Prairie Style Roof Design

While ranch style developed in the 1930s in california from the convergence of spanish colonial and craftsman architecture among others the prairie aesthetic contributed to the proliferation of ranch architecture in the form of the broad hip roof like what we see in this example.

Prairie style roof design.

The architecture of the prairie house was created to meet wright s objectives of a simplicity and integrity that combined comfort utility and beauty but did not imitate past styles. Prairie home plans have broad gently sloping sheltering roofs with prominent low chimneys. The prairie style began in chicago in the early 20th century. What types of roof does prairie style house typically have.

The bottom of the slope is steep and nearly vertical before the top slope angles into the ridge. They spread out over their lots featuring flat or shallow hipped roof lines rows of windows overhanging eaves and bands of stone wood or brick across the surface. Prairie style homes feature a low pitched roof usually hipped with a wide overhang and have boxed shapes with a horizontal emphasis. They typically feature clean lines with massive square porch supports and casement windows in rows.

The prairie house plan is a uniquely american architectural style. Their most defining characteristic is their emphasis on the horizontal rather than the vertical. The spirit of prairie style home plans remains alive in these designs. The gambrel design is basically the same as the mansard except the former has two slopes instead of four.

You ll be most familiar with this dual sloped style as used in a barn and the design is often referred to as a barn roof. Near the top is a very steep pitch and near the upper walls of the home are a lower pitch though still fairly steep. The roofs on this style house usually has deep eaves and symmetrical window patterns. Simple yet richly stained wood preferably quarter sawn oak and earth tones are hallmarks of a prairie style interior.

This new prairie style home in california features hip roofs casement windows tight to the underside of the roof overhang and trim to emphasize the horizontal. Frank lloyd wright is the most popular architect of this school of design but there was an entire group that specialized in the style. It may consist of a flat roof on top but the main design element is the multi pitch sloped in what is essentially a hip roof on top of another hip frame. Wright began experimenting with the elements that would eventually define this style as early as 1894.

The prairie house style focuses on horizontal lines and low pitched roof lines.