From Crawlspace to Basement: A New Basement Gym and Sauna in Atlanta

This project, one of our toughest to date, is also one of our proudest accomplishments as a team. When this Atlanta homeowner asked us to create a 1250 square foot basement with 9’ ceilings in a crawlspace, we knew we needed to deliver. The process was long, and complicated, and involved intense coordination and effort from many professional teams, including the homeowner, who lived in the home during the renovation. At the conclusion of the project, our homeowner is extremely happy with the new space and loves the additional functionality that it provides. 

The Technical Aspects

We created this 1250 sq. ft basement under a house that initially only had crawlspace and minimal dugout area for mechanical equipment. To create the needed space for basement, we excavated 60 dump trucks of dirt through a 3’x2’ crawlspace opening to the outside. Using a conveyor system to remove the dirt, we then reinforced the perimeter foundation walls and footers with steel braces (encapsulated in concrete). 

The Tunnel 

One of the most fascinating (and complex) elements of this basement addition is its entrance. The basement is tied into an underground tunnel, running under the home’s front porch and granite steps. In addition to the basement addition, we designed and built a carriage home. The tunnel ties the two elements together. 

Entering into the basement from the tunnel from the garage, you pass under a granite arch that we built where we engraved “1925” at the header in the granite. Ensuring the fixtures matched, this gives the perception that the basement was originally built with the home.  

The Basement 

The finished basement includes a dedicated exercise and weight room, a game room, bonus room, bathroom, sauna, storage, and mechanical room. 

In the exercise and weight room, we installed a reclaimed maple gym floor. As you can see from the picture below, we used the basketball paint lines from the original court. We installed two, custom murals from photos of the client’s college alma mater.

Both the weight room and the gym floor were wrapped in a tempered glass boundary to provide an open feel to the space.

The client’s goal for the bathroom was to evoke the feeling of a “high-end hotel”. The shower and vanity are wrapped in large slabs of Neolith stone material to minimize any grout lines, reminiscent of luxury hotel and spa. In the bathroom is a large Sauna that the client can use after a big work out. 

The playroom consists of a kitchenette, a  large TV for watching football games, and soon to be ping pong or other type game tables.

Although the basement excavation was complex, the end results were well worth the wait. To learn more about basement remodeling, take a look here.