The architecture trend dividing London's elites

Underground lairs have hollowed out London.
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One of London’s most unusual luxury trends might be its gigantic basements.
Professor Roger Burrows and his coauthors collected data on every basement construction project in from 2008 to 2019, and mapped it. They found more than 7,000 basement additions had been built. A combination of historic preservation laws, rapidly ballooning property values, and changing tastes have led to a boom in basement building.
This construction hasn’t been without complications. Many of the existing residents see the constant construction as a “plague” that’s hollowed out the city, contributed to air pollution, and even changed the acoustics of their homes. Burrows sees it as a symbol of increasing wealth inequality in the global city.
Correction: Typo 1:25, Roger Burrows is Professor of cities at Newcastle University.
Further Reading:
You can read the full paper, by Burrows and his coauthors, here: www.ncl.ac.uk/apl/news/item/b...
This DailyMail article chronicles the collapse of a mega-basement:
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...
Here’s Brian May’s Instagram post, included in the video, about his basement flooding:
pCRQOnqIFl...
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[@Vox]

Thanks for watching! If you’re wondering about the most unusual basement Professor Roger Burrows found, he had this to say: “It bends belief what’s in some of these. We found one example of a particularly colossal dig with two swimming pools and a beach. A sandy beach. And the pool had a wave machine.”

[@DarthSameth]

In case you didn't know, @1:29 "Newcastle" is misspelt "Newscastle"

[@ose5226]

Can you do a follow-up video talking about the impact on flooding and other things?

[@gigantkranion]

I'm confused, Did Gianluca Vialli have a basement made in his own property but, decided to fight against his neighbor's request or...? Did he live through a previous neighbor's permission and fought against it as he already understood the effects...?

[@yashmoitra]

Eat the rich

[@thepragmaticchoice]

Why was there no footage of actual construction of these layers? This video was lazy

[@raydunakin]

Maybe I missed something, but I didn't see any explanation in this as to how the home got flooded with sewage, nor what evidence there was that underground construction was to blame.

[@hopeweiss9549]

they didn't explain outright but the implication is that when you dig underneath houses your can a) rupture the sewer line or b) mess with the way water and such drains trhough the soil or it could be something else entirely.

[@raydunakin]

@@hopeweiss9549 Yes, they definitely implied that the flooding was somehow connected to the excavations, but implications are a poor substitute for factual evidence.

[@Lovehandels]

They didn't go into detail as to what exactly is happening and in the end I came away from this video saying the rich are bothering other rich people with their richness...like...so what?

[@jackotherstar]

Gotta love Phil Edwards videos not explaining their premise.

[@ktigertiger2621]

London is built on a marsh and the river Thames is a tidal river. So it could easily be a large amount of rain combined with a higher than usual tide causing the storm drains to overflow to the sewers and at some point it’s ruptured. It would not help that people would of disturbed the ground around where these sewage pipes and storm drains are and so due to many events the ground started seeping up horrible water because it couldn’t hold it all. Apologies if that was too long.

[@matthewmelange]

That was a very empty episode. The topic was interesting but there wasn’t much to discuss beyond “London homes are building big basements and their rich neighbors are upset & blaming things on them.”

[@footytv1203]

I have a similar feeling on the topics this video host covers.

[@ckannan90]

Yeah honestly I wanted at least more tours of these basements or something. Either lean into the vicarious living aspect of videos about the mega rich, or actually explain something. This video just points out that an interesting thing is happening. Which is ok I guess

[@matthewmelange]

@@ckannan90 Like all they had was 2 rich people. The guitarist from Queen complaining that his house flooded and blaming it on his neighbor's basement. Then some retired soccer player complaining about how his neighbor performing construction on their own home would cause noise & pollution.

[@justSTUMBLEDupon]

It’s like we are raising a generation of people who care so much about what other people have and to despise them for it. Why am I supposed to be upset about this?

[@ca-ke9493]

Yeah, he didnt even go into why these basements are a concern. My neighbour upstairs is renovating and I get noise and dust, but that isnt newsworthy?

[@vykana]

This video explains how rich people like building basements and that some people don't like it. Other than that there was no further discussion on why it's a problem, its connection to sewage, or anything.

[@liamkoehler8820]

Classic vox. Thanks for saving me 5 min.

[@lvseka]

True, a quick mention of noise and some local pollution, as if construction is quiet anywhere around the world.

[@joliecide]

Hehe that's Vox. Empty journalism.

[@rosgill6]

The "haves and have yachts" needs to take off as a meme NOW! lol

[@luisgaldamez8686]

So you’re telling me, I should move my waterproofing company to London?

[@jonathanbrito2787]

This can be a big problem

[@innocentboi561]

sounds profitable

[@NatashaVincent]

Can't imagine having one's art collection in a basement ultimately buffered by clay. While I'm not an architectural expert, that sounds bonkers to me.

