0:00:02 > 0:00:04I've been picked up from airports in taxis before
0:00:04 > 0:00:06but never had to go to a jetty and be picked up by boat.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14'He's Piers Taylor, an award-winning architect.'
0:00:14 > 0:00:19This building is so tactile and just rich, materially.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21'And she's Caroline Quentin,
0:00:21 > 0:00:25'acclaimed actress and passionate property developer.'
0:00:25 > 0:00:28I've been expecting you, Mr Bond!
0:00:28 > 0:00:32'We've been given the keys to some of the most incredible houses in
0:00:32 > 0:00:33'the world...'
0:00:33 > 0:00:37- It's chock full of surprises, isn't it?- Ooh!
0:00:37 > 0:00:39'..to discover the design innovation,
0:00:39 > 0:00:44'passion and endurance needed to transform architectural vision
0:00:44 > 0:00:46'into an extraordinary home.'
0:00:46 > 0:00:50If this was Hollywood, I'd be snogging you now.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53'Together we'll be travelling the globe...'
0:00:53 > 0:00:55- Look down there.- I would but I'm trying not to kill us.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57No, you look ahead.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01'..meeting the architects and owners who have taken on the challenge
0:01:01 > 0:01:04'of building unconventional homes in demanding locations.'
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Just another day on the wing of a 747.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10'Whether it's navigating the logistics of constructing a house
0:01:10 > 0:01:13'on top of a remote mountain...'
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Why would you build a house where you can only get there
0:01:16 > 0:01:18by cable car?
0:01:18 > 0:01:21'..negotiating the ancient trees of a fragile forest...'
0:01:21 > 0:01:23You never see a building this close to the trees,
0:01:23 > 0:01:24I mean, that's six inches away.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27'..having a sea view whilst perched on the edge of
0:01:27 > 0:01:29'a dramatic coastal shoreline...'
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I'd love to know how you actually built this on what appears
0:01:32 > 0:01:35to be a sort of vertical cliff face.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39'..or excavating the earth to build a home deep underground.'
0:01:39 > 0:01:42No-one had ever built something like this before.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45It's a tightrope you're walking. It can go spectacularly wrong.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Building a subterranean house embedded in the earth can provide
0:01:55 > 0:01:58an intriguing and magical living experience.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Look how thick that bit of ground is.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05This is another world in here.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08But unearthing the landscape in order to build these ambitious homes
0:02:08 > 0:02:11is a path few dare to tread.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14There is always a moment when you feel fear.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Nature is never to come back the same way.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Caroline and I will be travelling from the undulating foothills of the
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Southern Alps of New Zealand...
0:02:22 > 0:02:25We had to use explosives to blow it all out.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28..to the sweeping green valleys of Switzerland.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31So, did you have a budget in mind when you started this build?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Yeah, but we didn't make it.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35And from the lowlands of a Dutch nature reserve
0:02:35 > 0:02:40to the coastal farmlands of the Greek islands.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42The architects and I threw up our hands and said, "Do you know what,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44"it just isn't working."
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Discovering what it takes to design,
0:02:46 > 0:02:52build and live in the world's most extraordinary underground houses.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Construction is stressful, it's tiring.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59It was hard labour and a lot of blood, sweat and tears.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13'The first stop on our discovery of underground architecture takes us to
0:03:13 > 0:03:15'the Aegean Sea...'
0:03:15 > 0:03:17THEY LAUGH
0:03:17 > 0:03:20'..and to the Greek island of Antiparos.'
0:03:20 > 0:03:22You love Greece, don't you?
0:03:22 > 0:03:24I love it. I've been coming to Greece for 40 years
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and I think it's about my favourite place in the world.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28I think it's the colour of the water,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30the colour of the sky and, still,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33- it's so unspoilt. - Little white squares still.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35- Yeah.- Exactly as you imagined it's going to be.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38There's nothing big, nothing breaking the skyline.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40There's a rule here that you can only build
0:03:40 > 0:03:44so far in one direction before you've got to turn or break it down.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Oh, I see, and that explains all the little boxes. I see.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49These, historically, would have been fishermen's houses
0:03:49 > 0:03:53and probably a bit of subsistence farming.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58'We're heading to a spacious underground holiday home
0:03:58 > 0:04:00'where the owners wanted a contemporary house
0:04:00 > 0:04:03'big enough to entertain their family and friends.'
0:04:06 > 0:04:10The challenge facing the architects was to design a house with stunning
0:04:10 > 0:04:14sea views from each of its nine bedrooms.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17But, at the same time, discreetly conceal the building.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22I mean, I know we're going to go and see, rather bizarrely,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24an underground house here.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- Yeah.- Which I think is a really odd choice given that
0:04:27 > 0:04:29this is some of the most beautiful landscape I've ever seen.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33A view is a two-way responsibility and actually if you build on that
0:04:33 > 0:04:36to look at the view, you also have to accept that you are making
0:04:36 > 0:04:37something that people will look at.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Yeah. But presumably that's why they've taken this underground option.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- Yeah.- So that, something like 80% or 90% of this house is underground,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46which sounds hideous to me because I'm slightly claustrophobic
0:04:46 > 0:04:48and I can't bear the thought of being underground.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51But I think this house is actually designed as a piece of landscape
0:04:51 > 0:04:52rather than a building.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55So you don't think it's going to be dark, and dingy, and damp?
0:04:55 > 0:04:58- I hope it isn't, and it would be a real shame if it was.- Yeah.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03'Helping us locate this coastal hideaway is Theo,
0:05:03 > 0:05:07'who looks after the owner's home for them whilst they're back in the UK.'
0:05:09 > 0:05:11- Welcome to Antiparos. - Thank you very much.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13THEY GREET EACH OTHER IN GREEK
0:05:16 > 0:05:19We're going to go over to that hill and then down again.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22I'm assuming we're not going to get a great big vision of the house
0:05:22 > 0:05:25because we know that it's 80% or 90% under the ground,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28so will we see it at all before we get there?
0:05:28 > 0:05:30You'll see it. It's a bit of a surprise, really.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35- Is that the house? Oh, my Lord.- Wow.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36What a spot.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47SHE LAUGHS
0:05:49 > 0:05:50Oh, what a beautiful place!
0:05:50 > 0:05:52It's beautiful.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53SHE SINGS A HIGH NOTE
0:05:54 > 0:05:56I know, I know.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00'By hiding the majority of this structure beneath the landscape,
0:06:00 > 0:06:05'the architects managed to create a huge house on this site which both
0:06:05 > 0:06:09'embraces the view and retains the natural charm of this location.'
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Now, the owners are not here but they're very happy for you
0:06:12 > 0:06:13to have a look around.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Theo, it's really, really kind of you.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Enjoy your time and I'll see you later.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Thank you very, very much.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22So, Caroline, tell me now, looking at this,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25are you still worried about feeling claustrophobic down there?
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Not yet. Not yet, but I'm not making up my mind,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29I'm not making up my mind yet.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32But, look at it, it's extraordinarily beautiful.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38This concealed home sits on a generous six-acre plot.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44Around 9,000 cubic metres of earth was excavated from the site,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46creating a giant crater.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50A concrete foundation and rear and internal walls
0:06:50 > 0:06:53were then built in this void, ten metres deep.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57The building unfolds on two levels
0:06:57 > 0:06:59to allow space for multiple bedrooms,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03bathrooms and terraces with private sea views.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Concrete shafts rise up from the rear of the building
0:07:07 > 0:07:09to allow ventilation and natural light
0:07:09 > 0:07:11to enter the underground spaces.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15To fit in with the local architecture,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Ktima's traditional white walls change direction
0:07:18 > 0:07:20after every ten metres.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24The green roof is covered in indigenous plants,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27allowing the underground living spaces to be invisible,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30with only the pool terrace and whitewashed walls on view.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35These walls look really enticing, don't they?
