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You know, architecture isn't
just there to protect us,

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it's there also to comfort us.

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Great buildings can reaffirm ideas,

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they can restore old memories,

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they can change
the way we look at the world,

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even how we look at ourselves.

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Ironically, those experiences can
also often be found in

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the simplest of buildings,

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I mean, take this treehouse
for example,

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I mean it is bound, isn't it,

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to evoke childhood memories
of waking up in

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the canopy of the forest in
the wilderness, you know?

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And yet, when we start to build,

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when we have to deal
with kitchens and lighting

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and building regulations and planning

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and mortgages, then it is
so easy amidst all the stress

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and the pain and
the financial worry,

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for these big ideas
to be crushed,

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to be lost.

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The architecture
of innocence is not easy.

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There are some among us
who are built to succeed.

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People who have an incredible
potential to achieve.

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I am a grafter,
if I get focused on something,

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I do go for that. I get stuck in.

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My mum and father split up when
I was probably around three.

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Brought up predominantly by my mum.

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I didn't really know my father
growing up.

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I've looked to my mum as
a role model.

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Absolutely a grafter,
worked multiple jobs,

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and I look back in awe, really,
as to how she managed it.

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Danny is the deputy principal of
a large vocational college in

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North Lincolnshire, where he's lived
all his life.

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He now has three children from two
past relationships.

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Kacy is my eldest, he lives with me.

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Grace and Lucas, I have them
a few nights in the week.

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Danny may not have known his
own father,

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but being a parent is
a role he takes very seriously.

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They are my world,

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my life revolves around them

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and what I've tried to do as
a father now is to be

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the best father I can be.

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He's now planning to build a new home
for his children to grow up in,

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within the two-acre garden
of their current house.

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So, this house is going to be
a framework

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for my children's childhood.

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It's that hub for us all just
to come together as

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a family and just
to enjoy our time.

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Keep it tight and then turn that.
Good lad.

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But Danny's dreams of
a perfect childhood

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for his family will be governed by
one very practical truth.

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Money.

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That'll do, good girl.

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I've got a little bit of
a reputation

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for being what I like
to call frugal.

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That comes from growing up
and not having stuff,

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and not having money
and not having excess

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and that's ingrained.
That will never go.

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I don't have hundreds of thousands
of pounds in a savings account,

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but I'm quietly determined that
I'm going to get there.

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Money may worry him,

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but Danny does already own
the land for this project,

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and that's a big advantage.

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So, this is the site.
Right on the edge of the village.

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Yeah, it's surrounded by fields
really all the way round.

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Beautiful.
Belter of a site, I have to say.

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So there's your bungalow right back
there, yeah?

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That's right. Did this land come
with the bungalow?

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Yes, it did, yeah.

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So the house, to me,
looks as though it ought

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to sit around about here.

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You know, you can drive in,
there you are,

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and you've got these long views
to the south.

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It's not going to be here, it's
going to be further down the site.

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Nestled in among the trees?
Absolutely, yeah.

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Come on then let's go
and have a look at it.

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Ah, it's so pretty.

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This site seems
to grow as you move through it.

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Ooh, that's nice. There's a beech
and a couple of sycamores.

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Ahh, and the pond. It's a delight.

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Yeah, yeah,
from what I've been told,

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the chap who lived here,

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I think his wife wasn't best pleased

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that he went out fishing all the
time, so he said, "OK,"

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so he built himself a pond.

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There's loads of carp in there,
loads of fish.

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So, do all of those trees stay?
They all stay,

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and they actually form
a really nice natural boundary

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to the house,
where it's going to nestle in.

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It's that sort of treehouse
concept we've gone for.

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So you're able to build without
having to destroy too much?

91
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The house is about the site,
you know,

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it's not just the house,
it's actually the site

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and I really
want to sort of protect the site.

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Where that large walnut tree is,

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there is going to be
a really large timber garage.

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So you're not integrating the garage
into the house deliberately?

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No, completely separate.

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For the children to grow up
in an area like this

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is a real opportunity.

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But they've already got this?

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They have.
They can already come down here.

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It's a different experience.

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So rather than coming down here
to play, we'll be living down here.

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It's going to be quite an exciting
place to live, isn't it? Dynamic.

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Danny's Architect, Kate Kelly,

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had to produce a spectacular
nature-friendly design

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to satisfy the planners
and her client.

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They'll start on site by pouring one
large slab

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and 12 small pads that will support
steel stilts

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to hold up a set
of three treetop pods.

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Steel will also support a deck,
cantilevered out over the pond

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to connect house, water,
and wildlife.

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Precise prefabricated timber panels
will then be brought in

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and assembled at speed to form
the main body of the house

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as well as the walls and roofs of
those treetop bedroom pods.

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Glazing will be critical for
a building all about connection.

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Bifold doors will open to drink
the views south and west,

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while the bedroom pod windows
will offer bird-height views

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of branches and the leaf canopy.

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This home is not greedy,

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and the interior will be compact
and controlled.

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The main building will have
a ground floor living space

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with a kitchen, dining area,
and a small utility and toilet.

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Above this will sit
the main en suite bedroom

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and a family bathroom.

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You'll access the three-bedroom
pods across a glazed corridor,

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seemingly open
to the trees as if a bridge.

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There's no plumbing on this side,

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just electric power connecting
the pods to the main house,

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such is the simplicity of design.

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A simplicity that extends to
the exterior cedar cladding

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that wraps these shapes in
the familiar language of timber sheds

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and childhood treehouses.

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It won't be fussy,

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but it will be
architecturally ambitious,

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and ambition rarely comes cheap.

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So, this, I mean,
quite idyllic site,

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this is free.
But to build the house itself,

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do you know yet how much you're
going to have to spend?

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I'm budgeting about £300,000.

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Which is OK, but it's not
going to provide you with luxury.

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I don't want luxury.

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I want the house to do what it
wants for me and the family.

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So, I don't want designer
or anything fancy.

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It needs to be very...
Service our needs.

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So, I'm very confident we can
bring it within that budget.

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Where does the money come from?

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Selling the bungalow should release
a couple of hundred in total,

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and then looking at funding the rest
with a self-build mortgage.

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You top up from 200 to 350 with
£150,000 of self-build mortgage?

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From 200 to 300. 200 to 300.

152
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Don't add 50 grand on it yet.

153
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Have I already increased
the budget to 350?

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Yeah, no, it's not.
Amazing, isn't it?

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Why did I do that I wonder?
Hmm, I wonder.

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Hmm, yeah.
When do you think you'll finish?

