0:00:02 > 0:00:04We're in the midst of a low-cost self-build revolution.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07We're going to have a house!
0:00:07 > 0:00:10It's harder than ever to get onto the housing ladder, so a few
0:00:10 > 0:00:14brave, ordinary people are resorting to the seemingly impossible...
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Now bend it... Oooh! OK.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21..building their own home from scratch, for less than £100,000.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I think it's scary how quickly the money's sort of going.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29I'm Kieran Long, and with architect Piers Taylor, we're coming to
0:00:29 > 0:00:33the aid of six families attempting this toughest of challenges.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35That's bowing in the middle there.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37- I wouldn't poke it.- No, no.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39'We'll try to help them with design dilemmas...'
0:00:39 > 0:00:43OK, stop there. Why wouldn't you want to make that change?
0:00:43 > 0:00:45'..challenge them to think bigger...'
0:00:45 > 0:00:48There's just so much to look at... Just kind of soaking it all in!
0:00:48 > 0:00:50'..and search out innovative solutions that make
0:00:50 > 0:00:53'the most of their meagre budgets.'
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Wow! That looks great!
0:00:55 > 0:00:57'We'll all be pushed to the limit...'
0:00:57 > 0:00:58We can't afford to stop.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01'..as we attempt to turn these ordinary self-builds
0:01:01 > 0:01:02'into outstanding homes.'
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Wow! This is amazing.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11'This time, Sue and Tim try to build
0:01:11 > 0:01:14'a modern masterpiece in the countryside...'
0:01:14 > 0:01:16We're building walls!
0:01:16 > 0:01:18'..by making it up as they go.'
0:01:18 > 0:01:22When we build, we'll walk around and we'll say, "What do we want?"
0:01:22 > 0:01:24When you design a building, you design the plan of the building!
0:01:24 > 0:01:28'But as they race ahead, are they making the right choices?'
0:01:28 > 0:01:31- Is this what you want? - Hadn't thought about it.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35'And how will they cope when they run into big problems?'
0:01:35 > 0:01:39It moved enough to actually be structurally unsound, in the end.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42There's an awful lot that needs to come together now
0:01:42 > 0:01:43to have any building at all.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57'Sue and Tim have a 40-acre farm in Somerset.'
0:01:57 > 0:02:00I love cows. They have been my life for the last 30 years.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Steady, big fella. Steady, big fella.
0:02:02 > 0:02:03COW MOOS
0:02:04 > 0:02:08There's 14,000 happy hens.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Ooh. That wasn't very clever!
0:02:10 > 0:02:12SHE LAUGHS
0:02:12 > 0:02:15'Both the cows and the hens have a decent home.'
0:02:15 > 0:02:17COW MOOS
0:02:17 > 0:02:19'But Sue and Tim don't.'
0:02:19 > 0:02:24They have been together nearly nine years and moved here six years ago.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27All that time they've been living in a caravan with their three dogs.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30- Trailer trash!- Trailer trash, you know.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32But I don't find it too bad.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34I don't feel I've a right to dislike it.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37We've got everything you could possibly need, so...
0:02:37 > 0:02:40- We haven't.- What?- We haven't got a bath.- We haven't a bath, no.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45Well, we HAVE got a bath, but it's got a hole in the bottom.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49'Having waited years to get their finances in order, they're finally
0:02:49 > 0:02:53'ready to start building on a field the other side of the cowsheds.'
0:02:53 > 0:02:56When we first got together, one of the things we wanted to do
0:02:56 > 0:02:58was build a house together.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Yeah, I'm quite practical, good with my hands. Sue's...
0:03:01 > 0:03:04I can make a dovetail joint. Better than yours!
0:03:04 > 0:03:07They have set limit on the budget of £100,000,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11but there's none on their architectural ambition.
0:03:11 > 0:03:17My godfather was an architect, and so I had quite a lot of that influence
0:03:17 > 0:03:24of talking about the Modernist architects, Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28But this is the Somerset version.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33Having crunched the numbers, taken advice and scrutinised
0:03:33 > 0:03:36the architect's plans, they're confident they can build this
0:03:36 > 0:03:39home for £100,000 - but it's astonishingly ambitious.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47The two-storey farmhouse will be unashamedly modern.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50A timber-clad first floor will
0:03:50 > 0:03:53sit on top of a white rendered ground floor.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02The house will appear to float in mid-air, thanks to a cantilever.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04There will be two terraces which will make
0:04:04 > 0:04:05the most of the rural views.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Downstairs will be the working hub of the farm, with a plant room,
0:04:12 > 0:04:16boot room, store, farm office, two bedrooms and a bathroom.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Stairs will take you up onto a landing.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Then around the corner, the architect has outlined the main
0:04:23 > 0:04:28living area and pantry, plus a large bedroom, dressing room and bathroom.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Building a home of this size and complexity
0:04:32 > 0:04:35could easily cost £1,000 a square metre.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Sue and Tim are trying to do it for just over half that.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45I'm on my way to meet them.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48I want to understand how they plan to use their home
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and why they are being so ambitious.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56Tell me how this box on another box evolved?
0:04:56 > 0:04:58No, I wanted something to challenge me, really,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and we wanted to be upside down because we wanted to be UP
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and to take advantage of the view.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06And it just works so well.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14Tell me how you imagine using these spaces?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Is this part of the brief, something the architect has brought?
0:05:17 > 0:05:20The only fixed point is this stairwell.
0:05:20 > 0:05:26When we build, what we will do is we will build without
0:05:26 > 0:05:30any internal walls, but what we will do is we will walk around and say,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- "What do we want, actually?" - But I'm slightly surprised.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36When you design a building, you design the plan of the building.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- And you really haven't done it... - Why would we do that, though?
0:05:39 > 0:05:40Why? That's what we want.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45If it is undefined, then it's our living area rather than,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48"We're going into the front, the sitting room,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50"we are going into the kitchen..."
0:05:50 > 0:05:55When it gets to that stage, we will make the decision then.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58This building is 190 square metres in the proposal.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01That's a very large house for just two of them.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05And I'm hoping that that ambition doesn't end up overwhelming them.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08The danger for Sue and Tim is that they don't make decisions now
0:06:08 > 0:06:11that could transform their house into something really, really special.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14They want to wait to make decisions later,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16and I think that could be a problem for them.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20There could be things they miss now that they come to regret.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23But, after years of waiting... they're going for it.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27We're building walls!
0:06:29 > 0:06:32The ground floor is being built using around 700 blocks
0:06:32 > 0:06:36made from recycled waste-timber, mixed with cement.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38They even come pre-insulated.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42We chose this because we can put it up ourselves.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45It's relatively easy for amateurs.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49And it's waterproof, fireproof and idiot-proof.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Almost!
0:06:51 > 0:06:53- You've got that one in upside down. - Who has?- You have. We need a cut.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56YOU'LL be upside down in a minute.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57SUE CHUCKLES
0:06:58 > 0:07:01'But Sue and Tim are not completely alone.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03'They've got Lee, a builder, working with them.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07'They've only budgeted to have him on site for four months.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11'By then, they hope to be watertight and able to continue alone.'
