Why not run the dormer across the entire width of the house? That would give us more space and eliminate those pesky sloped sections of ceiling in the kids’ bedrooms.
Well, even before we started considering the requirements of the Heritage Revitalization Agreement, we were sensitive to maintaining the character of the house.
If the dormer roof ran from North to South it would become the main roof of the house, changing the look considerably. We thought that would create an imbalance between front and back. With the dormer inset like this, the original roof still defines the shape of the house.
The Heritage Department at the District of Maple Ridge did not make any special requirements for us to do this, but they did approve our plans.