The Sheltering Roof
This pattern is shaped by
Problem
When the roof is merely a lid — flat, invisible, serving only to keep rain out — the building loses its most powerful gesture of shelter. The roof is what makes a building a building; it is the difference between being inside and being outside.
Evidence and Discussion
The roof does more work than any other building element: it sheds rain, blocks sun, holds snow, captures solar energy, insulates against heat loss, and defines the silhouette of the building against the sky. In cold climates, the roof is also the primary surface for ice dam prevention, snow load management, and attic ventilation.
Therefore
make the roof the primary gesture of the building. Give it enough slope to shed snow and rain visibly. Extend the eaves to protect walls and windows from weather. Insulate it to the highest standard of any surface in the building. Make it visible from inside — the underside of the roof structure, exposed where possible, is one of the most satisfying elements in architecture. The roof should feel like shelter, not just enclosure.