Kevin McCloud viaja al sur de Devon para conocer a Sue y Martin, cuyo sueño es crear una casa familiar que se sienta parte de la tierra, utilizando antiguas técnicas de construcción inglesas. No empiezan desde cero, sino que reconstruyen dos antiguos graneros en ruinas.
Kevin McCloud travels to south Devon to meet Sue and Martin whose dream is to create a family home which feels part of the earth, using old English building techniques. They are not starting from scratch, but rebuilding two ancient run-down barns.
#architecture #art #desing
Kevin McCloud travels to south Devon to meet Sue and Martin whose dream is to create a family home which feels part of the earth, using old English building techniques. They are not starting from scratch, but rebuilding two ancient run-down barns.
#architecture #art #desing
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00:01We wanted the house to be rooted in the landscape and the countryside and where it was
00:07So the design and the build are all completely open-ended
00:12You only came here for two weeks, didn't you, Chris?
00:15It's been here for six months. It just goes on and on. You can't abandon it now
00:30This week's couple are lucky enough to be building their house in the wild and beautiful setting of South Devon
00:48And they're following a pretty wild idea, too
00:52They want their home to feel part of the earth
00:56They're using old English building techniques
00:58And they're making their design up as they go along
01:03They're not starting from scratch, but rebuilding these ancient ruined barns into their ideal family home
01:12We wanted the house to be, that we built, to be rooted in the landscape and the countryside and where it was
01:19And what can you have better than two old barns dating right back to 1600s, which look at it
01:23They've pretty much kind of thrust themselves out of the earth and they're built of the earth
01:28But you're not simply going to kind of just whack in there with conventional building materials, are you?
01:32Because it's quite, it's a barn of mixed materials itself, isn't it? The stone, there's also cob
01:37That's right, there's two barns. There's a 1600s barn, which is built of half stone, half cob
01:42And then there's the 1850s barn, which is mainly all stone
01:45So what's your approach to it going to be?
01:47The objective is to create the house that we want
01:49And since environmental issues are one of our concerns, we would incorporate those into the build
01:55We just don't like waste really, if I could eliminate waste that would be great
01:59I really want to sort out the sewage system, don't want it taken away anywhere or dumped anywhere or put in the sea
02:03And it'd be brilliant if we never had to have someone come and take our bins away
02:07If we could actually, you know, make everything work that way
02:09Recycle everything
02:10Yeah, recycle everything
02:11Right, this is the kitchen door
02:14Coming into
02:15Oh, right, not the front door
02:16The kitchen, no, the front door's this great big arch here
02:18Oh, right there
02:19Which is all filled in, you see
02:20So there'd be a kind of double height hallway coming in through there
02:23So this obviously will be the kitchen
02:26This is the kitchen
02:26And you have to imagine that wall doesn't exist
02:28Right
02:29And what in fact there is, is a glass atrium that goes out beyond
02:33Really?
02:33Which we hope to plant full height citrus trees coming up through
02:36Because it's right down to the basement level
02:37Fantastic, so it'd be sort of split level
02:39Oh, through the mud
02:40Mind the mud
02:42There's a big hole full of mud there
02:44So what's this down here?
02:47I mean, it's a dung heap at the moment
02:49But I mean, what would it be?
02:50That's the garage, that's the lower ground level
02:53Okay
02:53And the utility room
02:54And the utility area
02:55Double garage
02:56Double garage
02:57Double garage, yes, these two pillars
02:57It's not very eco
02:58Well, no, it's not very eco
03:01It's a fair point
03:01But it's very necessary
03:02Very necessary in pragmatic living in the country
03:04Yes, absolutely
03:04So, so, above it, what will happen?
03:08Well, the floor level, the finished floor level will be about where those two ledges are
03:13Yeah, and above here is there another story?
03:14Yes, another story above
03:15Which will have the bedrooms and bathrooms and that sort of thing
03:18Okay
03:18Working with an existing building normally gives you some idea of what you're going to end up with
03:25But in this case, I'm finding it really difficult to visualize an end result
03:30And I'm not the only one
03:32The philosophy of the project is to leave decisions about interiors and decisions about how the building evolves
03:39Until they naturally occur, so to speak
03:41Does this mean that you don't have any completed architectural drawings for this project?
03:46Well, we certainly don't at the moment, no
03:48So the design, the planning to some extent, and the build are all completely open-ended
03:54Certainly not open-ended, no
03:56By the end of August, we should have a watertight building
03:59We've then got two to three months, perhaps a bit more, to finish out the inside
04:04Obviously, a lot of the inside can be going on during that period, but to finish the inside in that time
04:08And when will you then move in?
04:10Before Christmas
04:11Definitely
04:12Definitely before Christmas
04:13Yes
04:14The 1600s barn will have a new thatched roof
04:18And will be rebuilt using the original stone and mud
04:22The 1850s barn will have a slate roof and huge new windows, plus a double garage
04:28Sue and Martin want to rebuild these barns in the same meticulous way that they were built originally
04:34But at the same time incorporating energy-efficient 21st century technology
04:39Decisions about the interiors will be made as they go along
04:45So far, they know they want a south-facing sitting room and kitchen overlooking the indoor garden
04:51With four bedrooms upstairs and a study
04:54The old barn will be left roughly finished at this stage
04:59The land and buildings cost £125,000
05:03Their budget for the building work is £150,000
05:07That makes a total cost of £275,000
05:11Which is coming from savings and a small mortgage
05:15It's April
05:18And from now on, Sue, Martin and their two boys will live on site in a mobile home
05:23Martin's a freelance writer
05:26But for the next eight months, his main job is going to be project managing their build
05:30We like camping and that sort of stuff
05:33Obviously, it's very different being in it for eight months to being in it for two weeks
05:36But also, Martin works at home
05:37The children are mainly home-educated
05:39I'm at home
05:41So we're very used to being in an intimate family situation
05:44Which we're all on top of each other
05:45Well, after a slight accident coming up the road
05:57There's now the question of actually getting the caravan onto the premises
06:01Now we've got to see whether it will come
06:02Well, it will come off the lorry, I suppose
06:04Whether it will work its way around into the yard
06:08If not, I haven't a clue
06:10Everybody we've met today has said
06:12If you want to push, we'll be there
06:15So it could be people power
06:16We knew there'd be some problem getting it in
06:24So that was to be expected
06:26But it's a bit unfortunate it's got a hole in it
06:28Sue and Martin have just spent their first night in their happy holiday home
06:36They're going to have to last at least seven months in this
06:41Or so they hope
06:42And you are, aren't you?
