Skylark can be used with any type of foundation, depending on your site and needs. The most important thing to remember is that with Skylark, foundations serve to hold the building down, as well as up.

Ground screws 

Ground screws are a first preference when designing foundations. Ground screws can be twisted into the ground and do not require invasive digging or excavation. This means the ground is less disturbed during the installation process and fewer resources are needed, reducing carbon emissions from construction equipment.

Ground screws are a great alternative to concrete foundations, and can contain 81% less embodied carbon (CO2e) than an equivalent concrete base. This makes them a highly sustainable option for any building project.

Be aware, they might be slightly more expensive than other options. 

Concrete slab or strip foundations

Alternatively, if you have to specify a traditional concrete strip foundation or slab, we recommend it is made with manufacturing by-products like slag cement, silica fume and fly ash. This reduces concrete’s carbon footprint. We also suggest recycled aggregate is specified.

A potential alternative to traditional concrete might be an Earth Friendly Concrete (EFC) / Geopolymer Concrete which is cement-free and offers a saving in embodied carbon of between 75% and 87% compared to standard concrete mixes. 

Foundation detailing with WikiHouse

The Skylark chassis always fixes down onto treated timber sole plate or 'rails' that must be bolted to the footings or slab below. These rails must follow the same line as all perimeter walls, located to within +/- 5mm of their intended position, and perfectly level. Clear and accurate setting out drawings for the on-site team will be required to ensure the sole plate is installed correctly.

The WikiHouse chassis will then need to be bolted or fixed down onto these rails. Your structural engineer will need to confirm the fixing detail and the distances between fixings.

When using suspended WikiHouse ground floor blocks, you will probably want to cover the ground beneath the structure with 50mm sand blinding, a polyethylene membrane laid over for damp-proofing and then a 50mm stone blinding over that. The alternative would be a layer of around 100mm of concrete beneath the building.  We also recommend anti rodent/insect mesh is fixed to the underside of of the suspended WikiHouse floor blocks

Make sure there is at least 150mm between the underside of the building and the ground to lift the timber frame clear up and out of wet ground and always allow for adequate drainage and ventilation beneath the WikiHouse structure.