Eave

Roof and water

Eave

Timelessroof overhang · overhang · alero (Spanish) · noki (Japanese)

housingschoolmarkettemple

It is the part of the roof that projects beyond the wall. It forms a band of shade and shelter around the building.

Solves

What it solves

It keeps rain away from walls, doors and windows and shades the facades. In the tropics it reduces the heat that enters through walls and glass and creates a dry edge for sitting or walking.

Today

The more exposed the facade is to sun and slanting rain, the wider the eave should be. It is a good idea to ventilate it from below so that hot air can escape from the roof space.

Common mistake

Removing the eave for the sake of appearance and leaving walls and windows exposed to water and direct sun.

Tomorrow

A generous eave over the door gives an older person time to open it, sit down or wait without getting wet. With heavier downpours, that shelter becomes part of a welcoming house again.

Fact In the tropics, the wider the eave, the better it protects from the sun throughout the day.

Where it comes from

  • 1Traditional Kerala house India, vernacular tradition
    The eave comes down very close to the ground to protect the mud or timber walls from the rain and keep the interior cool.
  • 2Traditional Japanese house Japan, vernacular tradition
    Deep eaves (noki) give shade from the high summer sun and let in the low winter sun.
  • 3Saxon thatched-roof houses England, Early Middle Ages
    Large eaves kept water away from the walls at a time when gutters were hardly used.

Masters

  • Geoffrey Bawa Parliament of Sri Lanka, Kotte, Sri Lanka, 1982
    He groups pavilions under large roofs with deep eaves that float over a lake. The eave does the work of the tropical climate, giving shade and shelter from the rain.
  • Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House, Chicago, United States, 1910
    He projects very long cantilevered eaves that emphasize the horizontality of the house. A low eave reflects light from the terrace into the living and dining rooms.

Appears in the routes

Sources

See also

Also in Roof and water

Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.