Why do homes built in the Southwest United States have flat roofs?

Question

I am working on a homework assignment and don't know where to look for the answer!

Answer 1

Well, you might look at an atlas that has maps showing climate and amount of rainfall. You will notice that the area of the United States considered to be Southwest are usually desert lands with little rainfalll. The people buidling homes find it easier to build a flat roof than one that is pitched. Pitched roofs are used to move rain water and snow melt off the roof as quickly as possible, something rarely needed in the Southwest. The danger with this is that every once-in-while the rain does come down and the roof that has walls around it might fill up and collapse into the house. This can be avoided as long as the drains are always clean and during the sudden rainstorm someone checks the roof.

Answer 2

The American Southwest has very little rain, and virtually no snow, so building a roof with a pitch to it is an unnecessary expense.

Also, the flat roof will collect whatever scant rain does fall; people used to depend on it, before water lines were laid down.

Answer 3

It has something to do with heat. The flat roofs don't collect the heat like pitched roofs do. And since it's so blamed hot in the southwest, they need every bit of cooling help they can get. Also the fact that they don't get as much rain/snow as the rest of the country, they really don't have to worry about runoff.

Answer 4

Probably cause they don't have any snow in winter time