Hi,

What kind of considerations will I need to take into account if I want to take a traditional gable roof on an old house and make a large portion of it flat, and build a green patio on top.

Structural, building code, costs etc.

Attached is an image of the house I have in mind.

Please be serious, even though this is a kind of crazy idea!

thanks
-jon

Structural, building code, costs etc.

You've got a good start, now hire an engineer to address the roof structure who will take into account loading, weight of the growing medium, weight when it gets wet, etc., etc.

It may not be a crazy idea, but this is not a DIY type of project concerning the design portion. Once it is safely designed, then you may be able to tackle it, if you feel comfortable doing so!

thanks... also, has anybody ever seen something like this done to a traditional houses?

When you say green patio, you mean like with earth and things growing in it I assume. I saw a lot of them in Europe on many types of houses, but they were more like flat roofs than patios.

I'm thinking about a flat roof with stair access.
On the flat area will be an area for chairs/table, but also gardens, grass, etc.