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The cove at the wall

D.01Cocciopesto floor (opus signinum)
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How this node works

Instead of meeting the wall in a sharp corner - which would crack and let water under - the cocciopesto is turned up the wall in a concave fillet, the sguscia. This rounds the floor-to-wall junction into a continuous, seamless tray, the same trick that made cocciopesto the lining of Roman cisterns. A vapour barrier under the screed cuts off rising damp, the floor’s chief enemy, before it can reach the lime and bring salts.

Key points

  • Wall
  • Cove (rounded junction)
  • Continuous cocciopesto
  • Polish
  • Vapour barrier
  • Screed / substrate

Conceptual, language-neutral drawing for study and orientation — not an execution drawing. Dimensions and verifications belong to the designer.

The cove at the wall — Cocciopesto floor (opus signinum) | Architheca