Charlottenlund: a basement lowered 120 cm with new garden access

Project at a glance

Location

Charlottenlund, Denmark

Floor lowering

About 120 cm, according to the project report

Work

Underpinning, new floor build-up and garden access

Handover

Unfinished space for the owner's creative fit-out

Changing height and access together

KÆLDER-RENOVERING describes a basement with limited headroom and a small window towards the garden. The floor was broken out and lowered while a larger opening and exterior stair changed its connection to the outside. This is more than an excavation-depth story: the retained part of the original basement remains at a different level, making the transitions a visible part of the completed structural phase.

Hidden construction and visible level changes

The report records underpinning and a new floor build-up including stone, a capillary-breaking layer and insulation. Walls were stripped and rendered, with Calsitherm used on selected walls. Design drawings, floor-layer thicknesses and approval documents are not supplied in the published material. The approximate 120 cm figure comes from the contractor's description; the photographs show a level difference but are not a measured survey.

The owner's fit-out was a separate stage

The intended use was a creative workspace for artists. The owner was to continue the fit-out after the contractor's structural and masonry work. The images therefore show an unfinished interior with exposed service ends and an outdoor area awaiting completion. The case documents that handover, rather than a completed studio interior or permission for residential use.

The project in photographs

Four original images show excavation, the retained level and the new opening. The subsequent interior fit-out and garden completion are not documented here.

Project documentation from KÆLDER-RENOVERING, a renovation business connected with Basement Atlas. A photographed result is not a long-term performance test.

What to compare with your own project

• Describe desired clear headroom and finished floor levels, including transitions to retained rooms. Excavation depth alone does not describe the finished space.
• Identify who supplies structural work, services, interior finishes and completion around the outside entrance. This case has a clear boundary between the contractor's phase and the owner's work.
• Collect records before construction is concealed. Foundations, floor build-up, access and intended use require a design for the particular building; these images are not construction instructions.

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