0:07:11 > 0:07:14It's unusual for us to have the client so involved.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18'They are not used to building at all, and Sue is full of questions.'
0:07:18 > 0:07:20There's not a reverse corner, is there?
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Do you get a special cut one, then? Or...?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25'We are trying to crack on and she's questions, questions, questions!'
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Do they stay in, those green things, then?
0:07:28 > 0:07:31But these people are extremely practical
0:07:31 > 0:07:33and really passionate about it as well.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36And they'll need to be.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39After just ten days, Lee's novice labour force
0:07:39 > 0:07:42are facing their biggest challenge.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44The blocks need to be filled with concrete and
0:07:44 > 0:07:47two-and-a-half tonnes is arriving on site.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Wow!
0:07:52 > 0:07:55It's massive!
0:07:55 > 0:07:58The concrete rushing into the blocks will be the ultimate
0:07:58 > 0:08:00test of how well they've been put together.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Lee guides the first batch into the cavities.
0:08:05 > 0:08:11It has the potential, if you don't fill them slowly and in a measured way,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15it has the potential to blow the walls.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16But this is not going to happen!
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Oh, bloody hell...
0:08:25 > 0:08:26Oh, no!
0:08:31 > 0:08:35You think you've done enough bracing, but there's a lot of pressure coming down,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and we've got a break-out.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42At over £80 a cubic metre, mistakes are costly,
0:08:42 > 0:08:43but so are delays.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49The concrete in the mixer will only last a few hours before it goes off.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53- Take it down to four...- OK.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59They need to rebuild the wall fast and hope for no more collapses.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03- Are we going to shutter it up and fill it up later?- Yeah.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Thankfully, the rest of walls hold up, but Sue and Tim
0:09:07 > 0:09:11are realising what an extreme baptism in building this is.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14It's a vertical learning curve in the building trade.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16If anyone thinks it's easy, they're an idiot.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27Having got the basic bones up, it's now vital Piers gets to site.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31He wants to tackle them on their design decisions - or lack of.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36This build is now at a really critical stage.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38What they are doing is really extraordinary,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42because nobody plays so fast and loose with their house as they're building it, really,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46except for the most experienced architect, after a lifetime of it.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50But that's what Sue and Tim are doing now, with no training, ever.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Before they go any further, Piers must challenge them
0:09:53 > 0:09:58on their idea to leave the upstairs unplanned until the space is built.
0:09:58 > 0:10:04We have to have the structural walls... But we want to live in it a bit!
0:10:04 > 0:10:07What I want, more than anything else, is a feeling of
0:10:07 > 0:10:12space and light, rather than cut it up and divide it off.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15You are absolutely right that it's great to have all that space
0:10:15 > 0:10:17and great to have all those views, but the danger is that
0:10:17 > 0:10:20you will end up with something that is undesigned,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22slightly making it up as you go along.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25And I think, for me, what we need to find
0:10:25 > 0:10:28is a strategy for allowing you to occupy that space
0:10:28 > 0:10:32in a really brilliant and poetic and unconventional way.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Having turned their back on the layout suggested
0:10:36 > 0:10:40by the architect, Sue and Tim now appear to have virtually no plans.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Piers wants to help them imagine what arriving into
0:10:45 > 0:10:47that first floor space will be like.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52For me, I think it would be an amazing thing to arrive, and walk up and gradually...
0:10:52 > 0:10:56You see that fantastic view, through there.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00So if you're going to take walls out, it's potentially that one.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04But these were almost the ONLY walls Sue and Tim wanted to keep.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09At the moment, you arrive at a blank wall. Is this what you want?
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- Hadn't thought about it.- Yep. But it is your journey...
0:11:12 > 0:11:16For me, the overriding story here is that you leave all the grit
0:11:16 > 0:11:19of the farm and you come up to this beautiful box that perches
0:11:19 > 0:11:21on the top and you see this landscape.
0:11:21 > 0:11:22You mean, you come up
0:11:22 > 0:11:24and it gradually gets revealed as you walk up?
0:11:24 > 0:11:26As you get to the top of the stairs.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29And then you see that amazing light and that light also
0:11:29 > 0:11:32floods down the stairs, down below.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36What I also get is, maintaining the sense of the whole building
0:11:36 > 0:11:40as one beautiful cylinder and not a building
0:11:40 > 0:11:43that's subdivided with little connectional doors.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48That is something I've been struggling with for a while,
0:11:48 > 0:11:54is this subdivision of kitchen and how we get over that
0:11:54 > 0:11:57and still maintain this space.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59How would we do that?
0:11:59 > 0:12:01So, what is shown on the drawing is a bank of cupboards,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05then a pantry and a kind of cooking zone. What's driven that?
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- Good point.- Don't know. Yes, good point.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11I mean, this space actually doesn't need to be made out of stud work and plasterboard,
0:12:11 > 0:12:17it could be that you make this incredibly beautiful, translucent
0:12:17 > 0:12:20multipurpose pod that you circulate around.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25When I was a child, we didn't have worktops or all that malarkey.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27We had a blooming great table.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29- Can't this be the blooming great table?- I think so!
0:12:29 > 0:12:30THEY LAUGH
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Piers' suggestion for losing the wall at the top of the stairs
0:12:35 > 0:12:39will optimise the light, space and drama as you enter the living area.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Sue and Tim then plan to lose all the other internal walls
0:12:44 > 0:12:46except the bedroom wall.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52The storage pod would allow them to keep an open-plan
0:12:52 > 0:12:55living area and create something bespoke.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00The couple have made firm decisions on the exterior.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03White render below, and then for the cantilevered first floor,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07the same inexpensive timber they've used on their chicken shed.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10This costs just over £5 per square metre.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14So this is your boarding, isn't it?
0:13:14 > 0:13:17And clearly, this is a cheap material,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20and just because it's cheap and on this barn,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23doesn't mean necessarily you need to use it.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27- Well, I like it. I do like it. And... - It was purely price.- Yes.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Using low-cost, rough materials on rural buildings
0:13:33 > 0:13:35can help them fit well into their setting.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38But this is potentially a crisp modern home,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40sitting in the landscape.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Piers believes Sue and Tim can be far more ambitious.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45This building is good, but at the moment,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48I feel it is too straightforward. When I think of white render,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50I don't see material richness.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54What we don't want to do is do anything with the finishes
0:13:54 > 0:13:56that are going to detract from the line,
0:13:56 > 0:14:01- and I suppose the white render is there to enhance the...- Other stuff.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02Other stuff.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05And if that IS the case, I'm not so sure that Yorkshire boarding
0:14:05 > 0:14:08is the material that is special enough.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Oh, right.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Piers wants Sue and Tim to reconsider key design elements
0:14:14 > 0:14:16before they go too far.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Piers has given us a lot of thought.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23I think probably we thought we were being quite radical with our ideas,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27but actually, clearly not radical enough, and that is great!
