Design: Making Gambrels Work
When using modern methods and materials, this traditional coastal vernacular requires a little structural translation
by Andrew DiGiammo
The gambrel roof style has a long history of enduring the elements. Some of the longest-standing wood-frame houses in America have gambrel roofs that date from the 1600s (see the photo below for the consummate example). I see a lot of gambrel roofs on Victorian-era houses in towns along the eastern seaboard (although the slightly different "mansard" variation is a more typical coastal style), and I also find gambrels on many shingle-style seaside summer homes built in the early part of this century.
Considered the oldest wood-framed house in North America, the John Fairbanks house in Dedham, Mass., dates to 1636. The two gambrel additions were completed later, probably around 1668.
In new construction, the style lives on into modern times, adapted slightly for platform framing methods. Even gambrel roof trusses, including space trusses that enclose usable attic space, are commonly available today, although when I use the gambrel form I prefer to stick-frame it.
Practical Advantages
What accounts for the gambrel's enduring popularity? For me, the gambrel is a practical and attractive way to create usable space under a roof.
I've always felt that houses look better when the roofline springs from the first-story wall plate, rather than from the second story.
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