0:00:02 > 0:00:04Across the nation, architects are building,
0:00:04 > 0:00:05designing and transforming our homes.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09One day I'm going to live in a house like this and not just do it for others.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13We're following some of those leading the way in ground-breaking 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 > 0:00:21We'll be with them every step of the way as they battle with
0:00:21 > 0:00:25builders, blueprints and the clients who hire them.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29You've got a very strange understanding of the word "today".
0:00:29 > 0:00:30Whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:00:31 > 0:00:35- That's not good. - It's like working with the Chuckle Brothers.- Ho, ho, ho!
0:00:35 > 0:00:39We're with them as they draw on their seven years of training to 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 > 0:00:56That's amazing!
0:00:56 > 0:00:58That's a pretty incredible difference, isn't it?
0:00:58 > 0:01:01The fixings alone cost 17 grand.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08All in the name of making the properties we dream of a reality.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25In Britain, self-builders spend £3.2 billion each year
0:01:25 > 0:01:26building new homes.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31Today, we see two architects getting to grips with ambitious projects.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36In the New Forest, architect Wendy takes on a challenging house build.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40I suppose for the clients it's a bit akin to living in a goldfish bowl
0:01:40 > 0:01:44in a way because their house is on such public view.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47But things don't go according to plan.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51A few changes that we've made, if I'm honest,
0:01:51 > 0:01:53I am a bit disappointed with.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56And in Wales, the end is in sight for Marianne
0:01:56 > 0:01:58and Jon's amazing upside-down house.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00It's starting to feel like a building
0:02:00 > 0:02:02heading towards completion, James.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06But Chris and James are feeling the pressure.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11Well, we're trying to prevent, I guess, a death by 1,000 cuts.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14You know, something not quite right here,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17something not quite right there, all add up to be a bit of a mess.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Spinners is a peaceful woodland garden in the New Forest.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Set in two and a half acres, it is open to the public
0:02:31 > 0:02:33six months a year.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Andy and Vicky Roberts fell in love with this
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Royal Horticultural Society-listed garden
0:02:40 > 0:02:42after visiting it for many years.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47In fact they were so smitten with the place that when the former owner
0:02:47 > 0:02:51decided to sell five years ago, this green-fingered pair snapped it up.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Having visited the garden for many years,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57and to have an opportunity like this, to make it your own
0:02:57 > 0:03:02and to build a home here, is just a dream.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05The garden came with a dilapidated old bungalow.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08We realised that there was no insulation,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12the wiring was not up to scratch, there was no foundations.
0:03:12 > 0:03:13Rewire, re-plumb, re-roof...
0:03:14 > 0:03:17..it's more expensive than actually rebuild.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19So the couple have decided to raze it to the ground
0:03:19 > 0:03:23and replace it with a brand-new four-bedroom house that will blend
0:03:23 > 0:03:26perfectly into the gardens they love.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29The architect they've chosen to design their new home is
0:03:29 > 0:03:30Wendy Perring.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34And in this building there are quite a lot of different factors because
0:03:34 > 0:03:40it's located down a steep hill and, critically, it's open to the public.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45I suppose for the clients it's a bit akin to living in a goldfish bowl,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49in a way, because their house is on such public view,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52so that was something they were quite keen when they came to see us
0:03:52 > 0:03:56that we tried to get a little bit of privacy in there whilst at
0:03:56 > 0:04:02the same time the house seemed to be sort of part growing from the site.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05This looks at the different heights...
0:04:06 > 0:04:11..and you can see the two different wings really very clearly here.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14This is the master bedroom which will have the amazing view
0:04:14 > 0:04:16out over the valley.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20The garden is set in a national park
0:04:20 > 0:04:22where strict planning rules apply.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Only four new builds are permitted in the New Forest each year.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27They must take the place of an existing dwelling
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and have a footprint no bigger than the original.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32I think the thing that excites me most
0:04:32 > 0:04:36about this building is that it is quite humble.
