Mansarda (Attic Loft)

 A living space directly under the roof of a building, often with sloping ceilings. Mansarde are attic apartments or rooms, sometimes created by converting roof space. They often have skylights or small dormer windows. A mansarda can be part of a duplex (e.g. bedrooms in the mansard roof of a top-floor flat) or an independent unit. Because of slope, not all floor area counts as full space (areas below a certain height might be considered non-abitable or semi-habitable). Mansarde are charming but may be less comfortable in extremes of weather without good insulation. Legally, for a mansarda to be an apartment, it must meet minimum height and lighting standards for habitability – otherwise it’s just storage space. In advertisements, mansardato indicates a unit has attic characteristics. A mansarda is different from an attico (penthouse), which typically has full-height ceilings and terraces.