Robie House Roof Pitch
Robie house s horizontal lines low pitched roof and incorporation of natural materials mimic the midwestern landscape.
Robie house roof pitch. Frank lloyd wright was known for his use of leaded art glass windows which blended the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. Inspired by the broad flat landscape of america s midwest the prairie style was the first. The pitched roof became a key design element in this project and is a play on both my surname roof. Topped with a rare flat roof the wright designed balch house in chicago shown here illustrates progressive trends for its time.
Photo by tom rossiter. In 1893 frank lloyd wright founded his architectural practice in oak park a quiet semi rural village on the western edges of chicago. The perimeter wall surrounding the house or the low ceilings and high walls wright made the house applicable for a private space for its tenants. Robie house is recognized as an icon of.
Robie house is a u s. Clay tile generally weighs more than concrete anywhere from 1 000 to 1 500 pounds per square a square equals a 10 by 10 area. A roof strong enough to hold three layers of asphalt shingles could probably also stand up to the weight of tile. The horizontal emphasis sharply contrasted other fashions previously popular.
The surrounding landscape and neighboring buildings are also huge factors when picking an architectural style for a custom home. Fuzhau china utilized the chinese concept of the courtyard house in the design of pitched roof volumes for meeting rooms and creative director offices. At the back of the roof the out of code niches used to hang the rafters were filled with bricks and mortar. String lines running across the rafters assured a flat straight roof.
The robie house in chicago is one of. A home can have a typical roof pitch appropriate for snowy winter or a quintessential courtyard for sunny climates. What makes it craftsman a low pitched gabled roof. The low slung rooflines reflect the influence of oriental architecture on the style.
Robie house 1909 chicago il. Norris installed double thickness ledgers and special order hangers to accommodate the roof pitch which slopes 4 1 2 per foot. Some climates are better suited for certain home designs. Roofs with a low pitch are typically better suited to warmer climates where snow and ice are not likely to accumulate.
His chicago robie house remains the most prominent landmark and closely resembles this design.