0:00:02 > 0:00:05Across the nation, architects are transforming the homes we live in.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07One day, I'm going to live in a house like this
0:00:07 > 0:00:09and not just do it for others.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11We're following some of those leading the way
0:00:11 > 0:00:13in groundbreaking design.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Their jaw would drop if they saw that.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17I can't believe it.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22We'll be with them every step of the way as they battle with builders,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25blueprints and the clients who hire them...
0:00:25 > 0:00:28You've got a very strange understanding of the word "today."
0:00:28 > 0:00:30CRUNCHING Whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:00:32 > 0:00:33That's not good.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35- It's like working with the Chuckle Brothers.- Ho, ho, ho!
0:00:35 > 0:00:38We're with them as they draw on their seven years of training
0:00:38 > 0:00:39to solve everyday problems...
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Quick word in his ear, make sure there's no more mishaps.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46He's come in on an angle and ripped up the road
0:00:46 > 0:00:49but he's now ripped his exhaust pipe off.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50Oh, man!
0:00:52 > 0:00:54I've said many prayers.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55That's amazing.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57That's a pretty incredible difference, isn't it?
0:00:59 > 0:01:01The fixings alone cost 17 grand.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08..all in the name of making the properties we dream of a reality.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Today in Poole, a picky client keeps everyone on their toes.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Could you move that whole thing that way a bit?
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Not for the size of the fire that you want at the moment.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33How do you know your calculations are right?
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Because sometimes people say, "Well, this is what the computer says,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38- "it must be right."- Well...
0:01:38 > 0:01:40And in Scotland, the pressures of living on site
0:01:40 > 0:01:42risk driving client Jacqui to the brink.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Definitely been disruptive to the family.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46The clutter, being squashed in,
0:01:46 > 0:01:50little things like not sitting at the table having meals together any more.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53But a last-minute hitch with the project threatens to keep her
0:01:53 > 0:01:56from the house she so desperately needs.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00There's a final payment which he's not going to get until he's done it.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Sunny Poole, on the Dorset coast, is home to some of the most
0:02:08 > 0:02:11expensive and exclusive properties in the world.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16For the past three years, managing director Keith Riley
0:02:16 > 0:02:20and his wife Myrika have lived on one of its many leafy streets
0:02:20 > 0:02:23in this 1960s three-bedroom house.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28They love their location but a desire for more space has led them
0:02:28 > 0:02:31in a radical and unexpected direction.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35We've decided to put an extra floor on top of the house,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38so a refurbishment and an extension,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and so I decided that the one thing that was definitely
0:02:41 > 0:02:46going to be staying was going to be the family bathroom.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48I mean, it was a beautiful job, it was a work of art.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51I even got the hang of the silicone masticing.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56And literally on the day that I finished the bathroom
0:02:56 > 0:02:59after five months of really quite hard graft -
0:02:59 > 0:03:01all my spare time went into it -
0:03:01 > 0:03:04we met with a builder who sort of said,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06"Really, to do this extension on top,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09"considering you're going to have to pay VAT on everything,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13"really, if you knock the whole house down, you won't need to pay."
