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Rob Roy construye una casa respetuosa con el medio ambiente en Suffolk.
Rob Roy builds an environmentally friendly home in Suffolk.
#architecture #art #desing
Rob Roy builds an environmentally friendly home in Suffolk.
#architecture #art #desing
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TVTranscripción
00:00Hola, y bienvenido a Grand Designs.
00:03Todos los programas en esta serie so far han mostrado cómo
00:06construir su propia casa representa algo de un nuevo inicio.
00:10Bueno, esta semana su couple, Rob Roy y Alida Saunders,
00:14han encontrado un maravilloso sitio aquí en el corazón de Suffolk.
00:18Y no solo intentan construir su propia casa,
00:22sino también intentan cambiar la forma de vivir.
00:26Y este es el descanso Greenfield site en el que Rob y Alida
00:32van a construir una casa que no solo es un lugar para ellos
00:36y un lugar para ellos, pero también va a ser ecológico eficiente
00:40y ambientalmente.
00:42Y creo que el signo de su compromiso es que van a construirlo
00:46y si eso no es suficiente,
00:47entonces veamos a la casa que están dejando.
00:50Rob y Alida están vendiendo este bonito victorio
00:54de la casa que han hecho 5 años renovando y decorando.
01:00Rob used to work as a taxation consultant.
01:03Aunque he had intended to give up his job
01:05to build his new house,
01:07he was made redundant 2 months ago.
01:09Alida works as a part-time nurse
01:11y she also restores and sells antique furniture.
01:15They have 3 daughters, Amber 6, Poppy 4 and Freya 1.
01:21Oh yeah, the complete guided section line goes in first
01:24because for some reason we're taking that one for the caravan.
01:27We're not fanatics and I think what we like to prove
01:32when we move into this house is that, you know,
01:35you don't have to be hairy hippies for another word.
01:39You can be normal people living normal lives
01:42but still be very environmentally aware.
01:46Where did you get your inspiration from?
01:48Well, I've always been interested in green issues
01:51and I'm very keen to live in a very healthy environment
01:54not just on the outside but actually in my own home.
01:57It's going to be a very comfortable home,
02:00very warm, very cheap to run, very light,
02:04very spacious and hopefully very stylish.
02:07I mean, we're going to prove to people that, you know,
02:10this can be done.
02:14Look who we just found in the lot.
02:16Look where you were.
02:19I was a daddy.
02:20You were daddy were you?
02:22Come on, come on.
02:24This is the last time they'll live in a real house
02:27until their new home has been built.
02:29Rob and Alida have decided that in order to save money
02:32they must live on site in a caravan.
02:37Well, Kevin, welcome to the new abode.
02:40Oh, yes.
02:41This is hardly the eco home, is it?
02:43Far, far from it, let me assure you.
02:45But the porch is nice.
02:46It looks like you've built that.
02:47That's right.
02:48We knocked that together.
02:49That's where the washing machine, the fridge
02:50and dirty coats, hats, boots and the rest go.
02:53This is the kitchen.
02:54This is the kitchen.
02:55The sink.
02:56Bigger than mine, I can tell you.
02:57We like to live in salubrious surroundings here.
02:59And we have an imaginary door into...
03:01That's right.
03:02And this is the lounge.
03:03Dining table, panoramic viewpoints.
03:06And there'll be a fire here.
03:08Television.
03:09Hey, it works.
03:11Don't worry, it works.
03:12Including brick wall.
03:13What's in that door there?
03:14Well, that's the office.
03:15That's where the non-site work goes.
03:17That's the business room, in other words.
03:19Look, there's another caravan.
03:20And then through into caravan number two.
03:22Right.
03:23And in here is where the bathroom will be.
03:28You mean shower room.
03:30Okay.
03:31It's not going to have a bath.
03:32It'll have a shower.
03:33It'll have a shower.
03:34And this is your bedroom.
03:35This must be your bedroom.
03:36That's right.
03:37This is...
03:38You stand anywhere in this place and you're in another room without knowing.
03:40Yeah, that's right.
03:41Another panoramic viewpoint.
03:42And this is where a leader and I will sleep and fray after the time.
03:45Oh, and you've looked at the pretty little stencils.
03:47Well, that's right.
03:48That's Alida's touch.
03:49Alida's decorated it?
03:50Yeah.
03:51She's very good at the paint effects.
03:52Gosh.
03:53And she wanted to make a good effort with this even though it's a temporary living space.
03:56So where are the girls?
03:57Well, come through here and take a look.
03:59Oh, look at this.
04:00Joy.
04:01What beds?
04:02Yeah.
04:03Where are they from?
04:04They look Swedish.
04:05This is Romanian.
04:06This is poppies.
04:07And this one over here is German.
04:08That's ambers.
04:09Chunky.
04:10They're great.
04:11What about Freya?
04:12Freya will be over there.
04:13Right.
04:14We've got a little German bed cot for her.
04:15Yes.
04:16Yes, of course.
04:17You know that.
04:18Yeah, I know that's the problem.
04:19Now, I think that's enough caravan for me.
04:20I want to look at the real house.
04:21Okay.
04:22Okay.
04:23Let's go look at some plans.
04:25What's this?
04:28Well, this is the bathroom which must be fitted in the caravan by the end of next week if
04:33we're going to move in on time.
04:34In the caravan?
04:35My goodness.
04:36Well, now, is this the plan of the plot?
04:38That's right.
04:39That's...
04:40I have to say, it is the most amazing place.