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In my mind, I'm thinking
it'll be about a year.

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Three months later,
Danny's bungalow has sold

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and he's now waiting for the delivery
of his new temporary accommodation.

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And his mum, Sue, is with him,
for moral support.

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What's your concerns?

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Are you nervous?
What could possibly go wrong?

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The fact the caravan won't fit,
and I've spent six grand

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and wasted my money,
that could go wrong.

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Danny's site does suffer
from a long, narrow access track.

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Not great for manoeuvring
six-grand caravans.

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Just touching the pole.

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At least we're in. Cracking job.

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We're in. Yeah!

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And now it's getting it down
to the second part, which

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I am slightly nervous about now,

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given how tight it was there, so...

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Can we just twist it this way
a bit, yeah?

174
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Soon, the whole community is out
to help.

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I'm just going to knock that corner
off there.

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Can we pass him that?

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HAMMERING

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That's good. Loads of room, mate.
Keep going.

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Slow! Slow down.

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CHAINSAW WHIRRS

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Push the back end, it's got to
reverse at a bit of an angle.

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Bit more, bit more. Push!

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With some serious
Lincolnshire muscle

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and only a few battle scars,

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the family's new home
arrives on site.

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Yay!

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But a month later,

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the only person living in this
well-travelled caravan is

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Danny's eldest son, Kacy.

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Quite extravagant, as you can see.

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00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:58,840
Lucas, can I have
the hairbrush please?

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Danny has Lucas
and Grace three days a week,

193
00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:04,480
so he's made the wise decision
to stay with his mum,

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a few miles from site.

195
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So, this is where I
and the kids sleep.

196
00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:10,280
I sleep on the floor here.

197
00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:12,760
But, yeah,
we're all together, aren't we?

198
00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:16,080
Which you don't like, because
then I can make you go to bed.

199
00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:20,160
As a self-confessed minimalist...

200
00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:22,240
Put the cat-like money box
down, Grace.

201
00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:26,360
..living in this museum of
knick-knacks can't be easy for Danny.

202
00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:30,120
My house it's fair to say,
won't look like this.

203
00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:35,840
I think I'm probably quite clinical
and decluttered because of this.

204
00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:37,880
It's all lovely stuff,

205
00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:41,000
don't get me wrong.
It's just a lot of it.

206
00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,160
Who needs ten spatulas?
That's what I say.

207
00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:55,400
Work only begins on-site early in
the new year.

208
00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:58,320
Now we've broken ground,
now the guys are on-site,

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there's a real momentum.

210
00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:02,920
Danny wants to be closely involved
with this project,

211
00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,360
but he has engaged Mike Hill,

212
00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:07,560
a professional project manager who
should help

213
00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:09,520
to keep things broadly on track.

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00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:10,960
It is a lifetime home for Danny,

215
00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,720
so I think he decided project
management was probably

216
00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:14,920
the better way to go.

217
00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,680
Overall, the savings we will
make will certainly be more than

218
00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:20,880
the fees we charge.

219
00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:25,040
Mike may fight to protect
the £300,000 budget,

220
00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,800
but when it comes
to digging holes in the ground,

221
00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:31,960
there's always the potential for
a few nasty surprises.

222
00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,080
According to the plans, there's
a high-pressure mains sewer

223
00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:38,080
under the site somewhere,

224
00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:41,640
so if we come across that,
then we've got a problem.

225
00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:47,080
One dink with a digger,
and things could get messy.

226
00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:50,200
We're just hoping that it's not
going to get in our way.

227
00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:51,360
If we find it,

228
00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:53,800
we're going to have to have
a big rethink.

229
00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:55,600
As they work carefully,

230
00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,280
the diggers do unearth some
good news.

231
00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:03,240
A large seam of limestone, sitting
just 1.5 metres below the surface,

232
00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:07,560
so that means much less concrete
for this sustainable woodland home.

233
00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:09,280
It's quite unusual for the area.

234
00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,160
It's either clay, running sand or
bad ground in this area,

235
00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,520
so having this stone layer down
there is a real bonus

236
00:12:15,560 --> 00:12:17,640
and quite a cost saving for Danny.

237
00:12:17,680 --> 00:12:22,560
Now, Danny can only hope that
the sewer pipe stays undisturbed.

238
00:12:32,560 --> 00:12:35,440
Danny's re-imagined
tree-dwellers' house

239
00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:38,800
is still very much firmly
stuck in the ground.

240
00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:40,720
Two days in, and it's safe to say

241
00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:43,520
the 300-grand budget
is already under threat,

242
00:12:43,560 --> 00:12:48,720
from the possibility of a mains sewer
line running through the site.

243
00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:50,560
There will literally be
a shower of shit.

244
00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:52,440
And it'll cost me money.

245
00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,760
The exact position
of this pipe is not recorded.

246
00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:04,880
But the following morning,
with the excavation coming to an end,

247
00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:07,960
it's clear the pipe will
stay hidden.

248
00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:09,640
I was a little bit nervous about it,

249
00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:13,320
only in terms of the
repercussions of the time

250
00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,920
and obviously the
inevitable cost as well, so...

251
00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,920
I'll be honest, it would be
the cost that would upset Danny.

252
00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:20,440
I'm just pleased we haven't found it

253
00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,440
so we can spend money on
other things.

254
00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:25,800
Spend money?
HE LAUGHS

255
00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:27,800
We can certainly do that for you.

256
00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:29,600
Yeah, I know you can.

257
00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,320
Just a few days in, it's already
clear that Danny's frugality

258
00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,960
will be a big influence
on this project.

259
00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,520
Well, we're not using a pump
because it costs more money,

260
00:13:38,560 --> 00:13:41,800
and we can do it this way, it's a
lot cheaper and more cost-effective.

261
00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:45,880
By not using a pump
they'll save almost £500.

262
00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:50,520
But then, managing budgets is
something Danny does really well.

263
00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:57,160
He's the deputy principal of one of
the largest vocational colleges in
the country,

264
00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:00,320
and he deals with some
eye-watering sums.

265
00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,960
As an organisation, we have
an income of around 50 million.

266
00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:07,080
We've got 1,200 staff across
multiple sites.

267
00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:08,240
It's massive.

268
00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:10,720
A one-time student, then teacher,

269
00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,720
Danny is now charged
with the continued success

270
00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:15,960
of this huge organisation.

271
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,400
So, this is an Asel.
Talk me through it.

272
00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,280
What it's doing is replicating
the inside of

273
00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:22,760
a wind turbine, essentially.

274
00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:25,640
An organisation that's training
the workforce of tomorrow.

