Hugh Newell Jacobsen, Architect

Gutters...Les Gutters...Gutterless...Sans gutter.

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For more information on this subject, read the "site drainage" section of "Graphic Standards"

The gentle sloping grade away from the house is almost visible in this photograph. Dream

Houses that opt to have no gutters can attchive crisp, sharp look if the builder takes care

to slope the grade away from the house and have excess water carried off.

Courtesy Graphic Standards

Q: Does the Dream House have to have gutters?

A: We don't know if the word 'Gutterless' is English, but the house was designed not to have gutters for aesthetic reasons. Some builders may protest to this because it is out of the ordinary for common buildings, but this is no common building. It will require carefully planned (but this does not mean more expensive) site work to accommodate the drainage off the roof so it slopes away from the house and is transferred to the sewer or drainage field.

The only purpose of a gutter is to divert water before it hits the ground. Basements and crawl spaces that are not properly waterproofed from the outside will require gutters so water can be taken away from the house. However, gutters alone will not prevent a badly parged foundation from leaking.

There are many technologies for site drainage that need to be researched. Putting gutters on the house will clutter-up the façade and complicate the clean crisp lines.

Owners should be warned that gutters are gutters no matter what, and there are many types out there. If you must choose a gutter, choose one that meets the needs of the amount of run-off required, but also choose the one that is the most low-profile. Paint it white.