French-cut roofs fall out of taste
IN the mid 1980’s, so the story goes, a group of Ugandans went to France for kyeeyo (economic asylum) and they fell for the exquisite houses there. These had exquisitely high roofs of multiple ‘wings’ jutting out in different directions.
By Titus Serunjogi
IN the mid 1980’s, so the story goes, a group of Ugandans went to France for kyeeyo (economic asylum) and they fell for the exquisite houses there. These had exquisitely high roofs of multiple ‘wings’ jutting out in different directions.
Needless to say, the migrant labourers set up similar French-Cut houses immediately they returned home. And it wasn’t long before the craze caught on in town. If it was not French-cut, then it was not a house at all.
Then, it was the ultimate way of advertising your wealth to all and sundry. But today, no one ever wants anything to do with French-cut again. In fact, look at all the houses that were roofed after 2001 and bet you won’t find any with wings. Was the French-cut a fad, just like a certain type of jeans that suddenly gets into vogue only to run out of taste soon and never to be seen anywhere?
True, the roof design was stunningly beautiful. But Kampala residential developers have soon discovered that it was not worth the money it took to construct.
According to a technical personnel at Akright, “The French needed such steep roofs because these helped snow run off during the winter downpour. But all a typical Ugandan house needs is a simple pitched roof that can run off rainwater in all directions around the house.†Just alike to the pictures of houses that children draw at nursery school. Or somewhat similar to the typical Kiganda hut. And that is the kind of roof most residential developers are putting up today.
“The French-cut was a waste,†says a Technical personnel for Akright Real Estate Developers, “People would put millions of shillings into erecting very high walls yet they would never use the space in the attic.†At least the French used the attic as a store for wine and sometimes as a bedroom. But which Ugandan will willingly build a house and sleep in the ceiling (attic)? These days, people would rather spend on a simpler pitched roof and then put the surplus into interior decoration and compound design. At least this pays off.
It is of little wonder that all the houses in the Akright Estates at Lubowa, Kirinya and Kakungulu have pitched roofs-never the French-cut! Really, the French-cut was a passing fad.
You might have seen some of these fad houses being stripped down of their roofs, and some of the beams thrown to the rubbish heap.
The French-cut allows for pockets where the walls and roof intersect, and unless the builder is a very skilled one, water will certainly seep through. Okay, the leaks could be patched early in the life of the roof. But as time passes, these become more frequent and an expensive refurbishing of the roof is required. The French-cut was beautiful, yes. But it fell out of taste because it needed to be repaired at least once in every decade.
Estate developers can now invest in interior decoration and compound design, well-knowing that the pitched roof will last. This drains rain in all directions around the house, no chance of water seeping through the walls. And no need for building those very high walls that come to no better good than showing off.
With the advent of new roofing designs, the Akright technical staff predict parabolic roofs will be very much in vogue.
IN the mid 1980’s, so the story goes, a group of Ugandans went to France for kyeeyo (economic asylum) and they fell for the exquisite houses there. These had exquisitely high roofs of multiple ‘wings’ jutting out in different directions.
Needless to say, the migrant labourers set up similar French-Cut houses immediately they returned home. And it wasn’t long before the craze caught on in town. If it was not French-cut, then it was not a house at all.
Then, it was the ultimate way of advertising your wealth to all and sundry. But today, no one ever wants anything to do with French-cut again. In fact, look at all the houses that were roofed after 2001 and bet you won’t find any with wings. Was the French-cut a fad, just like a certain type of jeans that suddenly gets into vogue only to run out of taste soon and never to be seen anywhere?
True, the roof design was stunningly beautiful. But Kampala residential developers have soon discovered that it was not worth the money it took to construct.
According to a technical personnel at Akright, “The French needed such steep roofs because these helped snow run off during the winter downpour. But all a typical Ugandan house needs is a simple pitched roof that can run off rainwater in all directions around the house.†Just alike to the pictures of houses that children draw at nursery school. Or somewhat similar to the typical Kiganda hut. And that is the kind of roof most residential developers are putting up today.
“The French-cut was a waste,†says a Technical personnel for Akright Real Estate Developers, “People would put millions of shillings into erecting very high walls yet they would never use the space in the attic.†At least the French used the attic as a store for wine and sometimes as a bedroom. But which Ugandan will willingly build a house and sleep in the ceiling (attic)? These days, people would rather spend on a simpler pitched roof and then put the surplus into interior decoration and compound design. At least this pays off.
It is of little wonder that all the houses in the Akright Estates at Lubowa, Kirinya and Kakungulu have pitched roofs-never the French-cut! Really, the French-cut was a passing fad.
You might have seen some of these fad houses being stripped down of their roofs, and some of the beams thrown to the rubbish heap.
The French-cut allows for pockets where the walls and roof intersect, and unless the builder is a very skilled one, water will certainly seep through. Okay, the leaks could be patched early in the life of the roof. But as time passes, these become more frequent and an expensive refurbishing of the roof is required. The French-cut was beautiful, yes. But it fell out of taste because it needed to be repaired at least once in every decade.
Estate developers can now invest in interior decoration and compound design, well-knowing that the pitched roof will last. This drains rain in all directions around the house, no chance of water seeping through the walls. And no need for building those very high walls that come to no better good than showing off.
With the advent of new roofing designs, the Akright technical staff predict parabolic roofs will be very much in vogue.