275
00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:29,080
There's a lot to think about,
a lot of stakeholders,

276
00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:31,880
employers, parents, students, staff.

277
00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:33,680
You constantly have
to problem solve,

278
00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:35,480
deal with issues. It is tough.

279
00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,040
Two tough things, building a house,

280
00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:41,960
and working in a high-pressured,
challenging environment

281
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:45,760
like education, it's not easy.

282
00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:48,080
Of course,
all this is made more difficult,

283
00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:51,520
when you're sleeping on
the floor of your mother's attic.

284
00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:56,320
This has to be Sue's house.

285
00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:59,040
I thought I'd drop in on his
new landlady...

286
00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,040
Hello? Sue?

287
00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:02,800
..to find out where
Danny's conviction

288
00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:04,440
for this project comes from.

289
00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,640
HE CHUCKLES
Wow.

290
00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:09,240
What a...what a place.

291
00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:14,840
His childhood here,
I mean, he was in a house of women.

292
00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:16,920
Yes. Because his father was absent.

293
00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,280
He sort of had to grow up
really quick.

294
00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:21,560
Yeah. Because he was
the man of the house.

295
00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,880
Just tell me about life as a
young mum.

296
00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:27,760
It was very, very hard.
It wasn't easy.

297
00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:29,600
The kids did miss out on a lot.

298
00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:31,720
Danny's seen how hard
I had to work,

299
00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:34,200
and I think it's made him realise

300
00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:36,920
that you've got
to work for what you want.

301
00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:38,680
Do you think he's trying
to recapture,

302
00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:40,920
or at least try to create,

303
00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:42,480
the missing bits
of his own childhood?

304
00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,240
Yes, I do. Yes, I seriously do.

305
00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:50,120
But it seems that rebuilding that
childhood is taking longer

306
00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:51,960
than Danny thought.

307
00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:57,600
Six months into a year-long schedule,
and at last the steel has arrived.

308
00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:03,280
It's been a little bit frustrating
just with some of the drawings

309
00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:07,880
and fine details, really, with
the engineering aspect of it.

310
00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:09,880
It's probably taken a few months
longer than we expected

311
00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:13,040
but it's really important
to get that right.

312
00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:16,480
Mistakes on paper is
obviously a lot cheaper

313
00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:18,120
than mistakes in reality, so...

314
00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:21,160
Steel is unforgiving...

315
00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:22,400
Steady away.

316
00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,840
..and it will need to be worked
with millimetre precision.

317
00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:30,600
Well, we're not 100% sure
where it goes.

318
00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:32,680
HE CHUCKLES

319
00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,480
I've got a dimension
from that post there,

320
00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:39,640
but, erm, I don't think it's right.

321
00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,040
It's called fudging, innit?

322
00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,760
Fudging about.

323
00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,920
After some gentle fudging...

324
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:51,880
It's on the concrete,
so that's the main thing.

325
00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:57,000
..the cantilever for the deck is
secured, and the steel struts are up.

326
00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:00,560
What do you think to
the steel work then?

327
00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:01,960
It's cool. It's big.

328
00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,240
So, the whole project really centres
around the children.

329
00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:08,560
This home is for them, really.

330
00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:10,520
Lucas...
CLANG

331
00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,160
Right, don't destroy the house
before it's actually built.

332
00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:16,000
Danny's house won't be
the first home to harness

333
00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,960
the strength of steel to lift
a building's aspirations.

334
00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,560
In Berkshire, there is
a quite remarkable house,

335
00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:30,160
designed by the architect
John Pardey.

336
00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:33,000
A house raised on steel.

337
00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:35,720
It's a floating house.

338
00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:40,240
This striking new home demonstrates
the drama of suspended living.

339
00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,880
The building doesn't look as
though it's being held up

340
00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:46,200
by these great pylons,

341
00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:48,280
it looks instead as though
it's being tethered down,

342
00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:50,320
a bit like a balloon.

343
00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:54,360
38 columns create
a transparent footprint

344
00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,120
and allow an understanding of what
the site was like,

345
00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:59,480
before there was even
a building here.

346
00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:02,360
Of course, Danny's place,

347
00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:04,840
Danny's place is sort of
half-and-half house,

348
00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:08,320
because one half of it,
of course, is rooted to the ground

349
00:18:08,360 --> 00:18:12,080
and the other half, like this,
is taking off.

350
00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:16,200
Apart from getting this kind
of through view at ground floor,

351
00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:18,560
which you'll get at his place,

352
00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:22,560
I'm guessing that
the first floor engagement

353
00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:26,000
with the landscape is
going to be even better.

354
00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:32,800
How beautiful.

355
00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:37,720
There's a great window down there.

356
00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,920
It just draws you on.

357
00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,960
The interiors are simple
and elegant,

358
00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:49,400
amplified by the treetop views that
characterise every room.

359
00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:53,320
Danny's design aspires
to this natural connection,

360
00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:57,400
but this place is elevated for
a serious reason.

361
00:18:57,440 --> 00:18:58,640
We're on a flood plain.

362
00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:00,720
We're on a natural flood plain,

363
00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:03,120
and we're 2.5 metres up
off the ground,

364
00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:04,880
and it does flood nearly
every year.

365
00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:06,360
Nearly every year? Yes, yes.

366
00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:08,200
OK so, this isn't a conceit,

367
00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:09,720
this is very much a necessity.

368
00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:10,880
It is, it is.

369
00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:12,440
When we started building,
we were lucky.

370
00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:13,840
That year, it didn't flood at all.

371
00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:17,920
So, it was a costly build,
and it took a long time.

372
00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:19,880
More, longer than expected.

373
00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:23,800
For you, though,
did the building deliver, in the end,

374
00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:25,680
what you expected it? Did it...?

375
00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:27,920
It delivered more than I expected.

376
00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,480
It's a dream come true.

377
00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,560
Danny's project shares
the ambition of this building,

378
00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:36,360
but with just £300,000 to spend,

379
00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,960
it will have to come in at
a fraction of the cost.

380
00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:52,520
Fortunately, evidence of Danny's
penny-pinching is everywhere.

381
00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:57,880
Now that is a dunny with
a difference.

382
00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:01,680
He is so tight that he hasn't
even bought

383
00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:05,560
a toilet roll holder or a seat
for that matter.

384
00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,400
Boy, does he know how
to save money.

385
00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:10,720
Seven months into
a year-long schedule,

386
00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:15,040
and it's hard to tell if Danny's been
saving money or just not spending it.

387
00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:18,280
Progress has been painfully slow.

