Basements for sustainable, larger homes

Britain builds the smallest homes in Europe. A new report from The Concrete Centre shows that there is a solution for larger and more energy efficient homes right below our feet: the basement.

‘Basements for Housing’ highlights the benefits of basements which include providing up to 50% more living space for a two-storey house, improving space heating efficiency by 10% (based on 2005 SAP calculations) and increasing the density of house building without using more land. The report provides details of basement types and construction techniques together with costings and legislature references.

Until the First World War, basements used to be common in the UK. However, after the war many homes were built at low cost and basements were omitted because land was comparatively cheap and in plentiful supply. That is not the case today. Across most of mainland Europe basements continue to be constructed for additional living and storage space. In most of Europe the average new home measures 100m² whereas in the UK the average is only 89.9m². Not only are new homes in the UK smaller, we are cramming more into them. There are now 20% more rooms than 25 years ago as we demand more from our homes.

In addition to adding space and value, basements provide good sound insulation and improved energy efficiency. The mass of the earth stabilises the basement’s internal temperature. Studies carried out by The Basement Information Centre found that a home with a basement would save some 10% in space heating compared to a similar home without a basement. Basements also enable difficult sloping or brownfield sites to be utilised. The poor ground conditions of these sites often require deep excavations and foundations. Basements can be easily constructed in the excavated space.

The provision of a basement can provide extra credits for the Code for Sustainable Homes for example via the potential reduction in the size of the building footprint or the availability of storage space for recycling, bicycles or alternative fuel supplies.

Housing in the UK is currently undergoing a radical re-evaluation of its design and performance as a result of new legislation and changing attitudes towards sustainability and energy efficiency. ‘Basements for Housing’ explains how the re-introduction of basements could help address these issues whilst providing more flexible living space.

Ref: TCC634