Water table (architecture)

A water table is a masonry architectural feature that consists of a projecting course that deflects water running down the face of a building away from lower courses or the foundation. A water table may be found near the base of a wall or at a transition between materials, such as from stone to brick.

Note the water table around the base of the Arthur Heurtley House (illustration provided in that article) designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1902.

As a child's plaything

A water table can also be a piece of furniture, usually composed of plastic or wood and for outdoor use, on which small children (e.g. toddlers) can splash around and otherwise play with the water held on top of or contained within the water table.

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