388
00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:20,320
There was just some delays, really,

389
00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:22,480
between lots of engineering
drawings, architects...

390
00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:24,600
So, we didn't break ground
till January.

391
00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:26,360
I probably underestimated that,
if I'm honest,

392
00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:27,800
in terms of how long that
would take.

393
00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:29,880
I mean, what have you been doing?
Making deals,

394
00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:31,880
trying to get the best value we can
for products.

395
00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:34,520
Steel has gone up three-fold in,
what, two-and-a-half years?

396
00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:37,360
Uh huh. Well, the steel came in
probably around

397
00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,680
ten grand more than we thought
it was going to be.

398
00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:42,280
It will go over budget,
but not because I've overspent.

399
00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:44,720
It's just purely
because of the additional costs.

400
00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,880
Because you can't control
those additional cost rises.
Absolutely, yes.

401
00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:51,480
Inflation rates are on the rise,
and Danny now expects

402
00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:56,520
to spend £20,000 more than his
original £300,000 budget.

403
00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,160
Of course, that means his
project manager, Mike,

404
00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:03,120
has to ensure nothing goes amiss.

405
00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:04,840
My concern is the connect
between the two,

406
00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:06,560
where the two-storey and
the single-storey,

407
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:07,800
where we've got the bridge link.

408
00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:11,920
I would hate there to be a ramp
or a little step that occurs.

409
00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:15,200
A few weeks later,

410
00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:19,400
and the 96 insulated timber
panels have arrived.

411
00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:22,560
So, the whole house has arrived on
the back of a lorry.

412
00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:26,000
The wooden walls are placed onto
a low-loader

413
00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:29,080
and driven down the narrow lane
to the site.

414
00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,960
So, are you feeling confident?
Yeah, I'm very confident.

415
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:38,120
But, as the walls
for this treehouse home go up,

416
00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,920
it seems some of
the measurements have gone awry.

417
00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:43,480
If you look at the
connection between

418
00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,520
the bedroom pod unit
and the main building,

419
00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:47,760
that steel should sit into
that pocket,

420
00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,480
so technically it's about
300 millimetres too high.

421
00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,840
There seems to be
a serious design error somewhere.

422
00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,160
If the seamless join between the pods

423
00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:58,720
and the main building is
to be maintained,

424
00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,680
then either the steels will have
to come down or

425
00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:03,600
the timber frame built up.

426
00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:05,800
Either could cost thousands.

427
00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:09,960
Significant difference.

428
00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,360
It'll be interesting to know
who's expected to pay for it.

429
00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,960
Danny is hoping to spend
just £300,000

430
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:32,600
building a new home
for his three kids,

431
00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:34,720
including his eldest son, Kacy.

432
00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:37,400
I appreciate what he's obviously
doing for us.

433
00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:40,080
I think there's much worse parents
out there, I must say.

434
00:22:40,120 --> 00:22:44,440
Danny's motivation for building this
home is undoubtedly his children.

435
00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:48,120
But as his long-hoped-for dream
rises up from the slab,

436
00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:51,400
it seems that some of the
measurements are less than perfect.

437
00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:55,480
You know where your steel comes
across on the bedroom pods,

438
00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:56,920
to the main build,

439
00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:00,200
that appears to be about
300mm too high.

440
00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:04,360
The tricky junction between the steel
and timber is wildly out,

441
00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,040
and now Mike has to discuss it
with everyone concerned

442
00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,400
and find an inexpensive solution.

443
00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:11,680
It's me that has to find
the problem,

444
00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,840
communicate the problem
to everybody, and the solution,

445
00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:16,960
and tell the client it's all
going to be all right.

446
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,040
And I tell you what, you're walking
a tightrope sometimes with it.

447
00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,960
The simplest solution is
two steps up there.

448
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,560
You walk up 13 steps, turn round,
come up and go two more steps

449
00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:28,920
to go into the bedrooms.

450
00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:31,760
That's not atypical to have
a staircase and a return.
No, that's not unusual.

451
00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:35,880
I think that's the simplest solution
and the most economical solution.

452
00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:39,040
Two extra steps in this house
will, of course, change

453
00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:41,480
the effortless flow of the interior.

454
00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:44,200
But it does mean work can continue

455
00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,320
and it does, quickly.

456
00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:49,920
By the following week,

457
00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:52,040
all the walls for
the timber frame are up

458
00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:55,720
and the roof can be lowered
into position.

459
00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:57,400
This is our eighth day on site.

460
00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,000
Timber frame build will be
eleven days, I think.

461
00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:04,320
By early autumn,
the first of the glazing arrives.

462
00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:07,840
This is the first time I've seen
the windows, by the way,

463
00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:09,800
so I've not actually seen them.
They're absolutely gorgeous.

464
00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:13,320
Really nice, them.

465
00:24:13,360 --> 00:24:15,840
Fast progress is expensive,

466
00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:19,040
and Danny's now spent all
the £200,000 he made

467
00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:21,680
from the sale of his bungalow.

468
00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:23,240
I've literally just run
out of money now.

469
00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:25,000
I'm in that transition now between
spending my own money

470
00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:27,640
and getting my mortgage, so I've got
a couple of weeks' gap there

471
00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:29,800
where if somebody says to me,
"I need some money,"

472
00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,680
I'm then going to have to do
a few little delaying tactics.

473
00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:34,880
As the cash flow creaks,

474
00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:38,040
Danny's doing all he can
to keep money coming in.

475
00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,560
I've got a guy coming
to buy some logs.

476
00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:41,920
Making a few quid.

477
00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,240
65 quid a builder's bag.

478
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,600
It's taken a little over two months

479
00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:53,800
to transform this site from
a few steel struts

480
00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:56,400
to an almost watertight shell.

481
00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:58,680
Danny's building has arrived.

482
00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:03,200
Lo, there is a building, hidden.

483
00:25:04,360 --> 00:25:07,960
You sort of can't quite see
how much is there,

484
00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:10,840
though there's a lot more than when
I was last here.

485
00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:12,760
Cross the threshold!

486
00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:13,840
Ooh.

487
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,040
It's kind of really progressed.

488
00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:19,960
I mean, there's a man up
a ladder putting in cabling.

489
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:21,080
That's first fix.

490
00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:22,880
Right, first floor.

491
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:28,360
Oh, my word, the steps of doom.

492
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,440
Look at this, look!

493
00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:33,360
This is meant to be flush.

494
00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:35,640
The difference is so huge, however,

495
00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:39,120
that it actually does
look deliberate.