06:45Just next door
06:46It's pretty close, isn't it?
06:48A few feet away
06:49We're going to see it all happening
06:50If that wall came down
06:51Yeah, luckily
06:52It would take the caravan out
06:53It's not the one that's coming down
06:55All the roofs are coming down
06:56Right
06:57So there is quite a health and safety issue
06:59I think, really
06:59Particularly with two small children of three and five
07:02Lock the doors, shut the windows
07:03And you'll have to be wearing hard hats indoors
07:05I hope not
07:07I can't wait to see this archway open up
07:09And Martin will have a good view of it
07:11From the project management office, too
07:13This is the executive suite?
07:14It is indeed
07:15The nerve centre of the entire thing
07:16This is where we're going to run the project from
07:19The site office, in other words
07:20The site office, yeah
07:21This is it
07:23It's tiny, isn't it?
07:26Oh, no, no
07:26It's big
07:27It's adequate
07:27It'll be fine
07:28Out come the beds
07:30Out goes the cupboard
07:31Big chair, nice civil chair, probably
07:33Good Feng Shui
07:34Powerful position
07:35You see people coming in the door
07:36You can look out at the works going on there
07:38Sitting here at your computer, tapping away
07:40I can't believe there's any good Feng Shui in there
07:43Living on a building site doesn't faze Sue and Martin
07:47They've been down this road before
07:49When Martin and I first met
07:52We discovered that we both wanted to live in a castle
07:54And we did live in one
07:56When we first saw the Chateau d'Azou on top of the hill
08:00It was exactly as you would imagine Sleeping Beauty's castle
08:04Welcome to the ancient hallway of the chateau
08:12They bought this chateau in France for only £60,000
08:15You can see the potential grandeur of the staircase
08:19After working on it for five years
08:22They realised that restoring 17 rooms might take longer than they'd thought
08:26So reluctantly, they sold it, making a profit of £60,000
08:31When we came back from France, we knew we had to rival it in some way
08:35And we knew instinctively exactly what we wanted to do
08:38We wanted to build our own house
08:41It took four years to find a plot
08:45But after making a further £145,000 doing up another house
08:49They're now ready to put all they've got into building their family home
08:55It's day one on site
08:59The very first job is finding out how much of the original stone is strong enough to stay
09:05The man in charge of the building work is John Watkins
09:09John's used to doing barn conversions in the area
09:12But he's not used to working without anything on paper
09:16My initial feelings were one of absolute total horror
09:19Because when I first saw the job, it just looked like sort of a builder's worst nightmare
09:24With this sort of project, it's always a problem
09:28Because you never quite know what you're going to find
09:31My main worry is the relationship with us and Martin and Sue
09:39Because of their having to make decisions
09:42And living so close
09:44They're never able to get away from the building site
09:46Because they're staring at it every day
09:48So I think that's my biggest fear
09:50Is that the relationship will break down
09:52So communication will break down
09:53And then it actually gets quite complicated
09:56Sue and Martin's other key relationship
10:02Is with their architect, Adrian Slocum
10:04I don't think this approach to building work is this reputable
10:10Sir Martin want to create a space themselves and their children
10:16That is of the earth
10:18Creating something that breathes and that is healthy
10:22And feeds the soul
10:24Adrian's wife Sam calls herself a spiritual homemaker
10:30And she'll be developing ideas for the interior layout with Sue
10:34Like Adrian, she doesn't work from plans
10:37It's not going to be cast in concrete
10:40It's going to be about dialogue, discussion
10:43Creative conflict's going to be part of that
10:46And it may get sticky at times
10:48But I think if we can keep communicating
10:50And we can keep listening to each other
10:52That we can make it through
10:54And as we breathe
10:59We imagine that we're passing through a door
11:02And we're moving back
11:04Back into the past
11:06Back into a time when you were truly happy
11:10Hello, Kevin
11:11Hello
11:12This is Sam
11:13Oh, hello, Sam
11:14Hello, Kevin
11:15What were you two up to just around the corner then?
11:17We were meditating
11:17On what?
11:19The interior of the house
11:20Uh-huh
11:21So far we've looked at it from the outside in
11:24And now we want to look at creating it from the inside out
11:26Right
11:27And Sam, this is your job to help Sue do this?
11:31Yes, well I'm trying
11:32Because I know more about meditation than I do about buildings
11:35Right
11:36So
11:36So is this the first time that you've done it in a cow shed?
11:43No
11:43But it's
11:45I'm still quite
11:46I'm just finding my way with this, really
11:48Yeah
11:48Yeah, because your husband is the architect
11:50That's right
11:51Of what will be this home
11:52Yes, I'm very familiar with buildings
11:54Yeah
11:55Yeah
11:55Yeah
11:55And so you were meditating on the inside of the building
11:59Yes
11:59But with your eyes shut
12:01Yes
12:01Well, we're doing a meditation
12:03Where we look back into the past
12:06And Sue tunes into times where she's felt really happy and free and contented
12:11And then we draw that into the present
12:13So that she makes the connection with her own experience
12:17Well, that's rather interesting
12:18Because most people, when they have a great vision
12:22When they build their dream
12:23Often build something that they think is going to make them happy
12:27Something they've never had
12:28Whereas what you're saying is
12:29You focus on things that have made you happy in your past
12:31And put them in
12:33The evolutionary approach to building a house is a lovely idea
12:37As the build grows
12:39You base your ideas on what you find out
12:41What the build tells you
12:42But there are some things which you really ought to do
12:44In a more conventional, logical way
12:47Things like getting a site survey done
12:49Drawing up some plans
12:50Drawing up a basic spec
12:52Things which Sue and Martin haven't really done
12:55A few weeks into the build
12:58And they've discovered that the old planning drawings
13:01Which they've been using
13:02Miscalculated the height of the floors by three feet
13:06To make Sue and Martin's garage
13:08They'll now have to dig down
13:10That means the old walls need to be underpinned
13:13The first test for their eco-principles
13:16It was a big shock a few weeks ago
13:17When I realised that, you know
13:18Everyone around me was thinking
13:20They would just pour tonnes of concrete underneath the building
13:22And I was very shocked
13:23And for two weeks, you know
13:25I've been busy trying to find out what the alternatives are
13:27And so, to be fair, is everybody else
13:28And we discovered there are things you can do
13:30That are alternatives to puttings or underpinning in concrete
13:34And they involve lime and rubble and that sort of thing
13:37But the cost is A, financial
13:42So they cost about five times as much as concrete
13:45And secondly, time
13:47So we've come to a compromise after a long, long discussion
13:51But in the same way as PVC
13:52Where we said, we don't want PVC anywhere
13:54But if we have to have it, it can only go underground
13:57And we've now said the same about concrete, basically
14:00Sue's been reluctant to agree to concrete
14:05Because although it's the quick and easy option
14:08It's also about the most polluting building material you can use
14:12The manufacturer of its main constituent, cement
14:15Produces 10% of the world's man-made carbon dioxide
14:19It is inevitable that if you try and use a green approach
14:25To repairing an old building like this
14:27That you will have to compromise somewhere
14:30Now, Martin and Sue have already reluctantly agreed
14:33To use concrete in the 1850s barn over there
14:36To shore up the foundations
14:38But they have used here mortar made with pure lime
14:42On this much more ancient wall
14:44Lime is an environmentally friendly alternative to cement
14:48It allows the walls to breathe and move
14:50And it was what was used here originally
14:52Because it never sets rock hard
14:54Chris, the stonemason, can clean off the old stones
14:57And reuse them
14:58Lime putty usually comes ready-made
15:02From specialist builders' merchants
15:03But I asked John to show me how to make it
15:06It's quite an explosive process
15:08How much are you going to chip in?
