Episode Information London: The Glass and Timber House

Date Published:

06/06/2008

In this episode Kevin meets master carpenter Bill Bradley and his wife Sarah, whose plan is to build two identical timber houses in south London, selling one to finance the building of the other.

The Project

Bill and Sarah are a couple whose dream of living mortgage-free rests on building not one, but two timber framed houses in south London. Building on the site of Bill's old wood workshop, the couple plan to sandwich the houses in between two existing rows, leaving them overlooking, and overlooked, by over twenty neighbours. To get around these difficulties Bill and Sarah's houses will use oblique windows, skylights and double height glazed courtyards to create two beautiful but private homes. But before long the budget is soaring and Bill's desire to go more luxurious and high spec leaves their dream of debt free living looking ever more remote.

Bill and Sarah's timber clad homes emerge from between two rows of surrounding houses, a striking wooden build with a grass covered roof, ingeniously designed to give views down the side of the house and up into the sky. Cabinet maker Bill decided to make the most of his fantastic joinery ability by constructing the houses himself, with a bespoke architectural design.

Building two nearly identical houses was tricky, with space at a premium and the planners on their backs, but the opportunity to build something sustainable and green in the heart of the metropolis was too good an opportunity to turn down.

Downstairs there is a large living room connected by a glass walkway to a kitchen-dining room. In between sits a stunning double height private courtyard, almost entirely enclosed and walled in by glass. Though the courtyards were a nightmare to get right, what they do is extraordinary. They don't just introduce light, they conjure space from nowhere and deliver views right across the building.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms and two bathrooms, with each room benefiting from the house's most ingenious features, the angled roof windows. There are fourteen of these in each house, and every one is different.

The central staircase floats up into the second level, appearing suspended against the steelwork. The house appears light and airy, despite being built in such cramped surroundings. Bill and Sarah's refusal to compromise on design and craftsmanship has left them with a beautiful interior.

The kitchen worktops have been changed to recycled glass, Bill's fear of timber overkill being well founded. Where there is wood it looks gorgeous, continuing the engineered timber theme and being complimented by bear grass set in resin, which is then back lit.

The passion for bespoke craftsmanship and engineered wood emerges again in the bathrooms, where plywood vanity units and space saving fitted furniture produce a luxurious finish.

The garden and decking finish the whole thing off, and from the outside the light is absolutely stunning - bouncing off of the windows and creating an awesome visual display.

What is amazing here is that they've never lost sight of their environmental ideals, and whilst the budget has doubled, no compromises have been made in the design or build. Constructed using sustainable materials and high performance glass and insulation, this house will keep the heat in and harvest the sun and rain to ensure that it'll be very easy on the planet.