When that roof is more than a financial statement

The other day, leaked photos of the State House roof appeared on social media and Kenyans, in their usual characteristic style, bashed the renovated roof.

One architectural expert penned how he had judged architecture designs under reputable global firms, including the Aga Khan for architecture development, and he could only describe the new State House's look in one word - mediocre.

Questions swirled in the blogosphere if Kenyans got value for their money with the president or his handlers having a penchant for budgetary allocations each financial year for State Houses and lodges renovations.

The majority say the current look of the State House doesn't appear commanding and appealing like the iconic tile roof.

They questioned why former occupants never complained of a leaking roof and preserved the status quo that the current administration had done away with.

Going by the publicly available figures towards State House renovations, some opined that the amount was enough to construct a brand new State House and leave the iconic one intact for historical purposes.

Others suggested the new occupant of the House on the Hill after the current administration leaves power should restore the State House to its former glory.

Given that the State House is currently not under the national museums and heritage ministry, government officials could have exploited that loophole to come up with something that looks like the Machakos county government residence.

Kenyans' love for stylish roof finishing is not an understatement. Even in the deep countryside, it's common to see high-roofed houses.

  Peter Muthee, an expert in roofing, says such spaces are at times enormous to accommodate complete house rooms and calls them a waste. "Some roofs are more of a financial statement to give that stylish design outcome. You'll find the roof alone taking close to three-quarters of the project cost," he says.

  Timber is costly, and some of these high roofs, going by the scope of a building and roofing material being used, can see the homebuilder spending more than what that building's foundation alone costs.

  He says high roofs are not ideal for cold areas. "There's an instance I got this contract to do roofing in Nyandarua county, a known cold region. I told the owner to go for a low gable roof instead of a high one. He did not listen, but consequences were not long in coming," he says.

  What happened is that cold air would be trapped in spaces between the ceiling and the roof. The house was always cold to live in, especially in the evenings when temperatures drop.

In warm places, he says, trapped hot air stays in those spaces above the house ceiling, but good ventilation pushes it out, making rooms comfortable to live in.

  "We love to borrow from other cultures on roofing concepts without understanding why they came up with those high roofs in the first place. If you look at Europe, where this tradition originates, you'll find the high roofs were designed with snow in mind. When it snows, the snow slides off to the ground."

  So in places like Nyandarua, better insulation is needed to keep the trapped cold air above the ceiling at bay to minimise the coldness of a room, he observes.

  Whereas many assumed the State House roof was converted to a flat one before the leaked photos revealed a hidden mabati low hip roof, hidden and flat roofs are also fast catching on, even in rural areas.

  Manyara Mwangi opines that flat roofs could be ideal in some environments, but likely not cost-effective. "If you're building in hot climate places, prepare to have good insulation in your house, as they'll absorb lots of heat. You may be forced to spend on fans to keep the house cool, and this will be eating your power bills," he says.

  When it rains, water can collect and take a long time to evaporate. If a crack develops, it'll worsen with time as water keeps accumulating. "That crack will begin to widen as there's no escape way for that water."

  Usually, damage like cracks can't be observed in time to rectify or fix them, unlike the case with a slanting roof. He says one can only observe damage in situations like when water begins dripping inside the house.

  Though he notes flat roofs are cheaper, their lifespan could be short-lived. They can make sense in urban spaces like high-rise commercial buildings. Another observation is homeowners' tendency to place high-capacity water tanks on them.

  "This can create structural stress in the long run. It can be visible like the roof is sagging downwards. The last you'd expect is an inward collapse," he says.