I know NOTHING about construction, but I DO know that I need more storage space. With that in mind, I keep looking up at the entrance to my attic, which is in the upstairs hallway. I have used a ladder to have a look, and see what appear to be rafters everywhere! In doing some [...]
Hello Rick,
In terms of truss construction, what is the most cost effective design for a garage with loft including a shed dormer?
Answer
That’s a pretty open ended question with lots of answers dependent on the specific conditions. For the purpose of this answer, as the architect I’ll make the following assumptions:
This is a monthly-ish reminder about a significant feature of the blog, which I hope you will find useful. There is an “Ask the Architect” page where you can post a question. I’ll do my best to answer your question in this blog (as well as on the “Get Satisfaction” website). Go ahead, try [...]
I live in Edmonds and my property is zoned RS-8. I have a couple of questions. I have a shop that is about 330 square feet and it is actually classified as a garage. I would like to convert it into a Mother In-Law Apartment. It has gas and and electricity already. I am wondering [...]
We have a 1920’s craftsman is seattle. We are considering putting an apartment in the basement which is unfinished. It has tall ceilings and the foundation is such that it looks as though windows could be added to the side walls. What would be good questions / things to know to find out the feasibility?
Answer
Mia, [...]
I don’t have a piece of land and I’m not ready to build, but I have been dreaming of designing a home for years. Can I hire an architect to help me design a home for my future use? if so, what is the cost of the designing process?
Answer
Architectural plans generally go through 3 principle [...]
This is a second question from a regular reader. We had a series of Ask the Architect conversations concerning opening up her kitchen. Some of this conversation presumes familiarity with the original question so please review the articles on “Opening up my Kitchen” for more context.
Question
I am planning on building a closed storage space underneath [...]
Single story mid- century ranch home: Can the flat ceiling be opened up into a vaulted ceiling that follows the pitch of the roof?
Answer
There are a couple of items to consider when converting a flat ceiling to a vaulted ceiling in a home of this era. I live in a “contemporary” ranch styled home built [...]
This is a monthly reminder about a new feature of the blog which I hope will make it more useful. There is now a new “Ask the Architect” page where you can post a question. I’ll do my best to answer your question in this blog (as well as on the “Get Satisfaction” [...]