[@Raph584]

Bold of you to assume you can afford it

[@innocentboi561]

@@Raph584 nah, loans and finding investors can solve it

[@Falco.]

Professor Burrows knew at his birth that he would become an expert in underground lairs

[@johnong2655]

Burrowing lairs

[@mutttaaaz9165]

Wanted because building under bedrock

[@k.silverpoint]

Another win for nominative deteminism.

[@caesar7734]

He reminds me of a lawyer called Sue Yoo.

[@granitegrizz]

I knew I couldn't have been the first to make the joke, and I'm glad I wasn't.

[@sharsasuke01]

I didn't even know you could build a basement after a house has been constructed.

[@NiallEveritt]

There are cases where the street and some houses have collapsed or sunken into the dig sites. It would have been good if you'd included those or gone more into detail about the construction issues and engineering risks.

[@DavidGilling]

This video felt like a teaser or intro. No depth at all

[@jacobbwalters8133]

I wish that Vox would have gone into depth a little more about what makes these basements problematic. Are there studies that support flooding being caused by them? I live in Michigan, USA, where flooding is relatively common and everyone has a basement, yet no one has ever blamed the flooding on the basements here…

[@mopo3953]

Definitely flooding might be caused by basement because it reduces the amount of soil which is able to absorb water. There is a reason why planning offices in London require flood risk assessment and basement impact assessment reports to be prepared by geotechnical engineers before permission is granted. I imagine houses in the US are probably not close enough so it's not an issue.

[@theicedragon100]

@@mopo3953 but doesn't London have a water drainage system like other cities.

[@christianmoore7109]

There really isn’t anything that makes these basements problematic, other than that rich people don’t like it when other rich people have them.

[@beedebawng2556]

You're talking about two different types of flooding.

[@DennisMoore664]

"Gone into depth a little more" about a story about basements - nicely played, sir.

[@jackrotz2139]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="84">1:24</a> When he stated where he was a professor in the school of architecture, planning and landscape, and went on to say he wasn't an architect and he wasn't a planner, I was assuming he was going to say he was a landscape

[@ItsMr07]

bro 😂😂😂

[@mwakampundu239]

😂😂😂

[@xyzabc4178]

They got the name of the university wrong

[@MerkhVision]

I love the way u think hahaha

[@djmips]

Landscaper...

[@youarewinston]

Always thought London planning approval was that you can build up to 4 houses and then a hotel

[@bjarnisvanurbirgisson4147]

I'm still confused on the problems of these basements, could we have had a better explanation on those? How are they causing flooding, and what examples of basement related collapses have occurred in London?

[@ryanmalyk5830]

This video just explained that there are alot of basements in London and that they are bad...with no explanation of why or how

[@insertchannelnamehere8685]

Why: Rich people want more space How: By hiring a construction company, filing a permit, and getting it built Both were either touched upon by the video or are fairly obvious

[@acasta403]

@@insertchannelnamehere8685 But how is that newsworthy? It feels like this video is missing a point. Rich people build basements, the guy from queen and some football coach are mad. But why should Vox's audience care about that? My neighbor is renovating, too, but I don't see them making a documentary about it

[@katg7387]

Well extreme wealth is self-evidently bad as is points to income inequality.

[@sigma_z]

The guy from Queens and the football coach are selfish. If someone wants to build on excavate on THEIR land, they should be able to do so. Excavation never lasts forever and if you have rich neighbors, most likely you're already rich so just go on holiday if the noise bothers you that much and get paid for it like you already do with your £1million a week salary for not even being able to score, put a ball into a net. seriously, selfish people!

[@apark8787]

@@insertchannelnamehere8685 i think he means why basements (as opposed to high floors). I'm wondering that myself, seems much easier just to build floors on top rather than excavating down.

[@shedactivist]

My heart bleeds for the rich complaining about the antics of the super-rich

[@aturchomicz821]

Yeah may they suffer for what they have done lol

[@segamai]

World’s tiniest violin and all that

[@eustatic3832]

Well, the video introduce s that as 'the haves and have yachts'

[@Dukenukem]

@oaktree_ no, the really ultr-rich don't care what anybody says except their family or close business partners, they can pay everyone else to shut up.

[@user-il9qo4qc4n]

Who cares how rich they are? Everyone deserves peace in their own home.

[@SirAdser]

For those not based in London. The May story, his basement flooding, was caused not by mega-basements, but rather some extremely heavy rain that caused the sewage and drainage pipes to burst in various places all over Kensingtong & Chelsea. It flooded Portobello Road, Notting Hill Gate and a few other high streets. Basements flats and basements in general are always suspect to flooding issues in areas with heavy rainfall. Really a better framing for this might have been a story on that rainfall and the other adverse weather that the UK has has over the last few years due to climate change and how the UK, a country that has historically had little cases of adverse weather, is now slowly struggling to cope with extreme weather events.

