but just wanted to show an idea of how I've seen it built.

[Gene Davis]

Gracias por su ayuda, Aaron.

[Glenn Woodward]

Building it will be done with plywood. They will cut a profile out and make about 5 copies and then flare them around the radius. Then they will cut the sheet rock and score it so it will flex with the curves and they will tape and bed it to smooth it out. Again, seems more complicated than it is.

Sorry for the crude pic but just wanted to show an idea of how I've seen it built.

Or, you could just buy one:
http://www.simplymouldings.co.uk/niches.htm

You can also find this one in the library at Architectural..Millwork...Wall Panels & Niches...Wall Niche.

[amddrafting]

Glenn, dat be cheatin' and a lot less fun.