I promised a recounting of the shed roof discussions around our house design. I’m sure everyone has been anxiously awaiting this post. In high design speak it’s called a mono pitch(ed) roof. Funny, when I googled mono pitched roofs, I got lots of images of garden shed designs from the UK. Hmmm, wonder why? I’m including a photo of a one story shed roof home I found in my search on the internet for reference.
When Rolf first suggested this as a good solution to reducing our square footage on the second floor of the main house (the master suite area), Michael and I were both open to the concept. The next weekend we drove around and saw examples of this roof style on existing homes. After this, we both felt that we weren’t interested in this design direction. However, in subsequent meetings, Michael started to stray to the dark side. Rolf tried unsuccessfully to sway me as well—showing me photos of multi-million dollar homes with shed (oops, I mean mono pitched) roofs and explaining why it would be a great solution for our house. I know if anyone could make this visually appealing, it would be Rolf. But, I just can't “go there.”
I think of myself as open to new and unconventional design ideas. But, on a gut level, I just can’t bring myself around to the mono pitch design. My original thoughts of how I would describe the house we wanted to build was “loft meets modern/minimalist farm house.” None of the other exterior surface finishes need to be conventional—but I need the overall shape to have a reference to the vernacular architecture of Vermont. And to be something I know that I won't regret or grow tired of.
As it turns out the solar hot water panel will be sitting on the southern pitch of our conventional gable-to-gable roof, which wouldn’t have existed in the mono-pitch design. So, it all worked out in the end (especially since I got my way).
Rolf mentioned to Stevie (his wife and my best friend) that I was closed to the idea of the shed roof . . . her reply to him “I hate shed roofs!” (Thank you, Stevie.) And Michael’s latest idea was that we should put a hinge in the roof and when I’m not around he can open the hinge and have that mono pitch roof he was considering. Now, there’s a realistic solution!
Tina
Architect's rebuttal part one ..... the shed and/or mono pitch originated primarily as a weather shedding device .... the idea being that the roof forms of the primary house components would then be able to shed snow and rain away from the primary living spaces ... both inside and outside. This would mean that one could go outside and not be concerned with water, ice and snow falling into your path. This also meant that the adverse affects of water on the siding would be substantially eliminated by directing the flow to the north. It also opened up the possibility of the house literally "opening" it's roof form to the southern sun. In any event, this seemed like a good form-giving idea, but the aesthetics of such a solution did not appeal to my client ... the situation was further confused by the fact that my client was such a good friend .... it's hard to play the design bully with your friend/clients offering up comments typically associated with arrogant design types ..... things like "taste" and "narrow minded" ..... you can't do that sort of thing. But now the dust has settled ... the house is calmly organized and the forms are familiar .... the geometry is rigorous and intended to facilitate economy ..... it is a direct solution that will be embellished by a minimal selection of finish materials .... stay tuned!!! It's become one of my favorite house projects of the last several decades. Rolf Kielman
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