15:10All of it
15:11This lime started out as limestone
15:16Which is quarried locally
15:17It's then burnt
15:18Forcing the moisture out
15:20Leaving it with an avid thirst for water
15:23So when you add water
15:25It reacts pretty violently
15:26God, that's incredible
15:30That's too hot to touch
15:31In fact
15:32Now what's the difference between what I'm stirring here
15:37And what Chris is using over there
15:39Same stuff, isn't it?
15:40Exactly, same stuff
15:41Waiting three months for it to slake
15:43And then?
15:44Yeah, it's been sitting there for three months
15:45What's he mixing it with?
15:46An aggregate?
15:47He's mixing it with quite a coarse sand
15:49As for the concrete being used in the garage
15:53To shore up the old walls
15:55It isn't being put underneath them as foundations
15:58It's being set against them as a retaining wall
16:01You're examining your dam
16:04Your new car park
16:07Is down there
16:08So you've got to excavate all of that
16:10Out?
16:11And beyond
16:11And beyond, yes, down to the drive
16:13And I remember you saying
16:15You didn't mind having concrete there
16:16But as long as you didn't have to look at it
16:18Well, it's the smallest amount of concrete
16:20You can possibly get away with
16:21So, all of these discoveries
16:25Do they mean that the budget's gone up?
16:29The budget's going up
16:30Because we're making, in some areas
16:31More rather than less expensive choices
16:33For example, we're going to have far more oak
16:34In the building than we probably originally intended
16:36So it is going up
16:36I think it will end up higher than we initially planned
16:40And does your relaxed developmental approach
16:44To this build, is that still holding?
16:45If you want to react to a building as you work with it
16:47It's the only way to go
16:48If you just say, right, the architect's plan is X
16:50And there it is in plan four
16:52And we're going to follow it
16:53And you set it all in concrete at the bottom
16:54You then can't alter it as you go up
16:56Whereas if you can, to an extent, create the house
16:59And then set everything firm at the end
17:02You've had a real chance to let the building have its say
17:04And concrete may be an unwelcome addition
17:08But Sue's determined to give it some spiritual meaning
17:13This is a piece of the Berlin Wall
17:15On the day that it came down
17:16And this is one that his dad picked up at San Paolo
17:19And this is a crystal from the Sahara Desert
17:22So we're going to bury them now
17:24And then when we walk down
17:25We'll know there's hidden treasure under here
17:27So we won't just think about the rather horrid concrete
17:31We'll think about all those beautiful treasures from the earth
17:34That are glittering under there
17:35They're two months in
17:37And, contrary to my expectations, I have to say
17:40Sue and Martin's organic vision is going to plan
17:44But Sue has had to compromise her eco-principles
17:49By accepting much more concrete than she wanted
17:52Both hidden and where she can see it
17:54And there's a long way to go
17:55So the big question is how many more compromises are there ahead?
18:02The success of the modern brick
18:06Is all thanks to the Industrial Revolution
18:08All that mass production
18:10All those canals
18:11Helped spread its popularity 200 years ago and more
18:15But before that
18:17Well, people built whatever they could get their hands on
18:20With stone or timber, for example
18:22Down here in Devon
18:23They had precious little of either
18:26So instead, they built their houses out of mud
18:29Or cob, as they call it here
18:32Sue and Martin are using cob to restore their walls in the 1600s barn
18:37Cob's a mixture of earth, straw and water
18:41Come on, Hugo
18:42Come on, Bob
18:43All right, then
18:44The method for making it hasn't changed since people first built mud houses
18:53Just tread it until you get a thick, sticky mass
18:57You can pick it up quickly from an old manual
18:59That's what John the Builder did
19:01You're repairing an existing wall, aren't you?
19:04We are
19:04Underneath here is stone
19:05That's stone, yep
19:06Yeah?
19:07Most cob walls will have stone up to first floor
19:10Yes
19:11And then cob above there
19:12That's the base
19:15And what about the roof?
19:16I mean, you know, obviously it needs some protection
19:18Because this top wall's very exposed, isn't it?
19:20That's right
19:20In this case it would be thatched
19:22Most cob houses would have been thatched
19:23And the cob would extend out
19:25By sort of 18 inches over the edge
19:28So the rain dripping off the cob is well clear
19:31Yeah
19:32It's a low-skilled job, isn't it?
