Interesting Roof Designs

When designing new houses or extensions, the roofs aren’t generally the first place people look to get creative. This is a mistake, however, as there are some really interesting things you can do with a roof that can totally transform the look of the building. As with so many aspects of house design at the moment, the latest movement in interesting roofs takes ideas that are very old and some that are brand new. Here are some interesting roof designs that we rather like.

Thatch

Thatched roofs are something we associate with very old quaint country cottages but it seems as if they’re having something of a come-back at the moment. Brand new houses are being designed with thatched roofs mostly because they look cool but also because it’s a sustainable long lasting material. While thatch has traditionally consisted of long straw wheats or water reed, modern thatch can also be made of heather, palm, bamboo, eucalyptus or willow. It’s much more waterproof and durable than people generally think and some modern houses with thatched roofs look really different and interesting.

Butterfly Roofs

These very interesting looking roofs first became popular in the 1950s and seem to break all the rules of how roofs work. Funnelling rainwater into the centre of a building rather than off the sides seems counterintuitive but it’s a great way to collect that rainwater and architects have found these types of roofs allow them to create a very different look. They are also a great choice for architects who want to get very big windows into their design so they work well with that style of building.

Bauhaus Style Roof Gardens

The hard clean lines and square shapes used in Bauhaus style houses make them particularly suitable for roof gardens. They nearly always have flat roofs and their stark style benefit from the softening effect of a planted roof. Having such an economic style also means that they like to be economical with space so a garden on top of the property rather than next to it is an obvious choice.

Origami Roof

For architects wanting to play with shadows, light and angles, origami roofs and origami ceilings are a creative choice. This type of roof design is perfect for buildings with different dimensions inside and those wanting to create a dramatic effect with an unusual skyline. Although more typically used on commercial buildings than homes, there are some interesting origami roof homes in Japan in particular but they seem to be growing in popularity all over.

Curved Roof

Even now, after years of curved roofs being a thing, they still often look quite futuristic and sci-fi like in any application other than barns. There are a huge number of options with curved roofs which can be concave or convex or both, have a single curve or more, a steep curve or a shallow one. Architects can create all kinds of effects using curved roofs and ones that are well made can be very durable and easy to maintain.

If you’re planning a major project involving any type of roof, Marc can help you project manage it to save you the time and stress of doing it yourself. To talk to Marc about it, call 01273 281624 or email [email protected].