0:04:36 > 0:04:42It's quite simple - it's not a grand, showy architectural gesture.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46At least I hope it won't be because if it is we've got something wrong.
0:04:46 > 0:04:52The site is a very beautiful, natural and tranquil place
0:04:52 > 0:04:57and it would be entirely the wrong thing if the architecture took over.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59The whole build is scheduled to take 12 months,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02but there's another deadline - the gardens close
0:05:02 > 0:05:06to the public on the 1st of October and reopen on the 1st of April.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09They want to get the outside completely finished before then
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and that gives them exactly six months.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14April 1st - April Fools' Day - the garden opens again.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17I think it will be nice as the visitors are welcomed back into
0:05:17 > 0:05:21the garden that the house even if it's not finished on the inside that...
0:05:21 > 0:05:25sort of from the outside it looks, you know, more or less complete.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34In order to keep the build as speedy as possible,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Wendy has designed a pre-fabricated timber-frame house.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Once the concrete foundations are down,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42the house, which has been made off-site, goes up quickly.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Building the timber frame way is a lot quicker than doing
0:05:48 > 0:05:49a traditional build.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52It's like a jigsaw puzzle. It will just go together.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57What a fashion statement they make.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Vicky and Andy have come to site to check on progress.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Just entering the house for the first time.
0:06:03 > 0:06:04That's our front door.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Line of wardrobes come across here, built-in.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09So there'll be a bed there...
0:06:11 > 0:06:12..big view,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15big windows looking out over the Lymington valley.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18So it's going to be a rather nice little wing this one.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Thank you very much for that.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23I said, "This is going to be the window," and here it is!
0:06:23 > 0:06:25I'm staggered by how quick this is.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Presumably it's one of those things where when the last piece goes in
0:06:28 > 0:06:30you know if it's all all right.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33The timber frame goes up fast.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36But Vicky and Andy aren't seeing eye-to-eye with Wendy on
0:06:36 > 0:06:37some aspects of the design
0:06:37 > 0:06:40and have been making adjustments along the way.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44The old discussion we had was the window there,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46whether with the big window that was necessary,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49but the architects were very firm that that's wonderful.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51But they said it would be wonderful to have the
0:06:51 > 0:06:53window from the other end of the corridor,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56and I said, "You haven't got a dog! Because that door's going to
0:06:56 > 0:07:01"be closed to stop the dog taking up residence in the guest bedroom!"
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Architects have the idea and the ideals,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07and we have the practicality of, "No, you haven't lived with a Border collie!"
0:07:07 > 0:07:10And it's not just the window they've changed.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12They've also decided to get rid of one of the mezzanines
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Wendy wanted in a bedroom, and put flooring over the
0:07:15 > 0:07:18double-height space that would have opened up the stairs.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21It's not going to be a show house - it's going to be a home
0:07:21 > 0:07:23first and foremost so if we don't get it quite right,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25too bad, it's our home.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27It's going to have wet muddy footprints in it
0:07:27 > 0:07:31and that's from the dog, beside myself.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Architect Wendy has had to take her clients' wishes on board.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39A few changes that we've made, if I'm honest,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42I'm a bit disappointed with but at the end of the day
0:07:42 > 0:07:46it's NOT my house, it's Andy and Vicky's house.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48A few compromises have been made.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Ideally, they wouldn't have been made but, you know, that's building
0:07:52 > 0:07:55and that's life and I just have to get over it.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Three weeks later, although the outer shell has progressed fast,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04a change in the schedule of works and a terrible month of
0:08:04 > 0:08:07high wind and rain mean hitting the April deadline for the exterior
0:08:07 > 0:08:10is starting to look practically impossible.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14I'm terribly frustrated that we're going to finish the shell now
0:08:14 > 0:08:19after we've opened the gardens so it's really things like the
0:08:19 > 0:08:23bricks and the tiles which are presently parked outside.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27They should be within the compound and give us our parking spaces back.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Erm, it's nobody's fault.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32It would be boring if it was easy, wouldn't it?
