0:00:02 > 0:00:04- Ambitious ideas... - You want four bedrooms, don't you?
0:00:04 > 0:00:05- Yeah. I want just four.- I want six.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07..the tightest of budgets...
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Basically, we've got about ten grand left.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11..and a need for inspiration...
0:00:11 > 0:00:14I've not seen anything like this before.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18..united each of the six projects Piers Taylor and I, Kieran Long,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21followed on The House That 100K Built.
0:00:21 > 0:00:22We're building walls.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Our self-builders created amazing houses,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27but they weren't yet finished homes.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Being the type of house it is, the staircase is important.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33So, now Piers is making a final visit
0:00:33 > 0:00:35to tackle the remaining challenges.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40So, that's a challenge, to get that without putting up a wooden shack.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42With money tighter than ever,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45this time, he'll need even more inventive solutions...
0:00:45 > 0:00:47- Can you see it?- Yeah.- No.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51..and to inspire them in fresh and unconventional ways...
0:00:51 > 0:00:53That is impressive, isn't it?
0:00:53 > 0:00:56..as, this time, they try to finish their homes for good.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Sue and Tim have a 40-acre farm in Somerset.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12I love cows. They've been my life for the last 30 years.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13Steady, big fella.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19There's 14,000 happy hens.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Ooh, that wasn't very clever.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Both the cows and the hens have a decent home...
0:01:27 > 0:01:29..but Sue and Tim don't.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33They've been together nearly nine years and moved here six years ago.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38All that time, they've been living in a caravan with their three dogs.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41- Trailer trash. - Trailer trash, you know, but, erm...
0:01:41 > 0:01:44We've got everything you could possibly need, so...
0:01:44 > 0:01:47- We haven't.- What?- We haven't got a bath.- We haven't got a bath, no. - Got to have a bath.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Well, we have got a bath, but it's got a hole in the bottom.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Building a house is a long-time ambition.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Now, with finances finally sorted,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00they're ready to start on a field beyond the cowsheds.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04- When we first got together, one of the things we wanted to do was build a house together.- Yeah.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07I'm quite practical, good with my hands. Sue's...
0:02:07 > 0:02:09I can make a dovetail joint.
0:02:09 > 0:02:10Better than yours.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14They've set a limit on the budget of £100,000,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18but there is none on their architectural ambition.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21My godfather was an architect,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24and so I had quite a lot of that influence
0:02:24 > 0:02:28of talking about the modernist architects
0:02:28 > 0:02:33and Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, but this is...
0:02:33 > 0:02:34the Somerset version.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Having worked through the plans and the budget,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46they're confident about building their home for £100,000.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48But, it's wildly ambitious
0:02:48 > 0:02:51compared with most of the projects we've followed.
0:02:51 > 0:02:52Completing it won't be easy.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59The two-storey farmhouse will be unashamedly modern.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00A timber-clad first floor
0:03:00 > 0:03:03will sit on top of a white-rendered ground floor.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08The house will appear to float in midair,
0:03:08 > 0:03:09thanks to a cantilever.
0:03:11 > 0:03:12There will be two terraces,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14which will make the most of the rural views.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Downstairs will be the working hub of the farm,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22with a plant room, boot room, store,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25farm office, two bedrooms and a bathroom.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Stairs will take you up onto a landing, then, around the corner,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34the architect has outlined the main living area and pantry,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37plus a large bedroom, dressing room and bathroom.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39Building a home of this size
0:03:39 > 0:03:43and complexity could easily cost £1,000 a square metre.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Sue and Tim are trying to do it for just over half that.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51I'm on my way to meet them.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55I want to understand how they plan to use their home
0:03:55 > 0:03:57and why they're being so ambitious.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03Tell me how this kind of box on another box design involved, then.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05I wanted something to sort of challenge me, really.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07And also we wanted to be upside down,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09because we wanted to be up
0:04:09 > 0:04:11to take advantage of the view.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Tell me how you imagine using these spaces that are proposed.
0:04:16 > 0:04:17Was this part of the brief
0:04:17 > 0:04:19or something that the architect just brought?
0:04:19 > 0:04:22The only fixed point is the stairwell.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25When we build, what we'll do is
0:04:25 > 0:04:28we will build without any internal walls,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31but what we'll do is we'll walk around and we'll say
0:04:31 > 0:04:33"What do we want, actually?"
0:04:33 > 0:04:34But I'm slightly surprised.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37When you design a building, you design the plan of the building
0:04:37 > 0:04:40- and you really haven't done it like that.- Why would we do that, though?
0:04:40 > 0:04:41Why? That's what we want.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43If it is undefined,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45then it's our living area,
0:04:45 > 0:04:50rather than, "We're going into the sitting room, we're going into the kitchen, we're going into the..."
0:04:50 > 0:04:54When it gets to that stage, we'll make the decision then.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Building without a firm plan is risky,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59as it could end up costing them more in the long run.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02But, despite the lack of an agreed final layout,
0:05:02 > 0:05:03they're going for it.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07We're building walls.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13The ground floor is being built using around 700 blocks
0:05:13 > 0:05:16made from recycled waste timber, mixed with cement.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18They even come pre-insulated.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20We chose this,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22because we can put it up ourselves.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25But Sue and Tim are not completely alone.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28They've got Lee, a builder, working with them.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31They've only budgeted to have him on site for four months.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37With the structure going up,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40it's vital Piers intervenes quickly,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44using his architectural expertise to tackle their design decisions -
0:05:44 > 0:05:45or lack of.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Nobody plays so fast and loose with a house
0:05:47 > 0:05:49as they're building it, really,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52except for the most experienced architect
0:05:52 > 0:05:53after a lifetime of doing it.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57But that's what Sue and Tim are doing now, with no training, ever.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Having turned their back on the layout suggested by their architect,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04Sue and Tim now appear to have virtually no plans.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Piers want to help them imagine
0:06:06 > 0:06:09what arriving into that first-floor space will be like.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11For me, I think it would be a pretty amazing thing to arrive,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13walk up and gradually, you know,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16you see that fantastic view through there.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18So, if you're going to take walls out,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20it's kind of potentially that one.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23But these were almost the only walls Sue and Tim wanted to keep.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28And, at the moment, I mean, you arrive at a blank wall.
0:06:28 > 0:06:29I mean, is this what you want?
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- Because, you know, you could have anything.- Haven't thought about it.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Yeah. It's your journey, but, for me, the overriding story here is you
0:06:35 > 0:06:39leave all the grit of the farm and you come up to this beautiful box
0:06:39 > 0:06:41that perches on the top and then you see this landscape.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44You mean you come up and it gradually gets revealed
0:06:44 > 0:06:45as you walk up?
0:06:47 > 0:06:49And then you see that amazing light
0:06:49 > 0:06:53and that light also floods down the stairs, you know, down below.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58The staircase will become a dramatic gateway to the view,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00once the wall's removed.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Sue and Tim then plan to lose all the other internal walls
0:07:06 > 0:07:08except the bedroom wall.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12The couple have made firm decisions on the exterior.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14White render below,
0:07:14 > 0:07:15and then, for the cantilevered first floor,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19the same inexpensive timber they've used on their chicken shed.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23This cladding costs just over £5 per square metre.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25So, this is your boarding, isn't it?