0:07:35 > 0:07:37- How are you with heights? - Not as good as you.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40You should come up, it's great. Look.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42- OK.- Caroline,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45there's all these lovely little terraces and courtyards within here.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47That's such a private space, as well.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- And there'll be another one there. - Yeah, another little private space.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52God, that's clever, isn't it?
0:07:52 > 0:07:54It's a real sense of sort of intimacy, isn't there?
0:07:54 > 0:07:57You could be naked reading a book all afternoon.
0:07:57 > 0:07:58There's a thought.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05This is such a lovely, enticing space.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I mean, look at this, I don't know whether I'm inside or outside.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12I thought this was just a canopy of bamboo covering, this space,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16but actually there's glass up there so you can sit here even when it's raining.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I mean, look at these walls and shapes and the shadow and
0:08:19 > 0:08:20the shade, it's so beautiful.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23And looking back through there, Caroline, to the sea.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24Yeah.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31This is the dream for me, this is absolutely the dream.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34It's a kind of, sort of, lesson
0:08:34 > 0:08:37in how to build a villa in a hot country.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41What I admire about the building is that it's a very clever bit of
0:08:41 > 0:08:44architecture, it's very thorough and really well-integrated with
0:08:44 > 0:08:47this place and that's why I warmed to it so much.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51'By hiding this modern whitewashed house in the landscape,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54'it not only retains the island's architectural heritage,
0:08:54 > 0:09:00'it also benefits from traditional methods of keeping living spaces cool underground.'
0:09:01 > 0:09:02I really want to have a nosy upstairs,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05just work out how it all fits together.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08I really want to have a peek about in here.
0:09:08 > 0:09:09- I'll catch you later.- OK.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15This feels obviously like a really contemporary house
0:09:15 > 0:09:18but, at the same time, it has the qualities of something
0:09:18 > 0:09:22that's really ancient because people have been building in hot countries
0:09:22 > 0:09:24like this for hundreds and hundreds of years.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29What they've been doing is building in a way that harnesses
0:09:29 > 0:09:31the qualities of the ground, and, under the ground,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33is a stable temperature,
0:09:33 > 0:09:37so all of the living rooms in this house are under the ground.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41What happens then is that that lovely cool sea breeze
0:09:41 > 0:09:47is used to draw air through those rooms and then out of those shafts,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49those light shafts that are behind.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52And those shafts also bring light to the back of the rooms that would
0:09:52 > 0:09:53also be dark.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Unlike a normal house where you have light coming in from both sides,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59an underground house can't do that, so you need to bring in light.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04This is actually the deepest underground
0:10:04 > 0:10:06that this house gets and, look, really light.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I think for many years as architects we forgot how to do buildings that
0:10:11 > 0:10:13really spoke of their place.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17But this building shows that you can harness ancient technologies and
0:10:17 > 0:10:20still do a building that is totally contemporary.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24I'm loving this, I'm loving this over here.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25All it is
0:10:25 > 0:10:29is a little bit of light coming down but it's painted orange,
0:10:29 > 0:10:34so it just shines out neon, and, up there, all I can see is the bright,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37bright blue of the sky against the orange.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39It's so beautiful.
0:10:44 > 0:10:45SHE SIGHS
0:10:46 > 0:10:50All my misgivings about an underground house
0:10:50 > 0:10:54being gloomy, and dark, and dank have completely disappeared
0:10:54 > 0:10:59because this is light, and bright, and cool,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02because it's really, really hot out there.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05And it's just perfect temperature in here.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07Oh...
0:11:10 > 0:11:12It's got a lovely en suite.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16Hi, Caroline!
0:11:16 > 0:11:17THEY LAUGH
0:11:18 > 0:11:20You going to turn the shower on?
0:11:20 > 0:11:23- Yes.- You might take your clothes off first, but...
0:11:24 > 0:11:28The view from here is so Greek, it couldn't be more Greek.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30It's white walls and then there's a blue dome but the blue dome is made
0:11:30 > 0:11:32out of sky.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34This is like some ancient Greek hilltop town, isn't it?
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Where the buildings are really
0:11:36 > 0:11:38close together and all you get is that fantastic view of the sky
0:11:38 > 0:11:40through the white walls.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43It's wonderful. It's so kind of refreshing down here as well,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45you don't feel like you're baking in the hot sun.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Because actually this is a device to bring the air through
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and get the light in.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59The owners of this underground holiday home live in the UK
0:11:59 > 0:12:00with their two children.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Karima is in London,
0:12:04 > 0:12:08so I'm giving her a call to find out what drew her family to this island.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Did you fall in love with it straight away?
0:12:12 > 0:12:14'Straight away. Straight away.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15'Love at first sight.'
0:12:15 > 0:12:16- Really?- 'My husband and I,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19'I think we were just about to be married
0:12:19 > 0:12:21'and we looked out at the sunset
0:12:21 > 0:12:24'and that was it, we said we need to see this sunset
0:12:24 > 0:12:25'till the day we die.'
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Oh, my God, that's so adorable!
0:12:30 > 0:12:32But, in purchasing the land,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35the couple had also bought into plans for a proposed building
0:12:35 > 0:12:38for the site, which had already been designed
0:12:38 > 0:12:41by Portuguese architects Camilo Rabelo and Susana Martins.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47So, you designed this for somebody that hadn't bought it,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49I mean, this was a speculative house for somebody.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51It's an abstract problem.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52- Yeah, yeah.- It was like a bridge.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57It had a void below the structure and you could see through.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00'The plan was a beautiful plan but it wasn't a plan that
0:13:00 > 0:13:02'suited us as a family.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05'It was quite thin and quite narrow and we live in a tall,
0:13:05 > 0:13:06'thin house in London
0:13:06 > 0:13:09'and we were very keen to have something with a bit more space,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11'a bit more light and air.'
0:13:11 > 0:13:13They wanted a bigger house.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14How big?
0:13:15 > 0:13:17- Double.- Double.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20And this started to change everything.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22'We spent a year working on those plans.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25'We kept changing them but it just...
0:13:25 > 0:13:29'it didn't work with the dimensions and the scope that we wanted,
0:13:29 > 0:13:30'it was frustrating.'
0:13:30 > 0:13:31Was it ever stressful?
0:13:33 > 0:13:34Stressful... Demanding,
0:13:34 > 0:13:38let's put it like that, because it was a lot of back and forward.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42'And, in the end, the architects and I sort of threw up our hands and
0:13:42 > 0:13:44'said, "Do you know what, it just isn't working."
0:13:44 > 0:13:48You had to abandon one idea, and how did that feel for you?
0:13:48 > 0:13:51At the beginning, we were not very happy but...
0:13:51 > 0:13:53It's always difficult to abandon an idea.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57And how long did it take you to get to a scheme
0:13:57 > 0:14:00that was recognisably this?
0:14:00 > 0:14:02- A minute.- Really?
0:14:02 > 0:14:05- Can you show me the first sketch? - Yes.- I'm interested in that.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07First sketches are often the purist form of an idea.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09We started with two broken lines.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Also very basic thoughts.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Like, for example, the Greek amphitheatres, so...
