The "Sacrificial" Overhang

The Catch-22

We live in the tropics. We need shade. So we build big overhangs (eaves). But big overhangs act like parachutes during a typhoon. The wind gets under them and lifts the roof off.

The Solution: Separated Overhangs

Instead of extending the main roof… You attach a separate roof to the wall lower down. Like an awning. Or a “media agua”.

Why this is genius

1. It breaks the wind. The wind hits the wall, then hits the awning. It doesn’t lift the main roof.

2. It’s “Sacrificial”. If a Category 5 typhoon hits, the awning might rip off. That’s okay. Better to lose a cheap awning than your entire main roof. The house stays dry. You fix the awning later.

Materials

Don’t use heavy concrete canopies (they fall during earthquakes). Use a light steel frame with polycarbonate or aluminum sheets. Bolt it to the beam, not the hollow blocks. If you bolt it to the hollow blocks, it will rip the blocks out of the wall.