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00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,840
The bicycle. Revolutionary
in its time, of course,

2
00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:11,520
but then we added, um, electricity!

3
00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:14,360
Oh, my word!

4
00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:15,840
HE LAUGHS

5
00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,520
You see, it's great fun.
Pretty eco-friendly.

6
00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,760
But there again, we humans, we don't
like to rest on our laurels, do we?

7
00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:24,600
Huh? We want more!

8
00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:25,720
Yes!

9
00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:29,320
We are relentless pioneers.

10
00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,960
We push, we strive.

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We want to be the biggest,
the best, the fastest.

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Just look at this.

13
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It is fully electric.

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This is planet-friendly
super performance.

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I mean, just imagine if your home

16
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was built to those
kinds of standards.

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Now that could really take off.

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00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,600
A London-based
environmental consultant, Duncan,

19
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runs a company
that takes contaminated land...

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That's not good.

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00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,200
..like this old fuel storage yard,
and cleans it up.

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It did smell a little bit fruity,
didn't it? Yep.

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I started doing this because
I care about how we treat the planet

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and hopefully, you know, we do make
the world a little bit cleaner,

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00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:39,640
a little bit better.

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His partner, Liz, also
deals with toxic situations,

27
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:45,600
but of a very different kind.

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She's a top divorce lawyer,
whose clients have included

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Diana, Princess of Wales

30
00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:52,480
and Bernie Ecclestone's wife,
Slavica,

31
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so she's gained some notoriety.

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I've been referred to as a terrier,

33
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I've been referred to as
"the poisonous dwarf",

34
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"the gnome from hell"...

35
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Honestly, if someone is being
rude about me, I just think

36
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I'm doing my job.

37
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But for every inch of me that is
pushy and doesn't give up,

38
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there's about 20 foot of Duncan
that is pushy

39
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and doesn't give up even more!

40
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They'll need all that gumption
for their radical self-build.

41
00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:21,560
They bought this North Cotswolds
plot three years ago.

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It came with plans
for a revolutionary eco-home,

43
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potentially a UK first.

44
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For me, that is just so exciting,

45
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but it's going to be quite daunting.

46
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I've never built a house before,

47
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and I'm kind of starting
at the extreme end by building

48
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an incredibly complicated house
and it might just not work.

49
00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,160
For this job,
I'm going to be the client

50
00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,840
and Duncan's the project manager,
so it's going to be interesting

51
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to see how we work that one out
between the two of us.

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Especially as Duncan
will leave their London terrace

53
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to live near site,

54
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leaving Liz
dependent on his updates.

55
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So, do you think we'll still be
talking at the end of it?

56
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If we are still talking at the end
of the week it'll be a miracle!

57
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That'll be closer to the truth,
that's for sure.

58
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Oh, I think
it's going to be quite challenging.

59
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It is the most combative
of relationships.

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Banter aside,

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living together in this
Cotswold village is their goal.

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Hello. Hello. Hello.

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It's very, very quiet.

64
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It's very, very pretty.

65
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And what brought you here?
Have you been here long?

66
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We were looking for a project
for three years.

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You were looking for a project,
I was looking for a home.

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You were looking for a project

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because that's what you do,
being an engineer. Yes.

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Yeah, and you were looking for
somewhere to live, simple as that.

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Yes, somewhere to put my furniture.
Yeah!

72
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When we came here,
we thought this just felt right.

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Duncan and Liz's plot
is a short stroll.

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They spent years
fighting the planners

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to adapt an inherited design.

76
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So, this is the site, Kevin.

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I love the plot.

78
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So, what we are trying to build
is the UK's first

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Passivhaus Premium house.

80
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But what's Passivhaus Premium?

81
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So Passivhaus is all about
being thermally efficient,

82
00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,600
energy efficient,
and the building being airtight.

83
00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:02,840
And for Passivhaus Premium,

84
00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,640
you have to generate
four times the energy you use.

85
00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:07,600
So it's like a miniature
power station?

86
00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:08,880
It's exactly that.

87
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On a sunny summer's day, we will be
supplying over half the village

88
00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,120
with its electricity,
just from this one house.

89
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That's amazing!

90
00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,360
Now, how much do you buy into this?

91
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Frankly, I'm not even sure
I really knew what

92
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a Passivhaus was
when we embarked on this.

93
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But, having learnt,
I think it's admirable.

94
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Because you're the first
to do this in the country,

95
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how do you know it's going to work?

96
00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:29,840
We don't.

97
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SHE LAUGHS

98
00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,000
This experimental powerhouse
was originally designed

99
00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,680
by one local architect
and modified by Duncan

100
00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:41,280
with a second architect.

101
00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:43,480
On a stepped site cut into the hill,

102
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Duncan will use
shallow polystyrene trays

103
00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,840
filled with concrete
to form insulated slabs

104
00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:50,360
and retaining walls.

105
00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:53,760
The continuity of
the thick insulation

106
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under and around the building
is essential to make the airtight,

107
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and energy efficient house needed
for Passivhaus certification.

108
00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:06,560
A basement steel frame and concrete
decks for the floor above follow.

109
00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,440
Then comes the structural
insulated timber panels

110
00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:11,320
to form the superstructure.

111
00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,040
It will be hard to assemble,

112
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huge and geometrically challenging,

113
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with three pitched roofs

114
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as asymmetrical as the
eight glulam portal frames

115
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that Duncan's introduced.

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There's more insulation to come,

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plus a 23-metre wall
of heavily shaded triple-glazing

118
00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,680
to the south, to drink in
the sun's heat in winter.

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00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,600
Duncan and Liz don't want their home
to flaunt its green credentials.

120
00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:45,520
It'll be luxurious, with 5.5 metre
ceilings and monumental stone walls.

121
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But their home
will be high-tech green,

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00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,960
with a recycled paper
and plywood kitchen,

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00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,480
overlooked by a yoga mezzanine
for Liz.

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00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,600
The long, pitched roof on
the west side will contain a library

125
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and a sitting room, reaching out
towards the horizon.

126
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While under the third easterly
pitched roof will sit

127
00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:08,320
two studies and a garage.

128
00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:11,680
Duncan's also added
a helical staircase

129
00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:13,160
down to the lower floor.

130
00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:15,960
Four bedrooms and bathrooms
will radiate out from it,

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alongside a dressing room for Liz,

132
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and a wine cellar for him.

133
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But, the gold star here
is getting Passivhaus Premium.

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Duncan has to generate
four times the energy he needs.

135
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The plan was to stack
the 660 square metre roof

136
00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:33,240
with solar panels,

137
00:06:33,280 --> 00:06:36,000
but Duncan is set on
a new solar fabric instead.

138
00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:40,920
A plant room will direct
their electricity to the house,

139
00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:42,080
the car,

140
00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,560
and back to the National Grid.

141
00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,960
But the ambition is set
at an all-time high here,

142
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especially given the scale.

143
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The house is nearly
800 square metres.

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I would like you to go and stand
where the corner of the building is,

145
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and, if you don't mind Liz,

146
00:06:58,000 --> 00:06:59,920
if you don't mind standing
where that corner is,

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and I'll sort of hover
in between you.

148
00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,880
Oh, my word,
it's a heck of a long way.

149
00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:09,480
Am I in the garage, sweetheart?