04:41It's quiet.
04:42Very, very beautiful.
04:43Thanks.
04:44Lovely setting.
04:45So what have you got planned for the site?
04:47Well, we want to build our eco house more or less right where we're sitting.
04:51Back in the middle?
04:52That's right.
04:53We're sitting just at the back of the house on the tip of the veranda and there's the view.
04:57There's the back garden.
04:58Yeah.
04:59Facing too south.
05:00You know, you can look at some pictures of the proposals here.
05:03Yeah.
05:04They're quite detailed, aren't they, these?
05:06They are.
05:07These were produced by Neil, our architect.
05:09Yes.
05:10And what did you go to him with?
05:11Did you have any proposals that you went to him with?
05:14Well, we derived our own set of plans.
05:16I've got a couple of them here.
05:17Yeah, yeah.
05:18A couple of drawings here, which...
05:20Aha!
05:21Right.
05:22The old hand-drawn ones.
05:23One thing, actually, that leaps out straight away is the fact that his drawing of the roof
05:27pitch is much, much steeper than yours.
05:29Yours is at 45 degrees.
05:30His is, presumably, I don't know, a local angle.
05:32I had approached this from the point of view of fitting solar panels for either electricity
05:37or water heating to the south-facing pitch of the roof, and therefore had chosen the
05:41best average angle of incidence to get the best sunlight.
05:44Yeah.
05:45Neil has raised the pitch angle, partly for aesthetic reasons, but partly also to accommodate
05:52things like the mezzanine flooring for the girls' bedrooms.
05:54Okay.
05:55Rob and Alida's main inspiration was the home of their architect, Neil Winder.
06:00He also built his own ecologically friendly house, and its look has greatly influenced
06:06the new design.
06:10Neil's design creates a spacious ground floor.
06:13There's a large kitchen and dining area next door to a quieter sitting room.
06:17Upstairs, the girls' bedrooms have mezzanine floors.
06:20This means the girls' beds are on a separate platform in the roof, giving them more floor
06:25space in the lower area to play.
06:28The build will use green materials with eco add-ons, including draft lobbies to keep warm
06:34air in, solar panels on the veranda roof to heat water, and a composting toilet.
06:40All waste passes to an underground treatment plant.
06:44Solids are separated and collected for use as compost in the garden.
06:49Dirty water from the house is cleaned through a series of reed beds before being returned
06:54to the environment.
06:55Even rainwater is collected, filtered, and used for the washing machine.
07:00It all complies with building regulations, and over time will save money, even if it does
07:06raise a few eyebrows.
07:09So Rob, tell me about the composting loos, and what kind of threat, or perceived threat,
07:13do they present to the community here?
07:15Well, none, as far as I'm concerned, really.
07:18Any objections made in connection with the composting loos, I think, are really born out
07:23of ignorance of what we're going to do.
07:25Right.
07:26Because there's absolutely no reason to believe that a composting toilet or a reed bed system
07:31should put anything noxious into the environment.
07:33And the neighbours?
07:34Have they voiced any opinion yet?
07:36Well, they're as friendly as can be, and as interested as can be.
07:40What they may say to the planners in private is their own affair, but from my point of view,
07:46I think that they're on our side.
07:48This site cost Rob 45,000 pounds, and he intends to spend 75,000 on the build.
07:54They're funding the project partly with their own capital, but they're going to need a mortgage
07:59of 49,000.
08:01For now, however, Rob and Alida still face the daunting issue of getting planning permission.
08:06Today, they have a meeting with the planning officers.
08:09Unfortunately, some locals have sent in objections to Rob's reed bed system.
08:15This means the officers can't pass the plans themselves, which instead will have to go before the planning committee,
08:22although the officers can make recommendations.
08:25All Rob and Alida can do is explain their ideas carefully and hope for the best.
08:30But they will look at it critically, as is their job.
08:33So how do you balance that against, say, the potential objections that some of the consultees
08:39who live in those sort of 1960s, 1970s buildings may raise?
08:43I would expect a lot of people who live in the suburban designs would appreciate a traditional design,
08:51but nevertheless pursues sustainable development objectives.
08:55What advice would you have for would-be self builders?
08:58Basically, I'd say, first of all, contact your planning department as quickly as possible.
09:03You'll find them willing and happy to talk.
09:06Secondly, is ascertain from them if they'd like to get planning permission in principle.
09:12If the design is likely to be controversial, rather, or unusual,
09:16again, raise this at that very early stage with maybe some just sketch designs,
09:21not important designs, and see what the reaction is.
09:24If you, as a self builder, invest a lot of time and money,
09:28and then take that to the planners at a late stage,
09:31you might find yourself getting into a confrontational situation with the authority.
09:35At last, judgment day has arrived.
09:38Well, we're here in Beckles at the public hall,
09:40where the planning committee is going to consider our application for the house,
09:44which we want to build, so it's a bit of a nervous time, of course.
09:48You're optimistic. Be positive, yeah.
09:50Yeah, you're right, be positive. Be positive.
09:52OK, let's go. All right, see you. See you later. Bye.
10:00The committee is made up of local councillors
10:02who have no direct background or training in planning.
10:06Selling an eco house to these people is not going to be easy.
10:11We got it!
10:15Well, that was close.
10:16Told you so.
10:18The planning officer had recommended approval with conditions,
10:23and one councillor spoke against it because of sewerage,
10:27which is complete rubbish, because...
10:29If there's main drainage, why don't we use it?