0:03:14 > 0:03:17The man Keith has entrusted to knock down his old home
0:03:17 > 0:03:19and design his new one is Poole-based architect
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Laurence Bowen.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23He and his partner, Paul Robinson,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25have been practising in this millionaires' playground
0:03:25 > 0:03:27for the past seven years and are responsible for
0:03:27 > 0:03:30a number of impressive buildings.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34The architecture in Poole is very varied.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36You're talking millions this side.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40I think there's a couple of Russian billionaires.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Sandbanks is meant to the second most expensive piece of land
0:03:44 > 0:03:46in the world.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48It's more Miami Vice than sustainable.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Keith's brief was to replace his 1960s home
0:03:52 > 0:03:55with a brand-new contemporary design.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00There's not any kind of great views in terms of distance views,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03but there's some great views of the trees
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and feeling like you're kind of within a woodland area.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09So we sort of lifted the main living accommodation
0:04:09 > 0:04:11up onto the first floor
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and that you come up onto that middle floor and then
0:04:14 > 0:04:18the kind of space for the main bedrooms is on the floor above that.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21And one of the key elements of the design is to link all those
0:04:21 > 0:04:23spaces together, and that's what this kind of effect is,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27this three-storey atrium space that runs all the way through
0:04:27 > 0:04:29the building, so once you enter into the space,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32there's a real kind of wow-factor about that.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Keith has a budget of £852,000, which will cover everything from
0:04:36 > 0:04:40build costs to fixtures, fittings and architects' fees,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43but doesn't include the price of the original plot.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47He's set a schedule of 15 months to construct this impressive new
0:04:47 > 0:04:505,500 square foot six-bedroom home,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53complete with its own gym, cinema room and sauna.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57It is actually quite a large house for the site and the context.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I mean, I did mention a couple of times to the client that,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04potentially, in this house when they live here, they may be able
0:05:04 > 0:05:07to walk around for a couple of days and not see each other.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10With Keith ploughing such a large lump of his savings into the build,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13he's determined to get his new home just the way he wants it
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and he's a man that knows what he likes.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19I'd like to think that I'm overseeing it all
0:05:19 > 0:05:21but I am expecting my main contractor
0:05:21 > 0:05:26and I'm expecting the architects to take responsibility for their work.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29But am I somebody who's going to sit down and say,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31"There's a cheque, please build my house,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34"I'm off for a year and I'll see you when it's done"?
0:05:34 > 0:05:35That's certainly not me, no.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Today, Keith is meeting Laurence and builder Dave on site.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43So gentlemen, progress has been made, I see.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46- How are you doing, Keith? - Very good.
0:05:46 > 0:05:47Laurence, hi.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49It's 30 weeks since the old house was knocked down
0:05:49 > 0:05:53and the build started and Keith is keen to inspect the work.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55One of things, maybe, that's troubled me, I sort of...
0:05:55 > 0:05:59As I go along and I visualise the whole place... So if you go along
0:05:59 > 0:06:02and you think of the lounge over here
0:06:02 > 0:06:04and the kitchen area here...
0:06:05 > 0:06:09..we come up the steps here then we've got our fire in front of us.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13The fire is nicely positioned for sitting in the lounge over here.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Actually, nicely positioned for sitting in the kitchen over here
0:06:17 > 0:06:21but I wonder if we need more room here in this sort of area?
0:06:21 > 0:06:25So could you move that whole thing that way a bit?
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Not for the size of fire that you want at the moment.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30It's nice to work with a client that, you know,
0:06:30 > 0:06:35is passionate about ideas and what they want to be
0:06:35 > 0:06:37and what they want to see themselves living in, I guess.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- So it could be cut back to there? - Yeah.- Because it looks a little more
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- cramped there than I had envisaged. - Yeah.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45He is very vocal and actually, to some degree,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48that makes our jobs easier because we're not second-guessing
0:06:48 > 0:06:50about how they live their lives
0:06:50 > 0:06:54or how they aspire to live their lives in this space.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Actually, it's great to have a client that,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58you know, really speaks his mind.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03It's great to see the progress and, you know, it's not exactly
0:07:03 > 0:07:07a relaxing experience but it's better than I thought, I have to say.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12But, just two weeks later,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Keith has a serious concern about the structure of the house.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Here's our issue.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22You can see that we have these windows,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25it's got to be frameless on the corners so this steel which is here
0:07:25 > 0:07:29will get removed, so you'll have a normal window frame going round
0:07:29 > 0:07:32but actually, on the corner, it'll just be glass to glass
0:07:32 > 0:07:34with perhaps a bit of mastic or something in-between
0:07:34 > 0:07:36so it should look really rather good.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40And my concern is that, while I can see that this beam
0:07:40 > 0:07:45is largely sitting over the wall here, leaving this bit floating,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48in the case of this bit here, there's only a little bit actually
0:07:48 > 0:07:52over the wall and a lot of it's floating, so it's dependent
0:07:52 > 0:07:57on the anchoring of here to avoid the whole thing really falling down.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Keith's called a meeting with architect Laurence
0:07:59 > 0:08:02and structural engineer Matt to try and allay his fears.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04With only one of them wearing a hard hat,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07they'd better hope Keith's worries don't come to fruition.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- What we've got here is this bit cantilevering out here.- Yeah.
