Big Addition Project

This is one of my large addition projects that just got permits! Stay tuned for construction photos this summer!

Dormer Project

My clients, Rod and Lisa, choose to go with the dormer option (see previous post for schematic design options). They wanted to keep it as low as possible, so we are working all of the angles in order to keep it LOW! The top plate at the outside edge is just 6'-3", instead of a more standard 7'-0". The rafters are 2x10's with high density batts, instead of the standard 2x12's with regular batt insulation. The pitch of the roof is 3:12 - this is as shallow as we can prudently build a roof in the Pacific Northwest. As you can see from the section below, we are using a large skylight over the stair landing in order to meet the code-required 6'-8" headroom.

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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Say Goodbye to McMansions

I regularly read news on the internet, and an article on the WSJ's MarketWatch caught my eye this morning. It is about the trend to smaller homes in America!

As a self-proclaimed 'Not So Big' architect, I have seen this trend coming over the past 3-5 years. My clients tend to delight in the small, cozy nooks that I design for them, while foregoing some rooms that used to be standard in a home (such as the formal dining room).

The Armstrongs, a couple nearing retirement, hired me to help them make the home they built over 40 years ago work better for their Golden Years. One of the changes we made was a tiny addition to Margaret's sewing room - which doubles as a playroom for grandchildren - and triples as a dining room extension for holiday parties. In order to make it work well for these uses, and to make it feel more inviting, we basically pushed out one exterior wall 2'-6" under the eave. We added a row of windows and a window seat with storage underneath. By improving the functionality of this room, with just a small addition, we greatly increased the amount of activities that could happen there!

The Importance of an Entry Place

Here's my new basement office entry! My husband, Thomas, and I started moving back into the house just as the heavy snow started to fall in December. Right away, we appreciated the generous entry that we had created to the basement. If you read my Lwebuga House blog, you'll see that excavating for the new entry was not a small task, but it made the basement a comfortable place to be throughout the snowstorm.

If you hope to build a home office space that will welcome customers, a proper entry is perhaps the most important aspect of your project. It is important to recognize that the entry doesn't start at the door! When designing any entry space, I start by thinking about the entire process of entering a space, from the sidewalk on. What impression do you want to give?

In my own home office, I designed the entry to feel more business-like than a home entry... thus the wide walkway, heavy concrete retaining walls with planters, a commercial-type trough drain in the concrete sidewalk leading down to the door, and a door that looks a little more commercial than residential.

Small Projects

It seems to me that many people aren't quite sure what to expect from an architect... many times, I hear the comment, "I'd hire an architect, but my project is too small." Even with a small project, an architect can help you think through different design options - and 0ften he or she can present options you have never considered! Last year around this time, I started working with Janet. Her project was small - converting an existing detached 1-car garage into a guest bedroom + bathroom. Here's a photo of how it looked before:

For our first meeting, I sketched up 3 options for us to review together. Over about an hour, we walked through the pros and cons of each of these design options.

After reviewing these options, Janet decided that we should proceed with Option C, so we did. Below are some finished photos of the project, skillfully completed by a local builder, Matt Sears.