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Identifying feature

Thatched roof

A roof made of thick layers of dried straw, reeds or grasses tied in bundles, usually steeply pitched so rain runs off. It is traditional on cottages in England and Northern Europe.

a sign of these styles

Great Mosque of Djenné, Djenné, Mali: an example of African Vernacular African Vernacular traditional–present Sculpted earthen walls with permanent projecting timber spikes, conical thatched roofs, and courtyard compounds.

also seen on

Half-TimberedSoutheast Asian

often seen with

Steep gable The triangular upper part of an end wall, framed by the two slopes of a steep roof. Battered wall A wall built with a batter, meaning it slopes inward as it rises and is thicker at the base. Cantilever A beam, floor or part of a building that projects beyond its support and is anchored at only one end. Carved stone relief Figures or patterns carved into stone so they project from a flat background, called low relief when shallow… Carved wood ornament Decorative shapes cut into a building's wooden parts, such as brackets (supports under the eaves), porch… Courtyard An open-air space enclosed by the walls of a building or group of buildings. Geometric ornament Decoration made of zigzags, chevrons (V shapes), stepped forms and other repeated geometric shapes instead… Half-timbering A wall of visible wooden posts and beams with the gaps filled by plaster or brick, called infill.