Underground rooms for all the family

Transforming an unused, damp, dark space into a light filled, multi-function space, loved by all the family

A few weeks ago we visited the site of a project we helped to design earlier in the year. It was for a large basement conversion where the guys are on site building it.

Essentially, an existing basement that took up the entire house footprint was converted into usable space. A multi-function space has been created that will act as a Work from Home space during the daytime and can be used as a teenager hang out safe space and high end audio visual cinema room. A separate Utility Room and Toilet have also been provided to offer practical upgrades.

Getting natural light into a basement is always a challenge, so we inserted a flush mounted roof window in the front drive. It went under an existing bay window [which was quite a technical challenge!] and opened up the rear wall that isn’t under ground and inserted a lot of glazing. This draws in daylight at both ends of the basement and creates a nicer environment to work and play in. Working with natural light coming in should make a big difference to productivity and improved mood levels. The rear wall also has a patio area outside so when the glazed doors are opened a nice inside / outside social area will be created during the warmer summer months.

The structural work was quite significant and involved removing a lot of the structural walls and replacing with strong steel beams to create a larger open plan space. The base of the existing perimeter walls were also deepened to create extra height so the spaces are nicer to use, without risk of bumping your head. An entirely new solid floor with integrated underfloor heating was also installed. The old stairs were also tricky to use and have now been replaced with Building Regulations compliant stairs so should be safer and easier to use.

As the rooms are underground, the risk of ground water penetrating the below ground walls and floor is high. Therefore, the walls and floor had to be tanked or structurally waterproofed. This is a specialist area of construction and only suitably qualified persons should design and install structural waterproofing, in line with BS 8102. The contractor chosen for this, Precision Builders, are suitably qualified and therefore really well suited to this work.

While there I also recorded a quick walk around video and you can watch the video by clicking the image below.

Please watch this space for future updates on this project. Can’t wait to see it finished, it should be an amazing addition for all the family to enjoy!