19:35It is, yep
19:35I mean, I've learned to do this in, it would appear, one minute
19:38And I'm sure I could get a little faster, a little better as time passes
19:42But in fact
19:43Come on in
19:43All right, all right, all right
19:44Let's start more action
19:46That's right
19:47Using mud from your backyard is about the most sustainable way of building I can think of
19:54Here in Devon, there are more mud houses than any other part of Britain
20:00And what I find interesting is how one material can give a whole community a visual identity
20:06A third of the world's population live in mud houses
20:11And from Mali to Mexico, mud has ruled the architectural roost for centuries
20:16It's cheap, available nearly everywhere
20:19And it's thermally efficient, keeping houses cool in summer and warm in winter
20:23Back in Devon, it's August
20:28And another traditional construction material arrives
20:31The oak frame
20:32Oak is expensive
20:34And this frame is taking a big chunk out of Sue and Martin's budget
20:37But it is a homegrown wood
20:40It smells very nice, the green oak
20:43I think they should bottle it up and put it in an aerosol
20:46Probably
20:47It's that good
20:4820 years time, it'll be as hard as rock
20:51You won't be able to bang a nail into it without drilling a hole
20:53The frame's going up four months into the build
20:57It's the structural heart of the house
21:00Supporting the roof
21:01And providing a cavity for insulation between the frame and the walls
21:04It's a whole collection of very elderly buildings
21:07Which have been built ad hoc
21:10And the levels are all over the place
21:13And the walls are all over the place
21:14So what we're supplying is the structure that holds up the walls and the floors
21:18So that we're not relying on the old walls
21:21Which are rather tender
21:23To do very much work
21:25Sue and Martin are still convinced they'll be in before Christmas
21:32But it's the end of August
21:34Martin's deadline for a watertight building
21:37And they're a long way off
21:39Still, at least it's beginning to look like a house
21:42So what's it like sitting
21:44I mean, putting your back against something
21:46Which is, I don't know
21:46Could have been growing for a hundred years
21:48I know
21:48I think it's
21:49Well, it's quite awesome, isn't it, really?
21:53It really is
21:53Awesome
21:54I don't know about awesome
21:56But anyway, it's interesting
21:57Interesting
21:58So this one's particularly special
22:00Because it's the tree of life
22:02It's our great, huge trunk
22:04That goes right down into the floor
22:06Three stories down
22:06It's an enormously tall piece of wood
22:09It goes right into the garage
22:10And then it comes up here
22:11And it's got eight faces
22:12With these five great arms coming off it immediately
22:15And then there's three more up the top
22:17So how's the schedule generally?
22:20You've settled along
22:21Very organic
22:21We kind of develop this design as we go along
22:24You've still got a deadline, haven't you, of Christmas?
22:26Oh, we have
22:27We think we're on target
22:27Because we're going to the autumn soon
22:29Yeah
22:30Well, we want to get the lid on pretty quick
22:31Yeah
22:32We've got the other oak frame arriving next week
22:34Now the thatcher will follow up very quickly
22:36So by the end of September
22:38Given a reasonable patch of weather
22:41We should have a cover over the whole lot
22:42Yeah
22:43If the weather's good
22:44If the weather's not appalling
22:45And if that happens
22:48Then I think we'll be all right for Christmas
22:49I think if we get very seriously delayed on the roof
22:51Then that may push things back
22:52But I don't think it will
22:53You can come down here on Christmas Eve
22:54Or 23rd, whatever
22:55And see for yourself
22:57Come and have a drink
22:58I will
22:58We'll have our housewarming party
23:00Yes
23:00It's the middle of October
23:07It's been raining every day for a month
23:09And Chris the stonemason is struggling with the walls
23:13Lime mortar takes days to set
23:15And if the rain hits it
23:17It just washes away
23:18This was built yesterday
23:21And you know
23:22It's just like when I laid it
23:24To cover it up
23:25Because the water gets in behind it
23:27Because it's not going off
23:28And you're putting more weight on top of it
23:30If you're using cement
23:31You know you can build two or three foot
23:34Then build two or three foot the next day
23:35But this you build two
23:36Well since it's been wet
23:38I've only been doing about a couple foot
23:40It's all right using these old methods
23:42But it doesn't
23:43You've got to have time
23:44You just can't build one place
23:47Until the walls are up
23:49The building won't be watertight
23:51But Martin's determined to carry on regardless
23:54And he's driving the small team on
23:56And then flap it out
23:58He's still optimistic about the moving in date
24:00I still think we'll be in
24:03It won't be finished
24:04I never said it would be finished
24:05But I think we could be inside
24:06By the end of December
24:07I'd like the walls to be built
24:10The slates to be on
24:11The partitions to be made
24:12The wiring to be done
24:12The plumbing to be done
24:13The carpets to be laid
24:14But I guess it won't happen tomorrow
24:16You know you're saying
24:18Finished by Christmas
24:19And we all worked on this type of job before
24:22And we all look at it and think
24:23Well
24:23He's going to be really lucky
24:25That's what we call a temporary hiccup
24:27The south-facing roof structure
24:29Is supported by acro props
24:31Until the walls are built up
24:32And can take the weight
24:33Only then can they put the extra weight
24:36Of the roof tiles on
24:37The pace of building with lime
24:39Is causing real frustration
24:41Everybody's getting in each other's way
24:44Really now
24:45You know you're trying to finish it off
24:47And you do get to a point
24:48When you think
24:49God
24:50You know
24:51Is it ever going to finish
24:52Very pleasant building site
24:53To be honest
24:53Chris has never known better
24:55You only came here for two weeks
24:57Didn't you Chris
24:57And he's been here for six months
25:00Just goes on and on
25:02He can't abandon it now
25:03Unless his finances dictate
25:05He does
25:06But
25:06You know
25:07The house in France
25:09Was never wasn't finished for years
25:10And I think they're probably quite good
25:12At adapting to living in a space
25:14That's not finished
25:15And being able to sort of be surrounded
25:18By work and chaos
25:19And you know
25:20I just can't cope with that
25:21But I'm sure that they can
25:23And if you can
25:25Then that's fine