0:07:25 > 0:07:29And, clearly, this is a cheap material and, you know,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32just because it's cheap and just because it's on this barn,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34doesn't mean necessarily you need to use it.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Well, I like it. I do like it and...
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- It was purely price.- Yeah.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Using low-cost, rough materials on rural buildings
0:07:43 > 0:07:45can help them fit well into their setting,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48but this is a potentially crisp, modern home
0:07:48 > 0:07:50sitting in the landscape.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Piers believes Sue and Tim can be far more ambitious.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55This building is good, but, at the moment,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57I feel it is too straightforward.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59You know, when I think of white render,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01I don't see material richness.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04What we don't want to do is do anything with the finishes
0:08:04 > 0:08:06that are going to detract from the line,
0:08:06 > 0:08:12and I think that the white render is there to enhance the other stuff.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15And if that is the case, I'm not sure that Yorkshire boarding
0:08:15 > 0:08:18is the material that's special enough.
0:08:19 > 0:08:20Oh, right.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Piers wants Sue and Tim to reconsider key design elements
0:08:25 > 0:08:27before they go too far.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Piers has given us a lot of thought.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31I think, possibly,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33we thought we were being quite radical with our ideas,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36but, actually, clearly not radical enough
0:08:36 > 0:08:40and that's great, cos we don't actually want it to look like
0:08:40 > 0:08:43every other modernist house that's been built in the last ten years.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47I want to show Sue and Tim
0:08:47 > 0:08:50how incredible the exterior of their house could be,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53so I've arranged to meet them at a stunning contemporary home
0:08:53 > 0:08:55in south London.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Sue and Tim are pushing ahead with their build,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59but I really want to start challenging them now
0:08:59 > 0:09:00on the detail of their house.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02I want them to keep their aspiration super-high
0:09:02 > 0:09:04and keep their sights on the architecture.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Good to see you, and welcome.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09I'm so excited to show you this beautiful house.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16The Tree House by McChesney Architects
0:09:16 > 0:09:20will show them how an inspired combination of exterior materials
0:09:20 > 0:09:22can achieve a stunning effect.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26I think it's absolutely spectacular.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28And shiny, which I love.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31The sky in the reflection is magic, actually.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Isn't it just?
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Valued at over £1.5 million,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39it's in another league in terms of cost,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43but the architectural trick produced by the opaque black glass
0:09:43 > 0:09:45is priceless.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47This reflectiveness really helps it somehow
0:09:47 > 0:09:50melt into the beautiful landscape, doesn't it?
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Just stunning.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56That something so simple can be so clever.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Simple, but expensive.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01This glass facade is built to a high specification.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Costs to achieve a similar effect
0:10:03 > 0:10:06could easily run into hundreds of pounds per square metre.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13The way that the glass reflects the outside world is amazing.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18How we can do this on our budget will require some
0:10:18 > 0:10:20pretty clever ingenuity, really.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30It's three months since Sue and Tim began work
0:10:30 > 0:10:32on their ambitious farmhouse,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34and costs are spiralling.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Lift up the arm.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37Done it.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40The timber first-floor structure, which has been engineered off-site,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42has cost them £22,000,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44bringing their total spend to 60k.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51Sue's now determined to find a cheap way to replicate the high-end
0:10:51 > 0:10:55glass cladding she saw and has found an incredible online bargain.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58I saw some glass for £90, the lot.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02And it was so cheap, I thought, well, even if it doesn't work...
0:11:02 > 0:11:04I'll have to make a big greenhouse or something out of it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10But contemporary homes aren't typically created
0:11:10 > 0:11:13out of upcycled and salvaged materials.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Piers must get to site to see if the idea can work in reality.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Sue is amazingly resourceful.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23She's gone and bought a whole stack of glass for less than £100,
0:11:23 > 0:11:24but it's not enough to do
0:11:24 > 0:11:26the whole of the outside of the building.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31So, my question will be, how can she incorporate this into a piece
0:11:31 > 0:11:35of architecture that is very, very carefully considered?
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Because they haven't got enough glass
0:11:37 > 0:11:38to clad the entire first floor,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Piers needs to find a clever way of using it.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45This is one option of, you know, the timber and the glass
0:11:45 > 0:11:47interspersed all the way around the building.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52You'd paint the timber black and you paint the glass black,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55but all you see is the subtle difference in texture,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59and you would really unify the whole thing.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Right. So, what do you reckon?
0:12:01 > 0:12:03I don't know.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07I think by breaking up the glass, you do lose the drama
0:12:07 > 0:12:10of the large expanse of reflection.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Piers goes back to the drawing board.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16How about we use the big expanse of glass,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18and we do something like this?
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- That's glass, that's glass, that's obviously glass, that's glass. - Mmm-hmm.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Where all the glass is in the middle, this band of glass,
0:12:24 > 0:12:25with timber top and bottom.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- I mean, for me, it changes the look of the building completely.- Yeah.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32I like the flow going right away along the side of that building.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34And, also, we'd have enough glass for it as well, wouldn't we?
0:12:34 > 0:12:35Yeah, absolutely.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37- I'm happy with that.- Good. Me, too.
0:12:37 > 0:12:38I like that look.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45The exterior design is agreed and Sue puts the plan into action.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48With her horsebox packed with glass,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52she heads from Somerset to visit a glass-treatment company in Kent.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57I have no idea whether I'm going to have 20 sheets of glass
0:12:57 > 0:13:00or just a pile of fragments.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Sue's planning to have the glass painted black
0:13:08 > 0:13:09and is having a test panel made up
0:13:09 > 0:13:12to ensure she's happy with the colour and finish.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17The glass is cleaned and then sprayed
0:13:17 > 0:13:19with a resin-and-pigment mix.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23She's negotiated a price of £35 per square metre.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Brand-new back-painted glass could cost at least double that.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33We want to achieve that whole treehouse look that we saw
0:13:33 > 0:13:34and fell in love with.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38This'd be the colour that we've chosen for you.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39Ooh, wow.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Aah, that's lovely.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45So, that's the sort of reflective black you're going to get.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46Lovely!
0:13:50 > 0:13:53The glass looks great and, six months into the build,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56a sleek modern home has started to emerge.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59But, with only 22K left in the budget,
0:13:59 > 0:14:00there's a massive setback
0:14:00 > 0:14:02and all work has to stop.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05There is an issue with the cantilever,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08one of the defining features of the building.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10It's moving.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Lee was looking at it all the time and saying, you know,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15"It's moving, it's moving, it's moving."
