These two bracketed bay dormers are uniquely distinctive hybrids. Like more traditional dormers within a larger sloping roof, they introduce vertical relief which provides daylight and headroom. Yet by breaking the plane of the surrounding exterior wall they also provide additional lateral relief, the way a bay does. The brackets beneath highlight the depth of the bay dormers while transitioning back to the main wall. By interrupting the eave line and projecting forward like bug eyes, the bay dormers call attention to themselves, challenging the usual hierarchy of the primary roof’s dominance. They are two upstarts with personality worth noticing.

For additional dormer commentary click here to see a PDF of a Drawing Board column I wrote and illustrated for Fine Homebuilding about shed dormers.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast