I avoid doing flat-roofed additions, and
not just because of the potential
leaks. In my view (and that of most
clients), an addition should take its
architectural cues from the house to
which it is being added. Since a house's
roof is its most essential feature, unless
the house itself has a flat roof, a flatroofed
addition runs a high risk of looking
as if it doesn't belong.
However, sometimes a flat roof is virtually
unavoidable. Here's one I wasn't
able to avoid, and it points up some of
the challenges.
The program was a common one: a
total kitchen remodel, along with the
addition of a family room and a small
library (see Figure 1). The