Those of us who have lived through renovations – often with gritted teeth – can empathise with anyone who tackles a build, let alone a self-build project. This book outlines what was involved in the planning and construction of almost 50 self-built homes that featured in the British Grand Designs television series over the past 25 years, drawing on the experiences of the original owners.
There have been almost 200 episodes of the British version of Grand Designs. Homes from the companion New Zealand series are not covered in the book. Author Kevin McCloud is a designer, writer, and long-term presenter for the British Grand Designs series. The book includes 47 diverse homes that McCloud believes represent “the true essence of what makes a Grand Designs house”. The names of the homes often indicate their function or form: Stilt House, Tree House, Glass House, Shadow Barn, and Triangle House, as a few examples.
There are full-colour photos of each of the featured homes, as well as a page or two covering the original builder, their design and support crew, and the history of the home and its ownership. The homes are presented in chronological order – starting with the first series that aired in 1999. Not all are single-family homes. The book includes a 10 household cooperative founded on ‘sweat equity’ principles.
There’s a short list of key facts to introduce each home, including its general location, its owner/s, the architect, and the build cost. Most sections conclude with ‘The Long View’ – a paragraph or two providing additional background information about the original owners, McCloud’s perspective on the build, and comments on aspects of the technique, materials or technology.
The first home depicted is a 30 metre tall brick water tower conversion, a striking building with views covering 1,000 square miles. The owners converted the tower as a place to raise their three young children, who are now parents themselves.
If you’ve watched the British or the New Zealand Grand Designs show you will have seen dreams come to fruition as well as hopes dashed, schedules juggled, and budgets re-jigged. McCloud makes it clear that self-builds are rarely smooth sailing. The book includes stories about collapsing arches, bench tops that arrived black rather than white, horrid weather, and a devastating fire. Because they have appeared in a television show, some homes have become local landmarks. Constant (and sometimes unexpected) visitors eager to check the place out, or vocal online critics, are not uncommon.
The reflections and quotes from owners are often poignant. Although many couples (and families) have remained in the homes that they built, others have sold due to relationship breakdowns, retirement or other life changes. Some now live alone due to the death of their partner.
Some homes relied on volunteer labour during construction – including a rustic dwelling built in ancient woodland by a team of 96 volunteers. One of these volunteers was a musician who provided background music for the episode. At least one owner admits that he “fell out of love with the building” during the long, difficult and expensive construction process, although ultimately grew to see the house as “an ongoing gift”.
McCloud observes that approaches or practices that may have initially been seen as unconventional have now become more accepted and prominent, such as the importance of ensuring that a house has low environmental impact. Passive House (Passivhaus) standards, which focus on energy efficiency and thermal performance, are making an impact in the United Kingdom and across Europe. Several homes in the book have been designed to conform with Passivhaus principles. Over time, regulations and technologies have also evolved, sometimes resulting in upgrades to the original designs – for example, to make a home more energy efficient.
There are brief observations about landscaping and how trees and plants (including moss and ivy) have enhanced outdoor areas as the years have gone by. Wildlife such as kingfishers and herons have taken up residence in and around one pond.
Walls or rooms have sometimes been shifted or repurposed to meet the changing needs of growing or aging family members. The layout of some homes worked well when Covid lockdowns required people to work from home: a converted grain solo became a perfect spot for online lectures. Some structures have needed work due to extreme storm damage, perhaps reflecting the effects of climate change. The book refers to social and political changes too. McCloud recalls his early visits to Belfast, where one of the featured houses is based, and the British army patrols “policing relatively empty streets of barricaded shops”. The area is now flourishing.
As well as enthusiasm and determination, excellent planning and project management are needed to ensure the success of any build. For owners who had “the luxury of time”, the planning phase was often long and considered.
For years before building commenced, [Ben] lived in the exact location his house would be built on, observing the shifting seasons and meticulously planning what it was he needed.
Other owners relied on their imagination as they made their vision a reality, such as the couple who believed that they could transform an old abandoned Water Board pumping works building into an elegant and sophisticated home.
The book concludes with a further 21 homes that receive ‘honourable mentions’ – with a photo and descriptive paragraph for each of these homes too.
It’s easy to forget that pulling together a television show like Grand Designs involves a huge team. The foreword acknowledges everyone behind the scenes: the “hundreds of staff and crew – from directors to editors, sound mixers to camera operators, runners to commissioners”.
As far as the design of the book, I found the black text on a stark white background harsh and the pages tend to glare in bright light. Even so, the book is well laid out and easy to navigate. I’d be curious to know how the 3 or 4 photos of each house were chosen. Space limitations restrict the number of interior shots, although it would have been good to see more of the areas inside each home.
Not all the homes are conventionally attractive – nor would I want to live in some of them. Nevertheless, this is the appeal of this book – it challenges perceptions of what a home could or should be, and shows what is possible if you have enough time, money, and resilience to tackle a build. It highlights that you must be prepared to accept that perfection may not be the end goal, and that houses are never really “done” given the ongoing maintenance required. One owner prompts reflection on how important the structure you live in actually is:
I don’t think the box in which you live is the most important thing in life. Fundamentally, you can be at home anywhere if you’re at peace with yourself.
Although our New Zealand environment and regulations differ from those in the United Kingdom, many of the designs and ideas covered in McCloud’s book could be adapted for use here.
Reviewer: Anne Kerslake Hendricks
White Lion Publishing (imprint of The Quarto Group)