0:14:27 > 0:14:31Because we don't actually want it to look like every other Modernist house
0:14:31 > 0:14:33that's been built in the last ten years.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40As Head of Design and Architecture at the Victoria and Albert Museum,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42I keep up-to-date with some of the most
0:14:42 > 0:14:44remarkable new buildings in the UK.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49I've invited Sue and Tim to join me
0:14:49 > 0:14:51at one I've found in South London.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Sue and Tim are pushing ahead with their build.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56But I really want to start challenging them now
0:14:56 > 0:14:58on the detail of their house.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01They're in danger of making decisions based on budget alone,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03and just choosing the cheapest possible solution.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06I want them to keep their aspirations super-high,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08and keep their sights on the architecture.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Good to see you and welcome.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I'm so excited to show you this beautiful house.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23The Tree House by McChesney Architects will show them
0:15:23 > 0:15:26how an inspired combination of exterior materials can
0:15:26 > 0:15:27achieve a stunning effect.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31I think it's absolutely spectacular.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34And shiny, which I love.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38- The sky in the reflection is magic, actually.- Isn't it just?
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Valued at over £1.5 million,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45it's in another league in terms of cost.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49But the architectural trick produced by the opaque black glass is
0:15:49 > 0:15:50priceless.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52This reflectiveness really helps it somehow
0:15:52 > 0:15:55melt into the beautiful landscape, doesn't it?
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Yeah. It's just stunning.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01That something so simple can be so clever.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Simple, but expensive.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07This glass facade is built to a high specification.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Costs to achieve a similar effect could easily
0:16:10 > 0:16:13run into hundreds of pounds per square metre.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17But before they reject it, I want them to consider what it does.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22I think the way that the simplicity is created here is so effective.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27Just two materials, that glass and the beautiful red wood,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30and then the way that they meet, being so precise.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34No gutter lines, no down pipes, that sense of a building being one
0:16:34 > 0:16:37thing, but the material having a beauty in itself.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41The reflection of the outside world stops it becoming monolithic,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43because you've got the lightness...
0:16:43 > 0:16:44And there's a depth.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Yeah, the depth, and also it's like having a film
0:16:47 > 0:16:51played on the outside of your house that changes.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57- I didn't think you'd be able to surprise us!- Well, I'm glad we have.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Inside, there's a dramatic arrival into a large,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10open-plan space with views extending out into the trees.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14I just think it sort of lifts the soul somehow
0:17:14 > 0:17:16if you've got the feeling of space.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20It's simple, nice, clean and purposeful.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25The main living area is open-plan,
0:17:25 > 0:17:30but defined through placement of lighting and a double-sided stove.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34The furniture is carefully-chosen and doesn't overwhelm the space.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39But there are further tricks that can be done on almost any budget.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Single flooring material, which just runs all the way through
0:17:42 > 0:17:45the house and everything else is just white painted,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47kind of unifying this space.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50I think these doors are quite clever, aren't they?
0:17:50 > 0:17:52It's another sort of thing that contributes to that
0:17:52 > 0:17:57feeling of quite unencumbered space, because it completely disappears.
0:17:57 > 0:17:58Known as pocket doors,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01these are not as space-hungry as ordinary hinged ones.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Kits start at around £150.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08The architect here has also considered the scale.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10- I like the height of those doors. - Standard doors...
0:18:10 > 0:18:12If that was a standard door,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15it wouldn't have nearly the impact it does.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20A stunning wood and glass staircase had a price tag of £20,000.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24But the real reward at the top is the wash of natural light.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26It's lovely up here, isn't it?
0:18:26 > 0:18:28It's like being in a little room in the sky.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Opening that gives you more of a view.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33I know it's only trees and rooftops, etc,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36but it does let the outside in again.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42The building is fantastic.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46The way they've used the light and brought the outside in and
0:18:46 > 0:18:52the inside out, it was just exactly everything I would like to achieve.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I think the outside of the building is spectacular.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00The way that the glass reflects the outside world is amazing.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05How we can do this on our budget will require some pretty
0:19:05 > 0:19:08clever ingenuity, really.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14The cladding here is like a bespoke suit.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16They're going to struggle to recreate that,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18but I loved how resourceful they were being.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21They were already talking about, you know, what kind of glass could they
0:19:21 > 0:19:23get that might be a lot cheaper, paint the back of it themselves.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25It's not going to end up being Savile Row.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27It's going to be down on the farm,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30but I think they were so inspired, they might well take
0:19:30 > 0:19:33some of these lessons and apply them directly in their house.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43I've got two bits of wood down here for you.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Oh, brilliant.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47It's three months since Sue
0:19:47 > 0:19:49and Tim began work on their ambitious farmhouse.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Lift up the arm.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Is that it?
0:19:55 > 0:19:56Yeah, perfect.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59The timber first-floor structure has been engineered
0:19:59 > 0:20:02off-site by a separate contractor.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05It cost Sue and Tim £22,000.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06As the wall panels go up,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09they're finally getting a sense of that space.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12- Ha-ha-ha!- I'm trying the bed.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17But it hasn't all turned up.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Everything was going to arrive on an artic,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25and the artic rolled up and there was no roof.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28And every day, practically, we've been saying, "Where's the roof?
0:20:28 > 0:20:31"Where's the roof?"
0:20:32 > 0:20:34It's raining.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Can we get that plastic out and stick it over the balcony?
0:20:38 > 0:20:43This building will not stand being left out to the elements.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47It would destroy it.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50They're also getting close to the end of the money they'd
0:20:50 > 0:20:52budgeted for Lee.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55The delays mean they'll need him for many more months yet.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Sue's budget has a grim forecast.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01We've spent over...
0:21:02 > 0:21:03..60 so far.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07That's 20K more than they'd planned.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Some of the overrun is to do with getting out the ground.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17We could have had cheaper windows, but we've got triple-glazed,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20all-bells-and-whistles, lovely windows.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24But they're going to be there for the duration of the house.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27The danger always is that if you're on a budget,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29it's going to look as if it's on a budget.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33We owe it to the design to do it justice.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34We need to get the finish right.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Sue's now determined to find a cheap way to replicate the high-end
0:21:42 > 0:21:46glass cladding she saw, and has found an incredible online bargain.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49I've got a load of glass.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52I've sourced some glass for £90, the lot.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56And it was so cheap, I thought, "Well, even if it doesn't work...
0:21:56 > 0:21:59"I'll have to make a big greenhouse or something out of it."
