Common Roof Types in Modern Architecture (part I)

Modernist architecture is known for its innovative use of roof forms that emphasize clean lines, simplicity, and a strong relationship between form and function.

Following is a quick dive into the most prevalent roof types found in modernist and contemporary architecture:

•  Flat Roof  
Flat roofs are a hallmark of modernist architecture, creating long horizontal planes that reinforce the movement’s emphasis on clean lines and integration with the landscape. Common in warmer climates for their additional living space, they have been characteristic of traditional Arabic and Persian houses long before modernism came to life.
Often used to create a minimalist silhouette with horizontal lines, flat roofs are what most people (outside of building-related professions) think of when they hear "modern architecture".  

•  Shed Roof  
Also known as mono-pitched or pent roofs, shed roofs feature a single sloping plane. They are favored in modernist design for their simplicity, ability to create high ceilings, and to maximize natural light through clerestory windows.

•  Gable Roof (Modern Interpretation)  
While gable roofs are traditional, modernist architecture often reinterprets them with minimal detailing, steeper or shallower pitches, and integration with large windows or open floor plans. Houses can be front-gabled, meaning the gable faces the street, or side-gabled, when the gutter and the ridge of the gable are parallel with the street. Their triangular shape has become a visual shorthand for "house".
A creative interpretation of a gabled roof I observed where the building department didn't allow flat roofs: a shallow-pitched gabled roof, substantially set back from the roof perimeter, with the result that from street-level it looked like a flat roof.

•  Butterfly Roof  
The butterfly roof, an inverted gable with two roof planes sloping inward to form a central valley, is iconic in mid-century modernism. This dramatic form allows for high clerestory windows, increased natural light, and efficient rainwater collection. A stylized flat "V"-shape symbolizing the butterfly roof is often used as shorthand for "modern house".

•  A-Frame Roof  
The A-frame, a steeply pitched gable extending to the ground, became popular in mid-century modern homes for its striking geometric form and efficient shedding of snow and rain.

•  Sawtooth Roof
Originally used in industrial buildings, sawtooth roofs feature a series of parallel slopes with vertical glass panes, allowing for abundant natural light. This form has been adapted in modern residential and commercial architecture for its unique profile and daylighting benefits.

•  Folded Plate Roof
This roof type, originating in Germany in the 1920s, is best described as an assembly of flat plates that are bent in different directions and joined at their longitudinal edges, similar to Sawtooth roofs. The way the structural system is connected makes it capable of carrying loads without requiring the use of additional support beams. Folded plate roofs are most often used for industrial and commercial buildings, but they can also be found on mid-century modern homes. They offer durability, weight-bearing capacity and great natural light.

•  Vaulted roofs
Vaults are self-supporting arched forms that do not need a framework below, with their distinctive shape often also making for decorative ceilings. The most common type, the barrel vault, was first built by the Sumerians and was also used in ancient Egypt. In this post's photo illustration, Casa Monopoli in Argentina has a vaulted roof made from brick.

•  Green Roof (Living Roof)
Green roofs incorporate vegetation atop flat or gently sloped roofs, providing insulation, reducing stormwater runoff, and blending architecture with nature. They are increasingly common in sustainable modernist designs.

•  Cantilevered Roof
Cantilevered roofs extend beyond the supporting walls, creating dramatic overhangs and shaded outdoor spaces. This approach is used to emphasize horizontality and blur the boundary between interior and exterior spaces.

Not finding an illustration that shows all the roof types mentioned above, I included one which at least shows the most.

Questions, corrections, comments? Do let me know please!

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Part II of this post will be about Roofing Materials in Modern Architecture.

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