contemporary house with basement

[sheelg]

Hello Everyone,

 

I am a first time self-builder who has never built anything before. We have obtained a planning permission to demolish an exsiting timber bungalow and rebuild a traditional style bungalow with basement and patio. However, we have applied another application with design for a contemporary a house with basement.  The plot is a backland and it has a 25m drive in with two neighbour to the front and no neighbours on all other side. We hope that, while this is a contrast to the local scene, we are roughly 35m away from the stree and snuck behind two neighbours to the front so the design will be acceptable to council.

 

Please can I have some valuable inputs based on your experiences - mostly around how we have  designed the internal floor design (please note that basement gym/Store is for depiction only - we may use it as cinema room)

 

Thank you all in advance.

 

Cheers,

G.

[Bozza]

Floor plans in isolation are only part of the story in terms of a successful home.  So providing a bit of detail eg family, kids, dogs, WFH, relevant hobbies, home for life, etc all play into us being able to give you the best layout advice / suggestions for your circs.  

 

I do love what you're planning though but a couple of initial observations.  I think the bedrooms are a bit too big and the house is big enough to have its own office -  you don’t need to combine your living & office in a house that big, unless you want to of course.

 

 

 

 

[sheelg]

thanks for your feedback  @Bozza  . Yes, I do agree that we have designed the bedrooms to be a bit larger than standard - this was one of the features that my misses was not ready to budge on 🙂

 

 

 

In terms of house features and needs :

 

1.  We are a family of two with no kids. We hope to bring dog to this house some time in future as this will be our house for life.

2. Upstairs bedrooms are kept larger and an external access is proposed with an option that when we retire or if life circumstances ever change then the top floor bedrooms could be let out as self contained studio/Airbnb.

3. We needed two working spaces becuse there are days when we both WFH. We have kept one of the space in the living area is only for illustration. It was kept to keep the person working from home stay connected with the living space and have awareness of the front door.

4. Two kitchens - One as show kitchen at the basement level and another kitechenette on the GF for actual contained cooking. Indian food cooking demands an airtight kitchen with industrial exhaust 😄

 

5. We do cherish doing Yoga and the gym space is for that.

6. Individual bathrooms because when we go to work, it's rush hour to get ready at the same time.

7. Large bedrooms, double garage, mezzanine floor, walk in wardrobes and an east facing terrace are all wishful features that we thought we will never get a chance to have in our house so when this opportunity presented it self, we put all that in the design.

 

We don't have much needs other than ones listed above  - we started self-build journey when me and my wife were looking at an American style fridge freezer and my wife cracked a joke that we would need to build a new house to fit a fridge of our choice (we live in a 9 year old new build btw).  So most of our requirements are a collection of features that didn't worked for us in our current house or are features that we fancied when watching grand design on tele 😄

 

Thanks for all your inputs.

 

[Alan Ambrose]

Wow, very classy . I can't quite see how much has basement under - ah, the whole thing? And a lift, nice .

Edited February 22 by Alan Ambrose

[Alan Ambrose]

Looks v good to me. A couple of thoughts, depending on your lifestyle:

 

Basement

+ Larder?

+ This is your 'entertaining space'? That is, it won't get so much use. Duplicate all the kitchen stuff, fridge etc?
+ Possible to get light into loo/utility?

+ Guests get to walk through utility?

 

Ground Floor

+ Bigger & separate desk workspace / book shelving etc? Maybe I missed your second desk space? In the gym / 2nd bedroom maybe?
+ Do you have a problem when one wants to work in the evening and other is trying to watch tv? Or when you both want to be on calls?
+ Video calls? Looking back onto the living area?

 

Top Floor

+ Won't get much use either? You wouldn't prefer one of the top bedrooms as the 'master' with the better light/views?

+ West glazing into Bed 2?
+ Security problem with the external stairs?

 

+ Roof

More solar? - might just as well maximise it.

 

Garden

+ Outside storage for lawnmower etc?

[Conor]

Nice. All that south facing glazing is going to cause overheating galore in the summer. Its about the same as we have so I know all about it!

[Alan Ambrose]

Ah, I forgot - I wonder whether that west wall is expensive to build with all those corners, especially the basement? Could it just run at an angle parallel to the path in one line?

 

Run the design past a builder or two and see where they suck their teeth?