0:21:59 > 0:22:03- What would it cost to have that properly, that glass?- Oh, God.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06You wouldn't get much change out of 15 grand, I would have thought.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10- 15 grand!- Yeah, possibly more.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13As well as the glass, Sue's also picked up four doors
0:22:13 > 0:22:16and six bags of insulation for nothing.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19We're Wombles, really, aren't we? We're Wombles.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21- Make good use of the things that we find.- Yeah.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24The things that the everyday folk leave behind.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31But contemporary homes aren't typically created
0:22:31 > 0:22:35out of up-cycled and salvaged materials.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Piers must get to site to see if the idea can work in reality.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Sue is amazingly resourceful,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and she's gone and bought a whole stack of glass for less than
0:22:44 > 0:22:46£100, but it's not enough to do the whole of the
0:22:46 > 0:22:51outside of the building, so my quest will be how can she incorporate this
0:22:51 > 0:22:56into a piece of architecture that is very, very carefully considered.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59First, they've got to decide which section of the building
0:22:59 > 0:23:02they should use the glass on.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04We want to clad downstairs with the glass
0:23:04 > 0:23:07and upstairs with a timber
0:23:07 > 0:23:12so that it has the feeling of the upstairs actually floating.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14I think if this building is to truly float,
0:23:14 > 0:23:15you'd clad the upstairs in glass
0:23:15 > 0:23:18because it would just disappear against the sky and it would
0:23:18 > 0:23:22change and shimmer the reflective, beautiful, jewel-like building.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24I like either way, really.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26I mean, in a way,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28my instinct is rather than standing here saying that needs to be
0:23:28 > 0:23:31that, that needs to be that, we need to allow ourselves some
0:23:31 > 0:23:36way of trying out and seeing what's best and then making a decision.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39They haven't got enough glass to clad the entire first floor,
0:23:39 > 0:23:43so Piers needs to find a clever way of using it.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45This is one option
0:23:45 > 0:23:46of, you know, the timber
0:23:46 > 0:23:49and the glass interspersed all the way round the building.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52You'd paint the timber
0:23:52 > 0:23:54black and you'd paint the glass black,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57but all you'd see is this subtle difference in texture.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00And you would really unify the whole thing.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Right, so that's the kind of layering effect.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09But, I mean, from over here, I think it...
0:24:09 > 0:24:13You know, you really see the trees and the reflection, don't you?
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Despite the fact that there's little panels.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Yeah.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19What do you reckon?
0:24:19 > 0:24:20I don't know.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25I think by breaking up the glass you do lost the drama of the large,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28expansive reflection.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Piers goes back to the drawing board.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35How about we use the big expanse of glass and we do something like this?
0:24:35 > 0:24:38That's glass, that's glass, that's obviously glass, that's glass,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41where all the glass is in the middle, this band of glass,
0:24:41 > 0:24:42with timber top and bottom.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I mean, for me, it changes the look of the building completely.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Yeah. I like the flow going right along the side of that building,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and also we'd have enough glass for it as well.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Yeah, absolutely.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- I'm happy with that.- Good, me too. - I like that a lot.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02The exterior design is agreed, and Sue puts the plan into action.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04With her horsebox packed with glass,
0:25:04 > 0:25:09she heads from Somerset to visit a glass treatment company in Kent.
0:25:09 > 0:25:15I have no idea whether I'm going to have 20 sheets of glass or
0:25:15 > 0:25:17just a pile of fragments.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Oh, wow. OK. Big sheets.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32The toughened glass will need to be trimmed to ensure it fits
0:25:32 > 0:25:36Piers' design, but there's barely any to spare.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Yeah, I think if you're definitely going to cut it,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41we would like to get it cut before we paint it.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42Oh, OK.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47It's making me feel a bit ill,
0:25:47 > 0:25:48watching it.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54OK, so we're just having a little look over the panels.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56You've got 21 panels here.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Erm, two of them are a bit shorter than the others,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01and one of them unfortunately is broken.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04It'll be fine. It has to be fine.
0:26:04 > 0:26:05No other choice!
0:26:05 > 0:26:06No other choice.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10- What are you thinking in regards to colours?- Well, it has to be black.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Because it's the most reflective
0:26:12 > 0:26:15and also it will contrast with the black, rough...
0:26:15 > 0:26:17- Wood.- Wood.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19I hope you've got a good window cleaner.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21I know!
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Sue's having a test panel made up to ensure she's happy with
0:26:26 > 0:26:29the colour and finish.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32The glass is cleaned and then sprayed with a resin
0:26:32 > 0:26:33and pigment mix.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39She's negotiated a price of £35 per square metre.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44Brand-new back-painted glass could cost at least double that.
0:26:44 > 0:26:45We want to achieve that whole
0:26:45 > 0:26:49treehouse look that we saw and fell in love with.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52This would be the colour that we've chosen for you.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Ooh, wow!
0:26:55 > 0:26:57That's lovely.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58So that's the sort of reflective black
0:26:58 > 0:27:00you're going to get from the glass.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Oh, my goodness.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Lovely!
0:27:04 > 0:27:08My biggest worry is managing to get the 15 panels
0:27:08 > 0:27:12we need on the wall, and I think at the moment they're all up
0:27:12 > 0:27:17and fixed, then I will breathe of relief, but up until then...
0:27:17 > 0:27:18It's a fragile thing, glass.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Five months after they started,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Sue, Tim and Lee have finally got the roof on.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32They've battled on, and a sleek,
0:27:32 > 0:27:36modern home with a distinctive cantilever is starting to emerge.
0:27:38 > 0:27:44Well, so here it is! What amazing progress and it's a huge building.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45It's interesting,
0:27:45 > 0:27:50because we've lived in Lilliput all this time in the caravan.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Actually, everything does feel enormous to us.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57See, we've waited five years and all of a sudden it's here.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00And I come up by myself and it chokes me up sometimes.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03I see it, and I think, "God, we're going to get there."
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Tell me where you are with money right now.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07We're probably up around the 80 mark now.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10That's fairly significant overrun.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Yes. Yeah, it's making me squeal a bit.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18It's my first opportunity to see the enormous space they've created,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21and the alterations they've made to their design.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Originally, you'd come up the stairs
0:28:24 > 0:28:28and there would have been a wall across here, but when Piers
0:28:28 > 0:28:32had a look at the drawings, he said, "Well, why do you want to do that?
0:28:32 > 0:28:36"Why not just come straight up and - boof - there's a magical view."
0:28:36 > 0:28:37And he's quite right.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39That sounds like a really good decision.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42This space here is really quite extraordinary, isn't it?
0:28:42 > 0:28:44I mean, these openings are huge.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47In the summer, sunrise is there, and then the sun will come round
0:28:47 > 0:28:50and in the evening the sun sets over there, so it'll be lovely.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53In the summer, we'll eat out all the time.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58But they've already spent 80% of their budget.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00How on Earth do they expect to finish this?
0:29:00 > 0:29:01He can do plastering.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03I can plaster, you see.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07So that saves on the cost, and so the ceiling's insulation has got
0:29:07 > 0:29:11to be on the outside so it's left us a ledge.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13That's quite interesting, isn't it?
0:29:13 > 0:29:16Because these beams, they're not designed to be seen.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19- They're quite nice, these timber high beams.- Absolutely.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Actually, if you just painted those white,
0:29:21 > 0:29:23this could look quite extraordinary,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25and it would be the cheapest way to deal with your ceiling.
0:29:25 > 0:29:26Yeah.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31They're racing along, but are they any closer to deciding on a layout?