[@Mokomis_]

Mega basement's might not be the direct cause but they might have helped create the problem if the construction had already weakened the pipes, with shockwaves and shifting earth.

[@jackmeeks2294]

What an atrocious interview. Not only do they not explain the cause of the sewage. I've never seen an interviewer that is supplying the answers to their questions within the question. Leading questions will give you exactly the answers you're looking for.

[@beanboi8637]

Give it decade and soon there's gonna be an underLondon

[@neilsamuel5268]

You mean a Londer?

[@unserkatzenland8884]

you mean SCP-1678?

[@matheusedwin6144]

Fallen London and Unterzee

[@mq5731]

Imagine a game set in such a setting. Something like Metro: London Underground

[@patrickelan4256]

Unlondon

[@benpalmer7596]

As a London resident, it's fascinating to see this perspective on the divide between the elites. You go past these areas quite often in Mayfair, Soho, Marylebone, etc and they all seem like lovely houses, but you do wonder how they get such astronomical values (other than money-laundering, which London is the capital of in the world). I guess this is partly how; massive basement conversions underground adding more and more layers. It's surprising how many of them can go that far underground at all, considering the complex layers underneath such as the Tube, water and gas pipes, sewage system, etc. which are essentially impossible to move entirely. I guess it's an issue that arises when you want to love in the centre of an historic city and basements just aren't a thing for Brits usually, so we never think about them and the transformation occurring underground. Great video

[@acatwithayoutubechannel6062]

This comment is way toooo long

[@38vocan]

@@acatwithayoutubechannel6062 I don't think so

[@acatwithayoutubechannel6062]

@@38vocan ok but 8s quite long

[@ABDELHADINDIF]

@@acatwithayoutubechannel6062 oooo yehhhhh

[@Broadwayriah]

@@acatwithayoutubechannel6062 I’ve seen the meme ones which are longer

[@pepessz32]

London's superrich: "Well, we have our own private pool and cinema on our basements." Bruce Wayne: "That's nice."

[@LeanneModenPoet]

Professor Burrows writing about digging underground. That's some lovely nominative determinism!

[@NeedForMadnessSVK]

The professor is a great example of nominative determinism.

[@AliHSyed]

Hahaha you're right!

[@NoxCaelis]

"Yes, I am researching about basements of the rich now." "And what is your name again?" "I'm Professor Burrows."

[@masterimbecile]

That's a fancy way of saying "people perfectly named for their career."

[@choibtc6121]

@@masterimbecile thanks for the explanation. I did need it

[@tash_g]

@@masterimbecile thank you.

[@x-shadow-x]

And what was now the relationship between basements and the flooding?

[@mugtiles]

I am asking the same....

[@Zestric]

Very large and deep basements displacing the watertable and/or all the construction causing damage to old piping making flooding more likely or occur more often maybe? But really I know nothing I'm just guessing here.

[@Omalleypike]

There isn't one; or at least, the flash flooding wasn't caused by basements - It was caused by old and already overstressed infrastructure (namely, London's wastewater system) reaching it's limit during a major downpour. May's house was likely flooded when either the drainage around the property was overwhelmed (bear in mind, that groundwater wouldn't really matter as London is a concrete jungle, thus water cannot soak into the ground quick enough) and the place flooded with rainwater, OR the wastewater backed up into May's basement. I believe newer plumbing systems are fitted with a backflow valve to prevent this exact thing happening, but, with plumbing that could be over 100 years old, it's unlikely to have that.

[@215johnio]

Yea this video was pretty light on the downsides of the basements. I assume the flooding was caused by construction equipment damaging the sewers. Seems like the only downside of the basements is the downsides of any kind of excavation: noise and possible infrastructure damage.

[@methos-ey9nf]

@@Zestric Bingo. This happens to my house when there's excessive rain. Water just seeps up through the basement floor.

[@bouutiquems3578]

I love that you showed Freddie Mercury so that Brian May would seem more relevant.

[@Housewarmin]

I feel like this video could have done a better explanation into why basements are bad. In the US, there is still noise and unhappy neighbors when someone does construction on a home. Why is a basement worse than any other mansion? Is there a long term negative effect to having a basement? How did the basement cause the flooding? Is it just people complaining about the noise?

[@annettekearney9798]

Space. Have you been to London?

[@ANNIHILISTIC]

Saruman: _"The elites dug too greedily and too deep... you know what they awoke in the basements of Lon-dûn...."_

[@jennbaker6964]

they dug so deep they unleashed the demon of brexit upon the earth

[@Lius525]

...class conciousness?

