Cant (architecture)

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The canted facade of The Church Of Anime Ss. Del Purgatorio, Ragusa, an example of Sicilian Baroque

The facade of County Hall, Aylesbury with canted recesses

Cant (or Canted) is the architectural term describing part, or segment, of a facade which is at an angle to another part of the same facade. Generally the angle is less acute than a right angle enabling the canted facade to be viewed as, and remain, one composition.

Canted facades are a typical of, but not exclusive to Baroque architecture.

A cant rail or "cant strip" is a structural element, whose cross sectional area is a right angled trapezium. Often used in light wood frame construction applied to top plates to provide angled bearing for rafters.

Cant rails are usually made of wood. A common use is in the horizontal rails of timber fences, since the diagonal top edge prevent water from lingering and thus rotting the timber.