25:25And they can finish it off
25:27You know
25:28Over the next few years
25:29Now Martin's kind of
25:33You know
25:33Fully involved every day
25:35On the build
25:35And doing things
25:36It's a slightly different life
25:37For me and the boys
25:38Everything that's happened
25:40Has been brilliant
25:41We are completely happy
25:42With how it's all going
25:43But I think we have used up
25:44Our time contingency
25:45And probably our budget contingency
25:47As well
25:48And so we're now
25:49On a bit of a race against time
25:51To get in at Christmas
25:52I think it's frustrating to Martin
25:55Because he's involved in it
25:56And sometimes he goes out in the morning
25:57And he has a vision in his mind
25:58Of what can be achieved
25:59And he comes back
26:01You know
26:01And I'm saying
26:01Ah it's looking great
26:02And he says
26:03No we haven't done half of what
26:04I thought we should do
26:05Sue and Martin's philosophy
26:10For this build
26:11Includes the idea
26:13That as much as possible
26:14Of the building material
26:15Should be traditional
26:16And locally sourced
26:18So the walls are of stone
26:20And of cob
26:21The timber frame inside
26:22Is English oak
26:23And the roof
26:24Well the roof is covered
26:26In dried reed
26:27In thatch
26:29It's the end of November
26:31And over on the old barn
26:33The thatcher's struggling
26:34To keep his reed dry
26:35A job like this
26:36Would normally take him six weeks
26:38But because of the weather
26:39It could take up to nine
26:41I mean you're not putting
26:43A roofing felt on
26:43Are you
26:44Underneath this
26:44It's going straight
26:45On to the
26:46Yes
26:46On to the rafters
26:47So is it really
26:49That waterproof
26:50It works exactly
26:51The same way
26:52As if you imagine
26:54Putting a straw
26:56Or a drinking straw
26:57At an angle
26:57Under a dripping tap
26:58Yeah
26:59The drip goes down
27:00To the end of the straw
27:01Before it falls off
27:02Yeah
27:02And it was absolutely
27:04Heaving it down
27:05The surface of the
27:06Thatch was just
27:08A series of drips
27:09Of water dripping down
27:10A quarter of an inch in
27:11And it was completely dry
27:12Fantastic
27:13Where does this stuff
27:14Come from
27:15This
27:15This
27:16This is
27:16No no
27:18This is water reed
27:19It's from Turkey
27:20Believe it or not
27:21Not from Norfolk then
27:25Not from Norfolk no
27:26Why not
27:27That's where they grow it
27:28These days
27:28They can't produce enough
27:29To supply the thatching industry
27:31So it comes from Turkey
27:32Turkey, Poland, Romania
27:35In terms of environmental impact
27:38You know
27:38Kind of
27:39You have to transport the stuff
27:40Don't you
27:40You have to get it over here
27:41Yes
27:41It's not an ecological success story
27:43No
27:44It's a shame we don't produce enough reed in Britain
27:49It's such a traditional product
27:51And the thousands of miles
27:52It has to travel across Europe
27:54To be imported
27:54Seriously compromise its eco-credentials
27:57But then finding truly environmentally friendly materials
28:01To build your home
28:02Is a real struggle
28:03As Martin knows from experience
28:05Insulation is an absolute key part of our project
28:11Because the only real way to minimise your energy consumption
28:16Is to have very good insulation
28:17After weeks of research
28:19Martin's found a form of insulation
28:21That's very natural
28:22And very local
28:24Sheep's pool is not rocket science
28:27It's not the most innovative thing anyone's ever done
28:30But it's not widely used at the moment
28:32Mostly because it's not widely available
28:35And the commercial products are relatively expensive
28:38But it's a real problem with environmental building
28:40Is that these products are all so expensive at the beginning
28:43It's like solar energy
28:44Everything else
28:44And to do it sensibly
28:46You've got to find a way of doing it cheaply
28:48Or there's no point
28:48You know
28:49You're just not in the real world otherwise
28:50So I found a local spinning mill
28:53Which has sheep's wool
28:56More or less as a waste product of their spinning process
28:58Wool and thatch are natural materials
29:03But Sue and Martin's philosophy also embraces modern eco products
29:08They're installing a heat exchange system
29:11Which swaps stale air inside their house
29:13For pure air from outside the house
29:16On its way in
29:17The cool fresh air is heated
29:19Which means that Sue and Martin
29:20Will have a constant supply of warm clean air
29:23Without ever having to open any windows
29:25They're also taking advantage of the latest in glass technology
29:29The huge south facing windows
29:32Are being installed
29:33Even though the walls
29:35Still haven't been completely built around the openings
29:37But as this is the elevation most exposed to the prevailing winds
29:42It's vital to get this last major element of weatherproofing in place
29:46The glass units are double glazed and filled with argon
29:50Making them twice as thermally efficient as standard double glazing
29:54So how is your budget bearing up to these investments?
29:59Groaning I think
30:00We haven't overspent it
30:02But we are reaching its limit
30:04But you haven't finished the house yet
30:05Seven months ago you said
30:07Look it'll be
30:08Well no eight months ago
30:09It was April
30:10You planned to be in here in seven months
30:12So you've kind of already passed that
30:15Oh we're stretching it
30:15Yes
30:16But then
30:16You've got a month before Christmas
30:17Do you think you're going to get in before then?
30:19No I don't think so anymore
30:20And I think as I say
30:21We could have done
30:22If everything had gone fine
30:23For the last say six weeks
30:24But the weather in the last six weeks has been absolutely unbelievable
30:26But you know so what
30:28If we get in the middle of January or something
30:30And it's not the end of the world
30:31We'll certainly be moving
30:33Sort of moving over from the caravan to the house
30:35During the course of January
30:35I'm quite sure about that
30:36You've got quite a lot of fixing to do
30:39I mean I haven't seen much pipe work
30:40I haven't seen any wiring
30:41No but the wiring
30:42There's no first fix yet
30:43Worrying doesn't take long
30:44No it doesn't
30:45And boards and walls and everything else
30:48Well that takes more time
30:49But we haven't got to do it all at once
30:51We haven't got to
30:52Quite a lot of the stuff
30:52It would be nice to get it done before you moved in though
30:54Wouldn't it?
30:54Yeah
30:54I don't think we've got to have every single room boarded out
30:57Before we move in
30:59I mean
31:00How many rooms?
