This project involved reinventing and substantially reframing a two-story cottage to maximize effective and usable space, particularly on the second floor.
The initial cottage, while already having some two-story elements, was neither optimally usable or optimally attractive. Much of the initial renovation was as much functional as it was decorative.
A key part of the project was expanding and increasing space for a second-floor washroom. To do so, a front gable was added that also provided some architectural interest.
The work also included substantial changes to the roofline to maximize usable space within the second floor rooms and address drainage issues associated with the original roofline. The overall roof was raised substantially, with a dummy roofline created that matched the angle of the other side of the roof. Trusses were built to raise up and increase the pitch of the remainder of the roof. This raised interior roof heights while improving drainage and increasing overhangs.
The result was a radically revised second floor that considerably increased usable interior space, while also improving drainage and enhancing overall rooflines and architectural coherence.