Often times, a small space can be maximized by building up — but standard ceilings can hinder a loft addition. Madrid-based Beriot, Bernardini Arquitectos had a better solution: dig down!
The architects were able to make a 400-square-foot space seem much larger by sinking the kitchen and bathroom down by 16 inches, leaving enough vertical space for a loft above.
The added height is subtle but spacious, and makes the kitchen appear as a cohesive step-down room rather than an isolated basement space.
Visit the architect's website to view the completed project.
Via TreeHugger
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(Image: Yen Chen)
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We looked into this as part of making a finished basement in our previous house. Very expensive. Plus, because of structural loads and existing foundations and engineering requirements I no longer remember, we'd not only have to dig out the floor and pour a new concrete slab, we'd have to nearly double the thickness of the existing foundation to go deeper. We'd have lost a fair amount of floor space and our few small windows would have been recessed so deeply they wouldn't provide much light. We decided that the 7.5 foot ceilings would just have to suffice.
Knowing what we knew about retrofitting, when we built our current house, we added a foot to the planned ceiling height of the basement (which we intended to finish) -- in the construction stage, I think the additional cost was only $1000 or so.
I'd like to try this, but I don't think my landlord will let me.
Looks nice, except for the silly and dangerous trend in parts of Europe for stairs without railings. It's surprising to see in a part of the world that usually has regulations for everything compared to America. Especially with kids, I don't see why anyone in their right mind would want to have such a stair case.
I saw a house reno show that was digging out a basement of a house to add rooms downstairs. It was a classic Toronto victorian with a smallish footprint and the cost was ~ $80K just to dig and lay the new slab and retrofit the foundation to code. I imagine in a city like Toronto (or Chicago, NY, or any dense European city) that it's worthwhile, but I can't see this working outside areas where PSF values are very high.
@jdoey - I always assumed North America had more strict regulations, but maybe that's just Canada... Here you can't build a birdhouse without an architect's design and permit.
If this was a ready to move in, yes, but from the comments above, it doesn't seem cost effective to do to an exsiting home.
Like it, but I think the couple downstairs would not approve.
I had an estimate of $40.000+ just for the actual digging. After that, everything—plumbing, wiring, heating, drywall etc,—would have to be put back together, which is probably a minimum of another $40,000.
I was talking about regulations in America, the country, not "North America," the continent.
I think it looks amazing!
If I dig down, I'll end up in my downstairs neighbors' living room...