Gable/hip roof combination

[K'ledgeBldr]

A pic from the rear would help and probably explain.
But, from your pics it would appear that the back of the house’s roof is all on one plane- the garage, main body, and continues up into and including the dormers.

Yes, I will agree it’s an unusual design. I can only assume it’s a snow load thing, or a vaulted ceiling(s). It’s certainly isn’t an oddity from the frt elevation.

[Strannik33]

That house in the pictures is just silly, as simple as that. The hip roofs are mainly useful in FL and along the hurricane coasts, as they don't have the triangular area under peak (the gable wall) exposed to the wind. That area is difficult to frame properly.

There is no other advantage to hip roofs and to other architectural monstrosities such as compound hip roofs, with parallel lines of hips and valleys. The architects just don't want to design a large mass with simple roof line that would appear barracks-like.

[Rickcin]

There are pros & cons to all of the different types of roof while specific designs can be dependent upon local climate conditions, heigh restrictions and aesthetics. And obviously there’s less room in the attic with a hip roof as another poster has indicated.

In this particular case, the house in question definitely has a hip roof on the back side of the dormers, not on the fronts, however without seeing a photo of the rear of the house, it’s possible the rear roof is the other side of a gable.