Can someone educate me about this unusual roof?

[Glenn Woodward]

Johnny,

That's a photograph taken with a lens so you are seeing spherical distortion. You can't apply pure perspective geometry to a photograph like this. My experience with this type of roof (Similar Style Home in Santa Barbara designed by MayBeck) that we did an addition for around 1970 was that the "Flare" is actually a uniform flat plane. The Fascia along the Gable is consistent and both the eave and ridge are sloped identically for 6'-8' so that the Fascia along the Eave tapers at the same angle as the ridge.

As Kathleen surmised, it was done to channel rain water away from the gables and create flow along the gutters in the towards the downspout. That tends to keep the gutters cleaner because the water is already flowing in the right direction when it hits the gutter.

Joe,

I think I agree with you and demonstrated how to do it back in post #21

[Joe Carrick]

Hi Glenn,

I think posts #35 and #37 are more accurate. Note that the Gable Fascia is larger and the Gable Soffits are level, not sloped. It appears in post #21 that the fascia is only as thick as the sloped roof plane and that the soffits are parallel to the roof surface.

[rcole]

Thanks for sharing such an intersting photo.

From what I remember the particular Asian influence that was popular in this time period was Japanese. A while back I did quite a bit of research on Craftman style architecture, hoping to find some kind of definitive answer on the elements that defined it.

What I came to realize was that in a more general sense it was more about a changing of the gaurd away from the classic or traditional and formula Victorian style to something different and not so formal or rigid.

That is not to say that there are not the true Craftsman style homes from that era, but as the trend caught on people tended to vary widely on how they designed their houses. A little or a lot of Asian, Victorian, or whatever else was thought to be pleasing to themselves.

Edit: If I were to give modeling this roof sturcture a try I would prefer to use lofting. It is interesting what you guys have came up with, but it does provide a good opportunity to point out how much of a benfit it would be for CA to have a few more of the traditional solid modeling tools available.

[johnnyprc]

I'm personally not sold on the Japanese or Chinese influence. If you notice on a typical Japanese Pagoda its the hip corners that flare up, not the gable ridge - as that is typically a straight wood member.

I've seen a small amount of traditional Chinese gable rooflines that have a "flare", but would be better described as the ridge line has a complete inverted radius - not a detail at the end. Plus it almost always contains a Dutch gable condition to match other hip rooflines.

I am unsure we can ever assume what was, or was not, in the architects mind. Very interesting subject though.

[dr0591]

I've written to a local architect I know to see if he has any inside scoop on this house. I'll let you know what I find out.

[dr0591]

Here's the architect's reply:

I know the house well. I was fortunate to get a tour through it by the builder Frank Marianacci when it was in the finish stage. I believe it is a Greene & Greene Design. Very unique!

That doesn't really add anything useful to the roof discussion, however. I'll try to get more info the next time I see him......

[dr0591]

OMG -- I just found a whole webpage about the house -- with interior views as well!! I'm swooning over how gorgeous it is inside! :-)

http://www.beroarchitecture.com/private-residence/

[Joe Carrick]

So this is not actually a Greene & Greene. It's by Bero Architecture inspired by Greene & Greene. Evidently very new.

[dr0591]

Yes, turns out it is new construction, built in 2008. The website has much clearer photos of the strange roof flares.

This same firm is working on the restoration of the local Frank Lloyd Wright house: http://www.beroarchitecture.com/fran...n-in-progress/

[Joe Carrick]

I can appreciate the need for this home to be restored, but IMO the addition is not very good. They seem to have used compatible detailing but failed in matching Wright's massing. It just looks boxy and contrived to me.

[lbuttery]

Joe:

I just watched a PBS special on the restoration of this house

the "addition" was added by a prior owner

it was orginally a porch

the new owners have restored it back to a porch
by removing the enclosed walls

but I believe the size of the porch is the same as designed by Wright

http://interactive.wxxi.org/boyntonhouse

here is a snippet of the documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGHarHU3JKI

Lew

[dr0591]

Thanks, Lew -- that looks fascinating. Is the entire episode available online, do you know?

[EDIT] Not available online, but found that I can check it out of my local library!! Love public TV and public libraries!! <3

[Joe Carrick]

Lew,

Please click on the link that Kathleen provided. Then look at the Garage addition - it's not the porch that I was talking about!

[lbuttery]

Joe:

yep, sorry, I made the wrong assumption sbout which addition you were referring to

the documentary covers the building of the garage addition in detail

I'll be watching it again soon when a friend comes next week so
I'll see what they have to say about their decision-making

Lew

[dr0591]

It looks like they must have bought up and demolished the house in back, to put in the garage and driveway at the back. See attached Google map view.

I toured the gardens of the house a few years ago as part of a local garden tour, and I don't recall there being a garage back there at all -- but I could be mistaken. But you can clearly see either a brick house or garage close behind it in the 2010 photo I posted above, and it's definitely not there in the 2013 Google view.

I know the landscape architect who's doing the gardens, maybe I'll see if he has any info to share about this.