Grand Designs

[CoolHands]

I like the black brickwork. I couldn't quit tell - would that have had normal coloured mortar? (Sandy) or was it sort of whitish looking?

Also, why are the owners always such muppets.

[Doofus]

Seems like a fun house. I recall designing something similar when I was nine.

My missus liked it. I thought they'd made a reasonable purse out of a self-inflicted pig's ear.

[alock]

Adam B said:

do you really have to spin the bath round to get in en suite bathroom?

There must have been an 'every day' door. No one would go through that door daily.

I like the second stair case with the intention of being able to put a lift in later though.

[Adam B]

wish GD cut 5 mins out of the build and devoted it to showing the final result properly, every room and feature and a proper walk around

the biggest issue was how it melded with the old building, but it wasn't really shown from many angles

[Pesty]

I liked it. Only one thing annoyed me why go to the trouble of making secret passages then put handed on the 'doors'

Push latches wouldn't have been much trouble.

[Zoon]

The whole obsession with secret passages and rooms was all a bit Josef Fritzl for my liking.
For the money you could have made it far better.

[Bonefish Blues]

CoolHands said:

I like the black brickwork. I couldn't quit tell - would that have had normal coloured mortar? (Sandy) or was it sort of whitish looking?

Also, why are the owners always such muppets.

I don't think that they came across like that at all

[Chaffs]

Liked it a lot in terms of the use of materials and just goes to show that with a little time and effort even something as boring as bricks and mortar can be made into something quite gorgeous. As has been said elsewhere, it was also great to see things being done because they could .. though a revolving bath, can just imagine him saying to her "Sorry to disturb your bath, but would you mind turning your back whilst I take a dump?". Some of the interior was great, but some of it less so, though completely down to personal taste. I'd have liked to have seen more of their old house as well, especially with that drinks cabinet.

[CoolHands]

when the wife was talking about having 'a SPACE for that family that...blah blah blah'

it's so self-indulgent and stupid. You've got a fecking massive house, talking about a SPACE where the family can interact and be one is so..., I can't even think of the word to describe it, maybe - pretentious.

Not just this couple, but most of them (who usually appear to be architects) start going on as if the SPACE as a defined concept is so vital. It's just a massive fecking house cos you've got loads of money; it's not going to elevate you to the status of a renowned architect you chump.

[Bonefish Blues]

I'm sure an architect will be along shortly to explain that that's exactly what this architecting lark's all about!

[GnuBee]

Polarised opinions again - which is a good thing; love it, hate it - buildings/interiors should do that, strive to provoke more than a meh or a "it's ok". I'm not sure I get the PH hate for architects but in this case it seems even more odd...

This time there was no poor client being driven to near financial meltdown by the excesses of a Rotring wielding, thick framed glasses sporting, tweed wearing architect. Instead we saw an architect un-apologetically build something for him and his family. They specifically spoke to the subject of the free form interior as a way of allowing them to evolve the house plan as their needs, tastes and living arrangements change. The architect even said he needed to get moving on it because the children would only be at the right age to enjoy the first iteration for a short time.

Can people really have such trouble imagining how, as a child, that would be a wonderful place to live? secret passageways, firemans pole, dens whilst at the same time the adults got to express their personal tastes.

The exterior was lovely to behold - if that hunting lodge does survive the next planning application then it would interesting to see how they resolve the link between the new and old - probably something involving escalators or a log flume. Also great to see people who were focused on the detail of execution - the specific desire to reflect the human element in the brickwork for example.

[Shakermaker]

GnuBee said:

Polarised opinions again - which is a good thing; love it, hate it - buildings/interiors should do that, strive to provoke more than a meh or a "it's ok". I'm not sure I get the PH hate for architects but in this case it seems even more odd...

This time there was no poor client being driven to near financial meltdown by the excesses of a Rotring wielding, thick framed glasses sporting, tweed wearing architect. Instead we saw an architect un-apologetically build something for him and his family. They specifically spoke to the subject of the free form interior as a way of allowing them to evolve the house plan as their needs, tastes and living arrangements change. The architect even said he needed to get moving on it because the children would only be at the right age to enjoy the first iteration for a short time.