0:14:15 > 0:14:19panoramic places for you to enjoy the view.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21What's interesting about this, though,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25is that it's absolutely the opposite of the previous scheme,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28which was a bridge hovering above a piece of landscape,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30whereas this is a piece of landscape.
0:14:30 > 0:14:36It allows you to conceal a very big building very subtly, but it looks,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38now, like a very finished building.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40The landscape is all grown back.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44But, actually, there must have been huge disturbance to make
0:14:44 > 0:14:46this building, huge disturbance to the landscape?
0:14:46 > 0:14:51In the beginning, I was very scared when they started the excavation,
0:14:51 > 0:14:56- yeah, very scared.- It's a massive quarry, and it's huge destruction...
0:14:56 > 0:15:00There is always a moment when you feel fear, and that is the moment,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02when you see this immense crater,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05you say nature is never to come back the same way.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09But then, it's our role, we are architects.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Architecture means to construct, to build.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14There is no visible structure here,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16but, tell me, how was it constructed?
0:15:16 > 0:15:19These walls are three-layered bricks.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- Traditional brick? - Traditional brick, which...
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- How thick? - It's about 70 centimetres.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28And this is very good, for thermic reasons.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30This is the way they build here in Greece.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35Very thick walls, with deep reveals, with windows pushed right in.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39'When the drawings came to life, and the structure was built,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42'there were angles I could not have imagined. I knew the footprint of
0:15:42 > 0:15:44'the building and drawings back to front,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47'but when you looked at certain angles,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50'just...it was beyond, it was beyond what we'd hoped and imagined.'
0:15:50 > 0:15:56Standing back now, several years later, do you love this building?
0:15:57 > 0:16:00I love this building. Totally love this building, yes!
0:16:05 > 0:16:08This is what Karima fell in love with,
0:16:08 > 0:16:13as she and her husband saw this plot of land, and, looking at it now,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15they haven't made a mistake, have they?
0:16:15 > 0:16:17No, I mean, this is, for me, what Greece is about,
0:16:17 > 0:16:22this time of the evening, but facing west, getting the sunset over water.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25I defy anybody to look at this view
0:16:25 > 0:16:27and not think they've found paradise.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Could you sell up and come here?
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I think I could, but you'd have to build me a house.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37- Deal.- OK.
0:16:37 > 0:16:38Yes!
0:16:40 > 0:16:42This view is something
0:16:42 > 0:16:46that would make me leave my south-west leafy patch at home.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50If this was Hollywood, I'd be snogging you now.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08The next stop on our underground adventure
0:17:08 > 0:17:11takes us to the lush valleys of the Swiss Alps.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19- Oh, look down there!- I would, but I'm trying not to kill us.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21No, you look ahead!
0:17:22 > 0:17:25'We're heading to the village of Vals,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27'perched over 1,000 metres above sea level,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30'and surrounded by alpine pasture land.'
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Look at these little dotted about, little shelters...
0:17:33 > 0:17:35I think this is it, actually, this is Vals. Here we are, Vals.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Beautiful little buildings, aren't they?
0:17:37 > 0:17:39I mean, look up there, Caroline,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41these little barns built into the hill.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44The only thing I know about these little chalets and things
0:17:44 > 0:17:47is that I make one every Christmas out of gingerbread.
0:17:47 > 0:17:48Look at that little window!
0:17:48 > 0:17:51That's ridiculous. If Hansel and Gretel aren't in there,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53I want my money back.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Although we're in the heart of Switzerland,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59the underground house we're looking for is
0:17:59 > 0:18:01owned by Dutch architect, Bjarne Mastenbroek.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Wanting to push his creative boundaries
0:18:05 > 0:18:07and live out his childhood dream,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11he built an underground den as a holiday home for his family.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Bjarne found a small, mountainside plot of land,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17but it came with a caveat -
0:18:17 > 0:18:19he had to keep the traditional agricultural
0:18:19 > 0:18:22barn, which existed on the site.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Piers, this is what we've been talking about,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27these are the traditional farm buildings,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30and these would have had the animals underneath,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34and the heat would have been rising up and drying out the hay.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35But, of course,
0:18:35 > 0:18:40as in everywhere in the world now, animal welfare have become involved,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42so these are no longer available...
0:18:42 > 0:18:46CAROLINE IS DROWNED OUT BY MUSIC FROM THE SOUND OF MUSIC
0:18:47 > 0:18:50..monolithic...
0:18:50 > 0:18:51Just a tragic waste...
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Oh, dizzy!
0:18:53 > 0:18:55'Halfway up the hillside,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58'we stumble upon the old barn we've been looking for.'
0:18:59 > 0:19:00Well, this is the entrance.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- Yeah.- So somehow, underneath this, is our house, or...?
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Yeah, well, I think we go into it, and then we'll discover it.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08It's very mysterious, isn't it?
0:19:09 > 0:19:11- Shall I open it?- Yeah.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- Ooh.- There's some hay.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18It's really exciting!
0:19:18 > 0:19:21God, look at it. This is insane.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Rather than get rid of the old farm building,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Bjarne converted it into the entrance for his underground home.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Talking about how to combine modern and ancient agricultural buildings,
0:19:35 > 0:19:36this is like a masterclass in that, for me.
0:19:36 > 0:19:37It is, it totally is.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40- I mean, look at that concrete. - That's concrete, isn't it, yeah.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Yeah, and just the bare light fittings.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47And look at that, that is the tunnel, I think,
0:19:47 > 0:19:48that takes us into the house.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49Spooky, dark corridors
0:19:49 > 0:19:52and being underground, I don't really like very much,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54but I can see light at the end of that tunnel.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00It feels like we're entering church.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Or a catacomb. I'll tell you what it reminds me of, actually,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05is when you go into the pyramids in Egypt.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- Yeah.- Where they draw you down into the earth.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Yes. This is beautiful.
0:20:10 > 0:20:11That's lovely, isn't it?
0:20:11 > 0:20:13It feels like it's been here for thousands of years.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17And this slot of light here.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25I think it's really theatrical, I mean,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29the whole orchestrated entrance that leaves the world behind,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32and brings you into a sort of secret world.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35But it's also just beautiful material,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37beautiful light, beautiful angles.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40And then, just there, look, the little finials and doorknobs.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41- Yeah.- To hang your coat on.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43They're hilarious, aren't they?
0:20:43 > 0:20:47Wow! I mean, the shaft of light there is just so lovely.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48- Look at that.- Oh!
0:20:48 > 0:20:54Isn't it ridiculous, Piers, that that's so small, and so exciting.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58- Yeah.- It's just a little slash of light through concrete.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Why should that be so thrilling, but it is thrilling, isn't it?
0:21:01 > 0:21:02I'm coming out in goose bumps.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08As we find daylight again,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11the concave facade of the main house
0:21:11 > 0:21:13and its panoramic views are revealed.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31This is extraordinary, isn't it?
0:21:31 > 0:21:35'The deceptively spacious living room is a complete contrast
0:21:35 > 0:21:36'to the entrance tunnel.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39'Despite being underground,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42'the space is flooded with daylight and not at all what I'd expected.'
