Existing Wood Framing

[Standard American]

I encountered an odd existing wood framing layout and not sure what to make of it. It is a single story, single family home and the whole attic space has 2x8 framing sitting on top of the exterior CMU wall. Then a 2x6 flat plate sitting on top of the 2x8's with wood roof trusses bearing on it. Below is a quick sketch and picture for reference. The architect wants to take it out to raise the ceiling and I don't see any issue with it other than adding some strapping and some blocking for 2x6 to bear on. Am I overlooking something and any idea why it was built this way other than not wanting to design the truss bottom chord for storage?

 

[XR250]

Perhaps it used to be a flat roof and they added the trusses to make it pitched. Be sure the connection between the truss and what's left of your flat framing can resist the out of plane, in plane and uplift wind denmand.

 

[dhengr]

Standard American:
Looks like a second story was originally intended, and then it never materialized. In parts of FL those existing trusses are probably not adequate for today’s code wind loads, nor are their connections to the top of the wall, for hold down, etc. Is the top course of the existing CMU wall a bond beam? To raise the ceiling you might consider adding a bond beam course, or two, to the top of the wall. A bond beam course ties the top of the wall together properly and offers a means of holding the roof system down and in place, when keyed into the existing wall. If it is a clean enough roof system, I’ve seen them lift the entire roof structure off the bldg., set it down on cribbing, and then placed back on the bldg. when the second story or remedial work was done. That top course or two could be a slightly different conc. blk. and be an Arch. feature, all around the bldg.