[@AdriSkynet]

Underrated comment.

[@luizf.g.3999]

shadow and flame ... i mean sewage and structural damage

[@jennbaker6964]

@@Lius525 bruh we're talking about england. that was there in the atlee era, thatcher annihilated labor power just like reagan did in the us. now just like america the idea of class consciousness is kind of a joke.

[@thegoodgodabove8264]

Feel like they spent more time fixating on the fact that the rich were building them and not enough talking about the consequences of them. Like we get it, rich people are doing this but I think the video only covered what can happen if these are regularly implemented in a few brief mentions

[@yoted]

I had the same thought. Perhaps it wouldn’t be something to complain about if the consequences are mitigated and paid for by those constructing the new basements?

[@Dubey_nr]

How can you speak something for 6 minutes without telling anything.? -- Vox: "hold my beer.!"

[@vladcampos]

I usually enjoy Vox content, but this video felt kind of incomplete. To the point I thought I had missed something and even rewind it a little bit during the call with the professor. I believe that more details about the basement, construction, regulation, blueprints etc. would be better then all the talk about Queen and the soccer player.

[@snakedoktor6020]

...would be better than, not then. I couldn't agree more...but a thought: I don't know when, or better yet why, people have started substituting then for than. Then denotes a continuation of something, whereas than denotes a comparison, as was the comment's intention. Similar to standing ON line instead of IN line (how it should be).

[@faux_hobo]

It's weird you didn't actually talk about the real damage it's doing. That's left entirely up to the greyed out area of a screenshot. Very disappointed, as that's the more interesting and alarming part.

[@ofmsetest]

what does the greyed out area say?

[@Domowoi2]

Yeah. I wanted to hear why basements cause flooding in other houses. So the biggest problem is construction noise? And problems with stability if done incorrectly?

[@realscottsummers]

Yeah, the video started off showing the flooding but didn't come back to that or expand on how it's happening

[@vishwanathasharma1409]

Ok did some further reading the flooding is because the super deep basements affected aquifers underground and rendered drainage system ineffective

[@jechiliahsolomon3790]

Yeah it definitely ended abruptly 🥴

[@luuk_twister2068]

So the expert on burrowing in London is called Professor Roger Burrows? Now that is an amazing coincidence 😂

[@daviddryden7668]

The expert being named Professor Burrows is perfect casting for a basement doc 😂

[@johnyb147]

I don't really get the point of this video. Rich people being mad at richer people?

[@BrutusAlbion]

Ugh! I bought this million dollar home thinking I'd be safe from construction worker noises from the peasants but now the home next door was bought by a billionaire and they are constructing a basement for the next 3 months! I do say this is a tragedy for the entire nation now that i am inconvenienced with the sound of diggers and filthy peasants roaming my streets. This is an outrage! This cannot last! I demand compensation!

[@JoHn-gi1lb]

rich bad. they're bad because I'm not rich. boooo

[@flupsdarups3897]

JoHn no but like actually

[@idontmakecontent4870]

@@JoHn-gi1lb They’re just a bunch of underachievers who take out their anger of failing out on rich people

[@br6210]

@@idontmakecontent4870 A lot of people dont achieve what they may be able to, Richer people SOMETIMES have better opportunities, however to the few that were raised working class and earnt up the way they dont deserve the hatred the entitled rich do.

[@MegaLiterally]

One glaring thing left unexplained is how you can build your basements “out” and under your neighbours? How is this allowed if you neighbours own the land under them.

[@CurrencyChronicles1]

I’m very happy you guys mentioned Queen although I am sad that his basement has gotten flooded and I was wondering if we could get an answer on why Brian May’s basement was flooded.

[@nanana354]

Wow it's becoming a real struggle being a rich Londoner these days. I feel so relieved I am neither rich nor Londoner.

[@artchick07]

I do worry there will be sink holes after all of this mess. Most home in my state require a geodetic survey before purchasing.

[@chansherly212]

But how exactly does it cause floods.. Does the digging use up space in the ground that would have otherwise absorbed the water? Or is it because of pipe leakage from the excavation?

[@smike9884]

A pretty poor video really. Opened with flooding, but then no mention of it. Only a couple of seconds given to the downsides, which were only noise and air pollution, a brief mention of collapse.

[@DoggyHateFire]

@@smike9884 Yeah, I spent the whole time wondering when they were going to talk about why it causes flooding. Could have made the video a minute or so longer to explain that.

[@dkpqzm]

Have you ever been to London? It rains constantly and these basements are not completely waterproof, plus they are built in clay deposits.