0:21:44 > 0:21:50I have never seen you ever sit down in a house when we arrive.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54I think, in a way, it's because that whole experience has been so
0:21:54 > 0:21:58carefully orchestrated, the barn, that fantastic hall,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00that when you come to this point,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02so I'm ready to sit and just kind of drink it in.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05I mean, it's a stunning sitting room.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06This would do me.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11The starting point for building this underground home
0:22:11 > 0:22:14was to dig a void 36 feet deep into the hillside,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16big enough to enclose this two-storey,
0:22:16 > 0:22:17four-bedroom house.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21A thick, reinforced retaining wall was then poured,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and internal walls were built from concrete.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28The front of the house is sealed by a concave facade,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30made from local stone,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32and scattered with windows to allow light
0:22:32 > 0:22:34into every room of the property.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37A 22-metre underground tunnel
0:22:37 > 0:22:39connects the house to the barn entrance.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43To find out more about the inspiration
0:22:43 > 0:22:45for this award-winning home,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49we're meeting the owners, Bjarne and his wife, Katrin.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51- Hi, there.- Lovely to meet you.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- And who's this?- It's Joanne.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Joanne, hello, darling!
0:22:56 > 0:23:00I've got to start by saying this is an extraordinarily beautiful house.
0:23:00 > 0:23:01Bit unusual, but...
0:23:01 > 0:23:05What made you decide to build an underground house?
0:23:05 > 0:23:09When I was young, I built a lot of underground huts with my friends,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12and that idea I always kept in my mind.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14- Yeah.- So I thought it would be nice to do it,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17and here it was quite obvious, because of the steep hill.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I hope you don't mind the way I think of this house, but I feel,
0:23:20 > 0:23:25it looks to me like a meteorite or a big cannonball has hit,
0:23:25 > 0:23:30and then you pull it out, and you're left with this perfect circle.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32And then inside that circle, you built a house.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It's a perfect circle, under 45 degrees,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39so the projection of it is an ellipse.
0:23:41 > 0:23:46The design of this house reminds me of homes for burrowing animals.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Inside, the maze of rooms feels just like a warren.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52I wouldn't be surprised to see a rabbit.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54The layout may flow seamlessly now,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57but fitting a four-bedroom house in a small hole in the ground
0:23:57 > 0:23:59was a huge challenge for Bjarne.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01We spent a lot of time on the layout.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04First, it was like a banana-shaped building, three stories,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08but we had to cut it down all the time, also because of budget,
0:24:08 > 0:24:10until we reached, like, two, two-and-a-half stories,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12and much more un-deep,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14so then you have to organise all the rooms
0:24:14 > 0:24:16so that they can have daylight.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19That was probably the trickiest thing to get in.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24The design of the house as an overall design took a lot of time,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27and then we started building, but that took also more than two years.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30And how evolved was the design when you started building?
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Was it absolutely finished, or...?
0:24:32 > 0:24:34No, no, not at all.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36So, we also accepted mistakes.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Maybe you will see in the tunnel there is one skylight
0:24:39 > 0:24:40that has a real bow in it,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44so something went wrong, and then you come here,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47and the contractors say, "Oh, I'm very sorry, I have to take it down."
0:24:47 > 0:24:48I say, "Oh, no, it's fine, keep it."
0:24:48 > 0:24:52And then he's looking at you like, "What? Can I keep it like this?"
0:24:52 > 0:24:53Because it's not perfect.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55- How amazing.- You know, we don't want to have it perfect.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58My idea is that, for architecture, you don't need perfection.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01In a way, perfect architecture tends to become very boring.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Although Bjarne was relaxed during the complex build of this underground house,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11there was one aspect that he wouldn't compromise on.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14He was adamant about using a local construction team,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16out of respect for the area.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20To buy a cup of coffee is massively expensive here.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Is it massively expensive to use Swiss builders?
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Yes!
0:25:25 > 0:25:29- It is.- So did you have a budget in mind when you started this build?
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Yeah, but we didn't make it.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35You didn't make it by what, a little or a lot?
0:25:35 > 0:25:39A lot. You know, I think we ran over budget about two-and-a-half times.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Did the villagers take to the idea of you building it,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45because it's so unlike anything else around here?
0:25:45 > 0:25:48I think in the beginning they didn't believe it would ever be built.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51It was like it's too crazy, they won't be able to build it.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53- What, they didn't think you could do it?- Yeah.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55They said later on, when it was built,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58that they gave a building permit within three weeks,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01which is very fast, because they thought it wouldn't be built.
0:26:01 > 0:26:02And now that you are here,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04and you're very much part of this village,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07do the people in the village accept you, and like this house?
0:26:08 > 0:26:12I think so. We had an open door for one day, when it was finished,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15and we expected, like 50 or 60 people,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19but it turned out that one third of the village came, over 350 people.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- That's a lot of cups of tea!- So they were curious, they were curious.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23Yeah.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31So this is a really beautiful space,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34I mean, this is so sensual, you know, bathed in this pink light.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37I love it, that's the mirror, isn't it, from the kitchen?
0:26:37 > 0:26:38Yeah. One-way mirror.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43- Yeah.- But actually it shows that you don't always need lots of daylight,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47but you need the quality of light, and this has a very, sort of,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49serene quality, again.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Into the light.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Yeah, this is the, you could say, architectural bedroom.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Look at that. Oh! That's beautiful,
0:27:00 > 0:27:05that's beautiful. That's just Switzerland in a picture frame.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10Yeah. Yeah, it's really the mountain we framed here.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I love the, sort of, ad hoc-ness of this.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18The funny thing is, if you find a Japanese closet like this,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22that fits up to three millimetres to the house you already built...
0:27:22 > 0:27:23So it had to be this one.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25So had you made any plans for steps?
0:27:25 > 0:27:29No, we forgot a lot in this house while designing!
0:27:29 > 0:27:32I really like that idea, that, in fact,
0:27:32 > 0:27:36creativity sometimes comes out of mistakes, unplanned things.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Some of the best things we didn't design, they just happened.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41I love this bedroom, this is so secret-y bedroom.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45But, you know, that's why architecture's not so important,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47it's the bed linen, at the end of the day!
0:27:47 > 0:27:49CAROLINE LAUGHS
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Oh, that's good, very good.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04How much pleasure do you get from coming here?
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Oh, a lot. That's why we come as often as we can.
0:28:08 > 0:28:09I think the main thing is
0:28:09 > 0:28:12that it's really completely different from being
0:28:12 > 0:28:15- in the big city.- When you first walked in today, Piers,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17I've never seen you react in quite the same way.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20- What was it?- I did, I guess I instinctively responded to
0:28:20 > 0:28:23the space, and atmosphere, and drama.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25But do you know why?
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Because architecture nowadays is too much about what you see,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31and the nice thing of an underground house is you can't get an image from
0:28:31 > 0:28:35this house, because the only thing you see is this hole.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38So, you have to explore it, and to undergo it,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41which is different from looking at only.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45Whereas this is rare, in that we can never judge it as an object.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49The only reason we were able to buy the land was that the old farmer
0:28:49 > 0:28:53didn't want to sell... He wanted to sell the land,
0:28:53 > 0:28:57but every time there was almost a sale, he backed out,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00and we didn't understand why from other people before us.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04But then I asked him can we keep the barn?
0:29:04 > 0:29:07And then the old man said, "Ah, you want to keep the barn?
0:29:07 > 0:29:12"Then I want to sell." So it turned out that he never wanted to sell
0:29:12 > 0:29:14because of destructing his old barn.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16But that's so moving.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18Has that farmer been back to see the house?
0:29:18 > 0:29:22Yeah, yeah, he came in, two sticks, 93 years old.
