Tips for Modeling Scandinavian Flush Eaves / Gable Roofs in Chief Architect?

[cbehling]

Hey all,

 

I'm trying to create a Scandinavian-style frame house in Chief Architect and running into trouble getting the eaves and gables to look right, specifically those flush, minimalist roof lines where the fascia aligns tightly with the exterior wall cladding (no visible overhangs). Think cabins or cottages from places like Norway, Sweden, wood siding, and standing seam metal roofs, all wrapped up in that super clean modern vernacular.

 

I've reviewed most of Chief Architect's official tutorials and help docs, but I haven't seen this specific roof/eave detail addressed anywhere. I'm surprised, given how popular this style is can be in some areas.

 

A few questions:

 

Is there a way to override the minimum overhang (seems capped at 1/4")?

 

What's the best method to get the fascia or even just the roof material to align precisely with the exterior wall face?

 

Any real-world framing cad blocks out there? I've never actually seen one built, but I would love to know more about how these materials snap together. Bonus points if you've worked with rainscreens, ICF wall assemblies, or material sets that suit this look.

 

Would love to hear if anyone has tackled this before. Examples or .plan files appreciated too!

 

Thanks in advance.

[robdyck]

9 hours ago, cbehling said:

What's the best method to get the fascia or even just the roof material to align precisely with the exterior wall face?

This is somewhat dependent on a couple of variables:

1. are you just looking for a seamless transition at the roof eave to wall junction as it relates to modelling these surfaces in Chief Architect?
2. are you questioning how the transition will be constructed in real life and would like your Chief Architect model to at least be reasonably representative of that?
3. are you designing a cladding transition or will you be following the installation specifications of any specific material? 
4. Are your specifying material or is the builder going to specify material? In other words are your plans going to be very specific or more general in nature?

This is a simple example of a method I've used, simply following a snap lock metal roofing installation manual. No wall cladding is shown in their detail...it can be assumed. As you can see, this method is not 'seamless', but is minimal.

 

[Chrisb222]

15 minutes ago, robdyck said:

This is a simple example of a method I've used

 

Wow, not much leeway between min and max! 

 

[cbehling]

6 hours ago, robdyck said:

This is somewhat dependent on a couple of variables:

1. are you just looking for a seamless transition at the roof eave to wall junction as it relates to modelling these surfaces in Chief Architect?
2. are you questioning how the transition will be constructed in real life and would like your Chief Architect model to at least be reasonably representative of that?
3. are you designing a cladding transition or will you be following the installation specifications of any specific material? 
4. Are your specifying material or is the builder going to specify material? In other words are your plans going to be very specific or more general in nature?

This is a simple example of a method I've used, simply following a snap lock metal roofing installation manual. No wall cladding is shown in their detail...it can be assumed. As you can see, this method is not 'seamless', but is minimal.

 

• Yes, I’m primarily trying to get the eave and gable junction to look as clean and accurate as possible in the model. That includes aligning the fascia with the wall plane, hiding any visible overhangs, and getting the framing close enough to help guide real world decision making. I’d like to avoid manually faking it with soffits or CAD details if possible.

• I’d also love for the model to represent how this would actually be framed and detailed in real life within reason. I’m used to North American overhangs (like 18" cantilevered trusses), but this flush style is new to me. Anything that helps me model a realistic assembly or adjust my defaults to reflect actual framing approaches would be extremely helpful.

• Not specifying any one system or brand no hard material callouts yet. I’m aiming for a general best practice setup that could be used for something like a vertical charred wood rainscreen, tongue and groove, or fiber cement paneling. Mostly just trying to understand the build up from sheathing to cladding, and how that transitions to fascia/roof edges in this minimal style.

• In most of my projects, I specify general assemblies and let the builder or homeowner decide final materials. So I want to keep the plans clean but flexible, with enough realism to guide estimating and visualization. The main thing is getting the massing and transitions correct to avoid surprises in the field. 

 Thanks again for humoring me on a style that’s admittedly a bit niche for Chief really appreciate it!