0:14:18 > 0:14:22It moved enough to actually be structurally unsound in the end.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26The structure was bowing,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28erm, and the deflection was up to 40 mil.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32We've got to the point where we can't go any further,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35because we can't put anything, more windows in upstairs
0:14:35 > 0:14:39until we've got it secure structurally downstairs.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41- So, we are in a bad situation, for sure.- Yeah.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46The cantilevered first floor will now need to be propped up
0:14:46 > 0:14:49with steel supports, costing £2,000.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52It's a bitter blow for the couple.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54We are going to be over the 100,000.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57I think we're in the 120s.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01I suppose I failed, if you like,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05cos, you know, I said you could do it for 100,000 and,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08erm, I suppose I've failed.
0:15:08 > 0:15:09But, in that respect,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11yeah, I admit it.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Despite being at crisis point with the budget,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22this pair are determined not to give up on their dream.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24The structural steel supports arrive
0:15:24 > 0:15:28and a tonne of metal has to be carefully fitted into place.
0:15:28 > 0:15:29Whoa...there.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34At least we've got something that can stand up straight.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37And Sue pushes on with the cladding for the exterior.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Having decided to stain the Yorkshire boarding black,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42she begins the mammoth task.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46There's 300 boards this size,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50and then I've got another 125 to do,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52which is the full height of the cantilever.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02It's all building to perhaps the most nerve-racking day so far.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05It's finally time to fit the sprayed-glass panels
0:16:05 > 0:16:07to the exterior of the house,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09and there's no margin for error.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13We've got exactly the right amount of panes of glass?
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Yeah, and they're all different sizes.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17There's no second chance, so...
0:16:17 > 0:16:19It's about as bespoke as you can get, really.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23The glass could look amazing -
0:16:23 > 0:16:25if they get it right.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27- OK.- You tell me when.- Up you go.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31I have actually stopped breathing.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33You realise that, don't you?
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Sue and Tim have never shied away from the challenges
0:16:37 > 0:16:39created by their high-end aspirations,
0:16:39 > 0:16:41despite their low budget.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45But can they really pull it off?
0:16:47 > 0:16:49He's thumping the glass.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50Aaah!
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Sue and Tim set out to build a modern farmhouse
0:16:57 > 0:17:00of astonishing architectural ambition,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02and the structure and exterior alone
0:17:02 > 0:17:04proved a mountain to climb.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Nearly a year after they started building,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Piers and I are back to see how far they've got.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Wow, it's so nice.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17As soon as I came up the hill here, the first thing that struck me,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19of course, was these expanses of glass
0:17:19 > 0:17:21and the way that they reflect the sky.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24And, Sue, I remember getting so excited with you about
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- the Tree House, which was a wonderful moment, wasn't it?- Yeah.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Something lit up in your mind.
0:17:29 > 0:17:30I don't think you were expecting us
0:17:30 > 0:17:34- to take that literally, were you? - No.- No.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36It's just stunning the way the sky is reflected
0:17:36 > 0:17:38and the tree is reflected.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41The house we saw in London, it was all glass.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Here, we've had to use it strategically.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52This amazing effect has been created with second-hand glass,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55specialist painting and clever fixings.
0:17:55 > 0:17:56High-end glazing systems
0:17:56 > 0:17:59can run into hundreds of pounds per square metre,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01but this works out at under 75.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05This is a palette of materials that is quite a humble,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08ordinary palette of materials.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11The design is how those things come together.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14It's the painstaking care around the edges of things.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16- Absolutely. - That's where design happens.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20This is a beautiful, refined piece of architecture.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24The major structural phase of the build
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and some of the exterior are complete,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28but there's still a lot to do.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30How are the finances faring?
0:18:31 > 0:18:34So, tell me how much you had in the budget to begin with
0:18:34 > 0:18:36and how much you've spent so far on the build?
0:18:36 > 0:18:41Well, the aim has always been to build the house for £100,000.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43However, we have gone over.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47We're around 135, but that includes money we've had to use to
0:18:47 > 0:18:51rectify the problems and the issues we've had along the way.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54So, how much you think it's going to take you to get you to the end?
0:18:54 > 0:18:55To actually finish the build?
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Probably 20,000 now would see us to the end.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Four months on and the exterior is nearing completion.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17All the glass has now been fitted.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18I love it.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21I love it, because it's always different.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Sometimes, when you've got an amazing sunset,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28you want to rush outside to not look at the actual sunset,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31but look at the sunset reflected in the glass.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32It is amazing.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37But, the inside is nowhere near habitable.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Of course, Lee has finished now.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42And given us a list of instructions
0:19:42 > 0:19:45and we are now plodding our way through,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49and then he will come back and build our kitchen for us.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52The kitchen will make the house more liveable.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Equally important in this interior phase of the build
0:19:54 > 0:19:56is creating a proper staircase.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Designed well, it could be a striking architectural statement inside,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03just as the glass is outside.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Being the type of house it is, the staircase is important,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11because it's the first thing you see when you come to the door and,
0:20:11 > 0:20:16being an upside-down house, people will come straight upstairs.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19As getting this part of the house right
0:20:19 > 0:20:21is critical to the whole interior,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Piers has asked Sue and Tim to meet him in London.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26He wants to show them how a staircase
0:20:26 > 0:20:29can be a defining architectural feature in a building.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32I think Sue and Tim have been a little bit lost
0:20:32 > 0:20:35in, sort of, plasterboard world
0:20:35 > 0:20:38and, actually, today I really want to re-inspire them
0:20:38 > 0:20:42and get them to focus on the big architectural moves again.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Piers is taking them to Somerset House.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Inside this historic listed building lies an incredible modern staircase.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05What do you think?
0:21:05 > 0:21:09- That is impressive, isn't it? It looks like a spine, doesn't it? Spinal cord.- It does.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11- Like a series of vertebrae.- Yeah.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16The award-winning Miles Stair was designed by architect Eva Jiricna
0:21:16 > 0:21:19and cost £1.6 million.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- It's got a lacy quality, actually. - It does, yeah.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26This central cylinder, with its steel mesh design,
0:21:26 > 0:21:27looks very delicate,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29but, in fact, is incredibly strong
0:21:29 > 0:21:31and supports the cantilevered treads
0:21:31 > 0:21:33made from high-performance concrete.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36An elegant glass balustrade ties the whole thing together.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41These are very particular materials.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45I mean, polished stainless steel and white concrete.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48They are fairly surgical, aren't they?
0:21:48 > 0:21:50And very, very precise.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55The central column spans five floors
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and is constructed from 550 bent steel rods,
0:21:58 > 0:22:03welded to circular bosses and linked by a series of steel plates.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06The result looks like a delicate bicycle chain.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10I think looking through this mesh is really beautiful
0:22:10 > 0:22:12and I think you need to do something layered, too,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14so it has structure on both sides.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Yeah. It's got to be elegant. This is subtle and elegant.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22To me, its beauty is in its make-up and its structure.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25I think, whatever you do, it needs to be a piece of architecture
0:22:25 > 0:22:28that really takes in the entrance and the journey up
0:22:28 > 0:22:31and the arrival into that beautiful upstairs.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- So it isn't just a stand-alone, beautiful thing, is it?- No.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39The views up and down are just spectacular.