10:31Yeah, he wanted...
10:32That's what it's there for.
10:33Condition to use main drainage,
10:34which misses the whole point of such an eco building.
10:36But we got it, and we're buzzing.
10:38Nine months after first approaching the planners,
10:42they can get on and move into the caravan.
10:45Rob and Alida have to hand the keys of the house to the new owners today,
10:49so it has to be spotless.
10:51For Alida, this includes cleaning the toilet and dreaming of her new one.
10:56The new compost toilet will be slightly larger.
10:59It could be like sitting on a normal toilet.
11:02The only difference would be we won't have a lever up here in the system.
11:06We'll have a little pedal on the floor like you have in a train.
11:09So you have to do that.
11:11You have to press it once for wee and second twice for solids,
11:17so it's going to be okay.
11:20I mean, I'm not going to empty it out.
11:22I mean, that's Rob's job.
11:23That was the agreement.
11:26Not that it's going to be nasty or anything.
11:28It really will just be dry, dry excrement,
11:32and it'll just be thrown onto the garden.
11:34It'll be absolutely fine.
11:35It'll be just powdery.
11:36But I'm still not going to do it.
11:38After the move, the family settles in for the first of many nights in the caravan.
11:51A duck or a goose from Bunce, or a nice turkey from Bean.
11:55And where Mrs Fox had told him what she wanted,
11:59Mr Fox would creep down into the valley in the darkness of the night and help himself.
12:03I'd say worn out.
12:06Yeah, and last we're in.
12:07That's right.
12:08We've made it.
12:09Yes.
12:10End of stage one.
12:12I never, ever want to do that again.
12:14It's now July, and Rob has been researching every aspect of the build for over 15 months.
12:26Now the architect, Neil Winder, has completed the working drawings, Rob is taking the entire project on his shoulders.
12:33He's going to choose the materials and build and project manage the entire house himself.
12:38He'll be aided by his work team, made up of friends and local craftsmen.
12:43The qualifications for the job are to be ecologically aware and share the philosophy of sustainable building and sustainable ways of life.
12:52I mean, it's crazy that in this day and age we're still building houses, which involve water that's been processed to make it incredibly pure and suitable for drinking.
13:03Flushing gallons of it straight down the entire area.
13:07People are, you know, have certain taboos and prejudices about their crap because it is something they want to flush and forget.
13:16I try to be as green as I can.
13:21I've never really got the desire to build me own house. I'm quite happy to build them for other people.
13:27We all know each other and we come to the same sort of lifestyle. We're all the old hippies of Suffolk, I suppose.
13:34Yeah, I think I am very lucky. Not simply because I've got these five men working on our house, but I've got five friends working on our house.
13:45The first job is to dig 21 holes for the foundations. Although they used a digger, it's a precise process and refinements need to be made.
13:56In keeping with the way Rob is approaching the build, he's even learnt to use a theodolite to get the position of the concrete pads millimetre perfect.
14:05That's it, 4.608. Spot on.
14:08This is actually one of the whole things about this project.
14:12You don't need lots and lots of trained professionals for a self-filled project. You need lots of advice. You need lots of guidance.
14:19And in terms of this, the advice was half an hour being instructed on how to use it.
14:24But that's all that is necessary. There's so much people can do themselves. You don't need experts to do it for you all the time.
14:30But it's not always successful. I'm going to have to go and redo some figures and then come back and start this all over again.
14:37Rob's learning process means two holes are in the wrong place, causing a lot of extra spade work.
14:43Are you all right in there? Not really.
14:45There are ways in which we could have, or Rob could have, gone about this to make life a little easier at this stage.
14:52So we weren't wallowing in mud and the holes didn't fall in and, you know, it's a lot of...
14:57It's extra effort, which at this stage of the game, it would be nice just to get on and get the foundations done whilst the weather's good.
15:04We don't know when the weather will break.
15:06It's an important time because it's Rob's first deadline. The concrete's due today and there's still work to be done.
15:14But thanks to some last-minute calls, the number of workers has doubled.
15:26Well, we're going to the end of the first truckload of concrete. It's going really well.
15:32The team got together and started working extremely quickly. It always takes time for the teams to gel and it's gelled really, really well.
15:39So I'm really pleased with the way it's going.
15:43Once finished, the foundations are a series of pads for the house to sit on.
15:48The idea is that they use less concrete than a standard house.
15:52But Rob is concerned that they may not be as eco-friendly in reality as they've looked on paper.
15:57The idea is to have a minimal footprint of the building on the earth.
16:03And, you know, 21 holes filled with 20 cubic metres of concrete has perhaps gone against that more than I really wanted it to.
16:11This is the Baltic Sea. I've come to Sweden because it's one of the world leaders in eco-friendly building.
16:29And there's one very simple reason for this.
16:33It's very, very cold here.
16:37With a climate like this in Britain, our heating bills would literally go through the roof.
16:42We'd all be spending three, four, five times as much on fuel.
16:46It's lunchtime now, and in about 40 minutes, it's going to be dark.
16:53Now, with the fall of night, the temperature here drops to around minus 20 degrees.
16:59But instead of simply turning the heating up, the Swedish have focused all their attention on the design of the house.
17:07To start with, the first floor is in the roof. This makes the house less tall and less exposed to the elements.
17:16Once inside, you can immediately feel how different it is.
17:20There are no draughts and there are no uncomfortable changes of temperature going from room to room.
17:25And this is because the house has been so thoroughly insulated that there's really very little need for additional heating.
