How to Design Archways

Find a clear space where an archway would fit and be appropriate. Common locations for archways include courtyards, backyards, parks and churches, or even indoors. Your archway's design will be heavily based on its surroundings.

Decide the type of arch you want to design. Some common arch types include the segmental arch, a shallow arch with less curve than a semicircle, and a flattened ellipse arch, whose long curve is almost flat at its peak. Perhaps the most famous type of arch is the Roman arch, which appears similar to an expanded doorway.

Choose any accessories you want for your archway, which are a fundamental part of the design. For example, choose whether you want a design for your spandrel, the construction between the arches. Tympanum are the decorative elements that comprise the top of the arch, such as the renderings of heaven and hell images in Gothic architecture. Other accessories include imposts, lintels, keystones and soffits.

Determine what kind of support is best for your archway. If you're building it into an existing frame of the wall, the support is already decided. Otherwise, you can choose columns, piers or pilasters, which are columns built into a wall that support the archway.