andfall
05-20-2011, 11:43 AM
Greetings - newbie here, still learning my way around the forum.
Got a question I'd appreciate any gut reactions on. Nuthin' fancy, any input appreciated.
My wife and I own land and hope to design and build what would be a bit of a hybrid house. I'll say first, we've considered a yurt with one whole side of windows to the south. It is just us and we would love one big, open space without interior walls except for the essentials like kitch/bath - or where we could put in and take out non-load bearing walls as we like. The thought of a yurt is really just a way to convey the idea of a big open space, ultimately that might translate into conventional construction.
Next, we want a lot of storage and work space. We've got camping gear and musical equipment and my wife's crafts and canned goods and our offices and I want a several car sized general workshop. Naturally, what we're talking about is a big, oversized basement. Where we would put the house on our land is well suited for a big basement, with a high rise up from the road on the north to the top of a low ridge and then a nice slope off to the south out onto an expansive backyard. So, the north side of the top of the basement would be at ground level and the south side could have rows of french doors (and garage doors on one end) leading out to a wonderful gently south-sloping backyard like you might see in a magazine.
--- So, stay with me folks if you can ...I'm trying to keep this short as I can but still give you the general idea! ---
So, what we're envisioning is something like this: a conventional approx 40x60 basement (60ft dimension east/west) complete with a kitchenette, studio apartment, workshop, etc., then something like a spiral staircase leading up to a much smaller open space above with high ceilings and mostly windows. Don't know if you can picture it but might look something like an octagon sitting on a significantly bigger subterranean rectangular box. So, think about it, the cozy interior of a well designed finished "basement" with a masonry stove when the winter winds are howling and the option to walk up into a wonderfully open and welcoming space when it's nice. Anyway, that's what we're imaging.
Ahhh --- First and foremost you'll ask, how do you keep water out of the basement if the upper structure doesn't entirely cover the bottom? And that, folks, is the question.
Well, if one checkouts "berm" structures, keeping water out from dwellings that have sod roofs has been done for centuries. That's known technology. The question is, how to have a partially covered and partially sod roof on a basement and keep that threshold totally, totally water-proof and bug-proof?
Oh yeah, regarding the hybrid aspect of the design, I spoke with our lender (whom we might not need if we "pay-as-we-go"), the people who financed the land (which is almost paid off) and they said building a hybrid design like that would be fine with them, no problem. And consider - if they ever wanted to foreclose (which wouldn't happen), they already have a finished, perfectly conventional basement onto which they would only need construct a conventional house. So, no worries from the lender.
Well folks, if you're still reading, any thoughts appreciated! Reply and say it sounds crazy or that you've seen such a space and it was the coolest/most functional dwelling you've ever been in or give an alternative/suggestion!!!.....
Got a question I'd appreciate any gut reactions on. Nuthin' fancy, any input appreciated.
My wife and I own land and hope to design and build what would be a bit of a hybrid house. I'll say first, we've considered a yurt with one whole side of windows to the south. It is just us and we would love one big, open space without interior walls except for the essentials like kitch/bath - or where we could put in and take out non-load bearing walls as we like. The thought of a yurt is really just a way to convey the idea of a big open space, ultimately that might translate into conventional construction.
Next, we want a lot of storage and work space. We've got camping gear and musical equipment and my wife's crafts and canned goods and our offices and I want a several car sized general workshop. Naturally, what we're talking about is a big, oversized basement. Where we would put the house on our land is well suited for a big basement, with a high rise up from the road on the north to the top of a low ridge and then a nice slope off to the south out onto an expansive backyard. So, the north side of the top of the basement would be at ground level and the south side could have rows of french doors (and garage doors on one end) leading out to a wonderful gently south-sloping backyard like you might see in a magazine.
--- So, stay with me folks if you can ...I'm trying to keep this short as I can but still give you the general idea! ---
So, what we're envisioning is something like this: a conventional approx 40x60 basement (60ft dimension east/west) complete with a kitchenette, studio apartment, workshop, etc., then something like a spiral staircase leading up to a much smaller open space above with high ceilings and mostly windows. Don't know if you can picture it but might look something like an octagon sitting on a significantly bigger subterranean rectangular box. So, think about it, the cozy interior of a well designed finished "basement" with a masonry stove when the winter winds are howling and the option to walk up into a wonderfully open and welcoming space when it's nice. Anyway, that's what we're imaging.
Ahhh --- First and foremost you'll ask, how do you keep water out of the basement if the upper structure doesn't entirely cover the bottom? And that, folks, is the question.
Well, if one checkouts "berm" structures, keeping water out from dwellings that have sod roofs has been done for centuries. That's known technology. The question is, how to have a partially covered and partially sod roof on a basement and keep that threshold totally, totally water-proof and bug-proof?
Oh yeah, regarding the hybrid aspect of the design, I spoke with our lender (whom we might not need if we "pay-as-we-go"), the people who financed the land (which is almost paid off) and they said building a hybrid design like that would be fine with them, no problem. And consider - if they ever wanted to foreclose (which wouldn't happen), they already have a finished, perfectly conventional basement onto which they would only need construct a conventional house. So, no worries from the lender.
Well folks, if you're still reading, any thoughts appreciated! Reply and say it sounds crazy or that you've seen such a space and it was the coolest/most functional dwelling you've ever been in or give an alternative/suggestion!!!.....