150
00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:11,800
He can't hear you, he's so far away!

151
00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:14,720
Right! So, where are you now?

152
00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:16,520
So the bedrooms are all along here.

153
00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:18,160
I don't understand why it's so big.

154
00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,360
Because it was designed that way
and we couldn't face

155
00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,240
going through another battle
with the planners

156
00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:23,480
to build something sensible.

157
00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,680
My word. Do you not think
it's going to be a monster?

158
00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,200
No. I think... I think
if we get it right internally

159
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it should just feel homely.
That's the dream.

160
00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:34,720
It's terrifying.

161
00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,640
I have to ask you how much you think
the whole thing is going to cost?

162
00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,320
We've got a budget
of £1.2 million.

163
00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,680
What happens if it
comes in at 1.4 or 1.8?

164
00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:46,560
I keep working.
That's the first resort.

165
00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:51,280
So, the dynamic here is that Liz is
the client, I'm the project manager.

166
00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:53,600
I stress about money,
and he says it'll be fine.

167
00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:57,480
Cash flow isn't all down to Liz.

168
00:07:57,520 --> 00:07:59,520
They have two-thirds in savings,

169
00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,360
and they'll also take out
a loan on their London pad.

170
00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,640
How long do you reckon to build,
in your mind, Liz?

171
00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:09,920
I think at least two years.

172
00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:11,520
He says 18 months.

173
00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:13,640
But what's your weakness, darling?
Finishing.

174
00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:14,760
Yeah.

175
00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,840
I'm not moving in until
it's finished to my standard. OK.

176
00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,680
It's interesting to know this
early doors, Duncan,

177
00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:23,480
because we can then
hold you accountable. Yes, please!

178
00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:30,160
Wow.

179
00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:32,440
Passivhaus Premium, eh?

180
00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,960
But you see, I think
that's where we are all going,

181
00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,200
because this house is the future.

182
00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:42,320
It will generate four times
more energy than it needs.

183
00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:44,400
It will be super-efficient.

184
00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:46,680
And, if he can bring it in,

185
00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,000
this project will be epic.

186
00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:52,440
Duncan wastes no time.

187
00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,720
Days later,
he's carving out monster-sized

188
00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,480
footings with a local
groundworker, Sam.

189
00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:00,040
When this build came about,

190
00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,520
there was a few people that
weren't over the moon about it.

191
00:09:03,560 --> 00:09:06,760
It's going to be
a horrific-sized house,

192
00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:08,480
but that's up to him to live in.

193
00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,840
It's also
going to be horrifically exacting.

194
00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:15,640
Passivhaus Premium detailing starts
with the foundations.

195
00:09:15,680 --> 00:09:17,600
We need them to be
very, very level

196
00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:20,600
so that the structure fits
on top of it without any gaps.

197
00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:22,600
If we don't build accurately enough,

198
00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:24,680
we won't hit the air tightness
criteria,

199
00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:26,720
we won't get Passivhaus.

200
00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,400
It is all Duncan's responsibility.

201
00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,000
I've got to do something,
I've forgotten to measure it.

202
00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:36,760
He has a tiny 2.5cm tolerance
across a 50m site -

203
00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:38,640
it's easy to dig too deep.

204
00:09:38,680 --> 00:09:41,600
I think we've cut it too low.
We need to put some back.

205
00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:46,040
And this is just day one.

206
00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,000
It's a month later.

207
00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:56,480
Duncan, all six foot two of him,
has been staying in this pub garden,

208
00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:58,480
while he sorts out a rental.

209
00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:00,120
It's tiny, but it's warm,

210
00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,560
it's dry, bed's comfortable...

211
00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:05,600
..but obviously I miss Liz.

212
00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,240
Duncan spends weekends
with Liz in London,

213
00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,920
but today, she's getting a train up
to inspect the site.

214
00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,040
Picking Liz up is...
It's going to interesting.

215
00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:19,120
She hasn't been
to the site for weeks

216
00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:20,680
and it's changed hugely.

217
00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,800
I think she's going to get a big,
hopefully surprise, not shock.

218
00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:27,920
Liz is the client here, dependent on
updates from her project manager.

219
00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:29,640
Hello, how are you doing?

220
00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:31,000
I'm very good.

221
00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:33,840
But there's still room
for energetic debate.

222
00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,720
But it's still your idea
to have a dry-stone wall

223
00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:39,600
going around the parking area around
the garages, is that right?

224
00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:45,000
Coming from the front?
Coming from the...

225
00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:46,400
No, as we discussed last night,

226
00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:47,960
we're going to do that
with gabions.

227
00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:49,640
Well, I wasn't exactly sure.

228
00:10:49,680 --> 00:10:51,400
Don't patronise me, you twat!

229
00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:56,920
These two don't seem
to be quite on the same page.

230
00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:58,920
So, come and have
a look at what we've done.

231
00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:00,280
So, this is it, yeah?

232
00:11:02,680 --> 00:11:04,240
My God!

233
00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,480
Holy shit.

234
00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:08,640
I hadn't envisaged...

235
00:11:08,680 --> 00:11:10,200
This!

236
00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:13,120
I hadn't envisaged
anything this big.

237
00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:15,400
It is quite... It's huge! ..chunky.

238
00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,560
Come on we could literally build
a shopping centre in there.

239
00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:20,120
So hard to imagine.

240
00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,320
I'm staggered, I really am.

241
00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:24,400
OK.

242
00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:27,440
And this is just half
the house's footprint.

243
00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:41,840
In the Cotswolds, Duncan, our
wizard environmental consultant,

244
00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:44,520
is getting his radical eco home
out of the ground.

245
00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:47,640
He's now three months into this
18-month project.

246
00:11:47,680 --> 00:11:49,160
Hey, how are you?

247
00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:50,640
Very good, thanks.

248
00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:53,480
Today, Duncan's team are finishing
the insulated trays

249
00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:55,280
that will hold the first slab.

250
00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:57,640
So this structure, which is...

251
00:11:57,680 --> 00:12:00,000
I can hear it squeaking!

252
00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:04,080
It's made out of
expanded polystyrene

253
00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,120
and that acts as a tray,
for that much concrete.

254
00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:08,480
Yes.

255
00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:10,120
They use so much less concrete.

256
00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,560
Exactly that.
We've got four slabs going in,

257
00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:14,800
this is by far the smallest. Yeah.

258
00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:16,880
It's also outside
the Passivhaus envelope

259
00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:18,320
so we're doing it first.

260
00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,040
Basically, if we make a mistake
with this it's not that disastrous,

261
00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,360
whereas once we're into the
Passivhaus part, it's disastrous.

262
00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:28,400
The one thing you can't compromise
is the thermal insulation.

263
00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:29,440
Exactly.

264
00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:31,680
It's like a wrapper
all the way round. Yeah.

265
00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:34,200
Getting this mammoth structure
airtight,

266
00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,720
a must for his Passivhaus
premium certification,

267
00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:38,120
will be a minefield.

268
00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:41,240
So surely Duncan,
without any experience,

269
00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:43,000
has picked a specialist architect?

270
00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:45,240
Hello. Hi.

271
00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:47,640
You've got yourself
an outdoor office.

272
00:12:47,680 --> 00:12:50,560
Er, no.
He's appointed Laurence Becker.