0:08:35 > 0:08:39In Wales, architect Chris Loyn and project designer James Stroud
0:08:39 > 0:08:42have spent the past 11 months overseeing the construction of
0:08:42 > 0:08:46the hi tech upside-down house they designed for Jon and Marianne Cowpe.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Oh, yeah!
0:08:51 > 0:08:55They have a budget of £842,000 to work with.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00At the beginning, Marianne was the driving force behind the build.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01I'm telling you what I want.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06You tell me what I need to achieve what I want and how much it costs.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10But six months in she was struck down with a life-threatening infection,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13keeping her off the project for four long months.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19But the build carried on without her, and not without its dramas.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! - Go forward, go forward, go forward.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Very tense. It sounded like there was some cracking noises!
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Today, 11 months into the build,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Chris and James are visiting the site together.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Oh, James, look at that!
0:09:36 > 0:09:38That's beautiful, mate.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40One of the last jobs they need to do is inspect
0:09:40 > 0:09:43the building for any snags.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Inside, the final fixes are being applied,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48the walls and floors have been boarded out giving a real feel of
0:09:48 > 0:09:52just how the spaces will work when clients Jon and Marianne move in.
0:09:52 > 0:09:53These are all in...
0:09:53 > 0:09:57That's nice, James. Look at the amount of light coming in...
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- Yep.- ..on a day like today.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01Yep. What a difference.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04It's starting to feel like a building heading towards
0:10:04 > 0:10:07completion, James...isn't it?
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Architect Chris was integral to the original plans.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13It's interesting when you reach this stage because you've held
0:10:13 > 0:10:17it in your head as a concept and a design, and the client takes
0:10:17 > 0:10:22it over and they start fitting in their bits and pieces which is
0:10:22 > 0:10:29fine because...it's their house but it's a very strange feeling.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32For the contractors, who have been working long hours to try to
0:10:32 > 0:10:34get the build completed, James and Chris's
0:10:34 > 0:10:38determination for perfection can sometimes be a little testing.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41So, is that distance equal to that distance?
0:10:44 > 0:10:48Ideally I wanted that blue line to be in the centre of that window.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50That shaving socket is in the wrong place.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53You know...it can't be, it looks terrible there.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56That's ideal for sitting down and then
0:10:56 > 0:11:00when you put it the other side it's ideal for standing up.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01It's whichever you want, really.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Well, you want it halfway, don't you?
0:11:05 > 0:11:08CHUCKLES
0:11:08 > 0:11:12So this... We can drill a hole, a 25ml hole,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- through the joist for the pipe? - I think you probably can.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Right, I think it needs to be as centre as it can,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20so if you can do something where you can drill...
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Drill through there?
0:11:22 > 0:11:26And the only thing is I'll just clarify it with the structural engineer,
0:11:26 > 0:11:31I suppose, just to make sure you can drill a 25ml hole.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34For James, a little friction with the builders is a cross
0:11:34 > 0:11:35he's willing to bear.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37If I wasn't coming here and asking for these bits and bobs,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41I don't think the building would be as good, personally.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44But also, you know, you can't help therefore having
0:11:44 > 0:11:47a reputation for being a pain in the backside, I suppose,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50because we are coming at them and we're pulling them, asking,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53we're continually driving and saying, "Can you do this, can you do that?"
0:11:54 > 0:11:57But with Chris and James picking up on every small detail
0:11:57 > 0:12:01and the build already running two months behind its original schedule,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04it's all wearing a bit thin for Marianne.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08Originally it was meant to ready on the 19th of March, then it moved
0:12:08 > 0:12:12to April, then it moved to May so I think we're on the fourth date now.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15They'd given us the date of three weeks' time for the house
0:12:15 > 0:12:20to be finished and about five weeks for the ground works to be finished.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25I'm trying to arrange removals and everything, and the date can't...