0:08:10 > 0:08:11And then this bit, this steel,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15just spans straight from here across to that one.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19- OK.- So this is the one that's doing all the cantilevering.- OK.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22How do you know your calculations are right? Because sometimes people say,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25"Well, this is what the computer says, it must be right."
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Well, no, we do go through a vetting process where someone else
0:08:29 > 0:08:32checks what we've done, someone independent in our office
0:08:32 > 0:08:35that has nothing to do with the job just goes through it.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38OK, that makes sense.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41For Keith, a little knowledge is a big source of worry.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45I did an HNC a good number of years ago
0:08:45 > 0:08:47and I've never practised engineering.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50- They've got an uplift there of seven kilonewtons.- OK.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53If you have the knowledge, then that knowledge is going to
0:08:53 > 0:08:56play on your mind and so I'm not sorry that I've got the knowledge
0:08:56 > 0:09:00but clearly, yes, I might sleep better at night if I didn't have it.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08In Scotland, near the Pentland Hills,
0:09:08 > 0:09:13Kenny and Jacqui Lorraine's former railway house is being extended.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15They love the rural setting but as their family grew,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18they wanted to increase their living space.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21I've got no love for this house as it is at the moment.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24If I could have knocked it down and started again, I would have.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28They've asked architect David Blaikie to design an extension.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31We've converted what is currently their living room
0:09:31 > 0:09:33into the master bedroom.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37We're then coming into the kitchen, so a much bigger kitchen.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39With a strict budget of £90,000,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Kenny is doing some of the work himself to save money.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46As much as we can do, we're going to try and do ourselves.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47Every penny we can save!
0:09:47 > 0:09:50But whilst architect David was off site,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Kenny demolished an exterior wall and it didn't quite go to plan...
0:09:53 > 0:09:56That's a bit of timber broken.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59I'm going to have a word with Kenny and just make sure that,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02when he does this final part, he's a bit more careful about it.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05A quick word in his ear, make sure there's no more mishaps.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09But, undeterred, he's decided to have a go at attaching the expensive
0:10:09 > 0:10:12zinc sheeting to the outside of the house.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16The zinc itself is malleable, it's soft and it's easy enough
0:10:16 > 0:10:19to work with but you only get one shot at doing it and
0:10:19 > 0:10:24if you get the cut wrong or an angle wrong, it'll ruin a whole section.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Kenny is an enthusiastic amateur
0:10:27 > 0:10:31and working with some of David's designs is testing him.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35When you have plans which show windows with funny angles that,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38obviously, the intricacies of cutting that out and shaping that
0:10:38 > 0:10:41and bending that and getting into position, so you can then
0:10:41 > 0:10:46obviously attach other bits of zinc onto that, it takes forever.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48It's a huge and complicated job
0:10:48 > 0:10:51but Kenny is refusing to buckle under the pressure.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53He's called on friend and professional zinc fitter Ewan
0:10:53 > 0:10:55to help with some of the cladding.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58It's just round the windowsills, everything being at an angle,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00it's just taking a bit longer than we thought,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02but we'll get there so no problem.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04- KENNY:- Who's to blame for that?!
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Nobody's to blame for that, no.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08It's just one of these things. We'll get on with it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10I'd say it's the architect, the design.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11Architects - don't trust them.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Straight lines and squares are good
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and jaunty angles cost time and money!
0:11:18 > 0:11:23By taking on the work himself, Kenny has saved the couple nearly £13,000.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26His hard graft may have made sense financially,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29but emotionally it's taken its toll on the family.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Jacqui's OK. She said her stress levels are quite high at the moment
0:11:32 > 0:11:38because I think, obviously, just the fact that our very small house
0:11:38 > 0:11:41has been made smaller.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44She's starting to talk about holidays and things like that,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46which is OK, but I don't know how she thinks
0:11:46 > 0:11:48we're going to pay for a holiday!
