Drawings would help explain your description.

"local code maximum window height six feet."

How do they define "window" ? Is it the rough opening in a wood framed wall that will be glazed or is it sash size or something else?

Thanks for the replies and drawings. The rough opening for the window is 5’ 5”. The rough opeing for the transoms we are considering are 1’ 8” or 1’ 6” or 1’4”. Another option for the window is RO 5’9” with 1’6” or 1’4” transoms.

I'm not a transom person, as they always looked forced to me.

I have 6' 9" high glass with my Marvin hurricane rated windows in FL My ceilings are 12 ft and the window sill is 34" off the floor in the dining room where these windows are located. My architect had taller windows in the plans, but Marvin came back saying that 6'9" was the max they would do back in 2021.

If you want all that glass, then just go with sliders. My Euro-wall sliders are 10 ft tall and hurricane rated.

Just looked at the Euro-wall website and they now have impact/hurricane window panels that can go 12 ft or even 16 ft high. If I wanted floor to ceiling windows, I would look at something like this.

A lot depends on the style of the home.

I usually start at the main window header height at approximately 6'-9" the add a transom. Then play with a cottage style window where the upper sash is smaller than the lower sash.

Your architect may be right with the 2' transom, but they know more of the facts than I do.

Thanks again. I neglectd to mention that the overall height has to be 7’ +/-. The door height is eight feet, the header would line up with the door. We actually did start with the cottage style but the sizes were limited.

The style is very traditional southern vernacular, stacked front porch. The sliders will not work, at least not on the street.

Context is everything. Can you post a photo of the exterior? I would love traditional southern vernacular.

Drawings, pictures, rendering, something to help us help you.

The things you want are not suited to the reality of the house you are building.

Just hire Nidnay to make all the design decisions in building your house and you can't go wrong. Nice house Nidnay.

Nidnay ... are your windows impact/hurricane rated? Those hurricane codes are what the OP is trying to design around.

chispa….We have no hurricane codes where I am. My understanding was that because of the necessary hurricane rating, the max glass surface for a SINGLE window had to be six feet or less, and so the op wanted to stack on transoms in order to get taller looking windows which would then meet the required hurricane code. So I was trying to show how that configuration would look because I basically have similar measurements +/- an inch or so.

Trust your Architect. Appears @Mark Bischak, Architect is leading you to the same conclusion.

Separated (framing) transoms are a lower cost solution. Avoid narrow "slits" as they can look "cheap"

Mulled transoms appear as a larger grand window, usually more money & it shows.

@Nidnay shows separately framed windows and transoms that are nicely executed.

Nidnay, what is the width of the horizontal "post" separating your windows?

When I built in 2021 I did mulled windows and due to the hurrricane/impact codes I needed a metal post between windows, and once they were covered with trim the mull is 7.75" wide.

I was a bit shocked when they got installed as it wasn't the look I was used to, but not much that could be done as that was the hurricane code.

Just listing these issues in case it is also going to affect the OP.

chispa… 5 1/2”. My windows are not mulled, but each is framed separately. So I would assume that framing separately would make them stronger than a mulled window….but what do I know, that’s just my guess.

Nidnay, that is interesting. Mine are also framed separately, but they still required the metal post between them. I assume a metal post screwed into the header/framing between windows is stronger than just wood framing between the windows.