0:12:25 > 0:12:29I feel, that the date can't keep being a moveable feast, you know?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Award-winning architect Wendy Perring is currently working
0:12:36 > 0:12:40on the design of a new build for Vicky and Andy in the New Forest.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Another ongoing project of Wendy's is the conversion of
0:12:45 > 0:12:48two barns built in 1840 on a farm in Lymington.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52This is Warborne Organic Farm
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and we've been working here as a studio for about five years now.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57We were brought in by George Cathcart, the owner,
0:12:57 > 0:13:01to look at the barns which were slowly falling apart to see
0:13:01 > 0:13:04if there was any possibility that we could get planning permission
0:13:04 > 0:13:08to convert them into holiday accommodation.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10After five months working with the planners
0:13:10 > 0:13:14and conservation officer, permission was finally granted.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18So these are the arches and what we've done here is we've kept
0:13:18 > 0:13:24the new back from the old so that you can read the old brickwork
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and, you know, there was the temptation to fill it in
0:13:27 > 0:13:31and make it perfect but that wouldn't have been right.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34It would have led to something that felt quite sterile
0:13:34 > 0:13:36so, you know, you can, you know, it's beautiful.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38It's really tactile.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Both of the completed holiday homes have two bedrooms,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47two bathrooms and an open-plan living area.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50We worked very hard to try
0:13:50 > 0:13:54and retain the feeling of what the barn would have been like.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56We felt it was very,
0:13:56 > 0:14:00very important to be able to read the existing building.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05We think in doing so it makes this feel much more spacious than
0:14:05 > 0:14:09it actually is and you come in here and you go, "Wow!"
0:14:13 > 0:14:15OK, this is my favourite bit...
0:14:20 > 0:14:22So up here you can probably fit,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26you can fit four children, and there are little mattresses and there's
0:14:26 > 0:14:30the peep hole through and you can see right down into the living space.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36You can throw paper aeroplanes at Mum and Dad
0:14:36 > 0:14:38while they're having a glass of wine.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Wendy and her team have worked hard on the barn conversions to
0:14:43 > 0:14:45ensure they make the most of their setting.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50At Spinners we're trying to do very similar things that we have
0:14:50 > 0:14:55done at Warborne so we're trying to lead the eye beyond the building
0:14:55 > 0:14:57and out to the landscape.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Back at Vicky and Andy's house build in the New Forest,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07things are running behind schedule.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Their horticultural garden is due to open to the public on April 1st.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Their aim is to have the outer shell of their new house finished
0:15:14 > 0:15:17so as to avoid disruption to the garden's many visitors.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20The next stage will transform the look of the house.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24The plan is to cover the timber frame with tiles and brick.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Wendy has taken inspiration from Beaulieu, the local brickworks.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Opened in the late 18th century, bricks were hand crafted
0:15:30 > 0:15:34here for the local area until the works closed in the 1980s.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38The different bricks came from the different clays
0:15:38 > 0:15:40that are available locally.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44There's a very yellow, straw-coloured clay and a red clay,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48and the red tends to be from the west side of the Beaulieu river,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50and the yellow tends to be from the east side.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52So round about the site,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54the buildings do tend to be more red brick.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Choosing the brickwork is left to Andy and Vicky,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04but when Wendy arrives with her colleague Darren to see
0:16:04 > 0:16:07the bricks they've picked, first impressions aren't good.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Ooh.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12What's that?
0:16:14 > 0:16:15It's a bit spotty.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19That's the first time that I've seen the brickwork.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21It's all gone up in one week.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24There's quite a lot of grey overburn in it,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28it's making it a little bit patchy.
0:16:28 > 0:16:29Wendy wants to take a closer look.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33It's all sand, isn't it?
0:16:33 > 0:16:37- ALL: Yeah.- There's actually more colour in that brickwork than you realise
0:16:37 > 0:16:39- when you get close up. - Yeah.- There's more variation.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- So we just need it to be rained on for a few days.- Yeah.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50Four weeks later, it's mid-May, the gardens have been open to the public
0:16:50 > 0:16:53for six weeks and finally the work to the exterior is just about complete.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Wendy's back to see how the house is settling into its new surroundings.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Gosh!