[@death00124]

I think some of the basements dug into the water table

[@trpdrspider8372]

@@dkpqzm Yes, but it would have been nice for the video to bring up that subject and provide some info. As it stands we don't even get an explanation of the black sludge. It more seems to be jist saying 'Rich people bad'

[@Autumnrainfall99]

Also lol at the professor being called Professor Burrows

[@thegrynne]

That was more like the pitch of an article, than an article in itself.

[@darkflighter100]

I live in London. This has been a thing for over a decade, maybe longer. The west end of central London is in constant construction, it's relentless.

[@TEXININDUSTRIES]

Think about what would happen if the elites choose to interconnect their basements.

[@br6210]

It really is shame that London has become a home to a place where ownly the super rich can own properties, it wasn’t that way before normal people could live in a House that would be worth millions today.

[@thorr18BEM]

At 4:45 it shows over 500 basements being built in 2008 so we already were shown it's been over a decade. However, the video is bereft of any other real data or an explanation of why new basements in the area would cause Brian May's basement to flood. Also, the chart doesn't even go back far enough to demonstrate that this is not something which was ongoing through every preceding decade. A very unsatisfying video.

[@AnymMusic]

who knew, no matter what class you are, there'll always be a divide

[@Charlzton]

Brits are naturally competitive- no matter how much you have, you want more than the next

[@beluwuga]

@@Charlzton no bruh... not like that.. he meant. Ah forget about it.

[@beluwuga]

Bro “Millionaires” are not all just a bunch of “millionaires” there are millions if not almost quarter of billions millionaires around the world. If you’re 2 million dollar rich, not all is in cash.. you can’t bud a 42 princess yatch, you can rent a luxury apartment and live like executives. 2 million and 4 million dollar even that is different. That’s double the difference. If you have four, now you can buy a 12 foot yatch.. There are billions of rich people, the neighbor next to your door might seem “rich” he might not be a millionaire, but has more income than the people in that neighborhood. He’s still nothing compared to the new guy from big city, who is semi-millionaire, he’s also rich, but then there are people who are 10 million dollar who owns a Restaurant chain in your area.. doesn’t seem that rich compared to his friend Dave who owns a couple hotels and worth 50 million. And what I always find funny is people think that oh if 1 person networth is 5 million its gonna be that for the rest of that person’s life.. zZ it’s not like wealth don’t come from Income.. if he’s 5 mil he’s just gonna use up that asset. Bruh people have income too.. that’s how those 5 mil don’t get used up.

[@linhhoang1363]

@@beluwuga wow. The essay is so long and boredom to read

[@MartiensBezuidenhout]

@@linhhoang1363 I think "boring" would be a better fit in that sentence. Just my 10 cents.

[@writerinprogress]

I can't help wondering if this is going to cause a sinkhole problem much later down the line as well. Here in Maidstone we've had a rash of sinkhole incidents over the last few years, opening up in the middle of new housing estates, parks and even smack in the middle of main roads - and we're talking, like, 20ft deep, 10-15ft wide sinkholes, opening up in a matter of seconds and taking weeks, if not months to fill in and repair. It happens because in many parts of Maidstone there's a network of locally-known but unmapped underground mines, built way back in medieval times and then permanently abandoned. Speculation is that decades of rainfall seeping down through the soil and rock into these long-forgotten tunnels is making the ground above them more porous and therefore unstable.

[@lj7169]

If you start watching the video from <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="300">5:00</a> you could be fooled into thinking this was a 'Top 10 spooky stories of footballers who mysteriously vanished' video.

[@thePronto]

Let's dig out the foundations of an old, but very valuable, house that shares common walls with other extremely expensive houses. What could possibly go wrong?

[@theinvisibleneonrainbowzeb2567]

yes

[@maggiejetson7904]

We do that in San Francisco all the time, it is expensive but it is not the problem.

[@Slayer8957]

@@maggiejetson7904 San Francisco isnt a city where every single house shares a wall with their neighbors, nor are diggers being buried underground like it is by cheap and careless London contractors.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

So, there’s a chance the Queen has a secret longevity lab for her everlasting life?

[@ABDELHADINDIF]

Zanzibar lab under water

[@onemorechris]

A place to hide Andrew

[@d1j16]

She'll live forever just to spite her descendants, especially Charles.

[@AirQuotes]

@@d1j16 if she out lives Charles most people will be happy but it's not likely

[@michaelheliotis5279]

Her secret to longevity is being scared sh!tless into a health-conscious lifestyle because all the rest of her family were chain smokers and most of them died early due to complications such as lung cancer. (Though in spite of all the ciggies her grandmother, Queen Mary of Teck, managed to hold out for quite a long time.)

[@mk1st]

Delightful that you had a Mr Burrows on to discuss this topic.