17:32So much so that if you lived in this house in Britain, you'd hardly need to heat it at all.
17:39But for reasons I'm at a loss to explain, we don't really use any of these building technologies as standard in the UK.
17:47I mean, take these windows, for example. They're triple glazed.
17:50They're built to the highest specifications in the world, and they're also soundproof.
17:55But if you want to get hold of them in Britain, they're almost impossible to find.
18:01This structure will take everything that the weather can throw at it, and it's not made of concrete.
18:06Concrete is one of the most polluting materials in production that we have in the world.
18:10Instead, this building is made out of one of the most traditional and eco-friendly materials, wood.
18:20Rob has found a company that makes timber frames in a groundbreaking way.
18:24The harsh climate actually helps here.
18:27Because it's so cold and there's less sunlight, these fir trees grow more slowly.
18:32This means that the rings are much closer together, making the wood harder and stronger.
18:37The middle section of the tree is cut into lengths, but the rest of the wood is not discarded as is usually the case.
18:43Instead, it's put through a process using steam and a vacuum to explode the wood's fibres.
18:49It's then compacted under high temperature to form a very strong board, which doesn't use any glue and is low in toxins.
18:57These boards are then set between two lengths of the pre-cut timber and stuck together using a low-toxin glue to form the rigid I-beams Rob will use to build the frame of his house.
19:10The finished product is as strong as an oak beam, but the most amazing thing about it is how light it is.
19:17This section is 40 feet long and I can lift it by myself.
19:22This means that not only is it relatively cheap to transport, but also that Rob doesn't have to employ an army of men to help him build his house.
19:31What with it being light and easy to saw, it means that Rob has chosen the almost perfect material.
19:38The only trouble is, it has to travel 1200 miles to get to Suffolk, and that's a lot of fuel.
19:44Back on site, they're behind schedule.
19:47The engineers' drawings have been delayed, setting the build back by over a month.
19:51As the frame makes its way from Sweden, Rob has been working on the ring beam, which sits on the foundations and forms the base of the house.
19:59Rob chose to make it from a reclaimed tropical hardwood that's very heavy and hard to work with.
20:05It also seems unnecessarily strong.
20:12This is unbelievably over-specified and unbelievably over-strong.
20:15The house certainly isn't, well, the house may blow off it if there's a hurricane, but this will stay there.
20:20It'll probably hold this bit of ground flat in the next earthquake.
20:24After the delays with the ring beam, the benefits of the Swedish timber can be seen immediately.
20:34Just two weeks into the construction of the frame, and all of the first floor walls have been completed.
20:39The entire house will be constructed using these beams.
20:43They're measured, cut, and then nailed together.
20:46First, the floor joists go in, followed by the wall panels.
20:51Once in place, they're nailed onto the ring beam.
20:58It's frightening to think it's all held together by nails, and if you think that sounds a little insecure, it is.
21:05It's only when this board is nailed onto it that the structure becomes solid and rigid like a box.
21:12The work is demanding, and the hours can be long, but the builders aren't just motivated by a daily wage.
21:19In order to see why, you have to get to the site first thing in the morning.
21:24It's 8am, the site is silent, and there's nobody around.
21:34The workers are here, but they're in the shed, where they spend the first ten minutes of every day meditating.
21:45Does meditating actually help you produce better and more work? Does it mean that you're more focused?
21:53Yes, I think it does. All the guys are able to focus more effectively.
21:57We're able to key into each other more effectively.
22:00So as a team, we communicate, we operate in a very efficient manner.
22:04So I think it has lots of different benefits.
22:06But I know, for instance, that Will focuses a lot of love on the building.
22:10For myself, I visualise me sitting on the veranda of the finished house,
22:16on a warm summer's afternoon, looking over the garden,
22:20and then think in terms of self-love.
22:23In terms of the guides, I will visualise them being very happy,
22:26and I think very reassuring, comforting, and loving thoughts for them.
22:40Is there a connection between building an eco-house and meditating, as you're doing here,
22:45other than the one that some people might make, that you're just a bunch of cranks?
22:51Well, no, I think the most obvious one is that I am a meditator, and I am building an eco-house.
22:59And meditation is part of caring for oneself.
23:04And if you care for yourself, it helps you to care for other people.
23:07Building an eco-house is caring for the earth.
23:11So it is part of that, that overall philosophy.
23:15To take this male bonding a stage further, Rob's decided to form a cooperative with the other builders
23:22that could design and build eco-houses from planning through to construction.
23:27But this build has not only given Rob the idea for a new business,
23:31it's also given him a new-found confidence.
23:34In terms of myself, I suppose I've been surprised that I am as resilient as I am,
23:39that I am as persistently enthusiastic as I have been and continue to be.
23:45You know, I was made redundant back in March, and there were some doubts about my abilities then.
23:49He said, you know, OK, why was I made redundant?
23:51What was wrong with my own performance?
23:53And I think doing this project has really vindicated any doubts,
23:57in that I know I can manage projects and deal with people and get on with people
24:02and really produce something of great value.
24:05Two, three, three! Up, up, up, up, up!
24:10Bad weather has led to delays, and Rob's redundancy has thrown up a practical challenge.
24:16He needs a mortgage. But since he's only recently started working freelance,
24:21he's been struggling to find a lender.
24:23We haven't been able to get hold of a mortgage,
24:27and our own money to build the house came to a point where we'd run out.
24:32What's the direct effect of these financial problems on the build day-to-day?
