ABSTRACT
In Leiden, up to 1800, roof constructions consisting of transverse portal-shaped trusses that support purlins and rafters hardly developed. Only after changes in the building organization, during the French period (1798–1813), in which the guilds were abolished, did modernization occur, with the Philibert truss composed of short overlapping planks as a new type. Reduced wood consumption, higher living spaces, reduced risk of fire, and ease of manufacture were seen as advantages. Philibert De l'Orme’s invention was rediscovered in France in the late-18th century. The introduction is likely attributable to French architects who worked in the Netherlands, or to Dutch architects under French influence. Gilly’s publications from 1797 and 1798 on the Philibert construction will also have contributed. The introduction of the French Philibert truss in the Dutch roof constructions around 1800 is an example of knowledge transfer resulting from political-economic changes.
