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High Design for the Downspout
See How to Channel Rainwater Off the Roof in Style
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
One of the basic functions of shelter is to keep water out. Just about every aspect of the exterior envelope addresses this concern, be it walls, windows, doors or roofs. The last is the most obvious point of contact for rain and for dealing with it, necessitating that rainwater be directed somewhere away from the building.
Therein lies the need for downspouts. With flat roofs, most often downspouts are located within walls inside the building, hidden from sight and thought. On the other hand, pitched roofs, and in some cases flat roofs, exhibit the channeling of water to the surrounding landscape through gutters and downspouts.
But standard solutions don't always yield the nicest of appearances. What follows are other ways of bringing water from roof to landscape, through downspouts, scuppers, and even down rain chains. Maybe it's time to incorporate an idea on your own house before it rains again?
Therein lies the need for downspouts. With flat roofs, most often downspouts are located within walls inside the building, hidden from sight and thought. On the other hand, pitched roofs, and in some cases flat roofs, exhibit the channeling of water to the surrounding landscape through gutters and downspouts.
But standard solutions don't always yield the nicest of appearances. What follows are other ways of bringing water from roof to landscape, through downspouts, scuppers, and even down rain chains. Maybe it's time to incorporate an idea on your own house before it rains again?
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| The Pacific Northwest is a region that is known for its wetness, if in reality it's only half the year that it deserves that reputation. Nevertheless architects in the region are certainly creative in dealing with water, as the projects of Seattle's Eggleston Farkas attest. This house overlooking Puget Sound features this distinctive "paired spout," which is repeated around the perimeter. At the main entry the spouts actually feed a reflecting pool traversed by a bridge. |
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Downspouts like in the previous photo require some sort of splash block, so that large amounts of water do not erode the landscape around a house. Here is one way of creating one: using stones held in a small square frame. The California poppies poking up through the stones are a nice — I'm guessing — accident.
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| Returning to the work of Eggleston Farkas, this cabin also in Washington State features two volumes whose corrugated metal roofs slope together in a butterfly form. As can be seen here one roof is taller than the other, shedding water onto the lower roof and its integral gutter. Seen from the other end... |
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| The water is directed via the gutter/scupper into a small concrete container that sends it to a holding cistern, from where it is slowly released into the nearby wetlands. It's a responsible design that also celebrates the water and makes the occupants aware of the house's interaction with it. |
Similar to the previous example is this house in Australia that also features roofs in corrugated metal and a high portion sending water to a low portion. Note the gutter/scupper in the middle of the photo...
| In the close-up at left it is clear how the water is carried to the internal gutter in the roof below. So we have an external gutter above and one cut into the corrugated metal below. |
Speaking of scuppers, some of them — think gargoyles in old churches — send water off the building. This flat-roofed house in Santa Fe, New Mexico uses scuppers to do such a thing instead of using roof drains and internal downspouts.
When using this sort of scupper, it's recommended to consider how the water hits the landscape, incorporating such approaches as splash blocks or having water hit a paved area that slopes away from the house.
When using this sort of scupper, it's recommended to consider how the water hits the landscape, incorporating such approaches as splash blocks or having water hit a paved area that slopes away from the house.
| In this large house in Austin, Texas, an external downspout brings water from a butterfly roof to the lower level of the house (the area in the foreground is a green roof), where it turns into an internal downspout. It's worth noting how the architects carefully aligned the downspout with the windows, requiring only a slight jog up above. |
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Here is an internal downspout that actually becomes external by cutting away the shingles that comprise the facade of the upper floor. It continues below, in front of the stone wall that is set back from the shingles above. Copper is definitely a good choice for this application.
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| Another way of bringing water from roof to landscape is the use of rain chains, increasingly popular in places outside Asia, where they apparently originated. Water follows the chain down to a splash block or some other considered patch of land. Here, two frame an entry; note the downturned gutter in the upper left corner. |
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| Here is a rain chain that ends in a large rock. This example also illustrates that the location of a rain chain should be considered in ways beyond the roof design. The occupants of this house can sit on the covered porch and enjoy the rain, both as it falls and as it trickles down the chain. |
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This pair of chains is located at a roof extension that seems to exist to frame an outdoor space and bring the water away from the house. The water moves down the rain chains and hits some ground that slopes away from the house.
| This project has an interesting hybrid of a scupper, gutter and rain chain. A pair of these can be seen projecting from the low point of the different roofs. The water is brought away from the walls at the end of the deck. |
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Last is a house that features a tall rain chain in the foreground and rainwater collection in the background. The latter is often used for irrigation purposes, but here it actually is used to flush toilets.
More:
Introduce a Rain Chain
9 Cooling Rooftop Gardens
Wood Slats in Design
Breezeways: Architecture's Cooling Connections
More:
Introduce a Rain Chain
9 Cooling Rooftop Gardens
Wood Slats in Design
Breezeways: Architecture's Cooling Connections
Ideabook updated on July 29, 2011.
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Nice article, and I appreciate your featuring a couple of our projects. Given the prevalence of rain here in the Pacific Northwest, we like to consider roof form and drainage early in the design process, and include them as a primary aesthetic element, rather than an afterthought.
I thought I'd also point out a few more things related to the first photo you showed:
- We paired the downspouts as you stated, not only to create a different look, but also as a backup "belt & suspenders" system. If one clogs, the other is still available.
- We held the bottoms of the downspouts off the ground because we didn't want them to be confused with structural posts, and thus take away from the cantilevered effect of the roof.
- The downspouts are straight drops (no bends) for better water flow (and they just look better).
- The detailing of the downspout support brackets are another opportunity for a functional design element.
In addition to the images here on Houzz, you can see more about this project at http://eggfarkarch.com/meadow-creek-house
Love the double downspout idea. I live in the forest here in the Pacific Northwest and leaves, pine needles and moss can clog things up pretty fast.