[@Javin12345]

A very interesting topic. I wish this video was longer though and gave more information about it and the impacts of these basements

[@SoSo-li6dn]

1. Every rich person votes to ban high rise building in rich area. 2. Riff raff are kept out. 3. MEGA BASEMENTS.

[@YujiUedaFan]

Yeah, the richers can't see that building down instead of up causes more problems.

[@Dukenukem]

@@YujiUedaFan well, if something collapses the ensurance will take care of it. Ensurance can't pay you back lost views from the lounge/balcony.

[@YujiUedaFan]

​@@Dukenukem I just mean that building down displaces water more.

[@_chuck1z]

Looking at the preview I was like, "The flooring pattern looks so cool, it changes along the path," and then looking at the title, "Oh..."

[@arnbrandy]

Even the sewage leakage is better for the ultra rich, I presume.

[@nikkihanover7922]

does no one else love that the professor they chose to interview for this video is named "Burrows"??

[@marknc9616]

In the area where I live now there are very few basements due to the soil from what I have been told. Where I lived as a child my family had two different homes that had basements. Though the basements were fun, both of them flooded multiple times. One was corrected by channeling rainwater away from the basement door. The other one was corrected by installing gutters on the back of the house. We had long suspected that the flooding was due to the hill behind our house. However, some research surprised us telling us otherwise. Also, I lost my electric train due to basement flooding 😥.

[@aj884]

F in the chat for this man's train 😥

[@sleepcrime]

F

[@jackdaniels2905]

So Bryan May's basement was flooded because of his neighbors digging?

[@TheNotSoFakeNews]

yes

[@artchick07]

They probably hit the water table.

[@Zestric]

How does one even physically dig a basement under and existing house without that house coming down in the process?

[@beluwuga]

Call it construction... 🚧 🦺

[@domramsey]

Far too often that's exactly what happens.

[@joeynessily]

....Carefully

[@Zveebo]

You basically prop the whole thing up while you dig down and creat new foundations and a steel and concrete supporting structure. It needs to be very carefully done, but when basements can run into £10 million+, there’s money for it.

[@joermnyc]

Temporary supports, adding in layers of new foundation as you dig down, it’s almost like digging a tunnel where right behind the open face you have crews installing mesh grids and concrete tunnel wall sections to keep the roof from caving in and killing everyone.

[@TheBigDubovsky]

Can’t wait to get super rich to buy one of these.

[@sdefonta]

What are the odds that someone who studies basements is named Burrows?

[@SeanReillyEsq]

Boroughs talking about burrows in boroughs.

[@PLuMUK54]

Actually it's borough officials in the boroughs that are talking about burrows being burrowed in their boroughs! 😉

[@gamingclips3.06]

So you're telling me that Burrows is studying burrows in different boroughs?

[@GoldsConcrete]

We've seen a lot of this in Denver as well. Nowhere to go besides down. We've been doing numerous basement digouts every month and its not showing any signs of slowing down.

[@leewalker101172]

It has been going on for years. Back in the nineties, I worked for two construction firms. Both of them did general construction work and some large-scale development contracts. One of them (the last one) sometime in the early 2000s got a contract to excavate a single floor basement somewhere in Kensington. Within a year that was all they were doing and the company had expanded to be able to do three or four at a time. Some of them are mindblowing. one that springs to mind was three floors down and had a two-floor atrium with an elevator and an underground waterfall.

[@qillqiggins294]

Was expecting more ahah, video just ened ahaha

[@nubcake67]

But what about the relationship to flooding? How do more basements cause flooding? At what point do they hit the water table? Also, does all this underground construction not undermine the stability of the soil strata for a surrounding area?

[@emthegem8141]

Yes, I was wondering this as well. They kindof just vaguely blamed rich people making basements without linking the flooding the them...Vox videos really are hit or miss I suppose.

[@DoggyHateFire]

It's like when you're in school and first learning how to write essays where you state an idea and then write a paragraph supporting that idea except they totally forgot to support the idea.

[@PandaD2]

Take a cup and fill it half way with water. Take a balloon, blow a some air into it, and tie it off. Put the balloon in the cup. Watch the water level rise. Balloon = basement, cup of water = water table. Adding basements raises the water table. Water has to go somewhere. The new basements are probably equipped with state-of-the-art pumping systems that continually pump out the water. Old basements, that were built above the water table and probably do not have sump pumps, are now underwater.

[@annettekearney9798]

It was a short video. Why don’t you look at the published paper to get a more in-depth view?

