Attic Renovation Captures River Views

Photo: Pak Cheung This section is a new gable dormer that adds much-needed volume to this attic. 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 supported on existing exterior bearing walls. The new gable dormer is tied into this girder.