Victorian Basement

We are back at the Victorian basement to talk HVAC and designing around specific eye sores, like HVAC. This home, being 100 years old had very uneven heat throughout. The new homeowners wanted to have the project completed before they moved in and also had little ones to think of in terms of overall comfort.

The HVAC system in the back utility space was gutted and the ductwork reorganized. This allowed for more usable space for the new laundry and bathroom, as well as a storage/workspace (not shown). The system was zoned for each floor to be on its own thermostat, which in turn gives the homeowner more control over each space and evens out the home in terms of comfort. By removing the chimney - all 4 stories of it - we created new heat and A/C runs to the attic (for future projects) as well as a laundry chute.

You may be asking where is the ductwork? This brings me to the next task, hiding the existing ductwork that could not be moved completely. The basement ceiling was riddled with low hanging, sharp ductwork that did not allow the ceiling height to meet code. By rearranging the ductwork we were able to fit it into a smaller space without compromising on air flow. Sometimes there is only so much you can do, as is the case here. The bookcase was added as a functional compromise to the lowest hanging ductwork. The front is a functional bookcase, the back is a desk set up for a tv or computer. As always we also used every possible space available for storage.

The clients now enjoy a much more comfortable home throughout for them and their kids and plenty of space for relaxing, without the low hanging ducts!

Thanks for visiting!
Mike