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Stuck in an ever-shrinking house,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54after two and a half months of tolerating the havoc around her,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Jacqui's struggling with the impact of the build on family life.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Oh, definitely been disruptive to the family as well as the house, yeah.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Because the clutter, being squashed in,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09little things like not sitting at the table having meals together
0:12:09 > 0:12:13any more and then at the weekends, you hope that it's family time
0:12:13 > 0:12:16but it isn't, because of having to work on the house,
0:12:16 > 0:12:17so that's been tough,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20the fact that you've basically got the kids all week, all weekend
0:12:20 > 0:12:22and no Dad, because Dad's busy.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33In Poole, architect Laurence is working on Keith and Myrika Riley's
0:12:33 > 0:12:36incredible six-bedroom contemporary home.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38But for him and his partner, Paul,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41architecture isn't always about million pound budgets.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Architecture isn't elitist,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45it's not for the rich and famous,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47it's for everyone.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Good design should be accessible to all.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53A good example of where Paul and Laurence have used their skills
0:12:53 > 0:12:57on a smaller scale is a project they completed three years ago.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58- Hi, there.- Come in.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59How are you doing?
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Yvette and Mark Sanders asked for their very ordinary two-up, two-down
0:13:03 > 0:13:06mid-terrace property to be completely re-modelled
0:13:06 > 0:13:08into a high impact home.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12The brief, really, was to completely start again.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Just create a really sort of nice living space,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18obviously taking into account the amazing views
0:13:18 > 0:13:20they've got from every level, really.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22So, right from the start, we were on the same wavelength.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Paul was one of six architects we interviewed
0:13:25 > 0:13:29and almost immediately we knew Paul was the man.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31He walked in with a John Pawson book,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35which is kind of like super minimalist, and I thought, yes!
0:13:38 > 0:13:40To transform what was a run-of-the-mill mid-terrace
0:13:40 > 0:13:43into this unique and minimalist home,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45every interior wall and floor was removed
0:13:45 > 0:13:49and the living space was completely re-designed.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51One of the nice things about this property is that,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54from the outside, it kind of looks completely standard
0:13:54 > 0:13:56and there's something kind of really exciting and nice
0:13:56 > 0:13:59about coming to the front door and there's a kind of hint
0:13:59 > 0:14:02that there's something going on, but it's not until you get inside
0:14:02 > 0:14:05that the place opens up and it becomes something,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07we think, quite special.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Originally, the property had two bedrooms.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12As it was just Yvette and Mark living in the house,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15it gave Paul and Laurence scope to be creative.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Above us we've got this nice sort of almost like double-height space
0:14:19 > 0:14:21that leads up to the master bedroom,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23which is galleried to this space, as well.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Obviously, architecturally, it creates quite a lot of interest
0:14:26 > 0:14:28in terms of daylight and sound.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29Big volume of space, as well.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35The total cost of the build was £130,000
0:14:35 > 0:14:37and it took eight months to complete.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42The thing that's nice with this project is that it is
0:14:42 > 0:14:47a smaller scale and architecture can apply from small scale
0:14:47 > 0:14:51right to big scale so it's not just for multimillion pound houses
0:14:51 > 0:14:53or the rich and famous.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55You know, architecture can be applied across the board
0:14:55 > 0:14:59and I think that, hopefully, this is what this kind of shows.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Back at Keith and Myrika's more substantial project,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08the worst weather in 250 years has seen the 15-month schedule slip,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11a concern for head contractor Dave.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12It hasn't stopped raining
0:15:12 > 0:15:15which has obviously caused problems on the site.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18I think delay-wise for the client we'll probably go to around
0:15:18 > 0:15:20about two, two and a half months.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24But for Dave, it's not just the weather
0:15:24 > 0:15:25putting a dampener on things.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28The complexity of architect Laurence's design
0:15:28 > 0:15:31is threatening to push the schedule even further.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34The balcony's on the top floor,
0:15:34 > 0:15:39they're obviously flat-roofed, which means we've got to insulate
0:15:39 > 0:15:43the floor, and we've then got to get a decking system on top of that.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46We've also then got a kind of frameless glass balustrade
0:15:46 > 0:15:49to stop people falling off it.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53And all that detail needs to be kind of coordinated together so that
0:15:53 > 0:15:56what we hope is that the final effect is that
0:15:56 > 0:15:57it does look really simple.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03We've got a lot of elements that actually make the build
0:16:03 > 0:16:04a little bit more complicated
0:16:04 > 0:16:07and actually, because of that, it drags the lead time out and each one
0:16:07 > 0:16:10seems to have a knock on effect to the next one.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15And Dave's not the only one feeling the pressure.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19...and step on the inside edge, if you would.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Client Keith's determination to be involved with all aspects
0:16:22 > 0:16:26of his build is eating into every spare hour he and wife Myrika have.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30We've been putting a lot of time aside during the week to meet
0:16:30 > 0:16:34with the people for building wardrobes, for bathroom furniture,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37for kitchens and of course, none of it is straightforward.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I'd always thought that a steel staircase would probably be
0:16:45 > 0:16:48the cheapest but whenever we looked at it, actually,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50a full wood staircase made by a nice joiner
0:16:50 > 0:16:52was really the cheapest option.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55You make the decision and then you're happy with your decision
0:16:55 > 0:16:56and then you proceed.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Then you find something else which actually looks really good,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03but it has a negative effect on our previously made decisions.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05You start going backwards again.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07We're getting to the point where
0:17:07 > 0:17:09there's no more procrastination allowed.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13One decision that gave Keith sleepless nights
0:17:13 > 0:17:17early on in the build was to have floating cantilevered steels
0:17:17 > 0:17:19holding up a frameless corner window.