0:22:42 > 0:22:43OK, you need a staircase.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45How about rods?
0:22:45 > 0:22:48You get these very, very long pieces of steel
0:22:48 > 0:22:50that go all the way down.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53The key to Piers' design for the staircase
0:22:53 > 0:22:57is having rods or wires that go from the ceiling of the first floor
0:22:57 > 0:22:59down to the stair treads,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01all lit from above by the existing roof light.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05These rods go full height
0:23:05 > 0:23:07and they form this balustrade.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10- What do you think about that? - Er, very dramatic.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14You're going to have a slightly, sort of, cagey look.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Well, less of a cagey look than the staircase that we've just seen.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20What they'll give you though is a beautiful play of light
0:23:20 > 0:23:22on the material.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27What it does do is it links dramatically the ceiling to the floor, if you like, the most.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Exactly, yeah.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Are we talking now steel rods? Are we talking acrylic rods?
0:23:33 > 0:23:38They could be acrylic and then it isn't being in a cage of steel,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42- it's being in a cage of light-filled tubes.- Mmm.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45I love the concept, I really do,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and I must admit I like the stairs going right to the ceiling,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52and, at the moment, that's sitting with me quite well.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56The idea's gone down well.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59When building any staircase, professional expertise
0:23:59 > 0:24:01and advice must be sought.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04So, Sue and Tim will need more detailed working plans
0:24:04 > 0:24:05that meet building regulations.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09And they've only budgeted £2,000 for the project.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Keen on a full-height, steel-wire balustrade,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Piers suggests they start by visiting a specialist.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Gosh, look at the colours.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Wire rope comes in all sorts of thicknesses
0:24:21 > 0:24:23and covered with different coatings.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25I love that.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29This steel rope is covered with red PVC
0:24:29 > 0:24:30and costs around £2 a metre.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34- What size is that? - That's all six mil.
0:24:34 > 0:24:35Six mil. That's quite big.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40We've got three wires per step going up,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43so it's going to be almost a wall of wire.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47What would your recommendation be for us?
0:24:47 > 0:24:50I would go for about a three-mil cable.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52You'll get more light going through it.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Erm, it's a nice size.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Er, you'll get the effect.
0:24:57 > 0:24:58It's easy to work with.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00You don't need to get crazy tension into it.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Have you seen this? This is a stainless one.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Is that stainless with a plastic coating?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07That's stainless with PVC coating, yeah.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Yeah. I think you're right.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14I think this is the one I like.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18Eventually, they select three-millimetre stainless steel cable.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22With 300 metres, plus all the fixings, costing them £1,000,
0:25:22 > 0:25:23half the budget's gone.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Four months after being inspired by their visit to Somerset House,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35there's little sign of Sue and Tim's staircase.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Concerned that their quest for perfection is slowing progress,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42Piers heads back, hoping to provoke some decisions.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45I really love the way Sue and Tim mull over everything,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48but, on the other hand, they have a tendency, dare I say,
0:25:48 > 0:25:49to overcomplicate things,
0:25:49 > 0:25:53and it means that they may never finish his house.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57At the moment, the entrance to Sue and Tim's is quite abrupt,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59because you come in and, bang,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01right in front of you is the staircase,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04and I think they need to do something that just increases
0:26:04 > 0:26:07the sense of depth in the space.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11And it might just be that the back wall becomes reflective.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15But, it needs to be really simple, because the stair is the big investment.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25- Hi, Sue. Hi, Tim.- Hello, there.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- Look at that. I should have come earlier, given you a hand.- Yeah.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Or maybe it's a good thing I didn't?
0:26:30 > 0:26:33So now, there is a beautiful void where the new stair will go.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38So, what about this? What about this whole wall and this whole space?
0:26:38 > 0:26:39I mean, what's going in here?
0:26:39 > 0:26:45My idea was to keep the palette as simple as possible,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48because the staircase is the star of the show here.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51I mean, my preference would be to have this white
0:26:51 > 0:26:53straight up to the white.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55And, then, the light will bounce about,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58especially if we have the stringers coming down.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01I agree that this could just be white,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03but it could be reflective,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05rather than matte white.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09To give you the beauty of the shadows and everything else,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12and provide a surface for the afternoon sun to hit.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14The other thing - I mean, this basically is quite narrow -
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and the other thing, making this reflective would give you
0:27:17 > 0:27:18a bit more depth to this space.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21So, when you come in, instead of the wall being here,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23it'll be a bit more ambiguous, because it will be
0:27:23 > 0:27:27a reflective surface and you'll see, again, some of the landscape in it.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Yeah. I'm just wondering whether
0:27:29 > 0:27:31it would be a bit too barren.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34But that will be...the stairs will be that thing.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Yeah, the stairs and the wires that are here,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41and, erm, the landscape and light reflected in it.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Piers, don't get me wrong. I love the staircase
0:27:43 > 0:27:47and I think the design of the wires is absolutely perfect.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51My point, it's that sheer size of the wall
0:27:51 > 0:27:52- that is worrying me.- Yeah.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02The staircase build is in danger of grinding to a halt,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04as every aspect gets chewed over and over.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10But Sue and Tim have commissioned steelwork for the stairs
0:28:10 > 0:28:13from a local fabricator and Piers wants to check progress there.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16- Great place.- It is.- Lovely.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19- Hi, Nathan.- Hi.- How are you doing?
0:28:19 > 0:28:21- This looks like a stringer.- It is.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Part of the staircase that we're fabricating.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26The idea now is to get that bolted to the wall and take
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- all the steps down individually and have them welded in situ.- Yeah.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32At least that way we can get the steps accurate on site.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34- And it's a little bit less unwieldy. - Yeah.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Piers is reassured to find work is well in hand
0:28:39 > 0:28:41and feeling positive.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45Many people would have given up by now
0:28:45 > 0:28:48and would have got fed up with all of the struggles to build
0:28:48 > 0:28:51a house and probably finished it off in a really mediocre way.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54But not Sue and Tim. They've carried on persevering.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58They've carried on seeking extraordinary solutions
0:28:58 > 0:29:02to all of the design issues in the house.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Sue and Tim's insistence on the extraordinary has often
0:29:05 > 0:29:07cost them dear in time and money.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Over two years since they broke ground,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13we have one final chance to see far they've got.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21The bones of the staircase are fitted and the couple continue to
0:29:21 > 0:29:25take whatever time they need to get beautiful results.
0:29:25 > 0:29:30- It is extremely time-consuming. - It takes, what is it, 20 minutes...
0:29:30 > 0:29:35- To do each strand.- To do each strand. It's got to be perfect.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39There's 49 steel wires to go up this side
0:29:39 > 0:29:42- and then there's another...- 49!
0:29:42 > 0:29:44..49 on the side.
0:29:44 > 0:29:45It's been a learning process,
0:29:45 > 0:29:50but it's all taken that much longer than we thought it would do.