24:38Well, potentially, that we run out of money and have to stop until we obtain a mortgage.
24:44You all right?
24:45They scrape enough money together for food and living expenses
24:48with Rob's freelance tax work and Alida's restored furniture,
24:52which he sells at a local antique shop, where she works one day a week.
24:57It's very difficult at times, yes.
25:00How do you cope? What do you do?
25:02Well, you just get out. You do something different.
25:05Like come here?
25:06Yes.
25:07Yeah.
25:08Yes, you really need to have your own space. It's very important.
25:11So we've had a few set-bats right from the beginning, really.
25:14The foundations are problems.
25:16The weather's been appalling right the way through the summer.
25:19So we haven't been lucky, and it's been very difficult, really.
25:24I mean, it's all I thought it would be.
25:27I mean, there are really bad days. I can't deny that.
25:30So how do you feel about the build?
25:33It's a bit scary. I mean, we hadn't planned for this to happen.
25:37I think Rob's redundancy really didn't help, and that sort of spoiled all our plans.
25:44But it is very worrying. I mean, I can't say that I'm not concerned about it.
25:49But I suppose the worst-case scenario is we have to sell up as we are now
25:54and find somewhere else to live and start all over again.
25:58Sell the plot with the building half finished. Sell the dream, yes.
26:02Sell the dream.
26:03Shortly afterwards, work stopped for six weeks while Rob looked for a loan.
26:08Their dream was hanging in the balance until he managed to borrow some money from his dad,
26:13so the build can continue, at least for now.
26:17They start work on the gables which support the roof.
26:22Rob has a system that keeps a record of how much timber is left
26:26and what each piece should be used for.
26:28But it's not always easy to understand.
26:32This next one's round about 3.3 metres, apart from the bevel.
26:36Right.
26:37So 3.3 metres on panel 29 should be that one, I think.
26:41It's either going to be that one or that one there.
26:45There are more delays as they attempt to work out the best way to construct the gable.
26:55We need three people, one on each corner.
26:57We need to nail it together.
26:58OK.
26:59How far out of straight do you think it is?
27:01That much.
27:02So we're talking about a flex from about five mills.
27:06Just five millimetres out, and Rob feels this is OK,
27:09but Dave insists the process must be absolutely precise if it's to work.
27:15You'd be very pushed to flex this panel when it's built by that amount.
27:18Unless we align this to a straight edge.
27:20I think, look, Dave, live with it.
27:22I think you're being a bit too, quite honestly.
27:25Right.
27:27Dave hand-builds wooden boats for a living,
27:30so that his approach to this sort of material is going to be very, very exact.
27:35Now, in virtually all circumstances, that's a blessing,
27:38because this house is millimetre-perfect.
27:40But sometimes it's just a bit too much of a blessing.
27:44And like this, Dave need not make it that perfect.
27:48In the end, after much debate, Dave gets his own way.
27:52OK, enough talking, let's just get it done,
27:53because we've spent far too long on this panel already.
28:00Having been pulled apart and reconstructed,
28:03finally the gable is erected.
28:06It took a day and a half to put up,
28:09when it should only have taken a couple of hours.
28:12You know, the way that Rob and his guys are building this house,
28:21you know, putting the nails in every 100 millimetres,
28:24measuring it all out very accurately,
28:26it's taking, of course, forever.
28:28They're building it like real craftsmen, medieval craftsmen, even.
28:32If they were conventional builders, putting it together as they do,
28:35we reckon they could probably get this finished in about a quarter of the time.
28:42I wanted to ask Rob why, ever since the construction of the Ringbeam,
28:47he was going about the build in such a painstakingly slow manner,
28:51costing him more money and putting himself under leader through added hardship.
28:55So do you think that, you know, it's worth all this?
28:58Do you think that that sacrifice of time,
29:01of living in the caravan for these extra months through winter
29:04is a worthwhile sacrifice?
29:06Well, it is a worthwhile sacrifice,
29:07because, you know, don't forget,
29:08the overall philosophy of the build is one of sustainability,
29:11of sensitivity to the earth.
29:13And those Ringbeams are totally recycled product.
29:17Yeah.
29:18So that has a massive component of it.
29:20You've also got to be pragmatic, haven't you?
29:22And there's poor, you know, there you are,
29:23the children, the leader,
29:24stuck in that caravan all blinking winter, I mean.
29:26I mean, remember,
29:27building this house isn't just a matter of building it quickly
29:30or building it economically.
29:31It's also a matter of demonstrating several points
29:34about sustainable building.
29:35But if you're going to take this and try and sell the idea wrong,
29:39isn't it important to sell an idea which can be built quickly
29:42as well as being sustainable?
29:44Well, yeah, absolutely.
29:45And something we can say about this house is,
29:47we use reclaimed Ringbeams,
29:49but we would advise against doing that,
29:51because of the time it takes to machine them,
29:53the time it takes to fit them and level them.
29:55We would advise, on a time basis,
29:58to use, using glulam in the future.
30:01But we have had such a valuable time learning about this material,
30:05learning how to build this sort of house.
30:07Expensive school to go to, isn't it?
30:09It's worth it, though.
30:10I really do think it's worth it.
30:11I hope so.
30:12I hope so.
30:13For your sake.
30:14It's quite good.
30:15I want to get out of here desperately.
30:17I do now.
30:18Are you serious?
30:19Inside?
30:20Yes, I am.
30:21There's a bit of you shivering away.
30:22Yes, I don't like it at all.
30:23You know, I hate it now.