31:02If we do one room it'll be bigger than the caravan
31:03You know
31:05It's not essential that the place is completely finished
31:07There will be some discussion about what point we move in
31:09I can assure you
31:10I bet the blinking well will be
31:11Yeah
31:12He'll be living here
31:13You'll be still in the camera
31:14It's possible
31:16Possibly
31:16It's possible
31:17This reed bed system
31:19Which will be filtering all of the sewage from the house
31:22Is going to be ready and up and running in two weeks time
31:25Now that I can believe
31:27What I can't believe
31:29Is that Sue and Martin are going to be moving in in January
31:33That's only five weeks away
31:35It's the middle of January
31:40And Sue and Martin are a long way from moving in
31:43The outside walls are still being built
31:46And the roof isn't slated yet
31:48But worse than that
31:49Sue and Martin are fast running out of money
31:52Money becomes much more meaningful towards the end of the build
31:57In the beginning you're writing checks for huge amounts of money
31:58You're spending money on stonework
32:00A lot of labour
32:01A lot of demolitions
32:02Timber
32:03Roof
32:03Slates
32:03You know
32:04Huge checks
32:04Huge amounts of money
32:05And then towards the end
32:06When you're down to your last sort of 20,000 or whatever
32:08And you're talking about floorboards and baths
32:11And kitchen units and stuff like that
32:13The money suddenly seems much more valuable
32:18Like you know a week's wages to somebody
32:20Of say four or five hundred quid
32:22Is I don't know the price for sofa
32:24Or you know a jolly nice roll top bath
32:27Or one of those things
32:28So you start thinking to yourself
32:29Where do I want to spend my money
32:31Martin's decided that he can't afford full-time builders
32:34So after nine months
32:36John and his team are leaving the project
32:39It looks like it's almost there
32:41But I know that it's a long way from finishing
32:43I mean the actual slow bit
32:44All the fitting is yet to be done
32:46And that's actually quite costly
32:48And quite time consuming
32:51It requires a sort of higher skill level
32:55So that costs more as well
32:57But I think those are things
33:00That Martin's planning to do himself
33:02So you know the more he does
33:04The more money he saves
33:05It's a long way to finish that
33:09We've got
33:11Su's dad Norman here helping me
33:13And we've got
33:15Chris is here doing all the stonework still
33:20We're getting
33:23Thud work sorted out
33:24Staircases largely completed
33:26I've still got plumbing and wiring to do
33:28But I've done some wiring
33:29It's not a big job
33:30Only once in the last 15 years
33:32Have I actually employed a plumber
33:34Paid someone to do plumbing for us
33:36And although it was done perfectly well
33:38And competently
33:38And quickly too to be fair
33:39I did it in a week when we were away
33:41And it would have taken me probably
33:43Two months of evenings
33:44And that sort of thing
33:44But still it wasn't done quite the way I wanted
33:48You know I got back and found
33:49The pipes aren't quite where I wanted
33:50The pipes that run up to the radiators
33:52Are not quite vertical
33:53They're a bit wonky
33:54And you can see the bends in the bottom
33:55And that sort of stuff
33:55And that just bugs me really
33:58I'd rather do it myself than get it right
33:59It does take longer
34:00And it is frustrating
34:02And it's particularly frustrating for Sue
34:04Because she has to wait longer
34:05But even if we had people here
34:07I'd be concerned about keeping them
34:08As it were fully loaded with work
34:11Because I spent so much time
34:12Working out what I think we should be doing next
34:14One outside cost he has to incur
34:18Is the reed bed specialist
34:20This is a crucial part of Sue's vision
34:23Of a house with minimal waste
34:25Eco-wise I'm most excited about this
34:27Because it's part of the garden
34:30And it links the house with the garden
34:32Which is what I really wanted
34:33And it is something
34:35As I say we're doing it for ourselves
34:37Right from what we're producing
34:38Down to where it's going
34:39It's all on our plot
34:41And we're not having to get anybody else out
34:43Or use services that are going out there
34:45And polluting really
34:46So I'm really really happy about that
34:49Right let's try that
34:50The first reed is in
34:51The reeds will purify all the water
34:54Used in the house
34:55And send it back into the earth
34:56That's it
34:57When will it be eight foot tall?
35:00Three years time
35:01Amazingly
35:03The progress of the build
35:05Is still being held up
35:06By the stonework
35:07Is that roof watertight?
35:09Oh it's watertight now
35:10But the walls are not watertight
35:11But that wall over there
35:12That's right
35:12Because it's got a blinking grey hole in it
35:15Yeah
35:15And until it's watertight
35:17You can't lay floors
35:18Is that right?
35:19Can't do a thing
35:19Because of the humidity in the building
35:21I mean the moisture content
35:22It's just too high
35:23Normally with floorboards
35:24You'd lay them through
35:25And they'd get a chance to dry out
35:27Into the ambient moisture level
35:29In the building
35:29But in this case
35:31If we brought in floorboards
35:32From a timber yard
35:33They'd almost certainly get wetter here
35:34Than they are where they are at the moment
35:35But you're very chipper
35:36About all this aren't you?
35:38Oh I'm very positive
35:38About the whole thing
35:39Yes
35:39Mostly because we've produced
35:40Such a tremendous house
35:42Which we're incredibly pleased with
35:43I mean look
35:43If you're going to take it all on yourself
35:45It's going to take years
35:47No it's not going to take years
35:48It's not all myself anyway
35:50I mean we've got
35:51All the specialist trades
35:52Will be coming in
35:52It's only the
35:53Well I say all
35:54Not including plumbing and wiring
35:55But to me
35:56There's not
35:56For some reason
35:57Not specialist trades
35:57But I don't think that's right
36:00I think that we'll
36:00I'm not going to put a date on it
36:02Because I've done that too many times
36:03But I think that the next month
36:04Or two or three
36:05We should be able to move in
36:06Chris said that he thought
36:07You might be in by Christmas
36:09But not the Christmas that's just gone
36:11He's talking about next
36:12Oh everyone says that
36:13Yes everybody says which Christmas
36:14Yes
36:14So what are you doing at the moment?
36:17Well there's always
36:17Three or four things at once
36:18We're doing joinery
36:19The staircases going in
36:20We're doing these boards up here
36:22We're putting them in bit by bit
36:22This is not the floor of the roof above is it?
36:24No this is the ceiling
36:25This is the
36:26Oh just the ceiling
36:27Just the ceiling
36:27They're going to be painted
36:28These boards
36:28Okay
36:29And there's a floor going on top of that
36:30That's right
36:31Yeah
36:31Okay
36:31What else are you doing?
36:33Well wiring, plumbing
36:34All the services
36:35Going in
36:36So all the first fix
36:37Yeah basically the first fix stage
36:38I mean all that's done
36:39And meanwhile Chris is rebuilding
36:41Meanwhile Chris is still building
36:42The wall in the rain
36:43That's right
36:43I mean that's not so silly about it
36:45But what can we do?
36:45And you've got a bit more stonework to do here
36:46But I mean how much more stonework?
36:48I mean a couple of weeks?
36:49Three weeks?
36:49A month?
36:50How long Chris?
36:51About three or four weeks
36:51Finishing stonework?
36:52Yeah
36:52End of February
36:53As long as the weather is alright
36:55That's not too bad
36:55Doesn't rain too much
36:56I see you've found a little studio for yourself
37:03Oh I have
37:04Yes
37:04Yes
37:05This isn't a floor is it?
37:06This is the ceiling
37:07There's going to be a proper floor on top of this
37:09There is
37:09This is not
37:10We won't be walking on this
37:12Yeah
37:12But um
37:13What are you doing?
37:14Here I'm mixing paint
37:15Making paint actually
37:16Has this become your hobby
37:17As it were
37:18Is this sort of
37:18You don't have a television
37:21Do you?