496
00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:43,600
The only concern I have is that when
this staircase goes in just here,

497
00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:45,280
whether or not this change in level

498
00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:47,280
between what is effectively two
buildings,

499
00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,360
whether that's just going to feel
like some kind of

500
00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:50,840
Victorian boarding house.

501
00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:55,520
You know, when you said that the
floors would meet just like that,

502
00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:57,320
I mean...
You asked me what concern I had,

503
00:25:57,360 --> 00:25:58,840
and I said that was my one concern.

504
00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,440
Yeah, it's like the top of the floor
met the bottom of the other one.

505
00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:04,880
Which I, yeah,
I knew this would come back.

506
00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:08,200
It's the depth of the easi-joist
where the problem arises.

507
00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:10,440
So, it's taken a while
to figure out where it was,

508
00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:12,560
but it is the depth of
the easi-joist.

509
00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,760
Let's be grown up and not apportion
blame, but whose fault is it?

510
00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:17,240
I wouldn't like to say, actually.

511
00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:20,800
Completely down to miscommunication,
or lack of communication.

512
00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,880
It has cost £500
for Danny's new steps,

513
00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:29,920
a cost that Mike has gallantly
taken responsibility for.

514
00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,280
But Danny's cost-saving
is relentless.

515
00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:40,480
When it comes to lifting in
the final glazing panels,

516
00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:42,840
he doesn't hire an expensive crane...

517
00:26:44,360 --> 00:26:48,560
I can sort it. Patience.
Don't worry.

518
00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:52,200
..but instead, a much cheaper
local farmer, Dave.

519
00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:55,680
Can somebody communicate, please?
He can't hear a thing.

520
00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:58,720
After some highly
co-ordinated manoeuvres...

521
00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:04,360
..the panels safely reach
their destination.

522
00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:08,040
It's just patience,
never rush about.

523
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,680
Patience,
that's what you've got to have.

524
00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:12,880
You can rush about,
and it could have dropped off

525
00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:15,200
and I'd say, "Nowt to do with me."

526
00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:20,400
Of course, the most delicate part
of any job on this site

527
00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:22,280
is negotiating a price.

528
00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:24,080
How much do you want, then?

529
00:27:24,120 --> 00:27:26,240
What's it worth to you?

530
00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,760
I think a fair price is
50 quid to you.

531
00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:32,520
You've had two sausage rolls.

532
00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:34,520
I'll tell you what, then,

533
00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:36,920
I'll do it for 60 if
we do the sedum roof

534
00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:39,680
for us for the same price.
What, put the sedum roof on?

535
00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:42,480
Yeah, you don't have to lay it,
just lift the pallets up.

536
00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:43,760
Deal?

537
00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:45,920
That's it, I'm over budget now.

538
00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:52,560
As winter looms,
Danny gets his mortgage,

539
00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:55,640
and the project gets another
injection of pace.

540
00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:58,160
There's no plumbing in
the bedroom pods,

541
00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:01,880
so he's invested in an innovative
electric heating system.

542
00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,000
This house is being heated by
an infrared radiant heating system.

543
00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:06,120
So what it actually does,

544
00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:08,360
rather than actually heating
the air within a space,

545
00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:10,240
it actually heats all the
objects within a room.

546
00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:14,600
The thin foil infrared sheets are
simply taped up between

547
00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:17,200
the ceiling joists under
the insulated roof.

548
00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:19,280
No pipes here, just wires.

549
00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:24,120
Relatively quick to install
and cheap to run,

550
00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:26,560
much like Danny's labour force.

551
00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,560
It's been a busy time.
There's lots of us helping out,

552
00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:33,200
you know, all unpaid labour,
that's what it is.

553
00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:35,120
Danny and an army of
friends and family

554
00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:38,240
can now take on
the internal insulation

555
00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:40,960
and prepare the exterior for
the cladding,

556
00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,120
as the project does battle
with inflation.

557
00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,920
I think I've timed it about
the worst possible timing ever

558
00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:49,560
to build a house if, I'm honest.

559
00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:52,280
And it is, at times, overwhelming.

560
00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:53,440
It's tough.

561
00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:56,280
And I think it's probably
shown in my demeanour,

562
00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:58,360
and friends and family have
certainly noticed it.

563
00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:03,240
Yeah, he has been quite stressed,
especially these last few weeks,

564
00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:06,880
Concerns about if everything
is going to go OK.

565
00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:10,960
Every project creates stress,
of course,

566
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:13,640
but with high interest rates
and mounting inflation,

567
00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:18,320
Danny must absolutely focus on
the project's primary goal,

568
00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:22,760
the provision of
a childhood he never had.

569
00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:25,000
What are you looking forward
to, Grace?

570
00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:26,680
Everything.

571
00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:31,040
Fishing off the balcony,
and climbing trees and...

572
00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:33,920
Me pushing you off the tree into
the water.

573
00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:37,880
When were you told you were
going to be able to move in?

574
00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,040
When has Dad said you can move in?
Christmas, maybe?

575
00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:41,560
Yeah, go on. But I doubt it.

576
00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,920
So when do you think you'll be in?
About ten years.

577
00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:46,320
That's nice!

578
00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:52,040
The early delays scuppered
Danny's original 12-month schedule

579
00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,360
and as his old deadline elapses,

580
00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,560
his house is just beginning
to function.

581
00:29:57,600 --> 00:29:59,360
So, where's your stuff then?

582
00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,760
So, our stuff is actually up in the
ceiling behind the plasterboard.

583
00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:04,440
You've plastered it in? Yeah.

584
00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:08,720
Invisible perhaps,
but not with an infrared camera.

585
00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:11,360
So if I point this up...
HE LAUGHS

586
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,440
Oh, my Lord. It's like...

587
00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:16,640
It's like a magic trick.
We've got a sun roof!

588
00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:19,680
Suddenly, it looks like I'm looking
at a bunch of spotlights,

589
00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:23,240
you know, like a big bunch
of fluorescents in an office.

590
00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:26,040
The infra-red panels are now
imparting heat into

591
00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:28,680
the room with an unseen light.

592
00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:30,480
The infra-red is heating me

593
00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:33,960
but not heating
the air in between us?

594
00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,400
Technologically sound on the inside,
yes.

595
00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:41,200
And outside, naked of cladding,
it's looking pretty sci-fi too.

596
00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:45,280
So, I think your house now looks
like a silver robot.

597
00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:48,600
It is a big silver robot at
the minute, you're right.

598
00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:51,960
But soon it'll be much more subtle.

599
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,320
That subtlety is already
appearing in the form of

600
00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,320
durable heat-treated timber cladding.

