Basement on Volks Cottage?

[DaveinNorthCarolina]

I just received my plans for the Volks Cottage which I would like to begin building next spring on top of a well-drained knoll that I believe would work well for a basement. I couldn't find postings about anyone adding a walk-out basement to this particular design so I was just wondering about opinions on that possibility before approaching a contractor. Right now I'm thinking of putting the basement only under the main "square" living space (approximately 28' X 26') of the house thus leaving the master bedroom addition with a crawl space...or better yet just a simple slab.

If a basement is a realistic possibility then I'd like to find a space on the main floor to put an inside staircase. If this requires additional structural design then I'll have to get with the appropriate professional to accomplish this but right now the only realistic space for stairs seems to be in the area of the small front bedroom/den. Perhaps it could go in the  place of the bedroom closet and coats space with entry from the Great Room. I would also be open to eliminating the front bedroom all together and in the worst case... I could just make the basement accessible only from the outside.

Hopefully, I'm not thinking too far outside of the box on all these ideas and greatly appreciate any comments or opinions before I embarrass myself with a contractor. :-)

Dave

[John Raabe]

Dave:

Here are some possible considerations you can explore. I assume that the downslope daylight side of the basement is to the rear or kitchen side of the house.

You probably have to give up the small bedroom for the stair but you can perhaps include a larger room downstairs. I have shown a stair that wraps around a media wall for an enlarged living room. This stair could be flipped so that it goes down from the center of the house, but this way provides for a linen closet where the basement stair is low enough.

Your builder and foundation contractor can help with the foundation and framing modifications. They will be a bit different for the basement. It would be a good idea to work with a draftsperson to lay this out to scale and make sure you have the cut and fill worked out, have good light and ventilation in the lower rooms, and end up with a lower floor plan that gives you what you want in the basement. You may want to do a second bath down there (or rough out for one in the future). There is some good usable space there.

If your framer and foundation contractor have experience with PT wood basements, that would be an easy way to get a fully insulated and finished lower level. Details for that can be downloaded from PlanHelp.

[DaveinNorthCarolina]

Thanks for such a thorough response with the stair layout and yes, the downslope daylight  side of the basement is to the rear side of the house. I love that space being used for a media center and I now see that eliminating the bedroom/den will work good for me in a single-person home providing even more efficient use of space. With this new enlightenment I'm now leaning toward using alternative bedding in the great room, such as a futon for the occasional guest.

Your layout has certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities and how just a few small adjustments can greatly improve a plan. As I intend to start building in the spring I will spend this winter educating myself and making further adjustments to the layout. Thanks so much for the insight and I'll keep the forum informed as the project begins.

Dave

[John Raabe]

Thanks Dave,

Glad that little sketch proved useful. Do keep us up to date on the project.

John