273
00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:53,040
He met her on a Passivhaus course.

274
00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:55,840
I'm not ashamed to say,
I've never been great at maths.

275
00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,160
I failed the
Passivhaus designer test,

276
00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,360
but there are two ways
to get your... I'm sorry?!

277
00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:02,640
No, no, no! There are two ways
to get Passivhaus certification

278
00:13:02,680 --> 00:13:05,600
as an architect - to build
a Passivhaus or pass a test.

279
00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:07,680
The test is notoriously hard.

280
00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:10,720
But, building one will be
no walk in the park either.

281
00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:13,520
It requires
rigorous external assessment.

282
00:13:13,560 --> 00:13:17,240
This is the Passivhaus
planning package.

283
00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:21,280
Within this book, there are
at least 30 spreadsheets.

284
00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:22,680
Oh, wowzer.

285
00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,720
You've got performance data
for every pane of glass, every...

286
00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:28,760
Every pane of glass
basically, yeah.

287
00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:30,240
So if he changes the windows...?

288
00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:32,800
Every change has
to be inputted into this.

289
00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:35,400
And you have to do that. I mean, if
it drops below a certain standard,

290
00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:38,000
you know you're not going to get
certified. We won't get it, no.

291
00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:40,320
Your role is integral to the success

292
00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,880
of the building getting
its accreditation, yes?

293
00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,760
Yes, it scares me sometimes.
I wake up at night and think,

294
00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:47,960
"Have I done this?
Have I done that?"

295
00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,160
But that's what makes
it interesting.

296
00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:52,480
Blimey.

297
00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,320
And the colossal size
adds to the challenge.

298
00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,320
Even pouring the concrete walls
on Duncan's first slab,

299
00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:01,960
three weeks later, is problematic.

300
00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:06,200
They're so tall, he's had to leave
the insulated formwork

301
00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:08,800
at half height,
at 1.5 metres tall,

302
00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,600
to make sure the concrete
gets to the bottom.

303
00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:15,120
As soon as the guys have filled
it up to half a metre,

304
00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,640
we're putting these polystyrene
blocks that we've got lined up.

305
00:14:18,680 --> 00:14:20,600
We're building up more wall
behind them.

306
00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:22,720
And the idea is that
we stay ahead of them,

307
00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:23,880
and we don't get lapped.

308
00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:25,680
If we really
can't stay ahead of them,

309
00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:27,200
we're going to waste the concrete.

310
00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,840
And so, this risky game
of cat and mouse begins.

311
00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,080
It immediately becomes hectic.

312
00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:40,480
Most blocks fit, but some don't.

313
00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:43,160
We're slipping behind.

314
00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:46,520
They're half a wall ahead of us
at the moment.

315
00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:49,400
There's a greater worry.

316
00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:52,400
The higher the concrete,
the bigger the pressure.

317
00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:54,040
Suddenly...

318
00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:58,360
Oh, shit. OK.

319
00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:01,480
Everything has to stop
while they fix the rupture.

320
00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:03,240
So the risks if we continue,

321
00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:05,320
we're putting more weight
into the wall,

322
00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:06,960
the wall will burst somewhere.

323
00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,440
Splitting the concrete pour
over several days

324
00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:11,920
could compromise the strength
of this retaining wall.

325
00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:13,560
There's a slight bulge...

326
00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:15,120
So once it's propped,

327
00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:17,560
Duncan is itching
to finish the job.

328
00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:19,760
Do we feel brave, or do we not?

329
00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:23,560
So, at 4pm, he decides to go for it.

330
00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:25,360
It seems nuts.

331
00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:28,240
Oh, hell, yeah,
this is definitely a risk.

332
00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:30,120
So what we are banking on

333
00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:33,120
is that the first concrete that's
gone in is now starting to cure.

334
00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:36,760
It's up to Sam the groundworker

335
00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,360
to cautiously pour
the last nine tonnes.

336
00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,200
But would he have made
the same call?

337
00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:45,800
Probably not
because it's not worth the risk.

338
00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:50,440
But I'm not a risk taker that much.
It's not my decision.

339
00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:52,640
30 anxious minutes pass

340
00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:54,680
and it's still standing.

341
00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:56,920
All the concrete
has gone in pretty much.

342
00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:59,360
We're just putting
the last bits of rebar in.

343
00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:00,920
I think we got away with it.

344
00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:03,920
What a lucky escape.

345
00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,400
Duncan now feels reassured

346
00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:10,080
to pour more concrete, while he also
finesses plans with Laurence.

347
00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,560
I did have to move
one of the beams

348
00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:14,840
so that the soil pipe
could go down and across.

349
00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:16,040
Yeah, I saw that.

350
00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:19,840
Within six months, the basement
and ground floor slabs are in.

351
00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:22,560
And then nothing happens for weeks.

352
00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:24,400
Except some dry-stone walling

353
00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:26,800
by the assistant site manager,
Jasmine.

354
00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,520
I'm a little frustrated that we're
about two months behind schedule,

355
00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:33,680
I think, and that is
a mix of reasons.

356
00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:36,320
We've got a very complicated build

357
00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,760
and we appointed two contractors

358
00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:42,840
and managing the interfaces between
them has just taken a long time.

359
00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:45,480
They're still
stuck in the design phase

360
00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:47,640
with their drawings
bouncing from site

361
00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,360
to David, who's local
and supplying the steel frame,

362
00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:51,920
and Gary in Shrewsbury,

363
00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:54,640
whose firm is responsible
for all the timber structure.

364
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,920
It's been a bit of a journey,
I have to say.

365
00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,920
It is quite complex in the shape,
the geometry of it.

366
00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:02,760
I would say the most challenging
Passivhaus scheme

367
00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:04,680
we've been involved with personally,
yes.

368
00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,360
We'd normally expect
to design this in about a month.

369
00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:09,440
It's taken us about three months,
I suppose.

370
00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,360
I think it's mainly because of
all the changes we've had to make

371
00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:17,040
and also coordinating with
the other people working on it.

372
00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:21,280
But David has now done
the hard part,

373
00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:25,560
so within days, ten tonnes of steel
at £29,000

374
00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:28,280
is finally being craned
into the basement floor.

375
00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,120
Liz is paying her
once a week client visit.

376
00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,200
I don't want to get hit by steel.
I'm retreating.

377
00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:39,560
While Liz heads to the sidelines,
Duncan takes a front seat.

378
00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:41,240
This is really exciting to see -

379
00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:43,320
we've waited a while for this,

380
00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:45,080
so it's great to see it all
happening now.

381
00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:47,000
HE CHUCKLES

382
00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:52,000
Duncan and Liz are experiencing
the project very differently.

383
00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:56,200
I've been really quite divorced from
what's been going on on site,

384
00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:58,560
Duncan sends me photos,
we talk about it.

385
00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:00,760
We talk about virtually nothing else
in fact,

386
00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:04,280
but even so, not being here,
not living it with him,

387
00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,720
makes a big difference, and it is
a strain on our relationship.

388
00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,360
But Duncan's focus is elsewhere.

389
00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:12,760
Now the steel is taking shape,

390
00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:15,080
he needs to get
the drawings signed off

391
00:18:15,120 --> 00:18:18,120
for the huge wooden superstructure
that comes next.