37:22There are many
37:22Oh believe me
37:23I don't necessarily do it for relaxation
37:25And how is life in the caravan?
37:28It's turned out to be okay actually
37:29Yeah?
37:30Yeah
37:30Yeah
37:30Yeah
37:30No we're fine
37:31Actually
37:32It'd be quite a shock to leave the caravan
37:33And have all this space
37:35Finally
37:36And Martin
37:37Does he
37:37Do you go together much?
37:39No
37:39One of us is always looking after the children
37:41So we don't
37:41We don't go out much
37:42What does Martin use then
37:43To let off steam?
37:45Or does he just bash
37:46Bash at wood
37:46All day
37:47And does that do it for him?
37:48I don't think Mark builds up steam
37:50I think that's the point
37:51You know
37:52Some people don't
37:53Do they?
37:53I was around
37:54Getting sort of
37:55Very agitated
37:56But Mark just does things calmly
37:57Yeah
37:58At his own pace
37:59And will not be hurried
38:00And will not be rushed
38:01So there is no steam build up
38:02And he can do that
38:03Yeah
38:04Then he comes in and does admin
38:05In the evening?
38:06Yes
38:06For a hobby
38:07Yes
38:08Now that you see the floors in
38:12And the idea of where the walls are
38:14You get a real sense
38:15Of how it will feel
38:17But did the meditation help you envision that?
38:20Did it take you as far as that?
38:22Definitely
38:22I mean the meditation was vital
38:24As far as I'm concerned
38:25It was vital because it gave me
38:26The confidence to believe
38:28That my vision could be realised really
38:30Sam's done one picture so far
38:32One picture?
38:33Of the main bedroom
38:33Yours?
38:34Yes
38:35A completed picture
38:36And it is the intention
38:37To do one of those pictures
38:38For each of the rooms in the house
38:40Sam and Sue
38:42Have been meditating on the interiors
38:44Throughout the project
38:45And now Sam's starting to produce
38:47Drawings of the rooms
38:49Inspired by their sessions
38:50So here's Sue
38:53Describing what she sees
38:54The main bedroom is a beautiful room
38:56With light from all directions
38:58I feel soft wool
39:00Underfoot
39:01Blue like the sea
39:02So here you can see
39:03This is a big blue rug
39:04The blue and white bed
39:06Floats out on the sea
39:07Beyond it the sunburst screen
39:10A wall of glass
39:11Through this I can see the outside
39:13And make connections into worlds upon worlds
39:17With the bedroom not even a shell yet
39:21Most people wouldn't dream of decorating
39:23But dreaming of decorating
39:25Is just what Sue and Sam have been doing for a year
39:28And now they can't wait
39:29To take it forward into reality
39:31Martin's putting the floor down this weekend
39:33Which means that we can actually
39:35Put this room together
39:36Very temporarily
39:37Obviously we're not going to move into it
39:39Because it's not going to be plumbed
39:40Or wired for electric or anything
39:41But at the same time
39:42If we can realise this picture
39:45Then we'll know that we can go forward
39:47On the same path
39:47For all the rest of the rooms
39:49That's the plan
39:50Sue and Martin wanted to move in after eight months
40:17And they've been building for, well, nearly a year
40:20But at last
40:22It's starting to look like a house
40:24So this view
40:26Is this how you'd always imagined it to look?
40:28When I first came down here
40:30To push the children on the swing
40:31And saw for the first time
40:33What we've created
40:33Because this is after all the front that we've created
40:36Because it didn't exist before
40:37It was just very exciting, really
40:39And it's what everyone sees from the road
40:41These great big windows
40:42As you drive around the corner
40:43This is what you see
40:43People keep stopping
40:45And saying to us
40:45Hey, it looks great
40:46It suddenly looks like a house
40:48You know
40:48Yeah
40:48And this idea that you wanted the building to be of the earth
40:53To appear to sit comfortably
40:56Does that still work?
40:57Well, look at the colours
40:58Look at the colours
40:59I mean, they just are of the earth, aren't they?
41:01I mean, the earth is very, very obvious
41:02But I mean, round the corner
41:04Where you see the Cobb wall
41:05You get the impression that the building's been there for thousands of years
41:09Here is a domestic elevation
41:12You know, with lots of glass in it
41:14It's a year's time
41:15When the windows are turned down
41:16And the stone is weathered
41:18It's going to be firmly rooted in the earth and the ground
41:21Yeah
41:21What do you do with all of this earth here?
41:23From a very early meditation that Sam and I did up at the top of the orchard
41:26Where we sort of saw the house kind of surrounded by this huge green dragon protecting it
41:33This little bit of bank that comes round here will be turned into the dragon's tail
41:36With a pointy bit on it
41:38And this will become a great slumbering beast and his nose will be down
41:41Sounds great, doesn't it?
41:44That's the landscaping
41:45Cradling the house
41:46You've got more dragons, haven't you?
41:48We have got more dragons in the house
41:50Dragons everywhere
41:50Well, good lord
41:53Well, here we are
41:55You've finished this room completely
41:57We're getting an idea of what it'll be like finished, yes
42:00You've carved that oak pillar
42:01It's just started
42:02You know, we've called it Green Dragon Barn
42:04Well, now the whole barn is called Green Dragon Barn
42:06That's our house name, yes
42:08We decide that dragons, you know, united four elements
42:11Of earth, air, fire and water
42:13Which is what I wanted from the name
42:14I like these
42:15These are all cow drinking farms
42:17That's absolutely right
42:18Yes, they were actually in the barns when we came here
42:20As soon as I saw them, I thought, hang on, we can use those
42:22You've turned them into uplighters
42:23Uplighters, that's right, yeah
42:24Great
42:24What I particularly like is the way that this wooden frame frames
42:28That extraordinary pair of big stone monoliths
42:32That's great, isn't it?
42:33The original one
42:34I'm so tall
42:35Is this going to be?
42:36Absolutely
42:37But through here is the sitting room
42:38That's right, we're in there already pretty much, yes
42:40Extraordinary
42:43I mean, look, now that this place is so empty
42:47Now you put boards down, suddenly you can appreciate the space
42:49Yeah, absolutely
42:50For the first time, really
42:51It is, it's big, isn't it?
42:52It is big
42:54And the sunlight pours in
42:55And that amazing view out of the window
42:57Yes
42:58Oh, it's heartwarming, isn't it?
42:59All the green
43:00And on the daylight today, the light just floods into this space
43:03It does, it does
43:04Yeah, through all this glass at this end of the building
43:06It's great, isn't it?