0:17:22 > 0:17:23So the rest of the structure's in now,
0:17:23 > 0:17:28so we've been able to knock out the supports and...
0:17:29 > 0:17:32..it hasn't fallen down...yet!
0:17:32 > 0:17:33With the steels holding,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36it's not the corner window that Laurence has been worrying about.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39The rest of the house's windows are arriving on site today
0:17:39 > 0:17:41and Laurence has a concern.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Every single one of the units is bespoke.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Every one of the units is being specifically designed to the space
0:17:47 > 0:17:50that they're fitting into the specific room.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53In terms of the size that went to the factory to fabricate them,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56it was to some degree calculated because the actual structure
0:17:56 > 0:18:00opening we had on site wasn't the actual opening that we've got today,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03but hopefully that's not going to be an issue.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Tune in at the end of the show...
0:18:05 > 0:18:08to see how many of them ended up in the skip.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11In total, 28 windows will be installed into the building,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13at a cost of £36,000.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15It's going over there.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Everything seems to be going to plan.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21The glaziers carefully lift one of the first windows by crane.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25The glass is weaved through the scaffold without a hitch.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27But then a problem...
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Laurence's concerns seem to be coming true
0:18:30 > 0:18:32as the glass just won't fit.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Will you check this clip?
0:18:34 > 0:18:35You're near enough there.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38You're slightly higher than the other side.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Just keep an eye on the top, as well, yeah? So, on three...
0:18:43 > 0:18:48- It's a tense moment.- On three, we'll give it a big push up and in.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51One, two, three...
0:18:51 > 0:18:54One wrong move could break the glass or damage the timber frame,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56setting the build back even further.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59We're just a couple of millimetres out at the moment
0:18:59 > 0:19:02which causes a lot of resistance when we're trying to
0:19:02 > 0:19:04lift the sash into position.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05HE GRUNTS
0:19:05 > 0:19:09The men resort to brute force to try and pull the heavy glass into place.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13It's not far off. Up a bit.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17One, two, three...
0:19:20 > 0:19:22That got it!
0:19:25 > 0:19:28For Laurence, the windows going in is a big relief
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and marks a key moment in the build.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35It's starting to look a lot like the final product, really,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37which is kind of exciting.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39It's starting to look like the 3D model that we did
0:19:39 > 0:19:41right in the beginning about two years ago
0:19:41 > 0:19:44and, certainly in a build project, this is a really exciting time.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54With the windows in, the build picks up pace.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Just two weeks later and Laurence's vision
0:19:56 > 0:19:58is starting to become a reality.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00With the exterior rendered,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03he's come back to take a look with owner Keith.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06So Keith, we're getting pretty close, now. What do you think?
0:20:06 > 0:20:10I think, Laurence, the scaffolding coming down is the big thing.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Suddenly it looks like a house.
0:20:12 > 0:20:1314 months ago,
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Keith and Myrika's three-bedroom bungalow was bulldozed.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22Today, in its place is a stunning piece of contemporary architecture.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23It's a bit of an interesting process
0:20:23 > 0:20:26because obviously your initial thoughts were
0:20:26 > 0:20:28probably not to knock it down.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31It would have been nice to avoid it.