0:17:01 > 0:17:02SHE LAUGHS
0:17:02 > 0:17:03It looks really good.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09It just...looks like it was meant to be there.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14The old cottage that was in situ just six months ago has been
0:17:14 > 0:17:16replaced by a contemporary and stylish
0:17:16 > 0:17:17four-bedroom family home.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24The clay tiles and hand-picked bricks have come together beautifully
0:17:24 > 0:17:27to make a home worthy of its picturesque surroundings.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Do you know what's lovely is the light on the clay tiles,
0:17:35 > 0:17:36that texture.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- Yes.- It's very nice.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Very pleased with these tiles and brickwork.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44And it's broken up so it's not just a solid, it's got interest.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46It's really all starting to make sense now.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49- It is.- You can actually just...
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Stand back and the building can start to breathe.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55I love the way as you go round the garden it just disappears
0:17:55 > 0:17:57totally out of sight.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Yeah, and it will continue that because we've got to do
0:18:00 > 0:18:03the landscaping at the front and the planting at the front,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06and then it will even more settle into its landscape.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Yeah.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Severe weather and a change in the work schedule means
0:18:11 > 0:18:15the exterior was finished six weeks later than planned.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Inside, move-in day is still a few months away.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Oh, wow, that's great.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Is this the first time you've been in and seen that?
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Yes.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28- Because that is fantastic.- Yes.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29It sort of had us jumping up and down.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32The window in and that tree in blossom.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Upstairs has still has to be boarded out
0:18:36 > 0:18:38but everywhere you look there are glimpses of just
0:18:38 > 0:18:42how wonderful this house is going to be when it's finished.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44This will be where the staircase comes up...
0:18:44 > 0:18:46and takes you into
0:18:46 > 0:18:52the master bedroom which has got the wow factor which is the view.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55It is absolutely terrific.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Amazing.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01It's definitely one of the best views from any
0:19:01 > 0:19:03bedroom in Hampshire, I'm sure.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07I think it'll be a wonderful place to wake up in the morning.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Yeah.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12I really hope that it's what Andy and Vicky were thinking of.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14It's certainly what, you know,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18when I did the initial feasibility study and...
0:19:19 > 0:19:20..one of the things
0:19:20 > 0:19:25that I tried to emphasise to them was that the house was very rooted
0:19:25 > 0:19:29in the garden and that it was very much part of the garden setting.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33And one of the sketches that I did right at the beginning was
0:19:33 > 0:19:35just this view, you know,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38from this approach as you come down the path and it's quite a sort of
0:19:38 > 0:19:43modest little building that you start to glimpse through the trees.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45It just feels right.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50As the house progresses we can see that we're realising
0:19:50 > 0:19:53the dream that we had at the very beginning.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56It is getting there, and it's going to be the most fantastic
0:19:56 > 0:19:59place to live in the most wonderful setting.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06In Wales, Jon and Marianne's build
0:20:06 > 0:20:08is running two months behind its original schedule.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12The last date we've had from them is the end of May,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15but I don't think it'll be ready by the end of May
0:20:15 > 0:20:19so I'm just waiting now for them to give a new date.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21I think there's too much to do.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24We are talking about a load of men here, aren't we?!
0:20:24 > 0:20:27So, yeah, maybe a woman could have had them all lined up.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28You know, the ducks in a row?
0:20:29 > 0:20:32On site things ARE moving forward.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36The kitchen that James fought so hard for is finally being installed.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Morning.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40And he's come to make sure the massive worktop for the island
0:20:40 > 0:20:43he'd championed makes it safely in.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45This is going to be very fun!
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Made out of natural minerals and acrylic,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50it weighs in at an impressive 150kg.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55It takes six men to lift the surface onto the crane that will
0:20:55 > 0:20:58hoist it to the first floor and in through the balcony door.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01This is one of the last big things to go in.
