Advice on basement - new construction - blank slate!

8 years ago

Turns out we now have the motivation to finish our new house's basement. Pics below are almost up-to-date.

Main design dilemmas:

1. How do you like the room labeled "Bedroom and Office"? Should the wall be angled like that or jog over in two right angles OR? Goal is not to block the large-ish window to the west (to the left) Glass bifold door is to let even more light in from south (bottom) window to come all the way through the Bedroom and Office into main basement area.

2. In yellow we're thinking of cutting the corners off the Media Room & Mech. Room so that when one enters basement through the steps it's a more expansive feeling? Will have a "rake wall" there.

House faces west to mountains as can be seen above. The 3 basement windows can be seen here:

Specs: 9 ft ceiling, about 2100 sq ft basement area. Plumbing roughed-in, slab in, much of the rest of the house is framed but we have almost total freedom to do as we wish with basement. It's a "daylight" basement with several quite large windows above the ground. There are no houses or obstructions blocking light entering from any of the 3 windows, except deck above on south-facing windows. Location: Colorado.

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Comments (5)

chispa
8 years ago
Is there a door to walk out on this level?

The windows seem really low. Once you add some good soil and mulch they will be in the dirt. They will get blocked by landscaping, get splashed by irrigation and dirt will splash back when it rains. In the winter they will be buried in snow.

Usually for basements ... daylight = walkout ... which would have put the windows at normal height above the ground. Is there a reason you didn't dig a few more feet down?
Jeff Smith thanked chispa
Jeff Smith
Original Author
8 years ago
Chispa, very good points and I agree. This was somewhat of an oversight now that you mention it. Unfortunately, we're too far along in construction stage to correct. The final grade will be lower than in images; that's rough grade. We can have low ground cover and not tall shrubs/trees. Ideally, glass doors would've been better.
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littlebug zone 5 Missouri
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
The bedroom/office wall seems awkward (and pricey with glass panels). I'd do it like this. Or move that door/window on the outer wall to the north a bit so the bedroom/office could be squared off.
Jeff Smith thanked littlebug zone 5 Missouri
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Mark Bischak, Architect
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Consider terminating one end of the glass folding partition at the mulion of the window and the other end stack the panels in the closet space, adjusting the closet sizes.

Don't do the stuff in yellow; just nip the corner of the media room. Or angle the south wall of the media room to mirror the angle of the glass folding partition.
Jeff Smith thanked Mark Bischak, Architect
Jeff Smith
Original Author
8 years ago
littlebug - that was my wife's original approach. It would certainly be cheaper. Guess we're thinking of an edgier, more contemporary feel, but the straight lines are more practical in many ways. We'll have to curtains inside bedroom because of the glass but it'll be more fun with the glass, I guess?

Mark-great idea! Provides angular symmetry with SW bedroom/office. Further it expands theater so we can pack more teenagers in, ha ha. The main room wouldn't be harmed by losing a few square feet.