BEFORE THE ARCHITECT – MODEL DRAWINGS
Basement Remodeling
· · · · · · ·
Half of a basement is to undergo an extensive basement remodeling. The changes in basement designs are from rough-framed voids to distinctive, inhabitable spaces. Dramatic. So, the Autocad Granddad has drawn models of the basement remodeling framing to begin to substantiate the vision. These models represent framing for function as much as for the bones to a finished appearance — a space is divided, foundation walls of concrete are made sheet rock-ready, air conduits are concealed, lines of physical movement and sight are significantly altered with walls and passageways opened and closed. That's basement design.
You can visit this basement remodeling in other ways by going to these other room addition building plans on this website —
 | |
| |
| |
|
It would also further your understanding of basement remodeling to read the AG's selective overview on the subject —
|
Altogether, we're working with about 1100 square feet at one end of an unfinished basement. Three major basement design areas are involved: one basement design area, 12' x 18' apx., to be split into a full bath and a kitchenette; another basement design area, 14' x 21' apx., will be an entertainment room; a third basement design area, 15' x 22' apx., will be a sewing room. The three basement design areas adjoin as in the 2d home design footprint below.
Plan view, annotated.
There are related basement remodeling projects to do on the access stairwell and an upper floor room. Neither is part of this study.
Here, we'll only attend to the bath and kitchenette space, for brevity.
Bath and Kitchenette Space - Framing Model Drawings.
The bath and kitchenette area is the most complex basement design section to view — it's smallest and a lot is going to change. We'll see this space and the rest of the basement remodeling in 3d home designs for clarity's sake. The Autocad Granddad has masked here and there to keep your eyes from playing tricks.
We're sticking to 3d home designs in this segment because the focus is framing. If the focus was kitchen floor plans and bathroom floor plans, we'd more likely shift to plan views for much of the analysis, though not all of it if we had to come in visually close to our work.
See in the following thumbnails how the roughed space changes with these basement remodeling ideas -
|
ceiling framing for a coffer – asymmetrical, for the time-being – to enclose air conduit and lower a wonderfully-high 9' ceiling overall to still-acceptable 7'-6" over the tub and kitchenette-to-be areas; |
|
closing in a portal for the kitchenette's back wall; |
|
taking out about 12' of west wall to open this area to the entertainment room-to-be; |
|
wall framing for the bath and kitchenette as they abut 8' high concrete walls; and finally, |
|
walling off the two subspaces, bath and kitchenette. |
Roughed space, existing.
Framing to close the passageway to the future bedroom from that for a 4'-0" door to a 3'-0" door, and take out the adjoining partition.
Wow, what a change this makes!
Then, when the rest of the wall changes are framed in — 1) closing off the back wall to the kitchenette area, 2) enclosing the concrete wall, and 3) separating the bath area — this first basement design area model will look like the following thumbnail. Note the jog in the top plates of the south and bath wall framing about 3' out from the south wall addition. That jog lets the coffer ceiling framing around air conduit.
Framing for the coffer ceiling.
.
Putting it all together, the bath and kitchenette frame will look like this when the roughing work is done.
. . . scant resemblance to our first picture, the existing structure.
Design choice-points from these drawings:
The asymmetrical coffering is visually addressed for review by the owners. Maybe it can stand (or, rather, hang) on its own or, maybe, it should be mirrored, i.e., a similarly-sized coffer, reversed on the opposing wall. This bathroom space is not large, and a symmetrical treatment could overwhelm. This is an owners' choice-point. The drawing advantages their decision, either way they go.
For toiletphobes who dislike peering at the porcelain as they're passing by, there's room to move and ways to reorient the bathroom entryway to block casual observation — especially from the kitchenette area. On the other hand, it may be sufficient simply to keep the bathroom door closed or only slightly ajar as a residents' convention. Or it could be that the owners have been spared from this phobic burden. Again, the owners have a decision to make and a model drawing with which to help them.
Finally, there's the quadrant of open space to the north of the kitchenette and east of the bathroom. What to do with it? Leave it open? Use it up in reorienting the bathroom door? Knee-wall or countertop it? The initial drawing is done. Let the deciding begin.
· · · · · · ·
Update: This case is closed. The clients revealed their real intent early-on in this project — they wanted something for nothing. Untrustworthy and deceitful. (The AG learned later that at least one acorn did not fall far from that family tree.)
· · · · · · ·
In your quest for basement remodeling ideas, try this site: Basement Remodeler: Innovations in Basement Remodeling. http://www.basementremodeler.com/INDEX.HTM
· · · · · · ·
About Us ◊ jrp2h2000@yahoo.com ◊ 770-889-6964 ◊ Site Map