0:20:31 > 0:20:3518 tonnes of complex steelwork has helped to create what looks like
0:20:35 > 0:20:40a simple exterior with crisp, sleek lines and beautiful outside spaces.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43In some ways, it was never a clean sheet of paper. Now, what we see
0:20:43 > 0:20:47today is a kind of evolution of what was here before, to some degree.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50- Yes.- Although I'd like to think we've improved on it.- Yes, very much so.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52I think, if you're going to build a house,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55it's important to build it for the time in which you live.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58The complexities of the build, combined with a challenging winter,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02mean that the project is running two months behind schedule.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Inside, the amazing three-storey entrance hall is still covered
0:21:07 > 0:21:10with scaffold but it won't be long until Keith and Myrika
0:21:10 > 0:21:13can see the full impact of Laurence's design.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18When finished, this ground floor will give them every modern comfort.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Laurence has designed the main living area to be on the first floor
0:21:24 > 0:21:27of the house, to take advantage of the light and panoramic views.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31The six bedrooms will give Keith and Myrika all the space they need
0:21:31 > 0:21:33when their children come to stay.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35But it's their master bedroom on the third storey
0:21:35 > 0:21:39that commands the best views from this imposing home.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40With a height of almost 30 feet,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43the open atrium will give a real sense of grandeur,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47but it's only when you delve further into this futuristic home
0:21:47 > 0:21:50that you realise just how special it's going to be.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53We're standing in a cinema/bar area, is that right?
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Yes, well, it started off, of course, as a cinema room
0:21:56 > 0:22:00but you built into it this sort of very nice little cubbyhole
0:22:00 > 0:22:02that just asks to sort of have a bar
0:22:02 > 0:22:05and a nice little seating area or whatever put down here.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08We have, of course, also got the workshop room at the back,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10which Myrika suggested could be screen one and screen two,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14and if we wanted to watch different movies at the same time
0:22:14 > 0:22:16then we'd be able to do that.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21Does that mean you'd need some sort of reception area in the foyer?
0:22:21 > 0:22:23We could do, indeed.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Upstairs, Keith and Myrika will have a kitchen, dining and living area.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32- So this is your main living room. - Nice and light with all the glass.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34It changes a bit from downstairs, doesn't it?
0:22:34 > 0:22:38And just opens out a bit more and what actually is really
0:22:38 > 0:22:40nice about this level is you just get this greenery.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46For me, it's to see this smooth transition from inside and outside,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49actually, the concept of a little bit of both in terms of your daily life.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Yeah. Absolutely, yeah.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59I think if you want something that is a real piece of architecture
0:22:59 > 0:23:04you've got to kind of do things that aren't standard, if you like.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08You do need to push the boundaries of how you're using materials
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and systems to create something that's different.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Overall budget for the house was about 820,000.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20We've just placed an order of tiles of 22,000.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23We're going to probably be a shade over 900,000,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26maybe about 920,000 or so by the time we're finished.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28You're starting to see real results now.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30You're starting to deal with,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33let's say, smaller problems.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35And of course, as you see more of a result,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39you are starting to get more of the enjoyment.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49The extension to Jacqui and Kenny's former railway stop house
0:23:49 > 0:23:51has really moved on.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55David's back on-site to check on the contractors' work
0:23:55 > 0:23:59and there are a few final issues that need to be attended to.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02The only alarm bell that had been for me is Steven had said
0:24:02 > 0:24:05it'd be finished by the end of the week and we've got quite a lot
0:24:05 > 0:24:09- of things still needing done.- OK. - And obviously he...- Give me the list.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Give me 20 minutes to have a burrow round with it.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Having already put together a snagging list for David,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16owner Jacqui leaves him to it.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19But it's not long before David spots some problems of his own.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22There are things which are clearly just unfinished.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26There are other elements which have been done
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and just don't quite appear to be the finish that we'd be looking for.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33So, for instance, that little infill block behind the radiator pipe,
0:24:33 > 0:24:36that just needs to be raised up and fixed properly.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Steven takes his responsibility in these things very seriously
0:24:39 > 0:24:41and I'm sure he knows about them.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Having an architect on board a project
0:24:44 > 0:24:46until completion has many advantages.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49David won't sanction the final payment to the contractor
0:24:49 > 0:24:52until all of the snags have been addressed.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Sometimes it does present challenges,
0:24:56 > 0:24:57this stage of the project.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59I don't have concerns that he's not going to come back
0:24:59 > 0:25:01and sort this out.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03You know, there's a final payment which he's not going to get
0:25:03 > 0:25:09until he's done it, so there's a good way of focusing the mind!