[@Mokomis_]

Okay so what Vox didn't mention is that the issue is most likely shockwaves. When you are digging you use all sorts of tools like jackhammers and such which cause vibrations in the earth around it. Old neighbourhoods in London like Kensington have old pipes and old systems that the city may not have updated in decades. Shockwaves and disturbing the ground can cause these pipes to burst. This is a issue that is talked about a lot in my country when large scale construction is happening close to older neighbourhoods. There are even examples of houses whose foundation has shifted and they start to lean. However, vox was attempting to focus on the gentrification of the neighbourhood cause when the ultra rich do this, they make the house so much more expensive so that when they sell out, you're bound to get other ultra rich. Most of whom wont live there full time, only part of the year, which is not helpful to the housing market in London either. Not to mention the noise pollution and disturbance the neighbours experience while this is happening.

[@177Industries]

Have and have-yachts is the most amazing phrase. Thank you.

[@rogermccaslin5963]

The haves and the have yachts! I need to remember that one. 😂

[@danadominguez5760]

“The haves and the have yachts.” Freakin’ love it.

[@ShOwOba]

That intro just made me realize that Freddie Mercury could've still been alive today in some other timeline... That's bonkers.

[@RFLCPTR]

It's not bonkers, it's just sad.

[@quiubeto]

It's also really weird that they needed to mention him as a segway to Brian May.

[@pastalover2757]

@@quiubeto ye lol like I think most people know who Brian May is, still one of the world's most famous musicians

[@robinedge3995]

I happened to be at a Planning Committee at RBKC in 2016 where Brian May was arguing against a neighbouring basement development

[@anthonylebreton]

Great article. London needs to get a handle of it’s grotesque property market and level of inequality.

[@Doping1234]

I get how undermining a foundation may lead to collapse, but how does it cause flooding in another building?

[@ThiNo737]

I watched the video but I still don't fully understand what the underlying problem to this trend is.

[@JordanReedYT]

Average people complaining about wealthy people.

[@ayoubrachidi2668]

@@JordanReedYT not average people. wealthy people complaining about disgustingly wealthy people

[@lavupcreeper8131]

same, and i've been having the same problem over several vox videos

[@ashleyhill6697]

That's what I was wondering. I guess they want to change the building codes prohibiting additions instead of building basements. I think it looks cool when a super modern style level is added to the top of historic houses.

[@nickzardiashvili624]

I mean, the guy just said that the noise and air pollution are overwhelming and the video starts with a house flooding because of one of those basements, but yeah, a complete mystery as to what the problem is.

[@attilajuhasz318]

i love how media in portraying more and more that being rich is bad.

[@myleswillis]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="53">0:53</a> "Underwater playgrounds" 😂 That's only in Brian's house dude. 🤣

[@peytongonavy]

"Hey neighbor! Just wanted to let you know the air is about to become much dirtier around our house for a couple months. I'll be in the country. Be well!"

[@greenpinapple820]

"You paid 25 mil euro for this home, so you dont have to deal with this type of stuff? Well I paid 50 mil euro for this new basement so, tough luck."

[@minimalist4667]

“When I grow up I want to be an astronaut!” “When I grow up I want to be a doctor!” “When I grow up I want to study underground lairs!”

[@mattstirling7494]

The irony of a chap named 'Burrows' studying basements is delicious .

[@emekon9438]

I am pretty sure that some of them have their private dungeons in their basements where they keep their enemies or slaves, but of course I cannot prove that.

[@Diabetesboy408]

This just sounds like any other 1st world country

[@faridjafari6356]

I really do not understand why in a city like London or any other major cities in the world where housing is extremely expensive, they have limited the number of levels that can be built vertically above ground by limiting the height of buildings which limits the supply of very much needed homes in that city and results in increasing the prices of houses there even more.

[@derosa1989]

access to sunlight. Most city height restrictions have to do with limiting the amount of shadows on neighbouring properties.

[@RandomnessTube.]

Brings a whole new meaning to the term "you live in your mom's basement".

[@AnonymousMC]

Hey everyone! :D I hope you stay safe and have a nice day, God bless you!

[@kikijewell2967]

In a hierarchy system, there's never happy with what you have. Playing my tiny violin.

[@horushyperion76]

Oh no, noise pollution and air pollution, ah it is a shame you can't afford soundproofing, or ventilation systems that handle those issues while living in 25M dollar house. Let me join your song with my nano bass.

[@christiankalinkina239]

Odd name you have mrs jewell

[@Sam89365]

Yeah we need a follow up or a part two on this topic. Interesting topic that deserves more on the affect it has

[@mohammadshahidhusaini3122]

Basements are a common occurrence in any High Population Density metropolitan around the world, I live in Delhi, India and have seen 1-2 basement floor..

[@skyshot10101]

I just finished the video and yelled, actually yelled out loud, "THAT'S IT?!?" I thought I fell asleep at some point and didn't realize it.

[@realishrhino3111]

Still waiting to hear the serious problem with basements.......

[@Medeasbiggestfan]

I think the problem is rich people like it and Vox doesn’t like rich people.