0:29:22 > 0:29:27And he was sitting very proudly here at the table while these 350 people
0:29:27 > 0:29:29from the village also entered the house.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36Yeah, that's too hot for me.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38- It's perfect for me. - Yeah, but it's too hot for me!
0:29:40 > 0:29:43How about we grab some water? Can we use this?
0:29:43 > 0:29:45Yeah, this is a well we struck when we built the house.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48And, so, this is just beautiful drinking water?
0:29:48 > 0:29:49It's perfect drinking water.
0:29:49 > 0:29:50Six litres per minute.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53- Really?- Yeah. It's ten degrees, summer and winter.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Oh, God, it's beautiful water.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00- Perfect.- And one thing is missing.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04Oh! This house has got absolutely everything.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11Now I realise I didn't bring my swimmers.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13- I'll get in in my undies.- All right.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15- It is quite warm, actually. - Come and sit here.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Come and sit this side. That side is very hot, isn't it, Piers?
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Too hot for you, Piers?!
0:30:20 > 0:30:22- All right?!- It's perfect, actually.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25- Do you want a little dribble? - Lovely. Yes, please.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26- That'll do you. - A little dribble of pleasure.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28- Thank you.- Ooh!
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Everything about this house delights me.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40The entrance, the coming in, the fact that it's an underground house,
0:30:40 > 0:30:42which really surprises me.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47Yeah, not many buildings make me lose or forget my professional self
0:30:47 > 0:30:53and actually just experience it in all it's sort of dramatic glory.
0:30:53 > 0:30:54And this one, I really did.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57Cheers.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03I'm absolutely poached!
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Our next underground house takes us down under
0:31:28 > 0:31:30to New Zealand's South Island.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37The sunlight on these peaks is really heavenly.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41We're heading to a home built on an exposed plot of untamed wilderness.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46The owner wanted a peaceful retreat to retire to,
0:31:46 > 0:31:49where she could connect with this stunning scenery.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Really, it's sublime, isn't it?
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Yeah, it's beautiful.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56The challenge for the design director was to create
0:31:56 > 0:31:58a relaxing space in this remote environment,
0:31:58 > 0:32:02which would enhance the raw landscape, not destroy it.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07Critically, this place is so beautiful, it's so fragile,
0:32:07 > 0:32:09the natural beauty of this place,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12that this house couldn't begin to compete with this scenery.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15In this conflict of house versus scenery,
0:32:15 > 0:32:18the design director needed to do something different.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22As he was building in New Zealand,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25a country which embraces architectural innovation,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28he decided to design a house underground to soften the impact
0:32:28 > 0:32:31a structure would have on this undulating landscape.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35It must be rather nice for architects here
0:32:35 > 0:32:37not to be hidebound by that massive
0:32:37 > 0:32:41weight of history on their shoulders, like Georgian buildings,
0:32:41 > 0:32:43- thatched cottages, and all that. - Completely.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46They don't have any of that stuff to kind of deal with, do they?
0:32:46 > 0:32:48None. I'm throttled by that where I am.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51I live near Bath, and everything that you build,
0:32:51 > 0:32:53you have to consider in the context
0:32:53 > 0:32:55of something that was built 200 years ago.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59And it's almost like that period in time has to be frozen in aspic
0:32:59 > 0:33:02forever. But they have none of those preconceptions here.
0:33:02 > 0:33:03You can build anything.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05But the critical thing is,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08it's got to belong in terms of how it relates to nature.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13Now I can see a little sort of boomerang shape,
0:33:13 > 0:33:14a little wing shape,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17on the right. I think this might be where we're going, Piers.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Hang on, hang on. Yeah, here, yeah.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23- Right.- The glimpse I had, it looks like a little bird has landed.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26- There we are.- You can't get more discreet than that, can you?
0:33:26 > 0:33:28That's a little hidden house tucked into a hill.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30I like that very much.
0:33:30 > 0:33:31- Shall we have a look?- Let's.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34Wonderful views, aren't they?
0:33:34 > 0:33:37It's lovely, isn't it? This is the flight path into Queenstown.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39There's a plane coming in, Caroline.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49The landscape here has a raw elegance.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51But with this natural splendour
0:33:51 > 0:33:54comes the threat of natural disaster.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Despite its weightless appearance,
0:33:57 > 0:34:01this house has been designed and heavily engineered to withstand
0:34:01 > 0:34:03the threat of earthquakes.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09I'm really interested in how this big wing of a roof just sits very
0:34:09 > 0:34:11delicately, as if it's floating.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14It's like a kite. That's what it reminds me of.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17A tiny delicate edge that looks fragile, but, actually, remember,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20is designed to resist seismic forces.
0:34:20 > 0:34:21My father was in the RAF.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23And when I was a little girl he used to make me paper planes.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26- Did he?- Almost exactly that shape.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30As this building is mostly hidden underground,
0:34:30 > 0:34:33it allows the landscape to take centre stage.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38However, I'm intrigued that this house doesn't give away its
0:34:38 > 0:34:41subterranean qualities at first glance.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43I'm going to have to go up and have a look and get my bearings,
0:34:43 > 0:34:46because I can't quite work out what is where.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48- I'll see you in a bit.- OK.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Looking down here, I can already see different levels
0:34:51 > 0:34:53that really are underground.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58I think this house is all about the landscape and nothing else,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00because standing here now,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02with the sun rising over the top of that mountain,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05it shows that houses aren't about creating an impression.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09They're about creating atmosphere and rooting you in a landscape.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13To nestle the property within the land,
0:35:13 > 0:35:18dynamite was used to excavate 5,000 cubic metres of earth and rock,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20to create bunkers in the ground.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24The floor plan of this three-bedroom house
0:35:24 > 0:35:27is separated into two different structures.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30A main house with living areas and bedrooms,
0:35:30 > 0:35:32and a separate annexe.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37The underground areas are constructed from concrete,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40with east-facing glass facades to maximise natural light.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47The highly engineered wing-shaped roof is made from timber and heavily
0:35:47 > 0:35:51reinforced with steel to safeguard it against seismic activity.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56I mean, I know it's ostensibly an underground house,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00but I don't feel remotely like I'm under the ground.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02I feel like I'm almost in the sky.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Well, you're under a wing, aren't you?
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Held up by this huge core.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Chosen for its extreme strength and contemporary appearance,
0:36:11 > 0:36:15concrete was the primary material used in constructing this house.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20Almost 1,000 cubic metres were poured to create
0:36:20 > 0:36:21the rock solid floors,
0:36:21 > 0:36:25walls and the central hearth structure.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28This is a huge block of concrete right in the middle of the house.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33This goes right the way down into the underground bit of the house.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35And when all this is moving around in an earthquake,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38this is the most important part of the building.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42It doesn't feel to me as if it could withstand a slight gust of wind.
0:36:42 > 0:36:48It's very odd. It feels paper thin and delicate,
0:36:48 > 0:36:50but you think it's a rufty, tufty house, is it?
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Totally. This is a piece of ground.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55This is a rock. And the whole house is made out of concrete.
0:36:55 > 0:36:56And concrete is about the strongest material,
0:36:56 > 0:36:59but it's also the most thermally efficient material.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03So here we are in the middle of winter, and that sun is coming in,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06hitting this concrete early in the morning and heating up the house.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10So it's a very clever house in terms of how the light works
0:37:10 > 0:37:12and how the mass of the concrete does so much,
0:37:12 > 0:37:14other than just be nice to look at.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19Downstairs, sunken below ground level,
0:37:19 > 0:37:23there are two snug bedrooms wrapped in earth on three sides,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25but still flooded with daylight.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29We're right in the rock now, aren't we?