601
00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:03,080
It's costing £15,000 more than
Danny wanted to spend,

602
00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:07,760
but it's almost half the cost of
the cedar cladding he'd planned.

603
00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:11,480
Inevitably, with things going up in
cost with fuel and the war, etc,

604
00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,320
you've really got to work hard
to get the best price possible.

605
00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:16,640
The house has always been about
nothing superfluous,

606
00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:20,040
keeping it simple, like me,

607
00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:21,880
and working for me and the family.

608
00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:26,440
To further protect the budget,

609
00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,880
Danny has taken on much more of
the finishing work himself,

610
00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:31,800
like the decking outside.

611
00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:36,760
But it would seem this last push
needs the biggest effort.

612
00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,040
You get to about 80 miles in
a hundred-mile bike ride

613
00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:42,120
and you're knackered...
HE SIGHS

614
00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:44,840
..and it becomes a
psychological battle.

615
00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,120
And it's really,
really similar to this actually.

616
00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:48,600
You know, you've done the hard work,

617
00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:51,400
you've done the 80 miles,
and now it's that last,

618
00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:53,320
it's that last sort of 20 miles,

619
00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:55,160
and that's where this takes over.

620
00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:57,720
If you overanalyse it,
you'd never start.

621
00:31:57,760 --> 00:31:59,640
I'll be glad when it's done.

622
00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:01,640
Yeah, I'll be glad when it's done.

623
00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:04,560
The building is
a set of simple pure shapes

624
00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:08,280
and these careful finishing touches
will define it.

625
00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:13,080
What a beautiful, tranquil,
little spot this is.

626
00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:15,000
It sort of begs
the question doesn't it,

627
00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:17,080
I mean, not the usual
kind of questions,

628
00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:19,160
will Danny run out of cash?

629
00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:20,440
No, I don't think he will.

630
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:22,840
Will he take forever finishing it?
No.

631
00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:24,520
He's on the home straight.

632
00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:28,680
No, the question is really
whether this building

633
00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:30,680
will honour this place.

634
00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:34,560
Whether it will be,
in its own way, as beautiful.

635
00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:37,600
Yes...?

636
00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:58,000
The expansive terrain of
North Lincolnshire has served

637
00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,680
as the backdrop
for Danny's entire life.

638
00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:06,680
Almost two years since
I first met him,

639
00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:11,160
I'm hoping this secluded corner of
the county has been transformed.

640
00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:16,960
Well, the solar panels are in,
plenty of them.

641
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:20,080
The garage is built.

642
00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:24,400
But the house? I can't tell.

643
00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:26,960
Once just the bottom
of their garden,

644
00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:31,160
these trees now cradle a new home
for Danny and his children.

645
00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:35,560
How about that?
It appears to be done.

646
00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:41,680
That's a tree kissing
a finished building.

647
00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:45,800
Even when I stand at
the front door,

648
00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:49,560
this building wants to half hide
in its green canopy,

649
00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:53,800
the timber cladding happily at one
with its living cousins.

650
00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:57,480
Oh, hi, Danny.
Hey, Kevin, how are you?

651
00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,000
Yeah, I'm really well, how are you?
Very well. Very well, thank you.

652
00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:03,240
Congratulations, because this
looks really something else.

653
00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:04,520
Thank you, I appreciate that.

654
00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:05,680
It really is.

655
00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:07,960
A good building should look
interesting from far away,

656
00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:11,120
and as you get closer to it,
it should get better and better,

657
00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:12,200
and this does that.

658
00:34:12,240 --> 00:34:14,720
Because it glimpses and teases you.

659
00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:19,680
How long have you been living here?
Couple of months now.

660
00:34:19,720 --> 00:34:21,320
Oh, great!
Yeah, a couple of months, yeah.

661
00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,120
It's enough time to get
settled in and... How exciting.

662
00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:26,080
..and start to relax.

663
00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:29,840
You're a man who doesn't do
too much in the way of relaxation,

664
00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:32,240
so I'm wondering how easy
that's been?

665
00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,720
Yeah, it's not been
an overnight thing

666
00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:37,160
and all the sort of stresses
and strains of building

667
00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:40,520
has just melted away as
opposed to just disappeared.

668
00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:43,680
Danny has stayed resolutely true
to the intentions of

669
00:34:43,720 --> 00:34:45,200
the original design here.

670
00:34:45,240 --> 00:34:49,200
There are embellishments, like the
delicate chain link water drains

671
00:34:49,240 --> 00:34:52,360
around the undercroft
beneath the pods.

672
00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:54,440
Can we go on a walk through this
beautiful forest?

673
00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:55,720
Yeah, sure. Under the house, yeah?

674
00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:58,560
I just always thought this would be
the most glorious experience

675
00:34:58,600 --> 00:34:59,880
and it is.

676
00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:03,600
Look at this,
beautiful stuff, and silver.

677
00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:05,360
I mean, like the silver birches
over there.

678
00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:07,200
I mean, each one is
almost individual.

679
00:35:07,240 --> 00:35:09,720
Just like the trees. They really
reflect the trees, don't they?

680
00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:12,720
Bit of bling,
I've got some of the LED lights.

681
00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:14,520
You've actually splashed out
on something?

682
00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:15,560
Er, stop that.

683
00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:18,200
I've splashed out on lots of things.
HE LAUGHS

684
00:35:18,240 --> 00:35:20,600
I got a good deal on them
though, so... I bet you did.

685
00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,520
Emerging from the gloom,

686
00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:25,440
you turn to face a building
that revels in its setting.

687
00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:27,600
Look at this.

688
00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:30,400
The trees don't
want to hide it anymore.

689
00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:32,080
It's so splendid.

690
00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:40,440
Fully exposed,

691
00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,520
this place still retains
a lightness of touch,

692
00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:47,640
not least thanks to
the long views through the site.

693
00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:50,360
What is beautiful this side
is just how complex

694
00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:53,640
the building is, you know,
how it kind of wraps and folds,

695
00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:56,480
the cladding around the boxes.
The shadows.

696
00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:59,480
When the sun comes out, you get
these smaller shadows through

697
00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:02,560
the building and around
the building, which is just great.

698
00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:06,160
It's just changing all the time.

699
00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:07,840
Everything's growing now
and it's just become more

700
00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:10,800
and more subtle.
It's a beautiful setting,

701
00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:13,920
beautiful trees,
and I think the house is

702
00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:15,720
worthy of its setting.

703
00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:18,320
That's a good point because, of
course, you could have screwed it up.