30:24There's just no space.
30:26And the children are very boisterous.
30:28And, you know, Frere's getting bigger now.
30:30She was a little tiny thing when we first came in.
30:32Mmm.
30:33Mmm.
30:34It's just getting so difficult.
30:35But how's the finance side of things?
30:37Because you've kept the budget for the house separate from your domestic accounts, presumably.
30:40Yes, we had to do that.
30:41Yeah, yeah.
30:42Well, I mean, I suppose the worst occasion was we got to a Friday one weekend and I had
30:48no money for food at all.
30:50What did you do?
30:51I couldn't go shopping.
30:52What did you do?
30:53I spoke to my mother and my darling mother gave me some money.
30:58You know, we've got through it.
31:00You managed to get some more money, didn't you?
31:02Yes, I managed to get hold of a mortgage broker.
31:05So things are going on there.
31:07We actually had an argument and she, in a fit of rage, picked up the Yellow Pages and got a mortgage broker and phoned him up.
31:14You had a big Barney about it and she said, what did you say?
31:17No, I didn't have a Barney.
31:18I just screamed and shouted and went crazy, slammed the door, got the Yellow Pages and found a broker in five minutes.
31:22I said, right, now, now, now what you're waiting for?
31:26And how long did it take at Rob to not do this?
31:30Well, a few weeks.
31:32Long enough, long enough for you to go crazy.
31:35You're still together.
31:37Only just.
31:39What is it?
31:41Neil, our architect, said to us after this, in light of his own self-build, the wisest piece of advice he gave us was,
31:49you'll spend about a year building your home and then you'll spend about a year rebuilding your relationship.
31:54But you were supposed to be living in this house next door, um, last night.
31:59Last night.
32:00And you're not.
32:01Hi.
32:02And you're not going to be for some time.
32:03When is that going to be?
32:04Will we move in?
32:06I don't, I don't want Rob to answer this question.
32:09I want you to tell me.
32:10Well, supposedly we're going to be in by the end of April.
32:13So when are you going to be in?
32:14Probably about June.
32:16I cannot agree at all.
32:20That sounds to me as though a leader has just thrown down the gauntlet.
32:26It's the end of February now, which means Rob has got two months to complete the house and prove a leader wrong.
32:32If not, he's going to have to suffer the consequences.
32:36Thanks to a leader, they've got a mortgage.
32:43Now it's up to Rob to get the job done by April.
32:47His only way is to employ some contractors to help out.
32:51Their jobs are to tile the roof and install the plasterboard.
32:56Rob had hoped to use reclaimed tiles,
33:03but old tiles, although very eco-friendly, couldn't be secured to the roof tightly.
33:09So Rob shopped around and found a manufacturer making tiles using local clay.
33:15At least they don't come from Sweden.
33:17In fact, if you want to be green, then being a good shopper is a necessity.
33:22Green goods are out there, but they're not always easy to find.
33:26Ironically, one place you can find what you want is in London.
33:30Rob and Alida have come here to shop because this is the nearest thing you can find to an eco-build supermarket.
33:38There's everything here from solar panels to environmentally friendly paints, and it's all under one roof.
33:44So, what's attracted you, Alida, here?
33:53Well, I'm here on a shopping trip, specifically to buy paint.
33:57Right.
33:58Environmentally friendly paint.
34:00Do you like these colours?
34:01Yes.
34:02They're really very nice.
34:03I mean, the paint charts aren't very inspiring.
34:05They're a little bit wishy-washy.
34:07And I would like a few strong colours around the house.
34:10Sure.
34:11But there's these wonderful pigments here in really bright colours, which are fantastic.
34:17I thought I'd find you in the basement.
34:19Hi, Kevin.
34:20Are you going to use these solar panels?
34:22Yes, we are.
34:23These are going to go on the roof of the veranda.
34:25Really?
34:26At the back?
34:27Not on the roof of the house?
34:28That's right.
34:29Does it heat the water in the house?
34:31Yes.
34:32The whole idea of these panels is that the energy from the sunlight hits the panel.
34:36Water, which is trickling down inside the panel, is heated up by the sunlight.
34:39Yeah.
34:40And then it's pumped into the house, stored in a cylinder, then used for hot water in taps,
34:45and also for heating some of the space of the house.
34:47So, how much is it going to cost?
34:49We want to spend about three grand on the system.
34:52Oh, this is the business end of water management, is it?
34:57That's right.
34:58After all the planning and talk, you know, this is the real thing.
35:01Yeah, yeah.
35:02So, what's unique about this common garden toilet?
35:04Well, this is a low flush toilet.
35:06It's also a dual flush toilet.
35:08Basically, you can use two or four litres to flush the toilet.
35:12In this country, the standard loo uses nine litres to flush away whatever you've done.
35:17Right.
35:18Now, that's nine litres, generally, of perfectly good, drinkable, high-quality water.
35:22Yes.
35:23So, you know, we think it's an absolute waste of that resource to flush it all down the toilet.
35:26This one's different.
35:27I recognise this one.
35:28This one has no flush at all.
35:30This just uses sawdust.
35:31That's right.
35:32But basically, the idea about this is you simply sit on the toilet, you do your business,
35:36it falls through into a composting chamber, and after a while, it composts down into a really
35:41nice, friable compost.
35:42I mean, this is poo?
35:44Yeah.
35:45Composted after about a year, that is.
35:47Climbing.
35:48It's like John Innes number three.
35:49Oh, yes, it's ready for the garden right now, yeah.
