Clerestory roof design

Clerestory Roof Design: See a Clerestory on Your House

A clerestory is a row of high windows set in a wall that rises above the roof next to it, so daylight reaches deep into the middle of a house. People search for clerestory roof designs when they plan a modern house, a renovation or a darker open-plan room that needs light from above. This AI clerestory roof design tool starts from a picture: upload a photo of your house, a sketch or a clay model, and ArchitecturesAI renders it in the same view; then describe the raised roof, the window band and the materials in a sentence. The result is an idea picture of the outside. It is not a roof plan, a structural design or a quote.

Upload your house photo or sketch

Sign in with Google or email to render. New accounts get 2 free renders (watermarked); free renders are not available in India on this site.

A black pencil line sketch of a modern single-storey house with a raised middle section with a row of tall windows, lower flat roofs on both sides and a front entrance — Both images are AI-generated with our own image model. The sketch is an AI-drawn stand-in for a hand sketch, not a real drawing. Edit prompt used: "Turn this line sketch into a realistic daylight photo of the same house: white render walls, dark timber cladding on the raised section, a continuous band of clear glass clerestory windows, a dark grey metal roof, a concrete path and a lawn, blue sky. Keep the house shape, the clerestory, the high windows, the lower roofs, the entrance and the camera angle exactly the same." What followed it: white render walls, dark timber cladding on the raised section, a continuous band of glass windows, dark grey metal roofs, a concrete path and a lawn; the house shape, the clerestory, the lower roofs and the entrance stayed as drawn. What differs from the prompt: the left lower wing is also clad in dark timber, not only the raised section. We ran this one once.

A photo-like render of the same house with a dark timber clad raised section with a band of black framed glass, white rendered lower walls, dark grey metal roofs, a concrete path and a lawn — Both images are AI-generated with our own image model. The sketch is an AI-drawn stand-in for a hand sketch, not a real drawing. Edit prompt used: "Turn this line sketch into a realistic daylight photo of the same house: white render walls, dark timber cladding on the raised section, a continuous band of clear glass clerestory windows, a dark grey metal roof, a concrete path and a lawn, blue sky. Keep the house shape, the clerestory, the high windows, the lower roofs, the entrance and the camera angle exactly the same." What followed it: white render walls, dark timber cladding on the raised section, a continuous band of glass windows, dark grey metal roofs, a concrete path and a lawn; the house shape, the clerestory, the lower roofs and the entrance stayed as drawn. What differs from the prompt: the left lower wing is also clad in dark timber, not only the raised section. We ran this one once.

What a clerestory is

Design guides from Brick&Bolt, Dwell, Interlock Roofing and Chief Architect describe the clerestory the same way:

A row of windows set high in a wall, above eye level, where one part of the roof rises above another.
The windows bring daylight into the middle of a house while keeping privacy from the street.
Common forms: a raised roof section with windows on its sides, or two skillion roofs at different heights with a strip of glass between them.
If the windows open, warm air escapes at the top, which helps cool the house.
The name comes from church architecture, where the clerestory is the upper row of windows above the side aisles.

How to try a clerestory roof design with ArchitecturesAI

In the editor above, the mode is Render Architecture, the type is Residential and the style is Contemporary. This mode has no prompt box: you start from an image.
Under Select Image, upload a JPG or PNG: a daylight photo of your house taken from the street, with the whole roof in view, or a sketch, a clay model or a screenshot from your 3D software.
Click Generate. Free accounts can only use Low quality (Medium and High are marked PRO). Sign in with Google or email when asked.
To steer the result, click Edit Image on it (the box is called Edit Instructions) or use Custom Action, and describe the raised roof section, the row of high windows, the roofing and the walls and what must stay the same. Each edit is another render and uses credits. Run it a few times, since every result differs.
The three examples below ran directly on our image model with the written instructions shown. They did not go through the editor above, so your own results will differ.

Upload your house photo or sketch

A clerestory from a sketch

A sketch that already shows the raised section gives the clearest result. Here the shape stayed as drawn and only the cladding spread further than asked.

A clerestory from a clay model or on an existing house

A clay model with the raised box worked on the second run. On a plain house the model added high windows in the gable rather than a new raised roof, as the caption explains.

A white clay model of a single-storey house with a flat roof and a raised long box on top with a row of window openings — Both images are AI-generated with our own image model. The clay model is an AI-drawn stand-in for a 3D model, not a real project file. Edit prompt used: "Turn this clay model into a realistic daylight photo of the same house: black metal roofs, light grey brick walls, a dark timber raised section with a continuous band of clear glass clerestory windows, a timber deck, a lawn and a few trees, blue sky. Keep the house shape, the raised clerestory section, the window band and the camera angle exactly the same." What followed it: black metal roofs, light grey brick walls, a raised section with a row of clear glass windows, a timber deck, a lawn and trees; the house shape, the raised section and the window band stayed as modelled. What differs from the prompt: the lower roof became a low hipped metal roof rather than flat, and some walls are dark cladding instead of brick. This is our second attempt: the first clay model had two gable roofs and the render added dormers instead of a clerestory, so we made a new "before" and ran it again. The pair shown is the second run.