0:29:31 > 0:29:34Being up in the space and walking around in the space and seeing what
0:29:34 > 0:29:40you see out of the windows and then sort of the idea formulates, really.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43I want to help Sue and Tim make the most of this large living
0:29:43 > 0:29:45space, in spite of their budget.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49Finding the right position for their stove could define the room,
0:29:49 > 0:29:50but won't cost a penny more.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54- This is your cardboard wood burner. - This is my wood burner.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57I can absolutely imagine that being a beautiful thing
0:29:57 > 0:30:01silhouetted against this huge window. It could be fantastic.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03What we want is the view channelled up that way,
0:30:03 > 0:30:09so we thought that that corner there would be the correct place for it.
0:30:09 > 0:30:10It just feels a bit tucked away.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Feels a bit apologetic there in the corner. I don't know.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15Because I could imagine maybe making a setting for this stove
0:30:15 > 0:30:18somehow, that just gives it a reason to be in the space.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Because I think one of the problems with this open-plan,
0:30:20 > 0:30:23we don't know where anything goes. There's no logic.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25You're absolutely right. We've got to make the decision.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Because, once it's there, it's there.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Well, I admire you for this. I might spend a bit too much of my time
0:30:30 > 0:30:33looking at architectural drawings. I expect you to have a plan.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36But you're still working with this space as a container.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39I think that's really exciting. But it does have some risks, doesn't it?
0:30:39 > 0:30:42You've got to, at some point, decide, how are you going to make final decisions?
0:30:42 > 0:30:46We know in the back of our minds what our picture is,
0:30:46 > 0:30:51but now it's here, we start to look and see and get the feeling
0:30:51 > 0:30:55of what it's going to be like and how we're going to arrange at all.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00There's still so many decisions to make, it's almost frightening.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02How are they going to decide where to put walls,
0:31:02 > 0:31:07where to put in habitable places in this vast, cavernous space?
0:31:07 > 0:31:08I think it's a real challenge.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14My fear is, they won't make the most of this generous living area.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18They need a vision for how they might live in it before they go any further.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21So, I've brought them to a house today that I think shares
0:31:21 > 0:31:23exactly the same brief as their house.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25It's a modern farmhouse in a beautiful landscape,
0:31:25 > 0:31:28but what it does really well is create one beautiful,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31generous, connected living space.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33I think they can take lessons directly from here back
0:31:33 > 0:31:35to their place.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43This contemporary farmhouse in Buckinghamshire was
0:31:43 > 0:31:45created by Ecospace IPT Architects.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51It cost 275K to build and was constructed in just 15 weeks.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56The first thing I want to show them is the cladding.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58If they stained their Yorkshire boarding black,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01they could get the same crisp exterior.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04I like the way the cladding is top to bottom on this one.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06I really like that.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10And the different shapes with the door entrances, they're quite deep.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14And the way that's cut in. I think that's really very clever.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19This larch cladding was £35 a square metre.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22So seven times more than their Yorkshire boarding.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24But, they could achieve similar results -
0:32:24 > 0:32:28a sharp, modern silhouette in a rural setting.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Well, we're mainly here today to talk about interiors.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Why don't we go and have a look in this entrance space?
0:32:36 > 0:32:38I think this space is super-interesting.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40What I like here is, we have a covered threshold.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42You're out of the rain and wind.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45There's a small bench here, you can kick your boots off.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47But I also think this is creating a beautiful terrace,
0:32:47 > 0:32:49west facing, to dine on.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52And you're sort of enclosed and not just exposed to the farm.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55I think this is doing a lot of work.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57By investing in the architecture,
0:32:57 > 0:33:01low-cost items are then easily incorporated.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04This table and chair set was less than £100,
0:33:04 > 0:33:08and the boot store and bench was knocked up from larch offcuts.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Tell me what your impression of this space is.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15For me, I prefer being outside to being inside all the time,
0:33:15 > 0:33:17so this would absolutely work perfectly.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21I could put my feet up, have my beer there, and I could start to relax.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Sounds all right to me, too, actually. I'll join you!
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Let's take a look inside. Come on.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33So, this is all one large, connected living space.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37Light, is my first impression.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39It is beautiful, isn't it?
0:33:40 > 0:33:44The main living area is open-plan, but the interior's been
0:33:44 > 0:33:48arranged to create zones for cooking, eating and relaxing,
0:33:48 > 0:33:51all linked by one flooring material.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54In this case, engineered oak for just £25 per square metre.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57But this connected space,
0:33:57 > 0:34:01I mean, is this somehow how you imagine your flowing between zones?
0:34:01 > 0:34:03- Yes.- It is. Almost perfectly.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08Cleverly positioned furniture helps the outside become
0:34:08 > 0:34:09part of the inside.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12And it's this west corner.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14So this is evening sun, imagine that,
0:34:14 > 0:34:19you're cooking in the evening and, Sue, sit down here for a second.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23I want you to sit here. This sort of feels like, it's
0:34:23 > 0:34:26a bit strange to have a sofa just facing directly out of the window.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29But it's an opportunity for you to think about, you know,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32you're going to have these kinds of beautiful views.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36I do feel quite relaxed just sitting here.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39The kitchen is there, which is very functional,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42but then two steps away, you've got all of this in front of you.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Absolutely. I want to show you something else about this space.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49Because this is relaxing. But when you open this up and you realise,
0:34:49 > 0:34:52this could be a really great place for a party,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55to invite friends to dine inside and outside,
0:34:55 > 0:34:58- I mean, is that part of your thinking?- Absolutely.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02And I think the fact that we've got the situation where we've got
0:35:02 > 0:35:04the terraces on both sides,
0:35:04 > 0:35:08that outside space will be very much part of the inside space.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Even though we've got windows everywhere,
0:35:13 > 0:35:16the light quality here changes the atmosphere.
0:35:16 > 0:35:17It's a little bit darker.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20You've still got the view in two directions.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Why don't we go and try this space over here?
0:35:23 > 0:35:25It does feel quite relaxed.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27And here, you have the hearth, you have the fireplace,
0:35:27 > 0:35:29adding to the atmosphere in the evening.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33You've got the view there, that's nice, but also, you've got
0:35:33 > 0:35:38the space and the length, here, each area has got its functions.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41It's the space and the openings.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45They are sort of speaking for themselves, really.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47These windows are extremely large.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50The breadth of this opening is fantastic, isn't it?
0:35:50 > 0:35:53It does kind of define a room-like space.
0:35:53 > 0:35:58- I like the width of these. It makes it wider.- That's spot-on,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01and that's a very modernist architectural idea, isn't it?
0:36:01 > 0:36:04The horizontal window as a way to kind of frame the landscape,
0:36:04 > 0:36:06almost as if it's on widescreen.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08There's one more space I want to show you.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12It's interesting to me because it's the darkest part of the plan.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14It has a bit more of the feeling of a kind of snug.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16You haven't got the view any more.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19The thing I'm interested in here is the idea of taking away
0:36:19 > 0:36:22the view, being lit by a skylight rather than by the view.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24And actually having a slightly more intimate, perhaps cosy,
0:36:24 > 0:36:28movie-night-type area.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31So, you could potentially use a bookcase to cosy it up a bit.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34Yes, this is just totally standard, off-the-shelf bookcases.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39This space has been defined using just three bookcases at £15 each.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42The lesson here is that, if you create a great space,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44it can be furnished on any budget.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47I think I'm absolutely in love with the place, you know?
