Attic Renovation Captures River Views

Pak Cheung This section is a new gable dormer that adds much-needed volume to this attic. The choice of paint color added bright and playful feel to the space. The challenge when adding a dormer is maintaining structural support of the ridge beam. In this case, given the age of the house, finding point loads to support the existing beam would have created unknown conditions and required renovation work on the first and basement levels. The engineer's solution was to create an A-frame girder (see the triangle shape on the top left of photo) supported on existing exterior bearing walls. The new gable dormer is tied into this girder. We installed new hardwood flooring throughout the space. Though the attic had two large existing skylights, to bring in more natural light we added two more skylights—one in the bathroom and one in the hallway. We also installed new recessed lights throughout the entire space and in the bathroom.