0:37:29 > 0:37:32- Underground?- Yeah. This is what is great about building in the ground.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34All the rooms have direct access
0:37:34 > 0:37:36right the way out into the landscape.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40But, actually, down here, there is a sense of the house enveloping you,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42and really cocooning you.
0:37:42 > 0:37:43And this is the bedrock.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46This is the ground that they had to hollow out to
0:37:46 > 0:37:49make this house. I mean, gosh, that would have taken some doing.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51How did they do that, dynamite?
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Yeah. Beautiful layered rock strata, isn't it?
0:37:53 > 0:37:55What, just blow a massive crater?
0:37:55 > 0:37:57Blow a massive hole and fill it full of house.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00- Really?- Yeah. But it's interesting, because the house is quite nestled.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02And I think unless you did that,
0:38:02 > 0:38:04the house would be perched on the top of this hill
0:38:04 > 0:38:06at the mercy of the elements.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13This house is very complex in many ways.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17It takes on enormous themes of landscape
0:38:17 > 0:38:20in this big, expansive wilderness.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24But, at its heart, it's a very simple exercise in homemaking.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29And at the heart of this house is the hearth, the fireplace.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34What the hearth also does is root this house right the way down to
0:38:34 > 0:38:40the ground. And what happens is the ground is cut around it to make some
0:38:40 > 0:38:42bedrooms, a lot of concrete in the ground here.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45And then the roof, very thin edges,
0:38:45 > 0:38:50kicks up and is anchored right the way to the top of this hearth.
0:38:50 > 0:38:56And then there's the bedrooms, and then there's living spaces above.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59And what the sun is then allowed to do,
0:38:59 > 0:39:03is to enter around here and go around at the end of the day
0:39:03 > 0:39:04to there.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07So what you get is a fantastic quality of light in the morning.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11And then in the evening, underneath,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14all of this. And, really, that's it.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18This fantastic hearth that really does everything.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20And it's really effective.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29I'm off to discover owner Louise's favourite room,
0:39:29 > 0:39:33an underground chamber, completely separate from the main house.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Louise calls this her inner sanctum.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39And I can see exactly what she means,
0:39:39 > 0:39:42because if you're going to have a private space,
0:39:42 > 0:39:43somewhere to disappear into
0:39:43 > 0:39:46when the family are having a thrashing party over the road,
0:39:46 > 0:39:50you want some peace and quiet, this is the perfect place to have it.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54You've got a beautiful bed with absolutely magnificent views.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56A bath that overlooks the mountain.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59And even a fireplace.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04I suppose these are built-in wardrobes.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06It must be great to have so much space for all your...
0:40:06 > 0:40:08No, it's not a built-in wardrobe!
0:40:08 > 0:40:11It's a kitchen! It's a kitchen in the bedroom.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Oh, my Lord! That's marvellous.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16What else is here? Sorry. Won't be a second.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19It's a fridge! I love that!
0:40:22 > 0:40:25Again, there's this fantastic use of concrete here.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Just like in the other house.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30These are two separate houses.
0:40:30 > 0:40:35And then here it's been cut away, so there's a light that's allowed in.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37This skylight is created through the concrete.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40But what's really incredible to me
0:40:40 > 0:40:43is you are suddenly aware of how thick this roof is.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50It took owner Louise several years to find this plot of land,
0:40:50 > 0:40:54and I'm keen to hear from her and her builder, Nichol Thomson,
0:40:54 > 0:40:56what challenges they faced when constructing this home.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01What was it about building a house here for you?
0:41:01 > 0:41:05For me, personally, it was about not living in the city.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07And I guess slow down in some ways.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11At what point was the decision made to make this an underground house?
0:41:11 > 0:41:14The landscape was the most important part.
0:41:14 > 0:41:20And the brief had a sentence in it which was, "Let the land speak."
0:41:20 > 0:41:23The interesting thing is when you go through a process like this,
0:41:23 > 0:41:27there are so many different kinds of design that you like.
0:41:27 > 0:41:32- Yeah.- So, because the landform here is full of hills,
0:41:32 > 0:41:37I really wanted the buildings to sit within the land.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41We wanted the buildings to feel as though they had just been planted
0:41:41 > 0:41:42into the ground.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45So there was an incredible amount of effort that went into
0:41:45 > 0:41:48thinking through how that would work.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51We are building here in a remote part of New Zealand.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Everything has to be brought in by truck,
0:41:54 > 0:41:58often off-loaded two or three times before it arrives here.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Things get broken, things get lost.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03The first thing was obviously trying to even work out the volume of earth
0:42:03 > 0:42:05that had to be removed to build it into the landscape.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08And then we had to use explosives to blow it all out.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12So a lot of the rock that came out, you'll see in parts,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15retaining walls and things all around the property,
0:42:15 > 0:42:16it's all been reused.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20Constructing this unconventional house took a team of local craftsmen
0:42:20 > 0:42:23three years to complete.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27The experimental architecture meant a lot of problem-solving for Nichol.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31Were there any points when you thought, "This is a tricky build."
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Funnily enough, right at the start when we were troubleshooting...
0:42:36 > 0:42:38The concrete's a special sort of a mix.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Concrete is a little bit like a cake,
0:42:41 > 0:42:43for want of a better description,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46so, essentially, the recipe had to be tried out
0:42:46 > 0:42:48over and over and over again.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52The aggregates, the stones, the cement percentages, the sand,
0:42:52 > 0:42:54everything's quite different here.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57We ended up, we had sort of a little sort of concrete graveyard
0:42:57 > 0:42:59for a while, with about ten or 12 little...
0:42:59 > 0:43:01- Tombstones.- ..tombstones.
0:43:01 > 0:43:02It took ten or 12 tries?
0:43:02 > 0:43:04Yeah, it took us about six weeks.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08And at any point did you think, "Oh, I wish I hadn't start this?"
0:43:08 > 0:43:10I think everyone does.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14I think construction is stressful, it's tiring.
0:43:14 > 0:43:19And the whole time you are looking at the spaces that you've studied
0:43:19 > 0:43:21and planned intensely over, going,
0:43:21 > 0:43:24"Is it big enough, is it small enough,
0:43:24 > 0:43:26"does it feel right?"
0:43:26 > 0:43:30And so you run this roller-coaster of emotion through the whole
0:43:30 > 0:43:31construction period.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33And now it's actually finally built...
0:43:33 > 0:43:35- Yes?- ..is there anything you'd change about it?
0:43:35 > 0:43:37I'd probably put a few more power points in!
0:43:47 > 0:43:50One of the things that fascinates me about this house
0:43:50 > 0:43:53is that it takes you underground and cossets you
0:43:53 > 0:43:55with this fantastic hearth,
0:43:55 > 0:43:58and then it pushes you out into the wilderness.
0:43:58 > 0:44:02One minute you feel very, very safe, under the ground,
0:44:02 > 0:44:05and the next minute you feel like you're a bird,
0:44:05 > 0:44:09soaring above the white peaks of the mountains.
0:44:10 > 0:44:11Very clever.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34'The last stop on our journey to unearth underground homes takes us
0:44:34 > 0:44:39'to the Netherlands, and Piers has insisted we adopt the local method
0:44:39 > 0:44:40'of transport.'