43:07But particularly in the winter, the low sunlight comes right through
43:09And how are you going to furnish this area?
43:11Have you thought about that?
43:12Yeah, I think this is where I'd like to eat, you know?
43:14I think we're going to have a long dining table here so that you can make absolutely the most of it three times a day
43:18And have the long row of chairs, you know, and none around that side so that everyone's looking out
43:24Yeah
43:25That's the plan
43:26Looking at it as it is now and thinking about how this room's going to be, there's an awfully long way to go, isn't there?
43:30You've still got your floors to lay, you've still got walls to finish
43:33You've got insulation to put in there
43:35Insulation to put in and the wall to do, but there is only this wall, the rest of it is pretty much as is
43:40So the rest of it's going to be stonework?
43:41That's right, yes, yes
43:42And this is the kitchen
43:43This is the kitchen
43:44Ah, and there's a substantial hole left in there
43:47A modest hole, small hole
43:48I think that's a big hole by any way to stand
43:50It's the last hole, that's the important thing
43:52Two days' work, you're two days too early, Kevin, that's the truth to know
43:55Uh-huh, and then your stonework will be complete
43:57And stonework will be largely complete
43:59And your house will be weather-tight
44:00Yay!
44:01At last
44:02But this well here, this is going to be your garden, isn't it? Your indoor garden
44:07This is the internal garden, yeah
44:09So you can walk out over
44:10Yeah, when we first met
44:11That's right
44:12You said this wall's going to go, there's going to be a big, full-height garden here with giant citrus trees
44:17That's right, that's right
44:18And here it is
44:19And there's the space, and I'll be planted one day
44:21There's the shovel
44:22Come on, let's go upstairs
44:23This new staircase, it's all your own work, isn't it?
44:26Well, I didn't make it, but I put it together, which is hard enough itself
44:28What are you doing? You haven't moved in, have you, up here?
44:31Not quite
44:32No, not as such
44:33We're just trying it out
44:34This is interior design
44:36Best good and all
44:36We're trying out colours and ideas
44:38And, well, this is the one that, you know, Sam and I really got a long way with, with her picture
44:42I remember, yeah
44:43Yes, so now we're trying to recreate it
44:45So, I must say, I can't wait for the day when I wake up and see that view
44:48It'll be a good day
44:49We're trying to see if we can get those colours, you know, trying to create that
44:53In order to, you know, carry on the inspiration through the rest, really, and get other drawings
44:57So where's this woody, big screen thing?
45:00Well, this is, yes, this is the sort of window that's coming here
45:03It allows us to see
45:04Between you and the well down there
45:07The atrium, yeah
45:08So you should be able to see the very tops of the citrus trees and out into the garden, yeah
45:12Right
45:12That's the idea
45:13Yeah
45:14So now, where is your bathroom in relation to this? You're on suite
45:16A door through here
45:17Just here?
45:18Yeah
45:18So you'll
45:19This side of the
45:20Yeah, it's not a particularly huge one, is it?
45:21No
45:22But then, you know, actually, most of the rooms are not vast in this house
45:25None of them are vast
45:26Quite modest, really
45:27And Robbie and Hugo's rooms are now up here
45:31That's right
45:32This is your doorway through, isn't it?
45:33And you've got one room there and one room there
45:35And this is your theatre space
45:37That's the
45:38This is the theatre space
45:39Much discussed theatre space, that's right
45:41So how far is this dream realised then?
45:45How far have you got, do you think, down the journey together?
45:48I think all the inspiration is here now
45:50You know, you just feel like it's there
45:52And I can't tell you, sometimes I come out of the caravan
45:56And I walk into this place and it's pouring with rain or something
45:59And it fills me with joy, it really does
46:01And I'm not someone to whom that happens very often
46:03But I do feel that it has got, in every inch of its kind of structure
46:08Things that are deeply part of me
46:11I just wonder that where you are now, Martin, you know
46:15To an extent, you're going to want to carry on working on the place
46:18That it becomes a very open-ended project
46:22Oh, it does
46:23But fortunately, we've got room, you know, such as this, for example
46:25In which to take that project
46:26To carry on working forever
46:28I mean, you could go on as long as you wanted
46:30Phase two and phase three will be lined up
46:32Because you've got no builders now, it's you, isn't it?
46:34Essentially, it's down to me
46:35And that's fine, because we can take it more slowly
46:39If it's single-handed from now on
46:40And you've got all this boarding to do, walling, flooring and so forth
46:42I mean...
46:43Well, I go on doing it full-time for another month or two
46:45And then it'll be more part-time, gradually
46:47We should slow down
46:49It'll slow down
46:50So is there a danger at any point that you could just run out
46:53And find yourself minus some essential walls or insulation
46:57I think not
46:58I mean, we did project the whole thing on the basis that we'd end up without a mortgage
47:01Which would have been fairly miraculous
47:02As it is, we'd end up with a mortgage
47:04And if we have to, we'd end up with a slightly bigger mortgage
47:06But we'd rather not
47:08Yeah
47:09No, but you have put into practice for the first time properly and fully
47:12A philosophy and a belief
47:13Yes, we have
47:14About...
47:15About building
47:16Your space, your life
47:17And translated it into a building
47:18Yeah
47:19And that seems to be very important
47:20It is important
47:21And at the same time, we have kept life in balance
47:22I mean, I think the balance is important
47:24We are okay in the caravan
47:25We have...
47:26This has not totally tipped the scales to become an obsessive thing
47:29And if we don't get it done by a certain date, it's absolutely appalling
47:31Do you know what I mean?
47:32It is actually okay
47:33You've got to live the process as well
47:35We've lived the process and we're happy in it
47:37Yes
47:38The new, new, new, new
47:42Sue and Martin have spent around 200,000 pounds on the building work so far
47:46They've got some fabulous interior spaces
47:50And I'm sure this will be a very welcoming and healthy family home
47:55But with Martin doing all the work in his spare time
47:59There's an awful long way to go
48:01any self-build is something of a step into the unknown but Sue and Martin's
48:07approach is braver and wilder than most with no drawings no schedule of works
48:13no clear design I have to say I would not take such a risk it's a bit like
48:19going on an adventure without a map or a compass I mean the whole thing becomes
48:23totally unpredictable to be fair to them of course they have embraced the risk
48:29and the romance of that unpredictability but as a result I think it'll be a long
48:35time before they're safely home
48:39to the dragon
48:55to the dragon
48:55you
49:02you