392
00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:21,040
We've got one or two
important issues

393
00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:23,120
that we're just trying to clarify,

394
00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,600
and then from the moment
we sign off it's eight weeks.

395
00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:27,880
But in the following days,

396
00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:30,840
as concrete beams for
the ground floor are hoisted

397
00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:32,680
onto the finished steel frame,

398
00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,080
the drawings
are still not finalised.

399
00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:38,480
Working late at his firm one
evening, Duncan is gloomy.

400
00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:40,880
Just a quick update for you.

401
00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:43,440
I had a pithy conversation
yesterday

402
00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:44,960
with the timber frame company.

403
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,320
He'd promised the drawings
early part of this week

404
00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:49,360
and obviously
they haven't turned up again,

405
00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:52,440
and he said
that's our fault, apparently,

406
00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:55,560
because it took us so long
to sort the steel out.

407
00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,200
We haven't changed anything
since we sent them.

408
00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:00,040
No, so that's just disappointing

409
00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,520
but there's not a lot I can do,
other than...

410
00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,000
..other than have conversations
with him.

411
00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,080
Throughout this project,

412
00:19:08,120 --> 00:19:11,120
Duncan and Liz have battled
with the restrictions

413
00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:12,680
of the Covid pandemic,

414
00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:16,520
leaving Liz increasingly
isolated in London.

415
00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:18,360
Gosh, you're in the office!

416
00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,440
Yes, that's right. I'm fixing IT.

417
00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:25,200
Video calls are just not the same
as him coming home in the evening

418
00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,520
and actually being able to have
a real shared life together -

419
00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:30,080
we just don't at the moment.

420
00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:32,360
I do get lonely, and I miss Duncan.

421
00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,120
It's just me and the cats now.

422
00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:39,040
Liz does go to her office,
but it's nearly empty.

423
00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:42,000
I'm not exaggerating,
I've been quite depressed by it.

424
00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:43,560
Just literally getting up,
going to work,

425
00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,280
coming home, going to bed,
getting up, going to work.

426
00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:48,520
I've found it very challenging.

427
00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:54,280
For Liz, the move to her new
home can't come soon enough.

428
00:19:55,480 --> 00:20:00,040
But a glorious summer passes
with no sign of the timber frame.

429
00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,200
It takes till Autumn, a year in,

430
00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:06,720
for the £240,000 structure
to arrive.

431
00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:09,040
And Duncan is giddy.

432
00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:11,800
I'm excited! I'm genuinely excited.

433
00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:15,520
The original date we were given
for this arriving is 19 weeks ago.

434
00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:17,280
Now at least it's here
and we're moving forward,

435
00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:18,760
so I'm just really happy it's here.

436
00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,960
So is Gary, who is responsible
for this timber structure.

437
00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,880
He is, however,
convinced he's on schedule.

438
00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,320
I'm not really sure we are late,
if I'm honest.

439
00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:30,280
We don't make anything
until it's physically approved -

440
00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:32,600
in other words,
Duncan's signed it off,

441
00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:35,320
so we're about ten weeks from
approval to starting on site.

442
00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:38,000
I hope these two were on the
same page in the design phase,

443
00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:41,360
because the timber has to fit
Duncan's slabs precisely.

444
00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,360
That means the pressure is on me.

445
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,120
If it's in the wrong place
you know, that's my mistake.

446
00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:51,480
Normally, the base and panels
marry easily.

447
00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:52,920
But not here.

448
00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,280
We're finding we're about
sort of 40 to 50mm out

449
00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:58,240
of where we thought
we were going to be.

450
00:20:58,280 --> 00:20:59,760
Apprehensive.

451
00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:01,880
A three metre drop between floors,

452
00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:06,600
and 600 square metres of panels
make it hard to align it all.

453
00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:08,760
I think it'll be 50mm too short.

454
00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:10,760
Precision has to be key.

455
00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,000
If we spike this side...
Yeah, spike that side.

456
00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:15,720
Basically we don't want gaps.

457
00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:18,280
Gaps are not good. Gaps are bad.

458
00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,800
It's worrying that Duncan won't
know if it's fully gap-free

459
00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:24,440
until the final airtightness test.

460
00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:28,640
But at least he has the satisfaction
of seeing his house take shape.

461
00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,320
Just taken a photograph
and sent it to Liz.

462
00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:33,320
Been trying to keep her updated.

463
00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:35,320
It's a good thing too,

464
00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:38,960
because by week five
the changes are breathtaking,

465
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:42,120
as in come the eight giant
portal frames.

466
00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:43,760
It just looks amazing.

467
00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:45,920
I mean, we're finally seeing
a 3D building.

468
00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,440
Each of these frames
is asymmetrical -

469
00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:49,920
they're all slightly different,

470
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:51,880
and that's purely just
a visual thing.

471
00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:53,400
Just for interest, just for fun.

472
00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:56,080
I love it.

473
00:21:56,120 --> 00:21:58,480
I am concerned it's not big enough.

474
00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,920
Duncan doesn't however,
get to rest on his laurels.

475
00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,920
His dream, to be the UK's first
Passivhaus Premium home,

476
00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:13,200
rests on his solar roof generating
four times the energy it needs.

477
00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:15,920
But the innovative solar fabric
he's found,

478
00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:18,800
might fall short
by his current calculations.

479
00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:21,760
See here, the roof is a zig zag.

480
00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:25,480
So it's got six faces, and each
one shades the one next to it.

481
00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,520
Right now, we either fail
by about 2%,

482
00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:30,240
or we pass by 2%.

483
00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:31,840
It really is on that knife edge.

484
00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:35,400
It is the key to whether we achieve
Passivhaus Premium or not.

485
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:38,200
I will be absolutely devastated
if we don't get this.

486
00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,800
It is such a key part
to the whole building.

487
00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:45,840
The problem here is that Duncan is
asking a lot from this solar roof.

488
00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:48,280
He wants it to be super-efficient,

489
00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,640
affordable and beautiful.

490
00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:53,760
So, he's discounted
traditional panels

491
00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:57,480
and instead he's looking
to newer invisible tech,

492
00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,320
like solar tiles or fabric.

493
00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,520
But, it's a rapidly evolving field.

494
00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:10,160
This £17.5 million home
in London is Eglon House,

495
00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:14,040
inspired by the iconic
Maison de Verre in Paris.

496
00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,760
It has wonderfully hidden
eco credentials.

497
00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:22,360
So, these solar panels are sort of
from another world, really.

498
00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,440
They're generating electricity,

499
00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,680
but you can actually
see the sky through them.

500
00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:29,560
It seems to be of the future.

501
00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:31,240
It's only five years old,

502
00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:34,480
but it's already been surpassed
by more advanced models.

503
00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:37,240
And this is the dilemma
Duncan's facing.

504
00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,080
But he's prepared
to invest in the future,

505
00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:42,000
pay the money for
a system which, after all,

506
00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:43,680
may be out of date in five years.

507
00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:46,000
He's also prepared
to accept a system

508
00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:49,360
which may not be
quite as beautiful as this.

509
00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:52,720
But, the one thing he dreads,

510
00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:54,680
if he doesn't get Passivhaus
Premium,

511
00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:56,800
if he doesn't get enough solar
on his roof,

512
00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:00,800
then he has unutterably failed.

513
00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:17,200
Tallinn, Estonia.

