Sloping Roofs/Pitched Roofs
Ar. Charu Jain
Suggested Books
A pitched roof is a roof that slopes downwards, typically in two parts
at an angle from a central ridge, but sometimes in one part, from one
edge to another.
The ‘pitch’ of a roof is its vertical rise divided by its
horizontal span and is a measure of its steepness.
Why Pitched Roof ?
• Rain, Snow, Wind
• Style
• Thermal insulation
• Energy Saving
• Rainwater
• Low Maintenance
• Extra Space
• Sustainability (Roofing Tiles, Solar Panels)
Style
Pitched roofs come in all shapes and sizes, from
simple two-sided slopes to more complex shapes
combining hips and valleys. Their versatility is second
to none, allowing the architect to express himself
freely.
Thermal insulation
Buildings with pitched roofs are roughly 10-15% more
compact than those with a flat roof. This significant
reduction translates into higher thermal insulation by
simply limiting the size of the surface exposed to the
exterior.
Energy savings
The building envelope is responsible for around 25-
35% loss of energy within a building. Pitched roofs
are built to allow natural ventilation between the
outer layer and the building, preserving energy.
Protection against environmental hazards
• Pitched roofs are built to withstand snow, ice,
water and wind. Shaped as a triangle, they are
stable, stronger and ensure perfect water
drainage.
• Some roofing tiles, like natural slate, are
extremely tough, waterproof and fire-resistant.
Cost-effective additional space
This kind of roof allows for extra rooms or storage
spaces below them, without the need to add an
additional (and costly) floor to the whole building.
Sustainability
There is a wide range of roofing tiles with sustainable
credentials, and solar panels are easily and efficiently
integrated within the structure of a pitched roofs.
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Common Terms
More terms
Materials
• Thatch
• Wood
• Metal
• Other?
Types
Lean to roof
• It is simple type of single roof in case of pitched roof.
It is also known as the pent roof or Aisle roof.
• In such types of roof one wall is carried up
sufficiently higher than the other one to give
necessary slope to the roof.
Gable Roof
A gable roof
consists of two
roof sections
sloping in
opposite
directions and
placed such that
the highest,
horizontal edges
meet to form the
roof ridge.
Hip Roof
A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type
of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls,
usually with a fairly gentle slope
Gambrel Roof
• It has two equal roof panels on both sides. They however are not
aligned straight like other sloping roof types.
• Gambrel roofs have two slopes as you can see in the little picture
above.
• It the same house but has different roof slopes.
• The wider upper slope angle and the steeper lower slope angle
gives the Gambrel roofs their distinct shape.
Mansard Roof
Mansard roof is also called 4 sloping side roof. That is
because it has 4 sloping sides. It is similar to Gambrel
roof in that sense. The difference is that there is a
slope on all sides.
An example of Pitched Roof Application
Basic Construction of a sloping Roof
Assignment 1
Make a group of 3 students and do one case study (online or
offline) of any building, (It can be a residence, industry shed, or
can even be a cycle/ scooter stand, or even metro station) study
the roof type, its different components, roof covering material
and other details you can notice and prepare a presentation on it.
• You can use any software for presentation
• Try to figure out which type it is and how it is made….
• Don’t hesitate of making mistakes
• Later in Assignment 2, you have to make its plan, section and
different details on sheet