0:36:47 > 0:36:49I think it's brilliant.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52It was the windows, the size, the proportions,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54the heights of the ceilings.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57- The colour.- The colour. That's what was important to us.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01I didn't even notice, to be honest, the furniture.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03It was just, the proportions are simple,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06and the application of everything else, basically.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Sue and Tim have reacted really well to this building.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13In fact, I think it's the thing that I've shown them that they have liked the most.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16They've finally come a bit out of their shell, and particularly
0:37:16 > 0:37:19in Tim's case, just really enjoyed spending time in this space.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23The challenge, though, for Sue and Tim, is reaching the standard that this building sets.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26This is a beautiful, single space, casually
0:37:26 > 0:37:29and naturally zoned into very usable parts of the house,
0:37:29 > 0:37:32which take in the lovely view, and make the most of the setting.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35They keep talking about wanting to do that, but I still haven't
0:37:35 > 0:37:37seen much evidence of HOW they're going to do it.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41So that's the real challenge, and I think this sets the bar very high for them.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50But my ambitions for their interior are suddenly dashed.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Six months into their build, they've run into serious problems
0:37:53 > 0:37:54and all work has had to stop.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59There's an issue with the cantilever -
0:37:59 > 0:38:03one of the defining features of the building. It's moving.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08Lee was looking at it all the time and saying, you know,
0:38:08 > 0:38:10it's moving, its moving, it's moving.
0:38:14 > 0:38:20It moved enough to be structurally unsound in the end.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23The structure that was bowing,
0:38:23 > 0:38:26the deflection was up to 40mm.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32We waited for all those years with those plans in front of me,
0:38:32 > 0:38:33and then it's gone.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38We've got to the point where we can't go any further,
0:38:38 > 0:38:42because we can't put any more windows in upstairs,
0:38:42 > 0:38:45until we've got it secure, structurally, downstairs,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48so we are in a bad situation, for sure.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00The timber structure, which was engineered off site, has a problem.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03Piers returns to Somerset to find out if Sue and Tim
0:39:03 > 0:39:06can save this critical design feature.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10This is a big deal. In a way, this is the biggest thing that can happen to this house.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14It is THE significant thing about this building, and suddenly,
0:39:14 > 0:39:18it might have to be redesigned, and I think that's a big issue.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31- Not all is well, is it?- No.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33The construction engineers have been around
0:39:33 > 0:39:36and we've now got to put steels up there.
0:39:36 > 0:39:42- Is it a kind of 1000, 5,000 or £20,000 cost?- It will be between 10,000 and 20,000.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Here are the structural engineers' drawings.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49The current plan is for the cantilever
0:39:49 > 0:39:53to be supported by three steel beams in a goalpost formation.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57But Piers wants to see if he can help improve the design of this support.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59At the moment, you've got a pair of posts,
0:39:59 > 0:40:03and the alternative is that you have a single, you know, V.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06We sort of erred away from that
0:40:06 > 0:40:09because obviously there's steps that go up here.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13There's other things. You could do a concrete wall
0:40:13 > 0:40:15and make a beautiful sort of sculptural opening in it that
0:40:15 > 0:40:17you could kind of sit in.
0:40:17 > 0:40:18Anything's possible.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22But there's also a cost attached to anything,
0:40:22 > 0:40:24but anything's possible, isn't it?
0:40:24 > 0:40:27If we had plenty of time and plenty of money, yes,
0:40:27 > 0:40:29we could look at other options.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33But I've got a deadline, we've got to get on and do it, get it done.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37I think the longer you leave it, the more it's costing you as well. Isn't it?
0:40:37 > 0:40:41I think maybe the simplest thing to do is just have a pair of posts, you know?
0:40:41 > 0:40:44And the only change I would suggest to this is that you do
0:40:44 > 0:40:48the round posts rather than clunky RSJs,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51just because they'll seem more elegant, and you get them
0:40:51 > 0:40:54galvanised, and they kind of take on the hue of the sky. They will
0:40:54 > 0:40:58disappear, and actually, this will still seem like a cantilever.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00- Yeah, definitely. - This will be great.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05I don't like the sticks.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07But I will learn to love the sticks.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11Because they are actually holding my house up.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17There's an awful lot that needs to come together now,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20not just to have a good building, but to have any building at all.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Once the steels arrive,
0:41:32 > 0:41:35a tonne of metal has to be carefully fitted into place.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Ready, whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42Down a bit, down a bit. You all right? There.
0:41:48 > 0:41:49I'm still missing my cantilever,
0:41:49 > 0:41:53but at least we've got something that can stand up straight.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57Sue and Tim haven't gone with Piers' design for rounded posts.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00We think it would look a little bit like a supermarket,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02if it has got round steels.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06I always said I didn't want to have sticks, but they're solid and
0:42:06 > 0:42:11they're workmanlike and they're, you know, I think they're in proportion.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14And, at the end of the day, they're doing a job.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18And the whole thing about a house is, it has to function.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Function kind of has to come before form.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26The whole saga has had a huge impact.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31It has put a lot of pressure on them.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33It's been a worry for Sue,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36and Tim's hated not having the cantilevers.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Yeah, they have felt it.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43And it's been the worst possible news for their tight budget.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48We are going to be over the 100,000.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51I think that we are in the 120s.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53I suppose I've failed, if you like,
0:42:53 > 0:42:57because I said you could do it for 100,000,
0:42:57 > 0:43:04and I suppose I've failed in that respect, yep. I admit it.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15Despite being at crisis point with the budget,
0:43:15 > 0:43:19this pair are determined not to give up on their dream.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23With the arrival of the warm weather in July, they work as hard
0:43:23 > 0:43:26as they can to try to finish the exterior of their home.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31Tim starts to tackle the first coat of render.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35It's very important to us, because we want the finishing to look absolutely perfect.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40And having decided to stain the Yorkshire boarding black,
0:43:40 > 0:43:42Sue begins the mammoth task.
0:43:42 > 0:43:47There's 300 boards this side,
0:43:47 > 0:43:50and then I've got another 125 to do,
0:43:50 > 0:43:53which is the height of the cantilever.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03It's all building to perhaps the most nerve-racking day so far.
0:44:04 > 0:44:09It's finally time to fit the glass panels to the exterior of the house.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12And there's no margin for error.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16We've got exactly the right amount of panes of glass.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18Yeah, and they're all different sizes.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20There's no second chance.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22It's about as bespoke as you can get, really.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27Lee has already fitted much of the Yorkshire boarding.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29This whole project has been about
0:44:29 > 0:44:32striving for a high-end finish with the cheapest materials.