514
00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:23,720
Having failed to find
a UK solar roof material

515
00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:25,240
that was beautiful, affordable,

516
00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:28,200
and potent enough
for his mini-power station house,

517
00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:30,000
Duncan has flown here.

518
00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:34,520
The roof has proved more
problematic than I thought.

519
00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:36,080
We did have a UK supplier

520
00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:37,680
and we've had some issues with them,

521
00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:40,600
and hence coming to Estonia
to look at an alternative.

522
00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,520
Instead of the invisible
solar fabric he'd wanted,

523
00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:49,840
the alternative is more obvious -
glass and metal roof tiles.

524
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:52,000
They're about 60% cheaper,

525
00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:54,840
a great saving, if they work.

526
00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:56,720
So, this is your overall design

527
00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,040
of your roof surfaces
and planes.

528
00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:01,640
You see, we have all the trees
that have to be there.

529
00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:05,720
Jan is calculating how much energy
the roof will generate,

530
00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:07,400
but accuracy is key.

531
00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,960
That's actually not a chimney,
it's a soil vent pipe.

532
00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,240
Oh, right.
And those two don't exist.

533
00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:16,000
Any shading trees
need to be to scale too,

534
00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:18,320
as they'll affect
electricity generation.

535
00:25:18,360 --> 00:25:20,960
So how high
have you put those trees?

536
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:22,920
I think high enough.

537
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,000
Because the trees on the east
side are mature ash trees -

538
00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:28,560
they're about 40 metres high.

539
00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:30,360
The height of them
is not 40 metres.

540
00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,240
Clearly, working long-distance
will be challenging,

541
00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:35,280
but Duncan wants to go ahead.

542
00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:37,640
I'm taking on a lot more risk
in doing this,

543
00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:39,400
but there's a cost saving for me,

544
00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:42,040
which hopefully
makes it worthwhile.

545
00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:47,600
Indeed. Duncan's already spent
£800,000 of his 1.2 million budget

546
00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:50,160
and he's still building
the basic structure.

547
00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:55,400
For the next few months,

548
00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:58,120
Duncan and his assistant
site manager Jasmine

549
00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:02,760
prep the enormous 660 square metre
roof to receive its solar skin.

550
00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:03,840
We good?

551
00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:05,200
Yeah, that's good for me.

552
00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:11,080
By the time we finish, we'll have
put 1,600 pieces of insulation in,

553
00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:12,760
500 pieces of wooden board,

554
00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,000
and 4km of roof batten,

555
00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:17,360
which is this stuff on the roof.

556
00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:21,000
Surely he could subcontract
this tedious bit of work?

557
00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:23,880
We're doing this because,
well, because we can.

558
00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:25,440
It's fun.

559
00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,760
It beats working.
It just keeps us busy!

560
00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:31,160
He's even designed
the upstand for this...

561
00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:35,880
The enormous £9,500
skylight for the stairwell.

562
00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:38,040
This is the widest bit of glass -

563
00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:39,520
weighs very nearly a ton.

564
00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:41,160
The upstand has to support it,

565
00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:43,280
and it's the first one
I've ever built.

566
00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:48,240
Yeah, just, that end slightly
before this. Yeah, yeah.

567
00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,200
I'm just worried that this frame
starts buckling,

568
00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:52,600
which would break the glass,

569
00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:54,800
or the whole lot just
starts moving south.

570
00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:56,760
Neither is a good result for me.

571
00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:59,560
If it fails, the cost of this crane,

572
00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:02,000
these men, this glass,

573
00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:03,720
is around £20,000.

574
00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:08,160
Yeah, the next five minutes are
going to be literally make or break.

575
00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,680
Do you want to check that
before we drop it - the width?

576
00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,680
You happy it's that way? OK. Yeah.

577
00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:18,200
Painfully and slowly,
the glass is eased in.

578
00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:19,840
OK.

579
00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:21,880
Shall we lower it down?

580
00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:23,640
Oh, my God...

581
00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:25,240
Yeah, I'm down,

582
00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:26,880
and she's in!

583
00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:28,200
So far, so good.

584
00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:31,000
Yeah, but they're still
holding it on the crane

585
00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:34,640
at the moment, so we're not quite
at the last moment of truth.

586
00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:41,240
Look at that!

587
00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:42,840
Definitely happy.

588
00:27:47,360 --> 00:27:51,200
Duncan is 18 months in,
and he should be finished by now,

589
00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:53,680
but he's only halfway.

590
00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:56,800
However, there's more here
than meets the eye.

591
00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:59,920
This house is deceptive and cunning.

592
00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:01,320
From the lane,

593
00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:04,280
all you see is what looks
like a tractor shed,

594
00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:08,440
but actually, underneath the folding
roofs of this building,

595
00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:10,480
it grows towards the south.

596
00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:13,240
Look at it - this giant space!

597
00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,400
Architecturally,
it's extremely exciting,

598
00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:19,560
but it is huge.

599
00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:24,240
Broaching a sensitive subject.
You said you'd be finished by now.

600
00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:25,880
We are a little bit behind schedule.

601
00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:27,720
The timber frame arrived late,

602
00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,080
and then the building's
a very complicated shape.

603
00:28:30,120 --> 00:28:32,040
The roofs are doing that
and they're doing that

604
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:33,920
and they're doing this and that.
Exactly.

605
00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,280
So there's an awful lot to align
and try and get right.

606
00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:38,480
And tell me about the money then.

607
00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:41,200
I think we are under budget
at the moment, aren't we?

608
00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,240
We are under budget, yeah. How so?

609
00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:46,160
The big saving so far has been
the Estonian roofing system

610
00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:49,040
and in really simple terms, almost
the longer we spend building this,

611
00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:50,600
the less expensive it gets

612
00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:52,400
because the more Jasmine and I do.

613
00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:54,480
And, you know, my time is free.

614
00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:57,480
Just as well really.

615
00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:01,120
The next step of sealing
the house airtight is onerous

616
00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:02,920
and will take months.

617
00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:05,400
But Duncan thinks
a new product will help.

618
00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:08,760
Ordinarily you'd be taping
all of these joints.

619
00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,600
Yeah. Every single joint
in the external walls

620
00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,240
of the building,
we'd have to meticulously tape.

621
00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:16,800
Where we've brushed is where
we've got quite a deep groove

622
00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,480
and we want to get something
a bit gloopier and a bit thicker

623
00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:21,920
than we're going to spray,
and the expanse in between

624
00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:23,080
we'll just spray over.

625
00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:24,880
It allows idiots like me to do it.

626
00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:26,200
Or me?!

627
00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:31,480
This spray-on airtight layer
prevents leaks,

628
00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:33,800
allowing the insulation
to really do its job

629
00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:36,880
and minimise the heating down
to Passivhaus required levels.

630
00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:40,520
Duncan has 900 square metres
of spraying ahead of him.

631
00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,680
You're going to get really sick
of this colour.

632
00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:43,920
That's for sure!

633
00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:55,120
What follows is some slower
painting, and more glazing.

634
00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:59,120
At last, 26 months in,
it's watertight,

635
00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,280
and Liz is able to get involved
with the interiors.

636
00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:04,720
But it's a heck of a pad
to kit out.

637
00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:07,240
I've never, ever had to deal
with a space

638
00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,920
this big and tall,
and it's...it's quite daunting.