Edited February 22 by Alan Ambrose

[nod]

I like the design and looks a great project But always keep one eye on selling the house at some stage 

I hate the term forever home You never know what is around the corner 

[joe90]

33 minutes ago, nod said:

I like the design and looks a great project But always keep one eye on selling the house at some stage 

I hate the term forever home You never know what is around the corner 

Don’t I know it……….(whispers “divorce” 🤯)

[sheelg]

3 hours ago, Conor said:

Nice. All that south facing glazing is going to cause overheating galore in the summer. Its about the same as we have so I know all about it!

Yes, while the wifey is very excited about the high ceilings and double height glazing, I am very worried about over heating in summer. I do plan Brise soleil to bring shade - I don't have much idea what else to do.

 

 

How did you manage to prevent over heating ?

[sheelg]

4 hours ago, Alan Ambrose said:

Wow, very classy . I can't quite see how much has basement under - ah, the whole thing? And a lift, nice .

Thank you  - using ICF, I calculated that putting a basement of whole footprint  of the house was cost effecient and gave us lot more space than we need

[joe90]

18 minutes ago, sheelg said:

I don't have much idea what else to do.

Deciduous trees !

[sheelg]

3 hours ago, Alan Ambrose said:

Really good points @Alan Ambrose Thank you. I have tried to answer most of them below :

 

 

Basement

+ Larder?

-- We do have lots of space all around. GF Kitchen for groceries, basement for the longer term storage. Bedroom Walk in Wardrobe for clothes and linen. There is still a lot of thinking and deisgning to go in.

 

+ This is your 'entertaining space'? That is, it won't get so much use. Duplicate all the kitchen stuff, fridge etc?

-- basement kitchn is mostly for dry cooking / Entertaining. GF kitchen is tucked away and will be designed as Wet kitchen for daily use.

+ Possible to get light into loo/utility?

-- This is one aspect that I am trying to get incorporated. The main entrance section is just above the basement WC so there is no easy way to bring natural light in there

 

+ Guests get to walk through utility?

-- I noticed it too but didn't change the design in submission. The plan was to remove the urility from there and make that bathroom bigger with Storage at the back. The staircase run on the out side otherwise I would have divided the Utility and WC and create door access to Utility from underneath stairs.

 

Ground Floor

+ Bigger & separate desk workspace / book shelving etc? Maybe I missed your second desk space? In the gym / 2nd bedroom maybe?

-- Yes, While not on plan, the idea was to put a bed in the Store section of basement and use it as guest room for rare overnight sleepovers. For bookshelves, I was thinking of using the east wall on GF next to the working desk .. a wall hung full length book rack  in that area.

+ Do you have a problem when one wants to work in the evening and other is trying to watch tv? Or when you both want to be on calls?

-- The architect has shown two seat working space but the plan was not to put two space as it is not practical for both of us to take calls. We will be making another working space in basement so that we don't over hear each other when on calls at the same time. I will think on it and amend internal plans

+ Video calls? Looking back onto the living area?

-- I agree, the view at the back is not great. This is another point that has been at the back of my mind that while we have good spaces, we haven't a good working space that has a good outlook to the front and a nice background for the video calls. May be your suggestion of using upper floors for master and working space has merits - I will think on it.

 

3 hours ago, Alan Ambrose said:

Top Floor

+ Won't get much use either? You wouldn't prefer one of the top bedrooms as the 'master' with the better light/views?

-- I like your idea. I will think on it and come back here.

 

+ West glazing into Bed 2?

-- that's to bring some light into the WC

 

+ Security problem with the external stairs?

-- the house is behind the last two houses in a cul-de-sac and I have an option to put a gate on the driveway to keep the house tucked away from on street traffic.

 

+ Roof

More solar? - might just as well maximise it.

Oh yes, though I am afraid that I will not have funds to finish the essentials.  Soon I will be joining and posting on @Pocster 's House not finished anonymous thread 😄

 

Garden

+ Outside storage for lawnmower etc?

-- Goes in the Garage or we will be putting one of the keter garden shed on the northern side. It's a good point that you have raise and it is better to find a house for those things in my house when I have time at hand.

 

Thank you for some great points!