0:29:50 > 0:29:55- But we want to make sure it's right. - It will be all in the finishing.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58There's a handrail to fit and work is needed to ensure the treads
0:29:58 > 0:30:01and wires meet building regulations.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04But with virtually cost-free old scaffold boards for treads
0:30:04 > 0:30:09and £2,000 spent on steel and cables, this couple have pushed
0:30:09 > 0:30:12the boundaries of low-cost building again.
0:30:12 > 0:30:17Here, we've tried to have a feeling of the white wall
0:30:17 > 0:30:21and the white coming out of the wall as if it's part of the wall.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23The idea was that the white
0:30:23 > 0:30:26would disappear into the white wall behind.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30- And you'd be left with the wooden steps floating.- Mm.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36The anticipated total spend for this remarkable house
0:30:36 > 0:30:38is still £135,000.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40But the finish date remains an unknown.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46- If you came back in ten years' time, we would still be...- Not finished!
0:30:46 > 0:30:51..not finished and we'd be arguing about things and talking them over.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54But that's the way we are. We're enjoying the whole process.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58If we'd wanted to build a house that we could have been in within
0:30:58 > 0:31:00six months, I'd would have got a flat pack.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04This build has always been about the journey,
0:31:04 > 0:31:09the process of learning stuff, doing it right, not necessarily...
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Because people constantly go on about, "When are you in?
0:31:12 > 0:31:17"When are you in?" Being IN the house is not actually the goal.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20The goal is the process of building.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31Our second story is over 450 miles away, in Scotland.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Marcus and Sholto have been a couple for over a decade.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39It was while on holiday away from their home in the south of England,
0:31:39 > 0:31:43they realised a stunning area 40 miles east of Inverness
0:31:43 > 0:31:46was where they wanted to spend the rest of their lives.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52What we love about this area is it's beautiful.
0:31:52 > 0:31:53Taking our dog for a walk,
0:31:53 > 0:31:58you look around and you just stare at what we're actually living in.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00It's absolutely amazing.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02HE WHISTLES
0:32:02 > 0:32:06But having searched for a home with generous spaces for entertaining,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09they couldn't find anything on the market that fitted the bill.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12We're not a traditional family.
0:32:12 > 0:32:17We don't need the typical three-bedroom with bathrooms galore.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20We need something that suits us, that friends and family
0:32:20 > 0:32:22are comfortable to come and visit.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26So they've decided to build the dream home
0:32:26 > 0:32:30they promise themselves while going through difficult times.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34I'd found out that I'd got end-stage renal failure.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38I had a kidney and a pancreas transplant.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42It just gave me a whole... new lease of life.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46To have that chance to actually lead a normal life and also to give you
0:32:46 > 0:32:50the gumption and the attitude and the confidence to try new things.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55Using the proceeds from the sale of their home in Sussex,
0:32:55 > 0:32:58they've spent £90,000 on a plot of land.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01This leaves them with £100,000 for the entire build,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04plus £15,000 contingency.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Sholto is going to project-manage the house
0:33:06 > 0:33:09and be as hands-on with the build as he can be.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13So hopefully that's going to save us a hell of a lot of money.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19To keep costs down,
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Marcus and Sholto have chosen an off-the-peg timber framed kit house.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27The front facade has a gable ended double garage
0:33:27 > 0:33:30and an ornate porch leading to an octagonal hallway.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35Access to the main living area is through double doors.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39The open-plan room has standard ceiling heights and finishes
0:33:39 > 0:33:43and will act as the living, dining and kitchen area.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Access to the four bedrooms and the bathrooms
0:33:45 > 0:33:47is back through the hallway.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52It's a big and ambitious house, but I currently fail to see
0:33:52 > 0:33:55the touches that will make it distinctly one for them.
0:33:55 > 0:34:00The whole kit is costing £54,000 and is starting to arrive on site.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04Hi, do you want to start bringing it up the hill now, please?
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Sholto has never built a house before.
0:34:07 > 0:34:08My God, look at this.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16Yup, that's...that's quite a lot of house there. Bloody hell!
0:34:16 > 0:34:19That's only the first load.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23They've invested in a high-quality kit, which is almost a job lot.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25It includes the frame and many other parts,
0:34:25 > 0:34:28which should make budgeting the build far easier.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32This is everything I've saved, that myself and Marcus have saved,
0:34:32 > 0:34:38and earned and worked for and... for the last 11 or so years.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40But having selected a design that would perfectly suit
0:34:40 > 0:34:43a typical family, they're in danger of ending up with a home
0:34:43 > 0:34:45that doesn't suit THEM.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Piers urgently needs to meet with the couple
0:34:51 > 0:34:52and interrogate their plans.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00Sholto has been immersed in the design process for months,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03so Piers may have a battle on his hands.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07It's a really good idea to use... to make a model.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11And immediately I want to dive in and make changes.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Piers suggests they should rethink the number of bedrooms
0:35:15 > 0:35:16and remove the hallway,
0:35:16 > 0:35:21as both are reducing the generous open plan space they could have.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25This is potentially a really clear and simple big barnlike space.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27And you're compromising it, I think,
0:35:27 > 0:35:29by putting these walls in that volume.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33I think, as a key move, that wall needs to come back to here.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35To me, it would make more sense, as well,
0:35:35 > 0:35:39- because that living area would come out, wouldn't it?- Yes.- Yeah.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43But his biggest alteration tackles that bog-standard ceiling.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47I think it could be really amazing to live with these truss rafters
0:35:47 > 0:35:50running through there and expose them.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55The roof, I sort of... I can understand it...
0:35:55 > 0:35:58- But...- Let's look at it.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04So that's the space in there that you've got, OK?
0:36:04 > 0:36:10- But you could have a space that was you know, like that.- Yeah.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12It's more airy.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15OK, my question to you is, if you're resisting it, is it a nicer space
0:36:15 > 0:36:19with that like that or not?
0:36:19 > 0:36:23- It's a nicer space, I agree with you there. It's...- OK, stop there.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25So why wouldn't you want to make that change?
0:36:27 > 0:36:29- Yeah, I'm curious.- Um...
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Exposed truss rafters would be so unusual
0:36:32 > 0:36:35and so provocatively different.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Really, really contemporary.
0:36:39 > 0:36:44Piers' radical alterations could totally transform this home.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46Removing the ceiling would have a cost attached,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49but would greatly increase the sense of space in their open-plan
0:36:49 > 0:36:53living area. It would prevent the interior they've chosen
0:36:53 > 0:36:55feeling like a standard home
0:36:55 > 0:36:57and instead would be dramatic and individual.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Removing the octagonal hallway and one of the bedrooms
0:37:01 > 0:37:04would maximise the usable living space
0:37:04 > 0:37:07and reduce costs by saving on walls and doors.
0:37:07 > 0:37:12And I want Marcus and Sholto to seize this opportunity
0:37:12 > 0:37:14to create an incredible home.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17I'm taking them three hours across Scotland to an amazing house
0:37:17 > 0:37:20which I hope will give them a vision of how theirs could be.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26- What do you make of that?- It's very striking in the landscape, isn't it?