639
00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,520
They've consulted
an interior designer

640
00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:18,520
because they can't seem
to agree on very much.

641
00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,680
I mean, I'm slightly reluctant
to go with the very light one

642
00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:28,280
because I'm worried it's
going to make it feel very cold.

643
00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:31,720
Like you, I think the slightly
darker colour works better.

644
00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,080
Now I don't know that though because
now I'm thinking that it just looks

645
00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:36,760
a bit like somebody's peed on it.

646
00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:39,160
The client is...

647
00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:42,480
..not as decisive as she could be!

648
00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:44,040
Urghhh!

649
00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:46,600
I don't know.

650
00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:52,200
It's even harder choosing between
their two kitchen layouts.

651
00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:54,000
So, let me have a look.

652
00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:55,840
There are two options
for the kitchen -

653
00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:58,320
one has one island,
one has two islands.

654
00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:01,280
I'd like to see two,
I think Liz would like to see one.

655
00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:03,000
With the two island option,

656
00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:05,920
you can put your sink
and your hob out here,

657
00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:08,240
and then you have
your guests sitting here.

658
00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:11,640
To be fair, she really struggles
to visualise how things will be.

659
00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:13,600
The island isn't going to be where
you've got your fat feet

660
00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:14,920
because you've got your wall,

661
00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:17,520
and then you've got to have a gap
between the island and... Liz.

662
00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,920
As it's drawn, the single island
option is here.

663
00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:22,920
But I know what'll happen -
whichever one I prefer,

664
00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:24,960
we'll end up building
the one Duncan wants.

665
00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:26,080
We just will.

666
00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:27,640
It's just easier that way now.

667
00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:33,800
All talk of kitchens
is put aside though,

668
00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:35,280
in the run-up to Christmas.

669
00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:41,560
Finally, after spending a whole year
designing his roof...

670
00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:43,800
It's a bit slippery up here today.

671
00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:46,920
..Duncan gets
his Estonian solar panels.

672
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:52,280
Including the fitters,
it's costing a hefty £118,000.

673
00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:55,400
The roof is the one thing

674
00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:58,720
that turns this from a normal
Passivhaus into Passivhaus Premium,

675
00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:03,160
so the roof is the really big
innovative item on the build.

676
00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:07,840
It's so cutting-edge,
it's the company's first UK job.

677
00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:11,480
Gerd, who's in charge,
is impressed with the scale.

678
00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:15,200
There will be 300 panels
on this roof.

679
00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:17,960
Plus, we have
1km of cabling.

680
00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,960
I would say that this is
the biggest roof that we have done.

681
00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:25,880
And yet, the Estonian team
want to finish in just 11 days

682
00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:27,560
and be home for Christmas.

683
00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:30,760
It means working
into the winter nights.

684
00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:33,000
And I say, "Lights!"

685
00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:34,520
Like daytime!

686
00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:35,840
Or night-time.

687
00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:39,840
Actually, two rows more and then
we can measure the power.

688
00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:42,600
With those lights I would be able

689
00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:44,720
to get some kind of voltage
out of it -

690
00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:49,320
it will show that we have power and
everything is correctly connected.

691
00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:51,200
It is a really exciting moment.

692
00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:53,760
I want to go up and just see it.

693
00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:57,200
Let's see
if it's showing something...

694
00:32:57,240 --> 00:32:58,920
Yay!

695
00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:00,480
Goddammit, I was right!

696
00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:01,880
Ha! Woo!

697
00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:03,360
Super happy.

698
00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:06,120
It's all working. That's
the first power off the roof.

699
00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:07,840
It's a big thing.

700
00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:09,960
I can finally charge my phone then!

701
00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:13,840
Of course, it's what happens
during daylight hours

702
00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:15,440
that's going to be vital.

703
00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,560
The installers take
an extra week to finish,

704
00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:22,360
it's just so big.

705
00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:26,440
From then on, the onus is connecting
it inside and to the grid.

706
00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:29,720
By Spring, nearly three years in,

707
00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:31,440
it's up and running.

708
00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:33,360
I didn't think
it would look this good.

709
00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:36,040
This just looks like a roof.
They're invisible.

710
00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:37,560
And are they generating well?

711
00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:41,640
On a day like today, we're
generating about 230 kilowatt hours.

712
00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:44,400
To give you an idea,
a typical medium house

713
00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:46,440
uses about eight
kilowatt hours a day.

714
00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:48,000
So, that's a lot!

715
00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:52,520
You are the living embodiment
of what excites me about self-build,

716
00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:54,840
which is that you are using
innovative technology

717
00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:56,280
and making it work.

718
00:33:56,320 --> 00:34:00,960
Duncan still needs to prove he can
make four times the energy they use

719
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,040
to get his Passivhaus Premium prize.

720
00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:05,640
But this house
is still so embryonic.

721
00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:09,000
I'm sorry to say this, but upstairs
hasn't moved on a huge amount...

722
00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:10,680
Shh! ..in 15 months.

723
00:34:10,720 --> 00:34:11,920
Shh! Come downstairs -

724
00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:14,280
it is a bit different downstairs.
Follow me. Yeah, yeah.

725
00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:18,240
It's just, you know, psychologically
good for me to see some progress.

726
00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:22,800
Oh! Big, circular room.
This is good.

727
00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:24,640
Very nice to see it now.

728
00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:26,880
I just want to see it done.
THEY LAUGH

729
00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:31,680
The four bedrooms and four bathrooms
are just shells,

730
00:34:31,720 --> 00:34:33,480
with no walls or floors.

731
00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:36,040
First fix is barely under way.

732
00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:38,760
You did say you weren't
going to move in until it was done.

733
00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:40,280
That was a while ago.

734
00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:43,120
I think I'm willing
to compromise now,

735
00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:45,280
just because I'm so keen
to get in now.

736
00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:48,480
Liz seems to have given up
on Duncan completing

737
00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:50,880
this passion project any time soon.

738
00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:53,000
You are slightly addicted to it.

739
00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:55,280
I think even more than that,
I enjoy the design process

740
00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:57,320
and I have a real weakness

741
00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:00,240
where I tend to over-design
and keep redesigning

742
00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:01,560
and reiterating,

743
00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:03,720
and I have to break myself
out of that sometimes

744
00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:05,680
and realise that I do
need to finish things.

745
00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:08,000
So, where are you
with certification?

746
00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,520
We need an airtightness test.
Yep.

747
00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:14,120
We need to submit our very
complicated computer model.

748
00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:17,680
And? And the third thing
is about energy generation.

749
00:35:17,720 --> 00:35:20,360
We're nearer the end
than the beginning.

750
00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:23,360
That is such a fine philosophical
way of looking at it.

751
00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,000
Man, there is so much
to do on this project.

752
00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:31,800
There are so many kind of
questions hanging over it.

753
00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:36,120
And the biggest is, will they get
Passivhaus Premium status

754
00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:38,880
and set a new benchmark
for UK housing?

755
00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:40,600
I hope so.

756
00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:43,840
But Duncan might take
so long he won't be the first,

757
00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:45,200
and then he'll be devastated.

758
00:35:45,240 --> 00:35:47,880
So, come on, Duncan. Crack on!

