15/12/2025
a helpful visual comparison of four different types of roof designs commonly used in residential architecture. For each roof type, it shows both the Plan View (looking straight down from above) and the Perspective View (a three-dimensional drawing of the completed house).
The red arrows in the Plan View diagrams indicate the direction of the roof slope or drainage.
Here is a detailed description of each roof type shown:
🏠 TYPES OF ROOFS ILLUSTRATED
1. SINGLE-SLOPE ROOF
• Plan View: Appears as a simple rectangle. The single red arrow indicates that the entire roof slopes in one direction only.
• Perspective View: Shows a structure with a roof that has a noticeable pitch, where one wall is higher than the opposite wall. It is essentially half of a gable roof, also commonly known as a Skillion or Shed Roof.
2. GABLE ROOF
• Plan View: Appears as a rectangle split down the middle by the ridge. The two opposing red arrows indicate that the roof slopes down in two directions from a central ridge line.
• Perspective View: This is perhaps the most common roof type. It features two sloping sides that meet at a ridge, forming a triangle shape (the "gable") at the ends of the house.
3. HIP ROOF
• Plan View: Appears as a square or rectangle. The four red arrows point outward from the center, indicating that the roof slopes downward on all four sides of the building. The slopes meet at inclined edges called "hips."
• Perspective View: Shows a roof where all sides of the house have a roof slope. Unlike a gable roof, it has no vertical sides (gables) to the roof structure.
4. SIX-SLOPE ROOF
• Plan View: This design is based on an L-shaped structure (the Plan View is an L-shape). The red arrows indicate that the roof slopes in six different directions, adapting to the non-rectangular footprint of the building. The slopes meet at ridges and hips to cover all sections of the L-shape.
• Perspective View: Shows the roof on a house with an L-shaped floor plan. It combines hip and possibly gable elements (though primarily hip features are visible) to create a complex roof structure that covers all parts of the building.
This illustration is typically used in construction, architectural, or drafting contexts to quickly identify roof forms and understand the flow of water (drainage) on the roof surface.