35:50Fantastic.
35:51So, why aren't you having this system?
35:52Why are you having the wet one?
35:53Oh, well, that's really down to a leader more than anything.
35:54Yes.
35:55I wasn't happy to have something like this.
35:56Why not?
35:57I wanted a conventional-looking toilet.
35:58I didn't fancy the idea of my children getting hold of this container of sawdust and emptying
36:07the whole lot into the toilet in one go.
36:09Let alone falling down the tube into the poo pit below.
36:12We've still got a composting toilet, and yet we've got a normal, conventional toilet to
36:17sit on to look at.
36:18And to use.
36:19And to use.
36:20And to use.
36:21What you must remember when eco-building is that there's no one thing which is going
36:28to make you instantly green.
36:30Every little bit helps.
36:32And it's really up to you to decide how far you want to go with it.
36:36But consider this.
36:38If you just insulated your house to Northern European standards, not British building standards,
36:45you could cut down on the energy you use to heat your house by half.
36:50Now, that would mean lower bills.
36:52But you would also feel the difference.
36:57Needless to say, insulation is something that Rob takes very seriously.
37:02So much so that he and his team have learnt how to install it themselves so they can act
37:07as official installers once their eco-build company gets off the ground.
37:12The outside of the house is ready to be clad with Douglas fir and larch weatherboarding
37:18that's come from Thetford Forest nearby.
37:21Although it is traditional cladding, the details need careful working out.
37:26After such a long build, this can be very demanding, and tempers can get frayed.
37:33It depends where the inner edge of your vertical board is coming.
37:38Because it needs to bridge.
37:39We can work that out.
37:40It needs to go across the face of this one, which is three-quarters.
37:43The next one is three-quarters.
37:45I want this project to be over. I want to really be able to get on with other things.
37:56You know, I've been focused on this, I feel, for too long now.
38:00I want this to be finished, I want to get on with the business, I want to get on with my family, with my friends.
38:17I want to get on with the garden here as well.
38:20So, there's a little bit of impatience building up with me.
38:24Well, I think for you it's a bit different, isn't it?
38:26Well, I want all those things.
38:28Well, I feel a bit numb at the moment.
38:29I look out the caravan window and I sometimes don't feel anything but resentment.
38:35And I think they're finding it quite difficult now, especially Amber.
38:40She said to me the other day, Mummy, are we really poor?
38:43Yes.
38:45I don't know, Amber, we're not that poor.
38:49And when am I going to be in my new bedroom?
38:52So, I think they're getting a bit impatient now.
38:55Flying in the face of adversity, and with the end almost in sight, they press on.
39:00A leader's skill at finding second-hand goods in the papers is proving invaluable.
39:06I try and find most things that we need in the free ads.
39:09I found a mortgage broker, which has been good.
39:12We've just managed recently to get a load of Victorian doors for the whole house.
39:17And they're really beautiful.
39:19We've also got all our reclaimed floorboards.
39:22I've managed to get a nice wood burner for the kitchen system, family room.
39:27And I'm now looking for another wood burner with a back boiler for our sitting room.
39:32It's now the end of April, and the build is not ready.
39:36But there's no sign of defeat, just a determination to finish as quickly as possible.
39:43Rob's triple-glazed windows, another Swedish import, have arrived.
39:48The timber cladding is completed.
39:50The water system is dug in, including the sewage treatment plant and the reed beds and pond.
40:05The solar panels arrive, and inside the house, the kitchen's installed.
40:15And at long last, a leader gets in to start decorating.
40:20Rob has been working flat out for months to get this house finished.
40:35He and the leader have been living this project for nearly a year.
40:39Now that it's finished, it's time to see what they've made of it.
41:09Come on out, look in here then, Kevin.
41:23It's all decorated.
41:25Amazed?
41:26I am amazed.
41:27I honestly thought you'd be living in a kind of shell still, but it's nothing like a shell.
41:31You've got plasterboard up, and you've painted, and it's...
41:33It's just a little bit to do.
41:35You're not quite finished yet.
41:36Are you not?
41:37What little sort of details?
41:39Well...
41:40Or major works.
41:41You'll walk out to the veranda, will you, from here?
41:43That's right, yeah.
41:44Just open the doors and extend your living space.
41:48And you've got your kitchen over the other side of this wonderful plinth.
41:52It's our bar.
41:53It's very clever, isn't it?
41:54Because it hides all the govins.
41:56You just don't notice the sink, the cooker, the worktop from the other side.
42:00It's dedicated to the finer arts of life, cooking, eating, drinking...
42:04And washing it up.
42:05And washing up.
42:06Yes.
42:07But it's very successful, I think.
42:08It's worked very well.
42:09You must show me the rest of the house.
42:10Yes, come on.
42:11Rob's built it.
42:12I want to see what you've done to it.
42:13Well, Kevin, this is our sitting room.
42:14Oh, yeah.
42:15Very nice, liveable space, isn't it?
42:16I'm really excited.
42:17It's turned out far better than I thought it would.
42:18The light is just spectacular.
42:19Yeah.
42:20I'm really excited.
42:21Yeah.
42:22I'm really excited about it.
42:23Well, I mean, you've got these big windows for the south.
42:24Yeah.
42:25You get all that solar gain, but the benefit of course, you get all that light as well, don't
42:26you?
42:27That's right.
42:28That's right.
42:29And we'll have the wood burner here in the winter.
42:30And it'll be a real cosy room, whereas the kitchen is more of a contemporary style.