759
00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:04,720
Just over three years ago in
the genteel North Cotswolds,

760
00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:08,080
Duncan and Liz began their
high voltage mission

761
00:36:08,120 --> 00:36:11,440
to build an electricity-generating
Passivhaus Premium home,

762
00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:14,160
potentially a UK first.

763
00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:15,640
Well.

764
00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:16,840
This is beautiful.

765
00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:21,240
I can see why Duncan and Liz were
seduced by this countryside

766
00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:22,560
and its rolling hills,

767
00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:26,000
just as I can understand
why Duncan was seduced by the...

768
00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:28,600
the high environmental ambition
of this project.

769
00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:32,720
And I also understand just how
addictive building can be.

770
00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:35,120
You don't want to stop.

771
00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:37,040
And, as Liz says,

772
00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,520
Duncan is not a finisher.

773
00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:43,920
So the question remains then,
doesn't it,

774
00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:50,520
just whether he can, will, or
indeed has, finished...any of it?

775
00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:53,480
I approach, then, with trepidation.

776
00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:57,600
But it's been five months
since I was last here,

777
00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:00,760
so anything is possible.

778
00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:02,120
Wow!

779
00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:05,040
Big, curved, beautifully made wall.

780
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:07,640
That's pretty, glinting in the sun.

781
00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:09,160
Looks like a building!

782
00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:13,680
Albeit half clad.

783
00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:20,560
Oo.

784
00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,560
This, then
seems a tale of two halves.

785
00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:29,560
Half of it elegantly detailed -

786
00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:31,280
a slick, sleek roof

787
00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:34,320
and an ebony timber skin.

788
00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:36,440
Half of it, however, undone.

789
00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:39,200
Hello! Hello. Hi!

790
00:37:39,240 --> 00:37:41,880
Hi, Liz! Hi, Duncan!
How are you both? Good to see you.

791
00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:43,200
Very good. Yeah!

792
00:37:43,240 --> 00:37:45,240
Nice to see you again.
Great to see you.

793
00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:47,000
Yeah! How have you been?

794
00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:49,520
Very good. Very busy.

795
00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:51,160
Well, it's black and blue.

796
00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:52,760
Slowly becoming blacker.

797
00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:54,160
Hmm. Yeah.

798
00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:56,960
And what I particularly like
driving in,

799
00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:00,520
is seeing two sheds - it sort of
completes the illusion almost.

800
00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:03,240
You know? It's definitely
getting there. Yeah. Yeah.

801
00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:05,560
And they don't look too big either,
when you drive in.

802
00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:07,520
Not from this angle. No.

803
00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:11,200
You try nailing the cladding on
them - they look big then!

804
00:38:11,240 --> 00:38:14,280
I bet you wish you'd built a
slightly smaller house. Absolutely.

805
00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:16,800
Then it would be finished.
Possibly. Possibly.

806
00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:20,440
Hey, can I charge my car here,
by the way? Yes, you can!

807
00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:22,040
Can I steal electricity from you?

808
00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:24,200
Yeah! It's all up and running.
It's all good to go.

809
00:38:24,240 --> 00:38:25,280
That is great!

810
00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:28,160
Wonderful.

811
00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:31,160
Clean electricity
from the magnificent solar roof,

812
00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:34,440
charging my car, for free!

813
00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:38,760
But, given the
boggy, undressed exterior,

814
00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:41,520
I'm bracing myself
for what's to come.

815
00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:42,880
Come on in.

816
00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:44,280
We're going in the front door!

817
00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:45,640
We are indeed.

818
00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:47,080
Posh!

819
00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:49,120
Oh, this is lovely!

820
00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:51,160
This is sharp and different.

821
00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:53,640
We have been working hard, Kevin.

822
00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:55,000
Still a little purple!

823
00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:58,640
Well, we can't quite let it go.
You know what it is.

824
00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:02,680
But actually, you've built... These
are all new, these stone walls.

825
00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:06,120
Yeah, we're really pleased with the
way the stone's turned out.

826
00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:08,840
Yeah. I mean, it's taken
a timber-framed building

827
00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:10,960
and made something
monumental of it. Yeah.

828
00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:13,120
Yeah, it's good.

829
00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:16,360
There are glass balustrades
yet to go in,

830
00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:18,760
but it's already looking promising.

831
00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:22,920
So, what about the big
entertaining space next door?

832
00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:25,560
Holy Moley!

833
00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:28,600
Well, this space is a triumph.

834
00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:31,840
Oh, and the purple's gone
and the sunlight pours in

835
00:39:31,880 --> 00:39:34,480
and it's pretty stonking.
It's amazing.

836
00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:35,880
Yeah, it's fabulous.

837
00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:37,800
Though the ceilings are high,

838
00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:40,720
the space seems to have
shrunk to a domestic scale.

839
00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:44,840
What will be the living room
and kitchen is almost...cosy.

840
00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:47,360
Are you living here now?
Not yet, no.

841
00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:49,920
But, I mean, you've furnished it.
Yeah. We're just trying to get

842
00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:52,280
an idea of what it's going to be
like. Well, good for you!

843
00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:54,000
It suddenly looks domestic.

844
00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:57,440
It doesn't feel
like somebody's large garage.

845
00:39:57,480 --> 00:39:58,640
Yes.

846
00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:01,280
Do you know, there's something
that is so apparent now,

847
00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:05,360
and that is how that wall of glass
is cranked so much,

848
00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:08,960
it's swung out as though it's
already opening out into the garden.

849
00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:11,920
It's really... It's a great thing.

850
00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:16,840
What's also joyful
is the continuation of

851
00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:19,280
the epic glulam purlins
through the wall

852
00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:21,760
to support the huge outside overhang

853
00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:24,120
that fans out into the world beyond.

854
00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:27,880
It also shades the triple-glazed
wall beneath in summer,

855
00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:30,840
while allowing the lower winter sun
to heat the house.

856
00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:32,480
Clever design.

857
00:40:32,520 --> 00:40:37,200
And here, design drives
the quality, upstairs and down.

858
00:40:37,240 --> 00:40:38,440
Oh!

859
00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:42,040
This has turned out to be

860
00:40:42,080 --> 00:40:45,480
like a beautifully sculpted piece of
shell. It was looking quite clunky.

861
00:40:45,520 --> 00:40:48,200
Yeah, it was.
It was definitely ugly duckling.

862
00:40:48,240 --> 00:40:51,160
And we're slowly, slowly
transforming it into a swan.

863
00:40:52,720 --> 00:40:54,600
OK, so the house isn't finished,

864
00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:57,440
but actually, that's not
the important thing right now

865
00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:01,960
because today, Duncan's watershed
airtightness test is happening.

866
00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:03,600
And that's worrying

867
00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:06,720
because he's just made
a massive hole in the wall!

868
00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:12,320
This is a pet-friendly
Passivhaus-compliant cat flap.

869
00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:14,720
So, cat comes along,

870
00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:17,520
and comes up to the cat flap...

871
00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:19,160
BEEPS
Oh!

872
00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,480
It's got seals and everything,
so it's completely airtight.

873
00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:25,880
Then it shuts and
the building is sealed again.

874
00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:27,960
Oh, and it's got
a special safety device,

875
00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:30,000
so it doesn't chop the cat in half.