704
00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:20,760
Yeah, absolutely.
HE LAUGHS

705
00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:23,360
You know, I came out
the other morning,

706
00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:25,960
and on top of the balustrade,
there was kingfisher sat there.

707
00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:27,480
It's a lovely place to be.

708
00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:29,280
I bet it bloody is.

709
00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:34,480
It all seems refreshed by
an unfeigned adventurous spirit.

710
00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:38,320
The balcony and living roof
speak of a rigorous simplicity,

711
00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:43,120
but all the hard timber corners are
softened by reflected branches.

712
00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:48,160
This structure is a world away from
the low-lying bungalow up the road,

713
00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:50,040
where Danny used to live.

714
00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:54,880
Sometimes when people move
from a conventional home

715
00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:58,080
into something like this,
they suffer imposter syndrome.

716
00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,000
Do you feel that this is...
Is there a bit of you that thinks,

717
00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:03,160
"I'm not quite sure
this is mine yet"?

718
00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:04,320
It's quite surreal.

719
00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:06,520
You still wake up thinking,
"Has this actually happened?"

720
00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:08,640
Do you see it delivering
with your own kids?

721
00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:11,000
To see them outside, playing,
swimming in the pond,

722
00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:12,800
fishing and just enjoying it.

723
00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:14,000
Climbing trees, you know?

724
00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:18,000
Yeah, I guess it's a nod back
to childhood innocence

725
00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:19,320
and the simplicity of life.

726
00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:21,800
I'm glad we talked outside,
because so much

727
00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:24,840
of this project is about all of this.

728
00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:26,640
Absolutely. And being out here is...

729
00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:27,960
Inside's a bonus.

730
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,520
Oh, come on, then.
Let's go and explore the bonus.

731
00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:32,040
OK.
HE LAUGHS

732
00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:38,080
This strong exterior shows no sign
that the place was built on a budget.

733
00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:39,480
And inside...

734
00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:45,560
..Danny's uncluttered interior feels
anything but cheap.

735
00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:49,880
Love this space,
it's very straightforward.

736
00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:52,120
The big story here
is what's out there

737
00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:54,560
and the connection that it
makes in. Yeah.

738
00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:58,360
You're almost like a boat being
pulled along this river.

739
00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:02,080
Like the whole building is about
to start moving.

740
00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:05,400
The views out profoundly alter this
modest home.

741
00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:09,880
Rectangular portholes tease you
forward towards the main act,

742
00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:12,440
the large deck and pond.

743
00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:15,520
This is what I envisaged.

744
00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:20,200
Simple, functional, and then just
enjoying what's on the outside.

745
00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:27,960
So I'm guessing your kitchen is...

746
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:29,840
You'll have done a deal or something.

747
00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:32,000
Did it fall off the back of a lorry,
or what?

748
00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:34,600
It didn't fall off the back
of a lorry. It was a mate.

749
00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:38,080
A good friend did the kitchen,

750
00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:40,400
the bathrooms, the utility rooms,

751
00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:42,680
the wardrobes, the bedrooms,

752
00:38:42,720 --> 00:38:45,120
en-suites, so the full shebang,

753
00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:47,080
for 26k. Oh, my word.

754
00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:49,560
I've ended up using people I know

755
00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:51,640
to do pretty much
all of the inside.

756
00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:54,280
And it's not just necessarily
the price where you're saving,

757
00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:56,480
but they're doing you
a really good job.

758
00:38:56,520 --> 00:38:58,560
You know, you don't mind paying,
even if it's full whack...

759
00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:00,360
Well, you do mind paying full whack,

760
00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:03,240
but what's more important is you
get the quality workmanship as well.

761
00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:08,160
I want to explore the pods,

762
00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:11,320
and also, I want to visit
the step of doom.

763
00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:14,240
I always thought this could
compromise this building

764
00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:17,160
and yet, weirdly, it seems all right.

765
00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:19,080
It's turned out really, really well.

766
00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:20,640
And I think it's a real success,

767
00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:23,280
because it's a step into
a different part of the house,

768
00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:25,240
it's a real demarcation.

769
00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:30,800
Danny's balconied bedroom suite
and the family bathroom

770
00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:33,280
are all on this level,
meaning there's no need

771
00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:36,800
for cumbersome plumbing
in his treetop pods.

772
00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:42,240
Oh, I like that view. That's clever.

773
00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:44,520
But I particularly like this view.

774
00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:47,360
Wow.

775
00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:48,720
You're in a treehouse. Yeah.

776
00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:51,120
And it's telling you that
all the time.

777
00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:53,720
The building's amazingly simple,

778
00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:57,400
but the views are
constant pull and delight

779
00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:00,600
and the diversity and change,
you know?

780
00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:03,840
These pods house
three simple bedrooms,

781
00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:06,600
and because the heating
is hidden in the ceiling,

782
00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:09,480
there are no annoying radiators
to distract you from

783
00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:11,040
the mesmerising views.

784
00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:14,760
This solar-powered electric home,

785
00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:16,800
its walls thick with insulation,

786
00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:19,880
will be uber-efficient
and cheap to run.

787
00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:28,520
Of course, the functionality of
this home is of little interest

788
00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:31,120
for the primary occupants.

789
00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:34,960
What's your plan for this place?

790
00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:36,400
Uh... Have you got any plans?

791
00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:38,560
Making a total mess.

792
00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:41,360
Trashing the place? Yes.

793
00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:43,280
How do you feel about
your dad doing all this?

794
00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:44,800
It's impressive, definitely.

795
00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:47,720
It's, erm... It's different.

796
00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:50,320
And everyone loves a bit
of difference don't they?

797
00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:52,320
I would say. Yeah. I don't.

798
00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:54,520
You're just being cheeky,
aren't you? Shut up.

799
00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:56,640
Yeah, you know you like it.
You know you like it.

800
00:40:56,680 --> 00:41:00,800
As I say, you'll love it when you're
bringing girls back, I tell you.

801
00:41:00,840 --> 00:41:05,240
The boys might enjoy the street cred
of living in a floating house,

802
00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:07,960
But Grace, she's more
in tune with the connection

803
00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:11,280
this building makes
to its surroundings.

804
00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:14,880
I don't wake up with
a view of the trees.

805
00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:16,440
What's it like in the morning?

806
00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:19,800
Well, when I wake up, I normally...

807
00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:22,520
I look out my window
for at least an hour.

808
00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:24,360
What have been the best things
you've seen so far?

809
00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:27,280
Probably the robins.

810
00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:29,200
It's out of that window there.