0:44:34 > 0:44:38The Yorkshire boarding was a real test. None of it was uniform.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40These frames are all ply.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43With the budget in mind, we are stretching the boundaries
0:44:43 > 0:44:48of the materials all the time, so it's been a challenge.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53The first step in fitting the glass
0:44:53 > 0:44:57is fixing special retaining clips to wooden battens.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00But the timber frame has been exposed to some very bad weather.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04If there's been any warping, it'll make attaching the straight,
0:45:04 > 0:45:06rigid glass panes almost impossible.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10How's it looking up there, Lee?
0:45:10 > 0:45:13We are a little bit out of plumb by two or three millimetres.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17If we get a curve and the glass is flat,
0:45:17 > 0:45:19will we be able to slot it in?
0:45:19 > 0:45:23- If it starts to curve, we will never get it on.- Yeah.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25Or, the glass will crack.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30The next step is preparing the glass.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33That's the cleaner, that's the primer.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35To avoid unsightly fixings,
0:45:35 > 0:45:39Sue and Tim are using a system of interlocking clips.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42One is screwed to the building, the other is attached to the glass,
0:45:42 > 0:45:44using super-strength adhesive tape.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50Everything has to be absolutely spot-on.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54Lee, us, everybody, this is all new territory.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57They've sourced the specialist hanging kit from the USA
0:45:57 > 0:45:59for just over £1,800.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04The glass could look amazing if they get it right.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07There is no DIY manual.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10I found one of my old DIY manuals yesterday and I threw it away
0:46:10 > 0:46:11because we've done it all.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14There is nothing on the manual for this any more.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18The first pane is ready to fit.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20Every millimetre matters.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23SUE GASPS
0:46:23 > 0:46:26There's no plan B.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28Ah... It'll be fine.
0:46:28 > 0:46:29I trust you.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32- OK.- You tell me when.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Up you go.
0:46:34 > 0:46:35Right.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39I have actually stopped breathing, you realise that, don't you?
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Sue and Tim have never shied away from the challenges
0:46:43 > 0:46:47created by their high aspirations, despite their low budget.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51- One screw.- OK.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54There's a screw a bit proud.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59But can they really pull it off?
0:47:01 > 0:47:03They're thumping the glass!
0:47:03 > 0:47:04Argh!
0:47:12 > 0:47:15Sue and Tim have always had sky-high ambition for their build,
0:47:15 > 0:47:17but with a budget of just £100,000
0:47:17 > 0:47:20it was always going to be difficult to meet that.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23Over the last 11 months they faced a series of issues they couldn't
0:47:23 > 0:47:26have anticipated that have sent costs spiralling
0:47:26 > 0:47:28and derailed the project.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31But despite all of that, they have never lost their ambition to
0:47:31 > 0:47:33build something out of the ordinary.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36We know they're still a fair way off moving in,
0:47:36 > 0:47:39but Piers and I have returned to Somerset
0:47:39 > 0:47:40to see what progress they've made.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42It's great to be back
0:47:42 > 0:47:45but I'm wondering how you must feel after years of thinking
0:47:45 > 0:47:49about this project and designing it and imagining it to be near the end.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53- How does it feel?- We have had few problems which have set us back.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55We just think we're getting there,
0:47:55 > 0:47:58but then it just seems to move slightly away again all the time.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01But it's really exciting to get the building to this stage.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04Getting the scaffolding down was amazing, actually.
0:48:04 > 0:48:09It was the first time we had actually seen the building as it was designed.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14Sue and Tim have certainly had their share of problems with the build,
0:48:14 > 0:48:15so how far have they got?
0:48:33 > 0:48:35Well, it's so nice.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38It's not quite finished, but you can see it's becoming really crisp,
0:48:38 > 0:48:41really, really tight, sort of lovely box sitting up there.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43It looks great.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46This decision to take the living space off the floor,
0:48:46 > 0:48:49you can see now that it does have a certain sort of,
0:48:49 > 0:48:52like a little top hat for this piece of geography, somehow.
0:48:52 > 0:48:56For me, it's absolutely the natural decision to have it up there.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58Because you're up in the heavens.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03The original plan was to clad the house in rough timber
0:49:03 > 0:49:05and white render.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08It's evolved into something far more sophisticated.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14As soon as I came up the hill here, the first thing that struck me
0:49:14 > 0:49:18was these expanses of glass and the way that they reflect the sky
0:49:18 > 0:49:21and, Sue, I remember getting so excited with you, both of you,
0:49:21 > 0:49:24but particularly you, Sue, about the treehouse,
0:49:24 > 0:49:25which was a wonderful moment, wasn't it?
0:49:25 > 0:49:27It lit up in your mind.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31I don't think you were expecting us to take that literally, were you?
0:49:31 > 0:49:32No.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36Yeah, it's just stunning, the way the sky is reflected
0:49:36 > 0:49:38and the tree is reflected.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41The house we saw in London, it was all glass.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43Here, we had to use it...
0:49:43 > 0:49:46- You know...- Strategically. - Strategically.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54This amazing effect has been created with second-hand glass,
0:49:54 > 0:49:57specialist painting and clever fixings.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00High-end glazing systems can run into hundreds of pounds
0:50:00 > 0:50:04per square metre, but this works out at under 75.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08This is a palette of materials that is quite a humble,
0:50:08 > 0:50:10ordinary palette of materials.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13The design is how those things come together.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16It's the painstaking care around the edges of things.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20That's where design happens.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23This is a beautiful, refined piece of architecture.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25There's lots more to do on the exterior,
0:50:25 > 0:50:27including rendering,
0:50:27 > 0:50:30but I really want to see what they've done inside.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32- Can we take a look?- OK.- Great.
0:50:41 > 0:50:45Oh, well, this is fantastic. What a wonderful space.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47So beautifully lit from every direction.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50I love the feeling of being surrounded by this landscape.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54Absolutely, it's a big relief to come up and see this space
0:50:54 > 0:50:55because it's incredibly dramatic.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58I remember on the plan that I saw, there was
0:50:58 > 0:51:01a wall, wasn't there, that stopped you experiencing the drama of this.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04Yes, it was a stroke of genius because it has made it, really.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06TIM: It's made it.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13The sun rises there, it comes right around
0:51:13 > 0:51:15and it sets over there at this time of year.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17You've got light coming in from the top,
0:51:17 > 0:51:21coming in from the bottom and sides at all times of day.
0:51:21 > 0:51:25The interior still has a long way to go, too,
0:51:25 > 0:51:28but this temporary finish will help Sue and Tim
0:51:28 > 0:51:30decide how best to use it.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33Just with everything painted white, it's like a blank canvas
0:51:33 > 0:51:37that the light can play on and you can learn about its qualities.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40I know you resisted for a long time taking decisions
0:51:40 > 0:51:42- about the layout up here.- Yes.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45You always said, "We want to leave it, we want to decide later."
0:51:45 > 0:51:47- Are you happy?- Oh, absolutely.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50We've got to have a kitchen, we've got to have the stove,
0:51:50 > 0:51:53we've got to have the cooker, but everything else is still fluid.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56If you start cluttering a space like this,
0:51:56 > 0:52:00if you start introducing things that shouldn't be here,
0:52:00 > 0:52:01it'll spoil that space.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04Let's keep it fluid, let's keep it open, is all very well,
0:52:04 > 0:52:06but you've got to have a cooker at some point.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09We are going to put the kitchen over there.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Over there, tell me where?