0:44:40 > 0:44:42Piers, you go ahead because I'm really wobbly!
0:44:43 > 0:44:46'We're heading to a Dutch nature reserve,
0:44:46 > 0:44:49'just 20 miles out of the city centre.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52'This protected woodland is considered a local beauty spot,
0:44:52 > 0:44:55'and the perfect escape from the bustle of city life.'
0:44:56 > 0:44:59I love that, that you can live in a piece of wilderness but it's only
0:44:59 > 0:45:03half an hour from a fantastic cosmopolitan city - Amsterdam.
0:45:03 > 0:45:04This is my idea of heaven.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10The four bedroom family home
0:45:10 > 0:45:13we're visiting is owned by architect Sanne Oomen.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16where she lives with her husband, Lucas, and their two children.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22This family are passionate about living in a sustainable way.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25They undertook the challenge of building a large,
0:45:25 > 0:45:27contemporary home embedded in the landscape,
0:45:27 > 0:45:30so that it integrates with the local nature reserve.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36And, Piers, this is a proper eco-build?
0:45:36 > 0:45:37It is, it absolutely is.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41It's carbon neutral and is super insulated,
0:45:41 > 0:45:43and that's why it's underground,
0:45:43 > 0:45:47because they use all the earth to heat it and cool it.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51And to build a house that's not visible, of course,
0:45:51 > 0:45:54is important when you're dealing with a protected forest,
0:45:54 > 0:45:56which this is.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58Landscape is everything, I think, for this house.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01So it's going to be really interesting to see how it fits in.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Here we are. This is gorgeous.
0:46:04 > 0:46:05CAROLINE LAUGHS
0:46:07 > 0:46:09I love it already!
0:46:09 > 0:46:11Talk about green roof, that's the most bushy, green roof
0:46:11 > 0:46:13I've ever seen.
0:46:13 > 0:46:14It's a hobbit house!
0:46:24 > 0:46:28So many eco-houses are so dry, this is so quirky already.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30That's very interesting, because when you think of an eco-house you
0:46:30 > 0:46:32suddenly become serious.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34- Yeah.- So, "Oh, no, we're protecting the Earth,
0:46:34 > 0:46:35"it's got to be very serious."
0:46:35 > 0:46:38- Dry muesli. - Dry muesli and dripping rainwater.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40And, actually, this is just hilarious.
0:46:40 > 0:46:45But so much of this is banished from contemporary architecture -
0:46:45 > 0:46:49humour, wit, life, and this is so verdant and bushy.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51It's wonderful, look at it!
0:46:53 > 0:46:54"Welcome...
0:46:54 > 0:46:56"Mel..Melle, Mats..."
0:46:56 > 0:46:58Oh, this is the children... "Melle, Mats,
0:46:58 > 0:47:00"Sonne and Lucas.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03"All living here."
0:47:03 > 0:47:04It's very stylish, isn't it?
0:47:04 > 0:47:07Very stylish, the arrow is very stylish.
0:47:07 > 0:47:08I wonder what's behind here.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11- We can find out because I've got the key to the door.- The buzzer.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13There we are.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18- This is great.- Oh, look!
0:47:18 > 0:47:21Now, listen, I'm thrilled to see this.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25I think it's so lovely to see people using things in a new and kind of
0:47:25 > 0:47:29- fun way.- Yes. This is stuffed full of things, this house, isn't it?
0:47:29 > 0:47:31Look, that's beautiful.
0:47:31 > 0:47:32I can hear you.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36Do you know, that reminds me, that reminds me of an old friend...
0:47:36 > 0:47:38There's so much to look at.
0:47:38 > 0:47:39I already want to know what that is.
0:47:39 > 0:47:40That's a light into the basement,
0:47:40 > 0:47:42I know that without even going down there.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45So that light is coming straight downstairs into the basement?
0:47:45 > 0:47:48- Straight downstairs.- Because, oh, God, we're underground, that's why,
0:47:48 > 0:47:52- I've just realised.- Yes.- So that is in the surface of the garden
0:47:52 > 0:47:54that we've just walked through.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58- Yeah.- And suddenly, opening up, and, look, we're outside again.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03Piers, this is so exciting.
0:48:03 > 0:48:04I love it, I love it.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06I love the way they live in it.
0:48:06 > 0:48:07Yes, we're underground,
0:48:07 > 0:48:11we're underneath that roof at the moment but I don't feel it at all,
0:48:11 > 0:48:14because we're connected both by those skylights there
0:48:14 > 0:48:16and then straight out the front there.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19And what a brilliant panorama of this incredible woodland.
0:48:19 > 0:48:20I'm very excited.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22Me too, I don't know where to go.
0:48:22 > 0:48:23Let's go down there!
0:48:25 > 0:48:29This eco-home was designed to be part of the natural environment
0:48:29 > 0:48:31and to champion sustainable principles.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36After deep excavation and the laying of concrete foundations,
0:48:36 > 0:48:40the bedrooms and bathrooms were stacked across three floors
0:48:40 > 0:48:41on the north side of the building.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44A large, open-plan living space inhabits the south.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49From the north side, the entire building is embedded
0:48:49 > 0:48:50in earth and greenery,
0:48:50 > 0:48:53for natural insulation and camouflage.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58The south facing glass facade and a series of skylights bring natural
0:48:58 > 0:49:01light into even the deepest parts of the house.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08The interior of this home is crammed full of the art the couple have
0:49:08 > 0:49:12collected and sits alongside bespoke, handcrafted furniture,
0:49:12 > 0:49:16made from reclaimed and up-cycled objects and materials.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18And, look, your taxi's here!
0:49:19 > 0:49:22That's comedy, isn't it?
0:49:22 > 0:49:23- That's a Daimler.- It is.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28What's brilliant, this furniture is actually upside down
0:49:28 > 0:49:31and on its side, and it's about, I think,
0:49:31 > 0:49:34saying take a look at things from a different perspective.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Let's turn this on its head.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38A lot of architects did this in the '70s.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41They put radiators on the ceiling and at strange angles and things.
0:49:41 > 0:49:42They've got it right here.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45They know how to do what's practical,
0:49:45 > 0:49:48but to make it beautiful, and funny, and clever,
0:49:48 > 0:49:51and interesting, and great to use.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54This eclectic mix of up-cycled furnishings
0:49:54 > 0:49:57are a stunning example of great design,
0:49:57 > 0:49:59fused with zero waste eco-principles.
0:50:01 > 0:50:06The centrepiece of the whole house is this big Finnish...? Finn oven?
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Finn - F-I-N-N, as in Finnish,
0:50:08 > 0:50:11and the principle is that the flue snakes around
0:50:11 > 0:50:16to make sure that all of the heat, 90% of it, stays in here.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18So, they're not just pipes that go up,
0:50:18 > 0:50:20and therefore you lose all the heat out the top?
0:50:20 > 0:50:22This actually stays in the body of the oven?
0:50:22 > 0:50:24And because it's made out of concrete,
0:50:24 > 0:50:26this will stay warm probably for 12 hours after the fire goes out.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28Is this ancient or modern?
0:50:28 > 0:50:31It's an ancient principle, but used in a 21st-century house.
