When you say "not daylight" for the basement, does that mean no exit from the basement directly to the outside?

You may want to check local building codes before you design/build a basement without a door -- or two, given the 2600 sq. ft. size.

Building codes permitting, one way to get a couple of exits to the outside from a basement is to have stairways end at a small landing that has it's own door to the outside as well as doors to the inside.

There are windows indicated in the family room and bedroom, which, I assume will be legal egress windows. Is that enough? I don't know. But I assume that's why the are there.

The basement will have egress windows, but I guess I meant no walkout. Our architect designed the main floor with this basement footprint. We also have a structural engineer involved. Having a door/stair excavated is a good suggestion.

That sounds like a fun project. I would just suggest making sure you have a generally good idea about furniture placement, especially in the design of the family room, in order to make sure that it fits all of your goals. For example, if you plan to watch T.V. in that room, it looks like the best place for the T.V. may be on the wall opposite the wet bar with seating facing the T.V. which then means, at least that seating, will have its back to the wet bar and to the room's entrance. Likewise, have you thought about where and how you might orient the ping-pong table and how much space is required around it? As long as you have looked beyond the one-dimensional drawings and have visually pictured living in the 3D space and it meets your vision, I think it can work well.

I do not believe a 2'-8" wide window will meet egress code period. And I agree with Green Designs, especially a basement with bedrooms.

In addition to the egress comments, adding a door to the exterior at the Craft Room end of the basement would be beneficial. Adding windows in habitable rooms would make them more inhabitable.

Daylight generally refers to the majority of the length of the top half of a basement wall being above grade, where water can run away from the house and windows by natural drainage, as opposed to window wells for the egress windows.

NOT "daylight"

DAYLIGHT

WALKOUT

Not really "walkout"

Millworkman, Just how much width do you think is necessary to get a 20" clear opening width from a 32" wide window ??? You would have to look awfully hard to find a window that would not work, or trying to be arduous by assuming it would be a slider.

Thank you all.

I did my architect a disservice. I had re-drawn her plans on my 'home architect' software in order to plan the interior walls. Unfortunately I did not draw the basement windows correctly as she had in our plans.

They in fact are wider and I am now showing the support structure for the 'window wells'. This should take care of the window egress issue. As for having an outside door, my husband and I agree with your thoughtful comments and will work with our architect to plan an exit point.

Here is a re-draw with closer approximation of the windows ...

You need to check with the soil engineer. It is not a good idea to add another "well" for a quasi "walkout" if you have no way to drain the water that will come off the roof in a downpour that disrupts the power to a sump pump. There will need to be a large drain to daylight, or a very big and expensive dry well. (See added photos above for clarification) Window wells can be much easier to manage and more forgiving in this respect than a full walkout well.

The drainage should be sufficient for the record rainfall regardless of rain gutters. Based on years of monitoring several subdivisions, only about 10% of rain gutter systems still actually work properly 1 year after completion.

So, just my opinion.

I don't like it. I don't know that I have a solution, but in my experience, the most important square footage in a basement starts at the third step from the bottom. This was something my architect brought up to me, but as I thought back I found it to be true. Basements that invite you in at the bottom steps get integrated into the living space, while basements that are not inviting, don't (regardless of how useful the space is). Your landing area just seems potentially cavernous to me...

If you have plans to use one of the rooms as a "bunk room" you should have windows in it.

You will want a window in the craft room! Otherwise it will become a way-station to the storeroom. Consider an extra-wide or double-door to the mechanicals room.

The storage should also have double-doors, and be more accessible, not down a hall and through two rooms.

Be sure to have adequate lighting in your storage room. I have a storage room in my basement that's about 21x16 or so. Maybe more. There are two ceiling lights and no windows, and it feels very dark to me when I'm trying to find or organize items. I've added 2 floor lamps, but wish I had more ceiling lights.

A "retirement home" with 2,600 SF on the first floor and 2,600 SF in the basement?

For 2 adults?

Are you sure you have your needs vs. wants really worked out?

And what happens when someone can't really negotiate the stairs (because it happens)?

Virgil - If you noticed there is no "Exercise Room". After cleaning 4,200 SF there is no need for one, they saved some square footage.

I thank you for your comments - all good.

Fred S. - thank you very much for your visual explanation of the types of basement - very helpful!

chicagoans - your advice regarding lighting is great

bpathome adn rrah - I will look at the craft room. Will probably make it the room on the right and re-work the layout on the left of the family area. no bunk area

bry911 - appreciate your opinion. I will just have to find a way to make it more inviting. Nice challenge once we get to that point

Elle - thanks for the idea and I will surely do that. We have a good amount of time until we tackle this project.

Mark and Virgil - no worries.

GreenDesigns and all others who remarked about the window egress and no outside door access - Greatly appreciate your insight and we shall consider ways to address before we start the build in 2018.

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What I appreciate about Houzz community is their willingness to assist others.

Happy New Year!