0:52:11 > 0:52:14- It's not going to be a conventional kitchen.- Here?
0:52:14 > 0:52:16It's going to be exactly here.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19The kitchen is just going to be an island unit.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22There's going to be nothing on the walls.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24I don't think you should call it an island unit,
0:52:24 > 0:52:26it's going to be something more beautiful.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29It'll be a beautiful, beautiful piece of furniture.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35It's all about the space, the view, the light, the dimension
0:52:35 > 0:52:37and I must say, that's a real compliment to you guys.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40Even though this looks pretty unfinished to many people's tastes,
0:52:40 > 0:52:42you're hanging onto that process.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45No doubt the island plan will evolve,
0:52:45 > 0:52:48but critical to the success of this space are the large windows.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53So I really like how much you've focused on
0:52:53 > 0:52:55and invested in the fabric of this building.
0:52:55 > 0:52:59What proportion of your build costs were these windows?
0:52:59 > 0:53:02Well, they were 20,000, the windows.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04- You're trying to build this for around £100,000?- Yes.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06That's a big chunk of money, isn't it?
0:53:06 > 0:53:09Equally, you could argue that they're almost 20% of the walls.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13They give you so much. They are the architecture, in some ways.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15They're the mechanism by which this house connects you
0:53:15 > 0:53:17to this landscape, aren't they?
0:53:17 > 0:53:21Even now, as we speak, I just feel it's almost like you're
0:53:21 > 0:53:24feeling as if you're in the field. It's extraordinary, actually.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30The space and light inside are a triumph,
0:53:30 > 0:53:35but for Tim having to compromise the cantilever was a huge blow.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38To me it was an integral part of the design.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40It was an integral part of the building.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43It was something that I'd really looked forward to.
0:53:43 > 0:53:48I was devastated, but I think we've come up with the best option
0:53:48 > 0:53:54and the best options financially because we did this at a budget,
0:53:54 > 0:53:58but we could have done other things which cost an awful lot more
0:53:58 > 0:54:00money but we stepped back from.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07Builder Lee played a big role in helping solve the structural problem.
0:54:08 > 0:54:14Do you wish that there was another solution that had been found
0:54:14 > 0:54:17which meant that the building hadn't needed those two legs?
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Absolutely, it was a very difficult time
0:54:20 > 0:54:23when the building was drooping
0:54:23 > 0:54:26and I tried lots of different methods,
0:54:26 > 0:54:28with the budget in mind, obviously.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31It's a shame, but it's OK as it is.
0:54:31 > 0:54:35- It's OK.- In my mind, I'd love to have seen a refined
0:54:35 > 0:54:39and engineered solution that allowed the building to
0:54:39 > 0:54:41retain its cantilever but...
0:54:42 > 0:54:44Actually, I can that see in that instance
0:54:44 > 0:54:49a compromise really was necessary to keep the project moving forward.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56This was always an ambitious build for the budget and having had
0:54:56 > 0:55:00to do remedial work too, I'm wondering how the finances have turned out?
0:55:02 > 0:55:05So tell me how much you had in the budget to begin with
0:55:05 > 0:55:07and how much you've spent so far on the build?
0:55:07 > 0:55:11The aim has always been to build the house for £100,000
0:55:11 > 0:55:15to prove that it can be done to build something
0:55:15 > 0:55:19architecturally exciting on a budget.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24However, we have gone over quite badly.
0:55:24 > 0:55:29We're around the 135, but that includes money we have had to
0:55:29 > 0:55:33use to rectify the problems and issues that we had along the way.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36- You're at 135,000 now?- Yeah.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38How much do you think it is going to take to get you to the end,
0:55:38 > 0:55:40to actually finish the build?
0:55:40 > 0:55:43Probably 20,000 now would see us to the end.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46Tell me how far away you are from actually
0:55:46 > 0:55:48moving into the building?
0:55:48 > 0:55:53I would like to think now that we could move up here
0:55:53 > 0:55:57on a permanent basis within three to four months.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00There's some way to go, with the main bedroom
0:56:00 > 0:56:02and the whole downstairs yet to finish.
0:56:02 > 0:56:06Sue and Tim are first to acknowledge the role their builders
0:56:06 > 0:56:08played in getting them this far.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11With all honesty, we could not have done it without them.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13We just could not have done it.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16And to have... Every build should have a Lee.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19It's been nearly a year of backbreaking work for all of them
0:56:19 > 0:56:21so what's the verdict?
0:56:21 > 0:56:25Have you met your own very high ambition in terms
0:56:25 > 0:56:27of architectural quality and excitement?
0:56:27 > 0:56:30That would be more for you to tell us, Kieran!
0:56:30 > 0:56:32- Do you feel...- Yeah!
0:56:32 > 0:56:33I think it's a beautiful space.
0:56:33 > 0:56:38I think, yeah, it is quite
0:56:38 > 0:56:40breathtaking, I think.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44Every time I walk up that road, every time I look at it
0:56:44 > 0:56:47and I see something that's worth having.
0:56:55 > 0:57:00What's surprising is the restraint in the finished house,
0:57:00 > 0:57:01or the nearly finished house.
0:57:01 > 0:57:06It is very simple, singular building that makes best use of resources.
0:57:06 > 0:57:10And Sue and Tim, underneath the breezy exterior,
0:57:10 > 0:57:14and underneath this freewheeling sense of just doing anything,
0:57:14 > 0:57:18actually, they're incredibly careful, incredibly determined
0:57:18 > 0:57:20and have incredible judgment.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22- Oh!- Yay!
0:57:22 > 0:57:25It's time to celebrate what's been achieved so far.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28- Cheers, everyone.- Cheers. - Congratulations, guys.
0:57:28 > 0:57:29And give Lee a tip-off.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32Have Sue and Tim told you about their plans for the downstairs?
0:57:32 > 0:57:36Sue's got a van load of stuff to incorporate into their...
0:57:36 > 0:57:38And Tim's got my number! Yeah.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46I think this building was probably always
0:57:46 > 0:57:48too complicated to build for just £100,000.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50Its design had cantilevers
0:57:50 > 0:57:53and all sorts of design features that always looked expensive.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56I think for Sue and Tim, some of their ambition about design
0:57:56 > 0:57:59was contained in those gestures but I hope what they've learned
0:57:59 > 0:58:04through this process and by creating such a beautiful, simple space
0:58:04 > 0:58:06upstairs, is that architecture is not about shapes,
0:58:06 > 0:58:09it's about creating a space that's beautifully lit,
0:58:09 > 0:58:12that gives you great qualities and allows you to have the good life,
0:58:12 > 0:58:14and that's what they've got here.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17I'm really proud of them for sticking to their guns, sticking
0:58:17 > 0:58:20with their ambition of creating a space that's really beautiful.