0:50:33 > 0:50:34Alongside the Finn oven,
0:50:34 > 0:50:37the house is heated by a wood pellet boiler system
0:50:37 > 0:50:42and solar panels placed due south, to maximise the sun's rays.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45This provides enough renewable electricity
0:50:45 > 0:50:48to power the entire house and the family's electric car
0:50:48 > 0:50:50all year round.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54Even the orientation of the house is positioned
0:50:54 > 0:50:57with environmental sensitivity.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59There's clearly a hierarchy of the spaces,
0:50:59 > 0:51:03so clearly the main spaces that get the light and height face south,
0:51:03 > 0:51:05face the view, and that's where you live.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08Then the less important spaces buried at the back,
0:51:08 > 0:51:10because they don't need the light.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13But here, also, these roof lights let in tonnes of light.
0:51:13 > 0:51:17A roof light lets in between three and six times as much light
0:51:17 > 0:51:21- as a window.- Really?- Seriously, because you get the sky coming in.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24- I never knew that!- And it's flooded with light up there,
0:51:24 > 0:51:27just from a couple of roof lights.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29But it's chock full of surprises, isn't it?
0:51:29 > 0:51:30Oh!
0:51:32 > 0:51:34You knew that was going to happen!
0:51:34 > 0:51:35SHE GASPS
0:51:37 > 0:51:38Oh...
0:51:43 > 0:51:45This is another world in here.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51And look how thick that bit of ground is up to the sky.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54That's how far we are underground.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56PATTERING
0:51:56 > 0:51:57I can hear the rain.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02And even with the rain, you can feel the silence.
0:52:07 > 0:52:08It's the perfect bedroom.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11WHIRRING
0:52:22 > 0:52:26This house is rich with layers of ideas and complexity,
0:52:26 > 0:52:28but, at its heart, it's a very simple building.
0:52:28 > 0:52:33You have some little spaces stacked on top of one another,
0:52:33 > 0:52:36that then protect one big space,
0:52:36 > 0:52:39which is where most of the living happens,
0:52:39 > 0:52:45and you then take the eaves to make sure that summer sun, which is hot,
0:52:45 > 0:52:46can't enter the building,
0:52:46 > 0:52:50but winter sun can enter right into the back of the building.
0:52:50 > 0:52:51And what you do then
0:52:51 > 0:52:57is to take all of the earth and mound it up around the house,
0:52:57 > 0:53:02as thick as possible, to make it protected from all the cold,
0:53:02 > 0:53:04and earth is actually a very good insulator
0:53:04 > 0:53:06when you mound it up really thick.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09Earth, when you get down to a certain thickness,
0:53:09 > 0:53:10is a stable temperature.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13Then, of course, the winter sun
0:53:13 > 0:53:16floods in and the summer sun is kept out.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19The back of the house then has these little rooms,
0:53:19 > 0:53:22these little cellular spaces - utilities, bathrooms -
0:53:22 > 0:53:24that are buried in the back of the house,
0:53:24 > 0:53:26where you don't need the light.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35I love these old doors, set into these modern walls.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41This is adorable, this room, it's adorable.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43It's obviously a child's bedroom.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46It's so lovely.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50With a little place for some little tacker to sit in this
0:53:50 > 0:53:55beautiful, fascinating, bulbous little window on the world.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Sonne and Lucas spent four years
0:54:00 > 0:54:02designing and building their underground home,
0:54:02 > 0:54:06with friends and architects Oscar Vos and Thomas Dieben.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11The choice to build a house underground,
0:54:11 > 0:54:14where did that come from?
0:54:14 > 0:54:17My family name is Mole,
0:54:17 > 0:54:18all the family living...
0:54:20 > 0:54:24No. We just wanted to build a sustainable home.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27From the start, we had this sketch of a house,
0:54:27 > 0:54:29with a big space like a hole,
0:54:29 > 0:54:33and it was my first build and I didn't want to do it alone,
0:54:33 > 0:54:37so I decided to ask friends from Delft, from university,
0:54:37 > 0:54:38to do it with me.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42I was actually quite nervous also about how it would be,
0:54:42 > 0:54:44and also about the technical parts.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47We were building it during the financial crisis,
0:54:47 > 0:54:50so a lot of contractors fell down.
0:54:50 > 0:54:55It was hard labour, and a lot of blood, sweat and tears.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57The basement was sort of extra,
0:54:57 > 0:55:01because at first we couldn't dig in the ground.
0:55:01 > 0:55:02Why?
0:55:02 > 0:55:06We weren't allowed because it's a winning area, it was not allowed.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08How did you get round that?
0:55:08 > 0:55:11We told them it's really silly,
0:55:11 > 0:55:19you are yourself digging holes to search for the water, 40 metres...
0:55:19 > 0:55:21And a big swimming pool, a public swimming pool here.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23- And they're telling us we're not allowed.- Yeah.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27And then they changed their own regulations and we were allowed to.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30So then we could dig, and then we said we want a basement,
0:55:30 > 0:55:32and a very big basement.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35Did your client interfere with your work quite a lot?
0:55:35 > 0:55:37All the time!
0:55:37 > 0:55:40- All the time, yeah. - But never fights.
0:55:40 > 0:55:44All the time bigger and more special.
0:55:44 > 0:55:45We had to make it possible.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49Like starting architects,
0:55:49 > 0:55:53they want to make a clean building with empty and...
0:55:53 > 0:55:55- No, that's not true. - ..and white walls.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58- No, no, no, no, no. - Most architects do!
0:55:58 > 0:56:01So it will fit in all the architecture magazines.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03- Absolutely. - And I wanted crazy stuff.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06Most architects are quite nervous
0:56:06 > 0:56:09about that kind of bricolage of ideas.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11- But I love it.- Me too.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15Who did you go to about the budget, who did you talk to?
0:56:15 > 0:56:18Because client-architect budget discussions are always difficult,
0:56:18 > 0:56:20but when you're the client and the architect,
0:56:20 > 0:56:22how did you have the budget discussions?
0:56:22 > 0:56:25Yeah, how did we do that?
0:56:25 > 0:56:29We never talked about the budget.
0:56:29 > 0:56:30We just wanted to do it.
0:56:30 > 0:56:32Maybe you need to talk about it now!
0:56:34 > 0:56:37But what's really interesting is you have a super sustainable house that
0:56:37 > 0:56:40uses very little energy, but you still have a Daimler.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44Yeah, in Amsterdam you can do anything on your bike,
0:56:44 > 0:56:48or with a tram, and we said to each other,
0:56:48 > 0:56:51yeah, but we're going to build a sustainable house
0:56:51 > 0:56:53and now we're going to
0:56:53 > 0:57:00drive each day with a 25-year-old car, five-and-a-half litre engine.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03I don't think Mother Earth will like it.
0:57:03 > 0:57:08So we gave her a new life, as a cupboard in the kitchen.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12And there was this big crane to put it in.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14It was snowing in the winter...
0:57:14 > 0:57:17She went in through the roof, through the last hole in the roof.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19So she can never go out.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22She had to die for this green dream.
0:57:34 > 0:57:38What's extraordinary is that when we arrived here,
0:57:38 > 0:57:42we looked up at that door and we had no idea
0:57:42 > 0:57:44what lay behind it.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47It's a world of make-believe, but it's real.
0:57:47 > 0:57:51It's real, and, also, I get a very real sense that it's actually
0:57:51 > 0:57:54sort of the future of the way we're going to live.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57Because it reclaims what it is to live sustainably.
0:57:57 > 0:58:00But it's also...it's retained its sense of humour,
0:58:00 > 0:58:01and its joie de vivre,
0:58:01 > 0:58:03its joy in family life.