811
00:41:29,240 --> 00:41:31,160
Oh, yeah? On the Birch tree?

812
00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:33,320
And watch the clouds go by.

813
00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:35,400
Your dad, how do you
feel about him now?

814
00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:37,720
About what he's done here?

815
00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:39,080
I'm proud of him.

816
00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:42,000
Do you think that you would ever
do the same thing?

817
00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:43,720
Would you build a house,
do you think?

818
00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:45,240
Yeah. Definitely.

819
00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:50,760
This house will not only protect
Danny's children,

820
00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:52,280
it'll help to teach them,

821
00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:55,360
nourish them,
and possibly empower them,

822
00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:57,320
to follow their own dreams.

823
00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:02,960
What more could any parent want
for their child?

824
00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:07,160
Have you got your old
Danny back yet? Yes.

825
00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:10,200
Because Danny Project Manager was
quite fearsome, I thought.

826
00:42:10,240 --> 00:42:12,480
He had his moments, yes.

827
00:42:12,520 --> 00:42:15,560
Yeah, he's more chillaxed now.
Oh, very good.

828
00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:17,680
That's a modern saying,
isn't it, chillaxed?

829
00:42:17,720 --> 00:42:19,640
Do you wander in and say,

830
00:42:19,680 --> 00:42:21,880
"You just need a few more
things in here"?

831
00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:23,040
Well, yes, I do,

832
00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:25,960
but I'm working on that
and that will happen.

833
00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:28,160
How important do you think
this building is to him?

834
00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:30,440
Well, it's definitely his
forever home. Yeah.

835
00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:32,520
There's going to be so many
memories made here

836
00:42:32,560 --> 00:42:33,880
it's going to be unbelievable.

837
00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:35,760
Just great to see it actually done.

838
00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:38,200
Yeah, even the birds like it.
Can you hear them?

839
00:42:38,240 --> 00:42:40,320
PIGEON COOS

840
00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:47,720
Any romantic vision in this project
was always delicately balanced

841
00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:50,000
with Danny's focus on cost,

842
00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:52,280
a focus he maintained
throughout a period

843
00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:54,440
of dramatically rising inflation.

844
00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:59,120
You said to me you were
going to spend 300 grand,

845
00:42:59,160 --> 00:43:02,520
and I immediately,
as a slip of the tongue,

846
00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:05,080
just said 350,

847
00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:08,240
thinking, "It can't be 300."
THEY CHUCKLE

848
00:43:08,280 --> 00:43:10,360
What was it nearer?

849
00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:13,080
This is the point where you say,
"I was right and you was wrong."

850
00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:14,600
No, no, I'm not interested in that.

851
00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:18,560
In terms of what it cost to build
the house for everything

852
00:43:18,600 --> 00:43:21,120
is 375. OK.

853
00:43:21,160 --> 00:43:22,960
The build cost, yes, more
but borrowing cost was

854
00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:24,240
a really important part for me.

855
00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:27,000
I didn't want to end up with a house
where I had a huge mortgage.

856
00:43:27,040 --> 00:43:29,720
Coming in at 375 is
a massive success

857
00:43:29,760 --> 00:43:34,240
and that's a testament to everybody
who has helped with this.

858
00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:37,360
Danny may say this home is
for his children,

859
00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:41,920
but I'm beginning to see just how
important it is for Danny, too.

860
00:43:43,280 --> 00:43:44,960
What would the ten-year-old
Danny say to you?

861
00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:46,520
What would he think of this?

862
00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:49,320
I don't think he would imagine in
his wildest dreams

863
00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:51,040
that he'd be building a treehouse

864
00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:54,000
and living in it
with three amazing children.

865
00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:57,680
The ten-year-old Danny
wouldn't have dreamed it. Yeah.

866
00:43:57,720 --> 00:44:00,680
There was lots of elements in
my childhood that weren't great.

867
00:44:00,720 --> 00:44:01,800
Those things shape you.

868
00:44:01,840 --> 00:44:04,440
And for me to stand here and say,

869
00:44:04,480 --> 00:44:07,280
"I'm proud of myself,"
is important.

870
00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:10,280
Yeah, I've achieved something.

871
00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:12,080
I've put a lot of time and energy

872
00:44:12,120 --> 00:44:15,400
and been part of a huge team
to get this done

873
00:44:15,440 --> 00:44:17,640
and there's something tangible here
to say,

874
00:44:17,680 --> 00:44:19,760
"Yeah, this is an achievement."

875
00:44:21,480 --> 00:44:25,360
This building marks a new beginning
for Danny and his children,

876
00:44:25,400 --> 00:44:28,600
and it promises great things
for all of them.

877
00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:32,920
I'm pleased he says he's proud
of this new home,

878
00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:35,960
he should be proud of it
and all it represents.

879
00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:40,600
You know, the thing that attracted me
to this project in the first place

880
00:44:40,640 --> 00:44:44,280
was its ambitions to recreate
the experiences of childhood,

881
00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:47,360
you know, in this glorious place.

882
00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:51,240
And yet the process of building it
was as fraught as you'd expect

883
00:44:51,280 --> 00:44:57,320
building to be, driven all the time
by Danny's almost military approach,

884
00:44:57,360 --> 00:45:02,080
his precision, his focus,
his laser-like attention to detail.

885
00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:07,760
And all the time he did not
lose his focus

886
00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:10,920
on that single, primary objective.

887
00:45:10,960 --> 00:45:12,520
That's remarkable.

888
00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:14,600
It's written in this finished
building, of course.

889
00:45:14,640 --> 00:45:19,360
I mean, it's a house full of joy
and wit and playfulness

890
00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:24,080
and fun, as you would expect it
should have in this setting.

891
00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:27,840
Yeah, it's a great place
to grow up in and live in.

892
00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:30,400
It's a real return to innocence.

893
00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:40,960
Back in 2013,

894
00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:44,360
Jon and Noreen planned to build
a three-bedroom treehouse

895
00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:46,840
on a half-acre patch
of urban woodland.

896
00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:49,400
It's three stepped boxes.
Every box is slipped.

897
00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:51,960
Yeah, structural engineer's
struggling with at the moment.

898
00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:55,840
But money ran out,
and by 2016 it was still unfinished.

899
00:45:55,880 --> 00:45:57,520
I think I've taken on too much.

900
00:45:57,560 --> 00:45:59,240
I don't know how he does
it sometimes.

901
00:45:59,280 --> 00:46:01,240
So, seven years later, I'm back.

902
00:46:01,280 --> 00:46:04,040
That's very different
to how it was when I last saw it.

903
00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:09,480
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