Harvesting Basement SpaceWe'd like to share some insights with you about residential construction that might help you serve your clients better. Our plan is to send you one suggestion each month, based on knowledge we've gained from building and renovating upscale homes in New England. These suggestions are intended for architects only. We hope you find them valuable. If you have comments or questions, please send them to me and I'll do my best to answer right away. Our client came to us with a common dilemma: how to build a new in-law apartment... without sacrificing their current existing living space. Zoning restrictions prevented the possibility of an addition and their attic was already built out as a recreation space. The team came up with a cost-effective solution that yielded terrific new space. We started by lowering the existing basement floor. This increased the ceiling height from 7 feet to 8 1/2 feet and eliminated the claustrophobic feel of the typical basement space. As we excavated, we poured a stem wall in short sections along the existing foundation. This prevented undermining of the original foundation and eliminated the need for shoring. To reduce the expense of hand-excavating the existing slab and soils, we built an earthen ramp along the outside of the foundation, extending down into the basement. This created access for a Bobcat and other excavating machinery. Once the ramp had served its purpose, we used the excavated area to create a lower patio, providing the apartment with direct access to the outside. French doors and windows opening onto the patio allow abundant natural light to penetrate the basement.
Chris Maggliozzi If you have comments or questions about our monthly tips, please send those directly to me by clicking here or by calling me at 617-614-0595. |