42:31Yeah, and bustling.
42:32Yeah, this will be softer and warmer and just cosy.
42:33You're a real homemaker, aren't you?
42:34Yes.
42:35Show me the bedroom.
42:36Yes, come upstairs.
42:37Oh, well, yeah.
42:38It's slightly less finished up here, isn't it?
42:50No babisters.
42:52I mean, it's quite a bit of my work.
42:53No b 식ress.
42:58¡Gracias!
43:28¡Oh, y a la plataforma!
43:29¡Era una plataforma!
43:31¡Up here! ¡Of course, Kevin!
43:32¡We will have balustrades and a proper staircase here!
43:35¡Oh, no, ¿really?
43:37¡Oh, look at this!
43:38¡Es magical! ¡Es muy generoso, ¿no?
43:40¡Era un wonderful view out of her window!
43:42¡What a wacky space!
43:44¡Vamos a ver, no es que ella es lo que está!
43:45¡Oh, eso es lo que está todo!
43:47¡Well, es muy versatile!
43:48¡Un aventurismo espacio!
43:50¡Anda es el muy ordinaro-loquiendo composting toilet
43:53¡With agua en la vista!
43:54¡No es no es un composting toilet,
43:55No, no, no, no.
44:25That's right.
44:26The whole thing anyway is going to get hidden underneath your beautiful, non-existent veranda.
44:31Of course, the roof of the veranda is where we're going to put the solar panels...
44:34These things here, yeah? ...bating the water.
44:35Because we haven't been able to build the veranda yet, we've rigged this one up here temporarily.
44:39Ah, boy, that is really hot.
44:41That's right.
44:42A nice sunny day like this and it's producing loads of hot water for us.
44:45Yeah.
44:46Anyway, look, we talked about all the water going up the garden.
44:48Let's go and see where it ends up.
44:50Your treatment plant.
44:51So, this is the reed filter.
44:55No, we're standing on the reed bed.
44:57I was going to say, where are the reeds?
44:59Remind me how this thing works.
45:00Well, this has only just been set up.
45:02Oh dear, so how are you going to treat your grey water?
45:04You've flooded into there.
45:06Well, the reeds in the reed bed are actually just the second stage of it, the first stage
45:09of the bacteria which live amongst the stones.
45:12Oh really, so they're doing the job, like in a sewage treatment plant, they're doing
45:16the job of cleaning the water, are they?
45:17That's right, and when they have finished their life cycle and they die, then the reeds
45:22live off their residue.
45:23So the water flows from here into that tent there, yeah?
45:27That's right.
45:28Well, that will overflow into the ditch which runs along the back of our plot here.
45:32And that will be clean, that water?
45:34Oh yeah, it will certainly be cleaner than the water in the ditch.
45:36We reckon we'll be using about 40% of the average amount of water that a family of this
45:41is.
45:42OK.
45:43And no sewage charges?
45:44That's right.
45:45Rob's build has been experimental.
45:47In the end, he's £24,000 over budget.
45:50The land cost £45,000, the build costs came to £99,000, making a total of £144,000.
45:58Rob's had the house valued at £210,000, so he's made a paper profit.
46:03And with the heating bills coming in at around £60 a year, and low water consumption, building
46:09green will mean substantial savings over the years.
46:13I like the fact that this house is made from sustainable materials.
46:17But you've also got to consider its visual impact on its environment.
46:21It's a very tall building compared to the others around it.
46:25And what with the startling blue paint, I think it sticks out rather uncomfortably.
46:30Well, you both look very, very tired.
46:36You've got this far really on your own strength.
46:41I mean, you know, you haven't had very much support, have you, along the way?
46:45It's not like you've had a, you know, your architect and your project manager and your
46:49builder, because you've been doing everything.
46:51Yes, we've been on our own.
46:52Although I think we've really got to recognise the help and support that all of the guys
46:59who have worked on the building with us have given.
47:01And it's been very difficult for us as a couple.
47:04Very difficult.
47:05I've personally found it very difficult.
47:07If it hadn't been for the children, I think I probably would have just gone off for a while.
47:11But it's all worth it.
47:13Definitely.
47:14But we're going to be okay.
47:16It's absolutely fantastic to see it in place and the rooms working and feeling the way
47:24that we set out to make them feel.
47:27It's lovely.
47:28It's different.
47:29It's unusual.
47:31It's just beautiful.
47:33It's going to be a very lovely environment to live in.
47:38It's also being a very healthy environment to live in.
47:41I think I'll just feel more at peace knowing that there's no harmful emissions from my home.
47:47Let's go to one.
47:48Let's go to one.
47:49Look at me.
47:51Thank you.
47:52Thank you.
47:53Thank you.
47:54It's been one of those experiences that, in retrospect, we'll call it an adventure.
48:00And something which quite definitely has been worth doing because of what we have at the end of it.
48:07We've changed our lifestyles dramatically.
48:12But I think it's been worth it.
48:14Rob has pushed himself to the limit on this build.
48:18He's self-built, he's self-financed, and he's self-managed this project.
48:23And on top of that, he's done it all according to a set of ideals.
48:27He and a leader have put all they have on the line, even their relationship, in order to build a home that embodies everything they believe in.
48:37I'm not sure that I could make all the sacrifices that they have.
48:42After all they've been through, they deserve to be happy here.
48:47Yeah.
48:48Yeah.
48:49Yeah.
48:50Yeah.
48:51Yeah.
48:52Yeah.