The Doric Order of classical architecture is one of the less complicated Orders provided to us originally by the Dorian Greeks. It was used to indicate buildings associated with that community throughout ancient Greece. The Doric is the least complicated Greek Order, and can be found on the oldest remaining edifices from Greek and Roman antiquity. The anthropomorphic association is that of a male athlete or warrior. Alberti took this association further with his prescribed use of the Doric for churches dedicated to more extroverted saints.

Doric Man from Adam's Classical Architecture

Although there are many variation of the Doric Order, it is widely accepted that the Greek Doric has no column base, while the Roman version may have one of many different bases. One of the many unique characteristics of the Doric Order is the use of channels (instead of flutes on the column shaft), which meet in vertical ridges called arrises. Another typically Doric characteristic the use of triglyphs in the frieze of the entablature. In the Greek Doric, the corner triglyphs are located at the extent of the frieze, while in the Roman Doric the triglyphs are aligned above the column.

William Ware's Greek Doric Order from the Parthenon

William Ware's Roman Mutulary Doric Order

The triglyphs are said to be one of the remaining abstractions from times when the Order was constructed of wood. There are many educated conjectures as to how each element of the order originated. The diagram below shows the most common assumptions:

Robert Adam's Doric Assembly

Between the triglyphs we see square portions of the frieze, called metopes, that are commonly used for sculptural relief. Above the triglyphs we see the purported ends of the roof rafters, which are called mutules. The small fastening pegs that hang down are called guttae. The gutter tile shown at the extent of the roof forms the uppermost part of the cornice, the cymatium.

As with all of the Orders, the Roman Doric has been interpreted differently by many architects throughout history. The generally accepted proportions are this:

• The column is 8 diameters tall, including the base and cap
• The base and cap are each 1/2 a diameter tall
• The entire entablature is 2 diameters tall (1/4 the column height)
• The architrave is 1/2 a diameter tall, the frieze is 3/4 of a diameter tall, as is the cornice
• The triglyphs are 1/2 a diameter wide, the metopes are 3/4 of a diameter square 

Chitham's Doric Comparison

One of the important relationships to notice when drawing or building the Doric Order (and any other Order, for that matter) is how the architrave (beam) aligns with the column. The face of the architrave almost always aligns with the top of the column shaft. The capital of the column is indeed wider than the beam it supports. This relationship identifies the load-carrying part of the column, and doesn't require that the much-smaller profiles of the capital carry the weight of the beam.