0:25:09 > 0:25:12David will pass his comprehensive list of what needs to be done
0:25:12 > 0:25:15to finish the build on to the contractor.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Meanwhile, Jacqui and Kenny crack on with the paintwork
0:25:17 > 0:25:20to try and save as much money as they can.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Just a week later and, much to the relief of Jacqui and Kenny,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29their brand-new, life-changing extension is almost complete.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Just five months ago, the Lorraine family were struggling
0:25:32 > 0:25:36in their tiny two-bedroom railway stop house.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40With two young children and two excitable dogs to look after,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Jacqui wanted to knock it down and start again.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47I've got no love for this house at it is at the moment.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50But instead they trusted architect David Blaikie
0:25:50 > 0:25:53with their £90,000 budget and, as a result,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55they've transformed their home,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58adding a new living space...
0:25:59 > 0:26:02..and a huge new kitchen.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Jacqui and Kenny have finally got the home they so desperately needed.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09It's a project that David feels a close affinity to,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11and today he's back to inspect the works.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13- Here come the dogs. - Thanks very much.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Fantastic, well done. Isn't that wonderful?
0:26:18 > 0:26:20- We're not falling over each other any more.- No!
0:26:20 > 0:26:23- How does it feel to walk into a picture you drew?- Absolutely...
0:26:23 > 0:26:25It's two years ago since we had that conversation,
0:26:25 > 0:26:26I can't believe that.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Kenny, you've been working quite hard at this at the weekend.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30Doing all the zinc work...
0:26:30 > 0:26:33That has been every weekend basically for the last
0:26:33 > 0:26:35four or five or six weeks, probably.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39And it's been quite difficult to get the balance right
0:26:39 > 0:26:41between life and working.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46It's been worth it, financially, but it's taken a toll.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49It just displays real grit and determination to make this happen.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52You know, come hell or high water, this is going to happen.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55And that fierce determination has paid dividends
0:26:55 > 0:26:57for David and his clients.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00The living area captures the light and views from all angles,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03a signature of David's design style.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07The mass of this bit is sort of meant to sort of balance the mass of
0:27:07 > 0:27:10the original cottage, so this part has got these tall ceilings in it
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and is sloping up is to catch the west light
0:27:13 > 0:27:15coming in through the tall window.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17It's a wonderful space, isn't it?
0:27:17 > 0:27:20The house before, we could never actually see into our own garden.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23For the first time ever, I'm able to look into my own garden.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- That's your own private garden. - After how many years of living here?
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- This is it now, isn't it? - It feels right now?
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Yeah, we're here forever.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33The extension will continue to bed into its surroundings
0:27:33 > 0:27:36as the larch cladding weathers overtime.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37Come on then.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Having found the perfect vantage point,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42David is enjoying a moment of reflection.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44I've got a true affection for this building,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47and I've got a real affection for Jacqui and Kenny.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Even though they've only just finished it, I can already get
0:27:50 > 0:27:53the feeling of the effect that it's having on their lives.
0:27:53 > 0:27:58It's just a wonderful satisfaction in knowing that using my skills
0:27:58 > 0:28:02and the hard work of the contractors and the builders,
0:28:02 > 0:28:07you can genuinely deliver a building which makes the client happy.
0:28:08 > 0:28:13I think the best bit is the feeling of light, the good views, just space.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17Just space. It's all come together just in every way, hasn't it?
0:28:17 > 0:28:19The sheer scale of the space that we've got.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22We've now actually got proper front door steps,
0:28:22 > 0:28:26into a proper front door, into a proper hall,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28with a proper kitchen!
0:28:28 > 0:28:31- Proper utility room. - Yeah. It's proper!