Victoria's Cottage wall framing question

[Jules]

We just bought the VC plans and have been studying and adapting it for our needs.  Pardon me if I'm missing something obvious, and I hope my question makes sense, but:  how are the gable end walls framed?    Because there is a nice big egress window in those gable ends, we're assuming they must be top-plated at about 8'.  Is this true?

[John Raabe]

The gable end walls are framed up and notched into the rafters (see Wagner, House Framing, p. 131). You can start this wall on the upper level deck.

If you are using the ridge beam configuration then you need to support that beam with a header over the window (double 2x12 w/ 2.5" of foam insulation between). See example here: https://www.countryplans.com/images/VC-beam.jpg. Provide solid blocking through the loft floor and into the wall below (double studs) to carry this down to the foundation.

[Jules(Guest)]

Thanks, John.  We have the book and took a look at pg. 131, but we're still unsure of the answer.  My question is more about the height of the gable end wall, but I'll try to phrase it better this time, so here goes: Can one perimeter wall be shorter than the wall it's attached to?  Specifically, are the lower gable end walls indeed shorter (vertically) than the long side walls?  The long walls are roughly 12' high, and in order to fit a window in the gable end without the top plate running through the middle of it (on paper), its lower portion needs to be something like 8' high.  

But, that means the top plate of the side walls will abut the long walls' studs part of the way up those suckers.  I'm wondering how the top plates of both are then tied together, if at all.   I guess we've just never seen that done before, so we're a bit hesitant to assume things.   Thanks in advance - we appreciate your help (or help from anyone else who cares to chime in)!  

[John Raabe]

Jules:

I see what you are saying. There is no reason why the gable end walls have to match the plate height of the balloon framed walls. These lower walls can be tied into the other walls with metal straps and be just as strong as if they had top plates running all the way around the building. Such a layout would not be possible for this design. Steel strap plates often replace the second plate and are even used in simple truss houses to eliminate the "unnecessary" wood (for example in OVE framing).

Another one of the blessings of the plywood sheathing - it helps tie all this together.

 

Here is an example where the plates are either broken for the window, or done at the floor and tied into the corner framing. The latter is simpler and less expensive, I expect. (Also looks like that is what this builder did.)