Unusual Types of Metal Roofs for Curved Houses

Curved Steel Extended Roof, the Netherlands

• Beukenburg House is in Utrecht in the Netherlands. It is part of an estate in a rural setting of forests and agricultural land owned by the Utrecht Landscape Foundation. The Dutch architects, Sluijmer & Van Leeuwen, designed the house with an unusual curved steel roof. Like a metal curtain, it curves over the roof line and all the way down the back of the house, forming a weathered, exterior metal wall. On the other three sides, the house features floor-to-ceiling windows that look out on the surrounding landscape.

Leaf-patterned Roofing, Australia

• The inspiration for a roof designed in a pattern of large, overlapping leaf shapes comes from the natural landscape and wide open spaces of Sydney, Australia. This unusual, contemporary roof covering features giant, individual copper “leaves” resting on bases of curved steel made in the shapes of twisting tree branches. The result is a metal structure that complements nature and suits the needs of day-to-day residential living. The concept of this glass-enclosed structure is by Undercurrent Architects. The design is the product of the latest available tools and state-of-the-art technologies.

Cor-ten Steel Cantilevering Structure, Japan

• In Japan, the floating steel Bridge-to-Nowhere Cantilever House design represents a reversal of the traditional roles of a deck with a patio below it. Built on a split-level hillside site in Japan, this curved structure embodies a difference between the two sides of about 9 feet or a single story. To avoid potential problems related to the mid-site retaining wall, the architects, Katsuhiro Miyamoto & Associates, elected not to build on the upper half of the structure. A heavy concrete base provides structural balance for the house, which wraps upward and around, overhanging the outdoor space. The exterior material is Cor-ten steel, also called weathering steel.

Standing Seam Metal Roof, United States

• In California’s Cupertino Hills, the entry to a custom home features a barrel-vaulted ceiling that extends outside to an overhang with a standing seam metal roof. By definition, this roof type features vertically-standing sheet metal roofing panels locked into place by concealed fasteners. The panels join together at the sides. The overlapping panel lock creates a seam that forms a connecting point between the panels. A curved ceiling gives definition to the living room whose wood and slate floors provide passive solar heat. Matching wall and wood bar curves shape the kitchen and intersecting, curved ceilings highlight the master bedroom design. The project architect is Victor H. Lee, AIA.