[@x2gaming148]

The problem is they can cause structural collapse, floods, and overall dangerous to have most of the land dug out from under most of the buildings.

[@realishrhino3111]

@@x2gaming148 i still dont get what that specifically has to do with London tho. Its not the only place in the world with basements lol.

[@Medeasbiggestfan]

@@x2gaming148 What buildings have suffered structural collapse in London as a result of new basements? The basement in my workplace in South Kensington was flooded recently, its basement dates back to the 1850s. Flooding has been a problem for London for a long time, it’s why we have the Thames barrier. New basements might be unwise given the history of flooding, but they didn’t cause the problem.

[@WILD4X4D]

I guess I'm not the big Queen fan I thought I was. Never knew Brian May's basement flooded.

[@NaohMkS]

This one of these videos that end way too early. I was so ready to learn more about the topic

[@bjoernaltmann]

Some houses have even collapsed when they were trying to extend them. These houses are also called iceberg houses, because the basement is bigger than the house above ground. They also have car collections underground, not just swimming pools.

[@brokenwizards9122]

I don’t understand how his house flooded because of basements.

[@starsinthesky593]

They forgot or don't have answer lol 😂

[@lucho2868]

They didn't explain it.

[@96mryomama]

Neighbors probably hit a groundwater reservoir when they were digging

[@PLuMUK54]

The constant building work damages the structure, causing cracks to appear in party (shared) walls. Presumably the builders next-door broke a sewer pipe, and the sewage oozed through the cracks. My next-door neighbours did building work that damaged our party wall. Somewhere, there are cracks in it, through these cracks I always know what they are cooking as the smell comes into my house. I've also had mice get into my house when the neighbours had a problem, so the cracks are not tiny, but neither are they visible my side. The neighbours are disinterested. Thank goodness its not sewage.

[@taniabn]

From Bryan May's Instagram post: "Why did this happen? It's almost certainly the result of all the basement building that has been plaguing this area for the past 10 years. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council was warned years ago that sinking so many deep basement extensions would obstruct the aquifers underneath our living space and render the drainage system ineffective."

[@Chemson1989]

Just don't dig too deep, you might break into MI6 007 secret base.

[@TheRealPentigan]

Don't worry that's covered under the planning permissions. Government protecting itself and all that.

[@Autumnrainfall99]

The video ended and I was like “that’s it?”

[@heinrichdude]

'The haves and the have yachts' ... haha, good one

[@ryan2flyin]

I've always wanted a mega basement underground lair. Normal house on the outside, huge gym and pool on the inside

[@Thebreakdownshow1]

I wonder if this would double down as a bunker.

[@ryan2flyin]

@@Thebreakdownshow1 good idea!

[@skeletopedia3122]

Can you elaborate more on granite, clay, and other different soils for buildings?

[@AALavdas]

I think it's brilliant. It keeps central and historic areas alive- and not just that, it actually attracts a lot of investment, while preserving the architectural character of the place.

[@robertyoung4559]

POV: you saw a house in your neighbourhood and are wondering where the swimming pool is in relation to you.

[@doorfive]

This seems like such a non-issue, what am I missing?

[@gracewsho]

4:50

[@jacobdockter3436]

i guess it is causing problems with other peoples basements because of the clay material I dunno, they really didn't go into that subject of it lol. i was hella confused myself

[@asdakuhi8h]

it causes problems for their (rich) neighbors

[@assaqwwq]

@oaktree_ why Vox made this video and what the point of it was...

[@onemorechris]

the video didn’t really cover the points all that well, or at all. basements can sometimes damage the houses, some have collapsed. the video doesn’t go into why people are doing it: very often these houses are empty and the building work is about laundering money. These areas of london are so quiet because so few people actually live there

[@ksgrmdsdl2383]

I see nothing wrong with building the basement. At least they are not ruining the environmenment. Besides, the noise and air pollution during construction is temporary.

[@onemorechris]

it’s damaging the houses. not always their own but the other around it. Often there aren’t any people living in the houses. Walking around Victoria at night, less than a third of lights are on; they are all laundering money. these could be houses people could at the very least rent. The building work can take years too. these areas are not big, so 10-15 construction sites building 1-3 level underground houses is a lot

[@rentisme]

And yet Birmingham council won't let me get a loft extension

[@peterthepanda]

They're building Londown. 😅

[@PLuMUK54]

Clever! Now kindly leave the stage... 🤣

[@vishnumohank1299]

Delete this!

[@Sophiesmakeupbag]

How interesting! I used to work for the trade association that represents the interests of a lot of basement construction companies in and around London and the south east and saw some of their projects in photos in this video. I’d never known about the impact this work has on the city overall. Thanks for making such an informative video!