Ready to start your Self Build journey?
Learn from the experts TONIGHT with our online training course!
Use the code BUILD for 20% offLearn from the experts TONIGHT with our online training course!
Use the code BUILD for 20% offEstimate your project costs instantly with Build It's interactive self-build cost calculator
Calculate NowGet an accurate, detailed cost breakdown of your project
Submit plans
The team at Build It magazine set about creating an innovative Self Build Education House – designed to give you a blueprint for the choices you’ll make on your own bespoke home building journey.
We teamed up with Build It to create the home’s basement. A basement was chosen partly because it represented a cost-effective investment on the plot, where the clay soil would have necessitated expensive engineered foundations.
Building the house shell proceeded in two main stages, with the bulk of the basement works done by Christmas 2018. This zone was waterproofed in early 2019, with a combination tanking and a modern cavity drainage membrane (CDM) system that channels any water that gets through the first line of defence around perimeter drains and into a sump pump, before it’s directed safely outside of the building.
This zone hosts the plant room (now a staple of new build houses), a home cinema and an exhibition area for visitors to learn more about the Self Build Education House and the suppliers involved in the project. Combined with a ready-to-convert loft, the basement provides plenty of flexible, future-proof space.