 

[nod]

26 minutes ago, joe90 said:

Don’t I know it……….(whispers “divorce” 🤯)

Yep 50% chance Chuck in illness Job move and redundancy 

 

A funny story 

When I started our first build (forever Home ) A friend was finishing his forever home 

“They will have to carry me out feet first “ He would say A year on he sold it and moved to Spain He’s now back living in a caravan in a field Awaiting planning for his next forever home 😁

 

 

[sheelg]

9 minutes ago, joe90 said:

Deciduous trees !

Yes - and the council has put a condition for landsacpe plan so I am adding white birch trees near the south fence.

 

I learn from some thread here that I can claim VAT on purchase of the trees that were listed and approved in the landscape plan ?

[sheelg]

1 minute ago, nod said:

Yep 50% chance Chuck in illness Job move and redundancy 

 

A funny story 

When I started our first build (forever Home ) A friend was finishing his forever home 

“They will have to carry me out feet first “ He would say A year on he sold it and moved to Spain He’s now back living in a caravan in a field Awaiting planning for his next forever home 😁

 

 

I am yet to obtain the approval for my first 'forever home' yet and I daydream for the next one to be on some slope site with a walkout basement 😄

 

[sheelg]

3 hours ago, Alan Ambrose said:

Ah, I forgot - I wonder whether that west wall is expensive to build with all those corners, especially the basement? Could it just run at an angle parallel to the path in one line?

 

Run the design past a builder or two and see where they suck their teeth?

West wall and the double height South glazing are the two complex aspect of this build. I am leaning on using ICF (Nadura) and I did review the design with a consultant  and he was seemed not to concerned with the west wall.

 

Southern wall double height glazing worries me a bit for overheating and for the cost of so much glazing.

 

 

[joe90]

20 minutes ago, sheelg said:

Yes - and the council has put a condition for landsacpe plan so I am adding white birch trees near the south fence.

 

I learn from some thread here that I can claim VAT on purchase of the trees that were listed and approved in the landscape plan ?

Yes.

[Mike]

The immediate thing that sticks out for me is the lift. I'd move the lift out of the way, so that the staircase is visually unobstructed.

[Mr Punter]

You may get fed up with carrying laundry, food and bins up and down stairs.

 

The overheating will be a massive issue to the point where some rooms will be unusable.

 

You will need a huge budget to get this built, so do your sums regarding finished values.  As others have said, forever home is a nonsense.

[saveasteading]

Am i misreading? I see 4 stairs,

[Alan Ambrose]

re: + West glazing into Bed 2?

 

I was meaning - maybe you might want west glazing into that bedroom too?

 

Regarding solar gain:

 

+ you might want to get a part O calc done to see how close you are. There are other possibilities for the calcs but part O is easy and quick although a bit basic - for instance, it won't allow for your brise soleil.

+ the solar gain mitigation I'm leaning towards is:

   - solar control glass

   - brise soleil 

   - outside Venetian / roller blinds (both can be mechanised so they can be controller electrically)

[saveasteading]

14 hours ago, sheelg said:

can claim VAT on purchase of the trees that were listed 

That's a saving of £200* in a £1.5M* build. Every little helps.

(* complete guesses)

[sheelg]

2 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Am i misreading? I see 4 stairs,

 😄 No you are not.

 

1. The one in basement patio is for fire exit. I believe that is required if the basement has to be used for kitchen ?

2. The one connecting Mezzanine to GF will likely get used most by us. 

3. it was required to connect the three floors. We could stop the stairs at GF level but the lift would go to the basement and leave a void around it.

4. This one is added as part of design but it is really "nice to have" and may be put to hold if budget doesn't allow.

 

I am thinking of putting cantilever stairs hanging from the ICF wall.

[sheelg]

1 hour ago, Alan Ambrose said:

re: + West glazing into Bed 2?

 

I was meaning - maybe you might want west glazing into that bedroom too?

Good suggestion - I will look at adding one.

 

1 hour ago, Alan Ambrose said:

Regarding solar gain:

 

+ you might want to get a part O calc done to see how close you are. There are other possibilities for the calcs but part O is easy and quick although a bit basic - for instance, it won't allow for your brise soleil.

 

>> I will look into getting Part O calc done

 

 

   - outside Venetian / roller blinds (both can be mechanised so they can be controller electrically)

>> I quite like external roller blinds but it seems to be not so popular here in UK. That could be a good solution for the Southern elevation but I am yet to find a good UK based supplier/fitter for it.