0:21:01 > 0:21:07This is built as one piece and so it needs to go in as one.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09It's fairly heavy and it's also very delicate
0:21:09 > 0:21:12cos you've got to lift it in the right parts.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14So, resting the worktop on its weakest section
0:21:14 > 0:21:17perhaps isn't the best plan.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Is that strong enough that section there?
0:21:19 > 0:21:21- You've got to be careful with that. - That's what I mean.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Watch your back. Watch your back.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31But it's on and the team carefully winch it to the balcony above.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41With the base already in situ, Marianne's island has to fit exactly
0:21:41 > 0:21:44or all of the sweat and effort will have been for nothing.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54- It's perfectly sat on there. First time.- Is it?- Yeah, just about.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55A few millimetres.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Incredible.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03The giant island is in and exactly as James imagined.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09It's beautiful material. I mean, it's massive, isn't it?
0:22:11 > 0:22:15It's been four years since Chris Loyn first put brush to paper
0:22:15 > 0:22:17and painted this incredible house.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Over the course of its 11-month build there have been heady highs.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22LAUGHS
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Over here! That's right!
0:22:24 > 0:22:26One day I'm going to live in a house like this
0:22:26 > 0:22:28and not just do it for others.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30Oh, I can't believe it.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35And life-threatening lows.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Unfortunately, Marianne is now in hospital.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42She'll be in hospital for about two and a half weeks
0:22:42 > 0:22:45and it's just a slow process.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47But throughout, James, Chris and Marianne...
0:22:47 > 0:22:49It doesn't fit!
0:22:49 > 0:22:52..have steadfastly driven their dream of a
0:22:52 > 0:22:54hi tech upside-down home ever onwards.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- It's the end of May. - So, you looking forward to this?
0:23:05 > 0:23:08James and colleague Chris have come to site see Marianne
0:23:08 > 0:23:10and show her how far the house has progressed.
0:23:10 > 0:23:11It looks well, doesn't it?
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Yeah, it's very, very discreet.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Marianne's lengthy stay in hospital, the builders' battle
0:23:16 > 0:23:19with high winds and rain, and the sheer technical complexity
0:23:19 > 0:23:23of this build mean that two months late it's still not quite finished.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27But now with the stunning kitchen installed...
0:23:29 > 0:23:31..the sedum roof established...
0:23:35 > 0:23:37..and the rooms and spaces beginning to
0:23:37 > 0:23:39take on their final form...
0:23:40 > 0:23:43..Marianne and Jon are just weeks away
0:23:43 > 0:23:46from finally moving in and enjoying the views they've been dreaming of.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Oh, first time we've seen the stove, Jon.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56- Yep. Like it?- I do like it, yeah. Oh, this is fab, isn't it?
0:23:56 > 0:24:00Well, this is the bit of the house that we replicated what goes on
0:24:00 > 0:24:03in your house where people turn up and realise how amazing the view is.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Yeah.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07And that's why we've got that, whoa!
0:24:07 > 0:24:09And the view just straight ahead.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12The double-height space Chris imagined
0:24:12 > 0:24:16right from the beginning opens up the ground floor to the sky above.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19This is great because otherwise this would be a dark corridor,
0:24:19 > 0:24:20wouldn't it?
0:24:20 > 0:24:23It is also a way of finding things so
0:24:23 > 0:24:26if you're down there it's straight into your lift, straight upstairs.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30All the bedrooms are on the ground floor, two have their own en-suite
0:24:30 > 0:24:33wet room with a special feature in Marianne and Jon's master.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36We've got the same detail here where you'll just be able to wheel
0:24:36 > 0:24:38- straight in.- Right.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40But we've put...
0:24:40 > 0:24:41got a shower seat.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Oh, nice. Nice for me in this situation, isn't it?
