Thank you for the ideas! I love the design of offered! We just met with our general contractor, and a porch isn’t possible within our budget. 😩 The home has handmade roof tresses, and the roof can’t handle additional weight without major $$. So, it’s back to the drawing board on curb appeal without a porch.

wondering if someone WANTED a crafstman style and did the brick work, and never added the roofline? It looks like an overhaul if you want to continue the porch style to include the pillars. It would also require removing the portico overhang that already exists. How much of an investment are you thinking??? If it were mine, and I was replacing shingles, soon, I would replace the roof with a taller pitch. at that time, I'd add the required porch roof to accomodate the existing pillars and create a so called craftsman style. Is it worth the effort and expense??? Is the brickwork stable enough to re use? Something to think about. with all that said, I'd remove the Bricks and build a nice composite deck, create a cute cottage look. You asked.

We never get snow here in south Alabama. The dormers are not attic space...they are cute little nooks in the upstairs bedrooms. I was thinking it would make more sense to add a porch under the windows, but it does seem that it would decrease the natural light inside the house. The front lower windows are a study and a dining room.

Thank you Hallett& Co, and ptreckel. It sounds like the second versions is a start to a viable solution to the column issue. ptreckel, as for the fenestration, I will continue to discuss with the architect, as I see what you are saying. On the gambrel side, the lower windows now sit on the existing foundation wall, with sills less than 30" above grade. If I want to make them more vertical/"taller" (which I agree would look better), I would have to extend them lower, cutting the block wall to accommodate (the header cannot be raised). I was trying to avoid this and just lose it with some landscaping, but sounds like I should explore it further. The upper windows on the gambrel side have been made taller in the new design, but currently are the same size (see photos in my last post). Should I consider keeping them the same (shorter) dimension? The little dormer windows left and right of the upper dormer at plan left in red (not sure what these would be called, eyebrow dormers? transom dormers without a window below?) were my addition, mainly a placeholder to discuss further with the architect, not married to the deisgn shown. The one on the left is at a walk-in closet, the one at the right is the upper landing of the stairs to that level, both of which could use some natural light. I thought something like these would help get that light without extending the main dormer, or adding skylights on the street-facing elevation. Bad idea? Is there something else I should consider? Thanks again!