Dormer Addition Project

Here's a dormer addition project in NE Portland that I am currently working on. The owners want to improve and expand their existing finished attic to include two bona fide rooms, one writing nook, and a bathroom. The following posts show my first design meeting with the owners. Below are photos of the house, taken in April 2010.

Dormer Project Option 2

Option 2

Option 2 assumes that the entire roof will be replaced with pre-manufactured trusses. As a structural system, trusses are very economical because they are made in a shop out of 2x4s and 2x6s, and then quickly erected on site. Stick framing (in contrast) is more labor intensive, and the material costs may be more, as 2x10s are generally used for roof framing, and large beams are generally used to pick up loads at the ridge. With the trusses, all loads are dispersed to the outside walls – north and south. Overall, this option will probably cost more, as the entire roof will be replaced, and more floor area is there to be finished out (flooring, sheetrock, windows, etc).


Upper Level
Total area: 863 sf

1 Bedroom 1 (13x16) has a 2’-6” x 9’-0” window seat (or doggy bed) space at the new west windows. ‘His’and ‘Her’ closets are each 6x7. A queen size bed is shown under 3 high windows – this mirrors the 3 windows in the living room below. See south elevation.

2 Bedroom 2 (8x15) also contains a 5x7 closet. The windows align with the 2 dining room windows below. See south elevation.

3 The bathroom is 8x9, with a 3x5 toilet nook on the north side. A soaking tub is shown on the east side, but alternatively, a shower could be located on the south side of the bathroom, if some space is borrowed from the closet in bedroom 2.

4 Lisa’s writing nook is shown at the top of the stairs, on the north side, with a 4x5 closet. A thick wall at the stair can be used as a bookshelf, as you already have in your stairwell. This space could be partitioned off with a curtain on a ceiling mounted track, or a full wall could be built for more privacy.

Dormer Project Option 1

Option 1

Option 1 maintains most of the existing roof structure. A new dormer pops up above the existing roof, as the existing ceiling height is lower than the code allows (generally 7 ft., with some exceptions). This makes for a rather odd looking west elevation, but it may offer costs savings over option 2.


Upper Level
Total area: 683 sf

1 Bedroom 1 (12x14) has a 2’-6” x 9’-0” window seat (or doggy bed) space at the existing west window. ‘His’and ‘Her’ closets are each 3x5, with the north wall only about 3 ft. tall. Little saloon-style shutter doors would work well on those closets, or curtains that can be drawn back on either side. A queen size bed is shown under 3 high windows – this mirrors the 3 windows in the living room below. See south elevation.

2 Bedroom 2 (8x8) is rather small. We actually need anything labeled ‘bedroom’ to be at least 70 sf, per code. This space could be left open (without a door) and used for Lisa’s writing nook, then Bedroom 3 could have a bit more space.

3 Bedroom 3 (8x8) has a 3’-6” x 4’-6” nook or closet.

4 The bathroom is 7x9, with a 3x4 shower nook on the south side. FIberfab shower units are 6’-8” tall, and showers must have at least 6’-8” of headroom. If we place the shower on the north side, we will use a skylight to get the extra couple of required inches of headroom. A countertop is shown at the west side, where headroom is required at the stair. This spot can be used for the sink, or for built in shelving.

5 At the stair landing, we suggest locating the north wall back a bit, so that where the top of that wall meets the ceiling is around 3 ft. Dashed lines indicate skylights, which will make the space feel brighter and bigger. A larger skylight at the stair landing may be necessary to gain the appropriate headroom.

The Hip vs. The Gable

This is a project that I am doing for Jerry Tindall at Fisher Roofing. The clients are re-roofing their home, and want to include a new covered patio at the back. Before building it, they requested drawings to help decide whether to go with a hip or a gable roof for the patio.

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