0:24:44 > 0:24:47You know, you can do your feet, your legs, whatever you want to do.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- Yeah, it's nice. It's comfortable.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53I also think standing under the shower is just too draining
0:24:53 > 0:24:55- sometimes, pardon the pun!- Yeah.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59The lift to the first floor was meant to be
0:24:59 > 0:25:02part of the house's future-proofing measures to make the house
0:25:02 > 0:25:03practical in the years to come.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Thankfully, Marianne is on the mend
0:25:05 > 0:25:08but her illness has meant it's already invaluable.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- Hey, look at that floor. - Are you ready for this?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14- Yes, I'm ready.- OK, this is it.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17This is it. Oh, it's fantastic.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Yeah. It's fab.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I think the fact that it's a white plane, like the other walls,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25like your furniture is going to be with that in the background,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29just reflects the light and I think it's really successful so I'm glad we made that decision.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Because originally we were going to have black, weren't we?
0:25:31 > 0:25:33- Well, I think you wanted black! - Yeah!
0:25:33 > 0:25:36LAUGHTER
0:25:36 > 0:25:39The kitchen is the heart of the new home.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41With stunning views across the Welsh countryside,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45an instant boiling water tap and a smart induction wok hob.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48I like these. I like the drawers.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51From the beginning, James has fought Marianne
0:25:51 > 0:25:54and her kitchen designer to have a central kitchen island rather
0:25:54 > 0:25:56than a worktop running into the wall.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58I'm your kitchen unit.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Yeah, you won the battle on that one, didn't you?!
0:26:02 > 0:26:03Yeah.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06But it wasn't for the sake of winning...
0:26:06 > 0:26:08because I felt so strongly that it was the right decision.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Yeah.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13And Marianne hasn't forgotten to give Jon his own space.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Hidden just around the still-to-be-rendered circular staircase.
0:26:17 > 0:26:18As we come round
0:26:18 > 0:26:21and see the completely different type of glass in here.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25You do get the feeling, don't you, when you're standing here, you know, there's nothing there?
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Well this is one of the most expensive windows
0:26:27 > 0:26:31because it has to be even thicker in case you do fall against it.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Right, I see.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- Do you want to test it?- No!
0:26:35 > 0:26:36OK.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Not yet. Not until the building is finished!
0:26:38 > 0:26:40HE LAUGHS
0:26:40 > 0:26:43And Jon's already got plans for his new space.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45I see it as a sort of study really
0:26:45 > 0:26:47because I'll have the desk in the middle of the room
0:26:47 > 0:26:52and then I've got my nice bits of furniture down the side here.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56It still feels like part of that space in terms of the connection.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59I think this room is too big to be Jon's room.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04- Well, not really because once I've got all my furniture in... - I think he's got too much space.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07If Jon does manage to keep his room it's still going to be a few
0:27:07 > 0:27:10weeks before he can move his furniture over from the old house.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14But James hopes it'll be worth the wait to achieve the perfect home.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18As you get closer to the end and we're so exacting on all
0:27:18 > 0:27:23of the tiny little details, this isn't a pastiche building,
0:27:23 > 0:27:29it's a cutting edge, modern building with a lot of complicated junctions.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32And I think actually, you know, if the contractor does take
0:27:32 > 0:27:35a little bit longer to achieve the standards that we require,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38and on the basis that the client is happy with that,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41then there's no objection.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42I can't believe it.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44I can't believe that we're
0:27:44 > 0:27:49so fortunate to be in a position to be able to do it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Lots of people have a dream about building a house, I suppose,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56but to be able to fulfil that dream I think we're very fortunate.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58It's more than bricks and mortar.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00This was obviously Marianne's project
0:28:00 > 0:28:04and has been all the way along, even when she was in the hospital.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06It's worked out exactly how she said it was going to do
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and I think she should be very proud of what's she's achieved.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Oh, thank you.
0:28:12 > 0:28:13LAUGHTER
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Next time, in Hertfordshire,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21a total home renovation looks set to drive owner David over the edge
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Nightmare, dream? Take your pick!
0:28:23 > 0:28:26And in Dorset, there's plans for an amazing factory-built house,
0:28:26 > 0:28:30but will the project be scuppered by the planners before it's even broken ground?
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Well, he ain't going to budge.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35If we reduce the size of it, he'll potentially support it.