0:37:26 > 0:37:28It is, incredibly.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33This highly individual home is the Black House,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35by Raw Architecture Workshop,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37on the west coast of Scotland, near Skye.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45A staircase takes you up to a breathtaking open-plan space.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51Wow.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54This is where you start to see what it's all about up here, don't you?
0:37:54 > 0:37:55Yeah. It's astounding, isn't it?
0:37:55 > 0:37:58The whole wall, the whole facade of this room,
0:37:58 > 0:38:02if you like, just throws you out into the landscape.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05'It's the non-standard unpredictability of this room
0:38:05 > 0:38:07'which makes it special.'
0:38:07 > 0:38:10When you're up here, you realise you're in this double height space,
0:38:10 > 0:38:12and that's given to you by the fact
0:38:12 > 0:38:15that it's a completely truss-free volume.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20It's beautiful. It literally takes your breath away.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Especially compounded with the views and everything.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Sholto already has a huge job ahead,
0:38:26 > 0:38:30so he's in two minds about such a radical change of plan.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33It's lovely, but love it, can't live with it.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37To actually see the vaulted ceilings, how simple it was,
0:38:37 > 0:38:39how it all came together,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42gives us an insight into what our house could look like.
0:38:42 > 0:38:47Marcus favours high ceilings. Sholto is unconvinced.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50There's a critical decision to be made
0:38:50 > 0:38:52and it'll define their interior.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00It's November, a month since the house kit was delivered,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03and the framework is now up.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07Sholto is starting the huge job of cladding the house.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11He is pressing on alone in an effort to eke out the tight budget.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Working on your own...
0:39:13 > 0:39:15it takes three times as long to do the job because you
0:39:15 > 0:39:18sometimes need two pairs of hands.
0:39:18 > 0:39:23But looking into how much a simple labourer now wants for
0:39:23 > 0:39:25a daily rate, I think, hang on,
0:39:25 > 0:39:27that's a hell of a lot of money to pay someone for labouring.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44The couple have spent three-quarters of their funds,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47with just £28,000 left to complete the entire build.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53To add to the pressure, Marcus rarely sees progress on site.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56He's working full-time to support the build
0:39:56 > 0:39:58and isn't as familiar with it as Sholto.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02- Is that lamb's wool?- No, it's just glass. It's glass fibre.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06They've engineered the roof trusses so they can be on show,
0:40:06 > 0:40:11but there is no definitive decision on whether to leave them that way.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13The pair have opted for Piers' other suggestions,
0:40:13 > 0:40:17to make the open-plan living area more dramatic.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20They've had a rethink on the number of bedrooms
0:40:20 > 0:40:23and removed the octagonal hallway.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27We do like the space. We always wanted a big space, anyway.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30It went from, originally, four bedrooms to two bedrooms
0:40:30 > 0:40:32and this whole space,
0:40:32 > 0:40:34which we really like.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38Although he likes it, Marcus is worried.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41The way I see it at the moment, it could become quite impersonal.
0:40:41 > 0:40:42It could be...
0:40:43 > 0:40:49..not homely. And I think that's one of the challenges we've got.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Sholto has a clear vision.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54We're already working out the layout of the kitchen,
0:40:54 > 0:40:56because I want to make that all from scratch.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59You're saying, "I want to do this and I want to do that."
0:40:59 > 0:41:00The way you work...
0:41:00 > 0:41:05The way Sholto works is, he's here all the time, so he gets a feel
0:41:05 > 0:41:09for what's actually happening and he's got a very creative mind-set.
0:41:09 > 0:41:10And it all gets stored up.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Then, eventually, it will filter down to me.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17- It does!- No, it does. And then we discuss...
0:41:17 > 0:41:21I come to you with a solution, rather than a suggestion.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Yeah, which is exactly the point I just made.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Right, so, yes, that's normally what happens.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32With money running desperately short, it's crucial Piers helps
0:41:32 > 0:41:36them come together to make some joint decisions and move forward.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39The biggest decision being whether
0:41:39 > 0:41:41to permanently expose the roof trusses.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43I think at this stage of a building,
0:41:43 > 0:41:48when money is tight and Sholto is just focused on doing his job,
0:41:48 > 0:41:49which is finishing the building,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52you just do what's available at a builders merchants
0:41:52 > 0:41:54and you go through the motion of just making a house
0:41:54 > 0:41:56that has conventional things in it.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58They really need NOT to do that.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Piers' strategy is to persuade Sholto to go for
0:42:01 > 0:42:05the full height ceiling and make savings elsewhere.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09So what we want to do is see these trusses in this bit.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12And then we're going to paint them white and the walls white.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14So, no small ask, I realise that.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16But I think it will be important to do.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21He asks the builders to plasterboard one corner
0:42:21 > 0:42:23and the full height ceiling
0:42:23 > 0:42:26so Sholto and Marcus can experience the finished effect.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33A couple of hours later, it's time to see if Sholto is persuaded that
0:42:33 > 0:42:37keeping the full height ceiling is worth the extra £1,200 it will cost.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40So this is now a finished bit of building.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43- Which I think looks pretty amazing. - Wow.- It does.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Often there is just a detail that you hadn't even thought of before.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52The truss is actually more defined because you've not got
0:42:52 > 0:42:55the business end of the different coloured woods, the OSB
0:42:55 > 0:42:58and everything else behind it.
0:42:58 > 0:42:59Having now seen this,
0:42:59 > 0:43:05it makes me 100% aware that this is right to make a sacrifice
0:43:05 > 0:43:09and get this completely open and finished like this.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18With the joint decision made to spend the extra on
0:43:18 > 0:43:21the full height ceiling, they need to recoup costs where they can.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24So Piers turns his attention to the kitchen.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Here, Sholto is interested in making an island out of concrete to
0:43:27 > 0:43:29match the floor.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32But he's nervous about the design and technique.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35- We've talked about it quite a bit, actually, haven't we?- Yeah.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38At one stage we were thinking we could do a concrete pour,
0:43:38 > 0:43:42which would be nice, but I think it might be...
0:43:42 > 0:43:46with the floor, I think it might be a bit too much.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49My prejudice would be that it would be concrete.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52But because it's so cheap, it's so beautiful, it's so versatile,
0:43:52 > 0:43:54it's so durable...
0:43:54 > 0:43:56I've seen it done - really fantastic.
0:44:00 > 0:44:01It might be fantastic,
0:44:01 > 0:44:05but I think Sholto has got a massive task on his hands.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07Concrete is challenging to work with
0:44:07 > 0:44:10and getting the right finish is all-important.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13I'm meeting Sholto at London's Southbank to show him
0:44:13 > 0:44:14how concrete has been formed here
0:44:14 > 0:44:19and how it's been used to create the architecture.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22I mean, it is brave of you to tackle concrete.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25It's not a material that's that popular in this country with a lot of people.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28- What do you think about it?- I always want to do something once
0:44:28 > 0:44:32and that's it. That should be enough to last.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34And I think concrete is a material that does last.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36You can see that from the buildings here.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Concrete was chosen as the dominant material for these
0:44:42 > 0:44:451960s additions to the Festival of Britain site.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47It unifies the range of buildings
0:44:47 > 0:44:50and reflects their urban surroundings.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55It's amazing here. You're just totally surrounded by concrete.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59But you start to see the care with which this is all cast
0:44:59 > 0:45:01and made, don't you?
