Basement Detailing Updates
Last week in my 'Stepping Down' blog post I wrote about the decision to update the drawings to accommodate a walkout basement, substituting a sliding glass door and basement patio to replace what was previously merely an egress window. While still moving forward with the walkout basement concept, the detailing and execution of it is has become a bit different than what I had originally posted in a couple of ways.
The first being the decision to leave the top of the basement foundation wall at a consistent height instead of stepping it down like the previous rendering had shown. The reasoning for this is that making the step down change has a domino effect that adds a surprising amount of complexity to multiple trades, including concrete, framing, insulation, and siding. More complexity means more time, more money, more coordination and more opportunities for mistakes in the field. While I would argue certain design features are worth these risks, the reality with the side and rear elevations on the Oakley Home 2.0 is that with the neighboring homes so close together, those facades will go largely unseen and ultimately not worth the added expense. That said, the exposed foundation is certainly not a bad look, which is why it was originally design that way and not a big deal to take things in that direction.
The second bit of detailing that is different from what was previously shown in the rendering is the stairs leading up from the basement patio out to the backyard. This amenity provides another level of flexibility and freedom of movement to and from the basement that residents can take advantage of in a variety of ways should the finished basement space be used as a 4th bedroom, recreation room or for some other purpose.
