Expert: Rikki Nyman - 6/20/2010

Question
We live in a two-story bungalow style home in a neighborhood that has a mix of large victorians.  We have a very large yard and a separate garage.  We are thinking of building an addition on the first floor and raising the roof on the 2nd floor.  There are 2 bedrooms and a bathroom on the 2nd floor and 2 small rooms and a bathroom on the 1st floor.  We can't live on the 2nd floor as the ceilings are too low so we have our bedroom on the first floor.  My husband literally can't clear the ceilings.  Is this a viable option?  There is also a huge attic up there etc.  We thought it would be less expensive than trying to sell and move given we bought the house very low and we love our neighborhood.  This would also allow us to custom design the space to a certain degree.  We will consult with architects etc to devise a plan.
Thanks for your opinion.

Answer
Sarah -

Many people, especially those living in neighborhoods they love, make substantial design changes to enlarge their homes. With the assistance of a competent architect who has experience with architectural history there is no reason you shouldn't do the same. I've seen some very attractive homes that have extended the original building with great success.

That said, there is some danger in raising the roof on a bungalow to accommodate a full-height second story. By definition they had shallow-pitched roofs and a horizontal ground-hugging floor plan. By raising the roof, you could alter the character of your home in ways that distort its original bungalow character.

I tend to be pretty conservative about expanding old bungalows that were often intentionally designed on a modest, human scale ... one of the reasons many of us tend to love them. By "McMansionizing" a bungalow, it's easy to lose the scale and proportion that attracted you in the first place.  If you have the financial means, you could check the local housing market in your area and see if you could find another house that is closer to your needs before you make changes to your current home. At the moment, prices are relatively low and so is the interest rate.

If moving is completely out of the question, qualify your architect by checking references and going through their design portfolio carefully. Some architects are quite knowledgeable about historical design, but don't assume they are. Their claim to fame is understanding the physics of making a building stand up and they are rigorously tested to ensure compliance with building practices, engineering, etc. but their historical expertise is often very individual and sometimes non-existent.

I hope this helps!
Best regards and good luck with your project.

Rikki Nyman
Editor, Antique Home Style
www.antiquehomestyle.com