0:45:01 > 0:45:05Three joiners' workshops on site created the wooden formwork.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08Much of the concrete was then poured in situ.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10The patterns remain today.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14Where it has weathered, you can still see the texture
0:45:14 > 0:45:17- that was originally there. - Yeah, it's very, very precise.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21Like these planks, you know, where these boards have been cast against.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24I really love that care and attention.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27In a way, when you see concrete looking like this,
0:45:27 > 0:45:29it's really more about carpentry than it is about concrete.
0:45:29 > 0:45:34Absolutely. It's almost all down to the preparation work.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37And the final action is the actual pour and the finger-crossing
0:45:37 > 0:45:41and praying of us going to taking off the form.
0:45:41 > 0:45:46Being concrete, once it's set, that's it.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49The only way of getting it out is a sledgehammer and wheelbarrow.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53So that does sort of fill me with a bit of dread.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58Despite his trepidation,
0:45:58 > 0:46:02Sholto presses ahead with formwork for the kitchen island.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Today is his first ever concrete pour.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09Um...the most nervous day of the build, to tell you the truth.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13Any mistakes made today will be set in stone.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18Piers has come to ensure there aren't any.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20- So you're going to make this, aren't you?- Yes.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24- I'm really longing to see the concrete go in.- Yeah.- I'm not.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27I'm sort of dreading it, but the first...
0:46:27 > 0:46:30- Because you only get one shot at it, don't you?- Yes.- Yeah.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32I did have one of these go wrong, I have to tell you now.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Oh, thank you for that, Piers!
0:46:34 > 0:46:36I think we had to break the whole thing out.
0:46:38 > 0:46:43The ratio of cement to sand to aggregate and, critically, water,
0:46:43 > 0:46:47affects how easy the concrete is to work with and its durability.
0:46:50 > 0:46:51- A bit more?- Yeah.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00The island is a huge test for Sholto's home-made formwork.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05It needs to hold over half a tonne of concrete.
0:47:08 > 0:47:09Yeah, you can see, looking along it,
0:47:09 > 0:47:12but that is bowing in the middle there.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14And actually, what could happen, of course,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16is that it could just give and you end up with
0:47:16 > 0:47:20a sea of concrete on the floor and no island.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22The formwork is under huge pressure from the concrete
0:47:22 > 0:47:25and there's really no knowing if it will hold.
0:47:25 > 0:47:30- Well, I can't wait to see it when the formwork is off and you've finish this.- Nor can I!
0:47:30 > 0:47:33With a lot more concrete to pour and then set,
0:47:33 > 0:47:38Sholto will have to wait a few days before he'll know if it's worked.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46Eight months after the house kit arrived on site,
0:47:46 > 0:47:50Piers and I are back in Scotland to see if Sholto has managed to turn
0:47:50 > 0:47:54this off-the-peg home into something unique for him and Marcus.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04Oh, this is amazing! I mean, what an extraordinary space.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08And totally unexpected from the outside.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10The couple had the courage to veer away from the conventions
0:48:10 > 0:48:12of a family home.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15Overhead, they finally committed the time
0:48:15 > 0:48:17and money to expose the trusses.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21Daylight floods the stunning full height ceiling that came
0:48:21 > 0:48:23so close to being covered up.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26It's a good start to the day being bathed in sunlight.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28You've taken a standard house, pretty much,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31and, through a process of subtraction,
0:48:31 > 0:48:35you've ended up with something that's completely non-standard.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39- It's like living in a loft space, isn't it?- Yeah, movable.- Yeah.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42- And undefined.- The only thing that's fixed is that end.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46The kitchen island was perhaps the element that allowed Sholto
0:48:46 > 0:48:49to truly express his creativity.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51How does this result feel to you?
0:48:51 > 0:48:55The result, the end result, I'm happy with.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59I actually left as this was bulging and threatening to fall apart
0:48:59 > 0:49:01- and flood the floor. - You left. It didn't fall apart.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04I was back here very early the next morning to check that
0:49:04 > 0:49:06I wasn't coming into chaos.
0:49:06 > 0:49:10I mean, this thing feels amazingly permanent and durable.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13I mean, this will be here for generations.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15Whereas usually, low-cost buildings, you have things
0:49:15 > 0:49:18that are so flimsy and fall apart as soon as you moved in.
0:49:18 > 0:49:19Not this.
0:49:22 > 0:49:23The island is a bargain.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26At a total cost of £135,
0:49:26 > 0:49:31it's about 85% cheaper than a mid-range manufactured island.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34And Sholto has created something very personal.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38The pair fell for this stunning landscape,
0:49:38 > 0:49:41and the next major challenge will be creating
0:49:41 > 0:49:44sympathetic outbuildings to sit alongside their home.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47But how much has it cost to get to this point?
0:49:47 > 0:49:49Our initial budget, er...
0:49:49 > 0:49:52was £100,000.
0:49:52 > 0:49:57We've brought the whole project in just under 130,000.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00Spending the extra money, I think, we got a much more...
0:50:00 > 0:50:01interesting house.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04And it's exactly what we needed.
0:50:14 > 0:50:18It's late autumn and five months since we last met Marcus and Sholto.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23The larch cladding on the exterior of the property is starting
0:50:23 > 0:50:25to weather and fade.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28I think it's quite nice when you come out of the house
0:50:28 > 0:50:30and you look back and some days, in some light, you just think,
0:50:30 > 0:50:33wow, it's great to have that as our house.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36They've now completed more of the house,
0:50:36 > 0:50:40including both bedrooms and the bathroom.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46But they've made some further changes, too.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50Piers encouraged them to leave their ceiling rafters on show
0:50:50 > 0:50:53but, having lived with it, they've changed their minds.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56With the open beams, it wasn't
0:50:56 > 0:50:59as intimate as we would have liked it to have been.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03So they've plasterboarded and covered up the rafters.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05But now we've done that, it's actually brought it in a bit.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07It's become more cosy.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13Piers is now on his way to north-east Scotland
0:51:13 > 0:51:15to help them with their next project.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17This time on the outside.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24As part of the planning conditions,
0:51:24 > 0:51:27Marcus and Sholto must build a wood store separate from the house,
0:51:27 > 0:51:30and they've started on the concrete groundworks.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34It has to be within a certain distance of the fence,
0:51:34 > 0:51:35so far from the building.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38It has to be a certain size - five cubic metres, to hold the wood.