A photo-like render of the same house with a black metal roof, a raised black section with a row of glass clerestory windows, light grey brick and dark clad walls, a timber deck, a lawn and trees — Both images are AI-generated with our own image model. The clay model is an AI-drawn stand-in for a 3D model, not a real project file. Edit prompt used: "Turn this clay model into a realistic daylight photo of the same house: black metal roofs, light grey brick walls, a dark timber raised section with a continuous band of clear glass clerestory windows, a timber deck, a lawn and a few trees, blue sky. Keep the house shape, the raised clerestory section, the window band and the camera angle exactly the same." What followed it: black metal roofs, light grey brick walls, a raised section with a row of clear glass windows, a timber deck, a lawn and trees; the house shape, the raised section and the window band stayed as modelled. What differs from the prompt: the lower roof became a low hipped metal roof rather than flat, and some walls are dark cladding instead of brick. This is our second attempt: the first clay model had two gable roofs and the render added dormers instead of a clerestory, so we made a new "before" and ran it again. The pair shown is the second run.

A plain single-storey house with a low gable roof, beige rendered walls, small white windows, a front door, a gravel drive and a lawn — An AI-generated pair made with our own image model. The "before" is an AI-drawn stand-in for a photo of a plain bungalow, not a real house. Edit prompt used: "Add a clerestory: build a raised narrow section along the middle of the roof, a long box with its own low roof, with a continuous row of small square high windows in its front wall above the main roof slope, dark grey metal roofing. Keep the walls, the windows, the door, the drive, the lawn and the camera angle exactly the same." What followed it: a row of high windows above eye level, with the walls, the windows, the door, the drive and the lawn kept. What differs from the prompt: it put the high windows into the top of the gable wall instead of building a raised roof section, so the roof shape did not change. We ran this one twice: the first run glazed the whole gable end instead of adding high windows, so we reworded the prompt and ran it again on the same "before". The pair shown is the second run.

The same house with a row of small high windows set in a pale board clad band at the top of the gable wall, with the same walls, door, drive and lawn — An AI-generated pair made with our own image model. The "before" is an AI-drawn stand-in for a photo of a plain bungalow, not a real house. Edit prompt used: "Add a clerestory: build a raised narrow section along the middle of the roof, a long box with its own low roof, with a continuous row of small square high windows in its front wall above the main roof slope, dark grey metal roofing. Keep the walls, the windows, the door, the drive, the lawn and the camera angle exactly the same." What followed it: a row of high windows above eye level, with the walls, the windows, the door, the drive and the lawn kept. What differs from the prompt: it put the high windows into the top of the gable wall instead of building a raised roof section, so the roof shape did not change. We ran this one twice: the first run glazed the whole gable end instead of adding high windows, so we reworded the prompt and ran it again on the same "before". The pair shown is the second run.

What the AI keeps and what it may change

Usually kept: the camera angle, the walls, the doors and the setting.
Often different from what you asked: whether the roof is raised or the windows go in an existing wall, and the roof shape around it.
Easier for the model: a sketch or a model that already shows the raised section.
Never produced: floor plans, structure, cost estimates or approval drawings.

Looking at roofs that bring in light?

The skillion roof page shows single sloping roofs that often carry clerestory windows, the dormer page covers windows in pitched roofs, and the flat roof house page covers modern flat roofs.

Free tier and plans

You need a free account to render. New accounts get 2 free renders, and free renders carry a watermark. In India this site does not include free renders, so a paid plan is needed there. Weekly, monthly and yearly plans for more renders without the watermark are on the pricing page.

The sketch, the clay model and the house on this page are AI-drawn stand-ins, not real. Each example was run directly on the model, not through the tool above.

Frequently asked questions

What is a clerestory roof?

A roof where one section rises above the rest, with a row of high windows in the raised wall. The windows bring daylight into the middle of the house.

Can I add a clerestory to my house in the picture?

Yes, as an idea picture. Upload a street photo, render it, then use Edit Image to ask for a raised roof section with high windows. On a plain house our test added high windows to an existing wall instead, so a sketch or model can give a clearer result.

Is there a text box in the editor?

The prompt box exists only in Architecture Generator mode. The editor above opens in Render Architecture, where you upload an image and change the result with Edit Image (Edit Instructions) or Custom Action.

Is it free to try?

Yes. After you sign in, a new account gets 2 free renders with a watermark, in Low quality. In India this site does not include free renders. Paid weekly, monthly and yearly plans are listed on the pricing page.

See a clerestory on your house

Upload a photo of your house, your sketch or your clay model, compare a few clerestory versions, and take the best one to your architect. Your first 2 renders on a free account are on us.

Upload your house photo or sketch