Mansard Roof Architecture

A mansard or mansard roof also called a french roof or curb roof is a four sided gambrel style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope punctured by dormer windows at a steeper angle than the upper.

Mansard roof architecture.

For this reason older buildings were often remodeled with mansard roofs. The popularity of the mansard roof kept on growing in france and became even more fashionable during the reign of napoleon the 3rd 1852 1870. You may not see such roofing style in most traditional homes but they can be easily found in barn houses and similar modern places. Interestingly in europe mansard can also refer to the attic space and not just the roof structure.

It was widely used in renaissance and baroque french architecture. Both of the aforementioned roof types can provide extra attic space or other room without building an entire additional floor. Before long french fever spread to the united states. In the united states second empire or mansard was a victorian style popular from the 1860s through the 1880s.

Mansard roofs were considered especially practical because they allowed usable living quarters to be placed in the attic. The mansard roof is a hipped gambrel roof thus having two slopes on every side. Well the roof particularly defines the form of art rather than just making an architectural design for functionality. Installing a mansard roof became a practical way to provide additional living space in the attic level.

But the imposing nearly perpendicular roofs were not merely decorative. Second empire architecture spread to england during the paris exhibitions of 1852 and 1867.