0:51:38 > 0:51:43So that's...a challenge to get that without putting up a wooden shack.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50They've already changed one of Piers' big ideas.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53So he has his work cut out to challenge the way
0:51:53 > 0:51:55they think about this building.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58People live in barns, people live in warehouses, people live,
0:51:58 > 0:52:00all over the world, in big,
0:52:00 > 0:52:03lofty spaces without resorting to putting a flat ceiling in.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05And for me, that feels the last resort,
0:52:05 > 0:52:08and it's almost something you wouldn't consider.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10The wood store is the perfect opportunity to encourage
0:52:10 > 0:52:14the couple to experiment with design again.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21Piers is meeting them in the Loch Lomond
0:52:21 > 0:52:25and the Trossachs National Park to show them a structure that
0:52:25 > 0:52:29pushes the boundaries of design with its shape and bold use of materials.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32However, it's not that easy to spot.
0:52:32 > 0:52:33I brought you here
0:52:33 > 0:52:37to show you a building that is amazing, and it's just down there.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40You can see it if you look carefully.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42- Can you see it?- Yeah.- No.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47Designed and built by architecture students
0:52:47 > 0:52:49Angus Ritchie and Daniel Tyler,
0:52:49 > 0:52:54the Lookout appears like a mirage on the banks of Loch Doine.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57I still don't know what it is as we approach it!
0:52:57 > 0:53:00This futuristic cube is a cabin designed to encourage
0:53:00 > 0:53:05visitors to the National Park to pause and take in the views,
0:53:05 > 0:53:09whilst the mirrored surfaces reflect the surrounding vistas.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11It's elusive and beautiful.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14Intriguing, the shape and what's going on is what it could be.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16So, close-up, what are your first impressions?
0:53:16 > 0:53:21Firstly, wow, and secondly, when can we do part of the main house in it?
0:53:21 > 0:53:22LAUGHTER
0:53:24 > 0:53:26I like the way it sits in the landscape,
0:53:26 > 0:53:29but I think it is also interesting to look at the actual construction.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32It uses very simple technology.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34I mean, this is just a timber stud frame.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39The investment is in the finish.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44Coming round this side, I think one of the best things is these
0:53:44 > 0:53:49little recesses that really do encourage you to sit in it.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51I mean, this is amazing.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54It shows that your log store doesn't just need to be a log store.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56I mean, it happens to maybe store logs,
0:53:56 > 0:54:00but actually there is no reason why you couldn't do something like this.
0:54:05 > 0:54:06Back on site,
0:54:06 > 0:54:11Sholto sets to work creating his own interpretation of the Lookout.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14As always, keeping costs down is essential.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18He's sourced some softwood timber for just £100.
0:54:18 > 0:54:22Viewing the Lookout, we saw how beautiful it was just sitting in
0:54:22 > 0:54:26the landscape and I almost want to build something very similar here.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34Four months on, the structure is ready for the finishing touches.
0:54:34 > 0:54:39At nearly £300 per sheet, stainless steel is unaffordable.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43Instead, Sholto is gambling on achieving a striking effect
0:54:43 > 0:54:46with strips of larch and mirrored acrylic.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49Are you using all different strips and things...
0:54:49 > 0:54:50To get a different effect.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54At one end it goes from thick to thin, so when you're standing across
0:54:54 > 0:54:57the field and you're looking at it, wondering what this bizarre box is,
0:54:57 > 0:54:59it just looks... Again, it's not quite uniform.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03Building anything to sit well alongside their home
0:55:03 > 0:55:05is a huge challenge.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08They've backtracked on big design ideas once already.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11Can they possibly deliver a structure that will add
0:55:11 > 0:55:14to their home and landscape rather than compromise it?
0:55:18 > 0:55:22On his final visit, Piers has no idea what to expect.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26I'm back in Scotland and really excited to see what Marcus
0:55:26 > 0:55:27and Sholto have made.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30If I'm honest, I'm a little bit apprehensive
0:55:30 > 0:55:33because they need to make something exquisitely beautiful
0:55:33 > 0:55:36to work in this huge landscape.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38They've got really good judgment,
0:55:38 > 0:55:42but, at the same time, they are sometimes a bit unpredictable.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48I think the last time that we met, Piers, on a rather sunny day,
0:55:48 > 0:55:50you brought us to the edge of a field
0:55:50 > 0:55:52to see if we could spot something.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55- I did, yeah.- This time around I think we've done the same to you.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58Well, I can see your house and...
0:55:58 > 0:56:03next to it there is a very ambiguous-looking object.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06It looks like something very simple and very beautiful.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09- I think we need to go down and have a closer look. Can we do that?- Yeah.
0:56:09 > 0:56:10- Definitely.- Great.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15Look at this! Wow! I love it!
0:56:15 > 0:56:19It's great. And I love the reflective strip.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25It takes you by surprise because you don't quite know what it is.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27You don't know whether it's a piece of art or whether it's
0:56:27 > 0:56:31- actually something practical or... - It's worked better than expected.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35- What about you, Marcus?- What do you think of it?- I absolutely love it.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37I really love this reflection that you get,
0:56:37 > 0:56:40because the landscape is very sort of...
0:56:40 > 0:56:44you know, it's browns and greys, and this is so different.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47Yet, actually, it's just reflecting the landscape back at you.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51- It focuses your attention on what to look at.- It does, doesn't it?
0:56:51 > 0:56:53It does so much, this, doesn't it?
0:56:53 > 0:56:56It's a windbreak, it's a log store, it's a seat, it's a thing of beauty.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58- Thank you!- I mean, you know, it's great!
0:57:00 > 0:57:03After a build that's been at times incredibly stressful,
0:57:03 > 0:57:07and then to leave all that behind and just have something
0:57:07 > 0:57:10that's pure enjoyment, it grounds you again.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12It actually makes you realise how...
0:57:13 > 0:57:16..enjoyable the whole creative process is.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Marcus and Sholto have created something uniquely theirs.
0:57:20 > 0:57:27For just £200, the mirrored acrylic gives beautiful crisp reflections.
0:57:27 > 0:57:31Larch cladding and the other timber bring the total cost to around £500,
0:57:31 > 0:57:35as everything else used was left over from the house.
0:57:36 > 0:57:40For 500 quid, Marcus and Sholto have built something
0:57:40 > 0:57:45really resourcefully, and they've built something that is well built.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48It'll last and it's a thing of beauty.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51Now, finally, to see
0:57:51 > 0:57:56Sholto have a bit of fun with his log store is really wonderful.
0:58:01 > 0:58:05'Next time, Heidi and Steven have a nightmare garden.'
0:58:05 > 0:58:08Apparently, the area outside looks a bit like a bombsite.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11'And Wajid and Anam struggle with their living room.'
0:58:11 > 0:58:14Sometimes, we don't even use that part of the room.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16'But can Piers inspire each couple...'
0:58:16 > 0:58:20I brought you here to show you this amazing landform.
0:58:20 > 0:58:22'..with one final fix.'
0:58:22 > 0:58:24I'm still not convinced about circles, Piers.