Can people really have such trouble imagining how, as a child, that would be a wonderful place to live? secret passageways, firemans pole, dens whilst at the same time the adults got to express their personal tastes.

The exterior was lovely to behold - if that hunting lodge does survive the next planning application then it would interesting to see how they resolve the link between the new and old - probably something involving escalators or a log flume. Also great to see people who were focused on the detail of execution - the specific desire to reflect the human element in the brickwork for example.

As a non-architect, I have a similar thought about it myself but would have expressed it as

"It was a house that they built for themselves to live in, in the style they wanted, and they will change it when the kids grow up, and it isn't your house so what's your problem if you don't like it?"

But your way sounds better.

I liked it. Might have to go and hunt it out, since it is "in Sussex" I will find it on an exploration day perhaps.

[Europa1]

CoolHands said:

when the wife was talking about having 'a SPACE for that family that...blah blah blah'

it's so self-indulgent and stupid. You've got a fecking massive house, talking about a SPACE where the family can interact and be one is so..., I can't even think of the word to describe it, maybe - pretentious.

Not just this couple, but most of them (who usually appear to be architects) start going on as if the SPACE as a defined concept is so vital. It's just a massive fecking house cos you've got loads of money; it's not going to elevate you to the status of a renowned architect you chump.

I have to say, it does yank my chain when the homeowners start descending into that sort of language. I remember one episode where a German couple gutted their terraced house in London to make it open plan, and Kevin McCloud remarked on the fact there wasn't a door in the entrance to a room leading off the bedroom. "Yah, it's an organic space" or some such twaddle was the reply.

[boyse7en]

Liked the idea of the kids secret dens and passages. Liked the external brickwork.
Hated the "mass" of the building. It looked like a big black industrial building. I know it was supposed to be barn-like, but it was so close to the old house that it looked totally our of proportion. It's patently never going to be linked to the old lodge.

Didn't like fireplace, including the voyeurs vault behind it. What was that for? Does he like to spy on his missus?

Thought the "pod" was a wasted opportunity. Fantastic view over the trees, and then they put in a small round window that you could barely see out of. It looked like a last-minute addition to the plan that hadn't been thought through properly.


Forgot: Bad episode for GD Drinking Game too. She didn't get pregnant and not over budget by 20% before the foundations were done...

[Adam B]

Zoon said:

For the money you could have made it far better.

not picking on you in particular but lots of people make comments like this - why?

for the money they made exactly what they wanted, "better" is only your taste (unless someone makes a massive mistake and wastes a load of money, which this lot didn't)

so why not just say what you liked and disliked about the build

Edited by Adam B on Thursday 29th September 12:33

[PurpleMoonlight]

Didn't work for me this week.

A big box with big windows.

I don't think it suits its environment.

I don't think it gels with the lovely cottage it's next to (and to be linked).

Reeks of more money than sense.

[Nick Grant]

I liked it, especially the ground floor. Nice to see a mix of furnishing styles rather than the usual.

[Zoon]

Adam B said:

not picking on you in particular but lots of people make comments like this - why?

I think it was a waste of money at £840k. I would expect something at that build cost to be far more impressive than it was. I thought it was very dark and gloomy downstairs especially considering the size of the sliding doors they had.

That was the reason for my comment.

[Adam B]

Zoon said:

I think it was a waste of money at £840k. I would expect something at that build cost to be far more impressive than it was.

Do you have expert knowledge of costs of materials and labour in Sussex? He is an architect so I am pretty sure he knows the cost of such things.

Knocking off the value of the old house (say £500k) he spent about £1M on land and build - this buys something like this in Horsham

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Makes his build look bloody good value IMHO

You can argue that you don't like aspects of the build (like your comment on being dark - although I thought the opposite) or design that is not to your taste, but your "waste of money" comment is pretty baseless unless you have experience of building similar in that area (ie not in the Midlands)

Edited by Adam B on Thursday 29th September 17:03

[Bonefish Blues]

...and I don't think the objective was to "impress" - I'm sure he's well capable of that.

Instead, he created a family home for he and his family, which they clearly loved, to suit nobody but themselves.

I came away thinking that there was an architect that I could see myself working with (were I considerably wealthier than I am, sadly!)