876
00:41:30,040 --> 00:41:33,760
At around a grand and a half,
it had better work

877
00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:37,200
because Kym Mead, Duncan's
Passivhaus assessor,

878
00:41:37,240 --> 00:41:38,280
is here.

879
00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:41,600
He has approved the architect
Laurence's dreaded Passivhaus

880
00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:44,240
planning package,
and he's satisfied

881
00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:47,280
that four times the electricity
needed here will be produced.

882
00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:50,280
But one thing remains
to elevate this house

883
00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:52,040
to Passiv prime status.

884
00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:54,800
Hello, Kym. Hi.

885
00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:56,720
How are you? Yeah, good thank you.

886
00:41:56,760 --> 00:41:59,440
Yeah. You can tell it's serious

887
00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:02,360
because there are loads
of tech boffins in attendance.

888
00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:04,680
So, this is the last piece
of the jigsaw.

889
00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:06,520
This is the last
piece of the jigsaw, yeah.

890
00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:08,160
You confident?

891
00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:10,280
Hopeful. Yeah. I am.

892
00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:11,600
Hopeful.

893
00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:13,160
Scary.

894
00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:14,680
Scary requirement.

895
00:42:14,720 --> 00:42:16,800
Unleash the fan!

896
00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:18,200
We're off.

897
00:42:18,240 --> 00:42:21,840
The fan blows air into
the building to pressurise

898
00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:24,240
all 1,600 cubic metres of it,

899
00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:27,080
allowing the air leakage
to be measured.

900
00:42:27,120 --> 00:42:31,520
Modern houses score around
five air changes per hour.

901
00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:36,160
Duncan has to score 0.6 or less.

902
00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:37,240
Yikes!

903
00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:41,160
So, Jack, what is it?

904
00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:43,560
So, the average is...

905
00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:48,320
0.415, which is...
Fantastic! ..good result.

906
00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:50,840
You passed! Yeah!
Are you happy with that?

907
00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:53,200
Yeah, very happy.
Well, congratulations,

908
00:42:53,240 --> 00:42:55,680
because I think... Thank you.
I think it's an epic building

909
00:42:55,720 --> 00:42:58,040
and it's an epic result actually,

910
00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:02,240
to be, and as you will be now,
the first in the UK.

911
00:43:02,280 --> 00:43:04,000
Got there! Ah!

912
00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:05,760
Thanks.

913
00:43:08,360 --> 00:43:10,680
Look, I have got ahead of myself.

914
00:43:10,720 --> 00:43:14,400
Duncan has still got
a last airtightness test to go

915
00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:16,880
and some final paperwork
on completion,

916
00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:19,040
but it's nearly a dead cert.

917
00:43:19,080 --> 00:43:22,800
So, at what cost has this all come?

918
00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:26,600
How much will you have spent
by the time you get to move in?

919
00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:28,880
We will have spent 1.25 million.

920
00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:31,840
OK. And the great advantage
about a house like this

921
00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:33,200
is the running costs.

922
00:43:33,240 --> 00:43:35,560
It has negative running costs.
It pays us to live in it.

923
00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:39,400
But the Grid caps the amount of
energy you can sell back to it.

924
00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:42,280
That's right. So, over
the year, we should be able

925
00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:44,760
to power around
four three-bedroomed houses.

926
00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:46,080
Because of the cap,

927
00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:49,440
we're actually able to support
about two and a half.

928
00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:52,400
And that surplus? Dissipating.
Just not doing anything?

929
00:43:52,440 --> 00:43:56,200
It's a battle, Kevin. It needs
a house like this to put pressure

930
00:43:56,240 --> 00:43:58,560
on the government to say
we need a Grid

931
00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:01,920
that is designed to accept houses
that generate electricity.

932
00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:05,400
So, great that you're meeting
your performance targets.

933
00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:08,560
How are you coping with
the emotional stress of all this?

934
00:44:08,600 --> 00:44:11,200
Yeah. It's been three years
since we've had a shared life.

935
00:44:11,240 --> 00:44:14,160
Three years since we've just
sat down and had dinner

936
00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:15,960
and watched the television together.

937
00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:18,480
There's definitely
been a price to pay.

938
00:44:18,520 --> 00:44:20,680
In your mind,
when's it going to be done?

939
00:44:20,720 --> 00:44:22,520
DUNCAN SIGHS

940
00:44:22,560 --> 00:44:23,960
Define done.

941
00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:26,320
Done - when snagging
turns into maintenance.

942
00:44:26,360 --> 00:44:27,720
OK. 18 months.

943
00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:29,040
Are you happy with that?

944
00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:32,040
I will be happy with that
if that is what happens.

945
00:44:32,080 --> 00:44:33,880
LAUGHTER

946
00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:37,360
One day soon, this will be
a glorious place to live,

947
00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:40,000
and a certified UK first.

948
00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:44,360
So, if you think that
this house is just too far

949
00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:45,720
ahead of its time,

950
00:44:45,760 --> 00:44:48,160
then let me tell you, it's not,

951
00:44:48,200 --> 00:44:51,680
because the Grid is already
working very hard

952
00:44:51,720 --> 00:44:56,080
to find ways of buying electricity
back in large quantities

953
00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:59,960
from people like Liz and Duncan -
from householders.

954
00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:03,080
And for another
important reason, too.

955
00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:05,960
Because the self-builders
of this world

956
00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:08,280
are the real experimentalists.

957
00:45:08,320 --> 00:45:10,800
Not the house-builders,
not developers,

958
00:45:10,840 --> 00:45:12,720
not housing associations.

959
00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:15,720
It is the self-builders
who take their own money,

960
00:45:15,760 --> 00:45:17,160
hard-earned,

961
00:45:17,200 --> 00:45:20,880
they take their own sweat
and enthusiasm and energy

962
00:45:20,920 --> 00:45:24,560
and procure
some of the most innovative ideas,

963
00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:27,200
and some of the most
experimental technologies

964
00:45:27,240 --> 00:45:31,560
you can find in building
on the planet.

965
00:45:31,600 --> 00:45:35,040
People like Liz and Duncan.

966
00:45:35,080 --> 00:45:39,480
They are right out there
at the margins of society,

967
00:45:39,520 --> 00:45:44,040
showing us what the houses
of the future will be.

968
00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:46,720
I mean in 20 or 30 years' time,

969
00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:50,240
we could all be living in houses

970
00:45:50,280 --> 00:45:53,040
that are power stations,
just like this.

971
00:45:53,080 --> 00:45:56,600
So for that, I salute them.

972
00:46:04,440 --> 00:46:06,000
Back in 2018,

973
00:46:06,040 --> 00:46:09,840
Leigh and Richard began converting
a ruined watermill into a home.

974
00:46:09,880 --> 00:46:11,280
Have you done this before?

975
00:46:11,320 --> 00:46:15,040
No, we're complete novices.
We just fell in love with it.

976
00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:16,160
It was instant.

977
00:46:16,200 --> 00:46:19,120
But, by 2021,
hampered by the pandemic,

978
00:46:19,160 --> 00:46:20,800
the work was unfinished.

979
00:46:20,840 --> 00:46:23,160
I'm absolutely knackered.

980
00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:25,440
There isn't any money left.

981
00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:27,520
Two years later, I'm back.

982
00:46:27,560 --> 00:46:29,440
That's what this building needed.

983
00:46:50,760 --> 00:46:55,600
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