Grand Designs Episode Information Monmouth: The Gothic House

Comments

1. This is an awesome home...love it

   Posted by Ciaran on 08/11/2009 08:55:55

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2. I enjoyed watching this episode thoroughly, this is now my new inspiration to go for what I believe in and what I think is right for me. This house is now my idol; I am hoping that one day I can have a house symmetrical to this one!

   Posted by April Izzard on 26/10/2009 20:21:24

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3. As a student of project management I found Shaun's closing comments on having not having a project manager was ignorance of what their role really is. They are there to manage the project on their behalf and be the interface between them and the contractor's. The project manager would have assisted them in defining the scope of the project (which they didn't have, big mistake no.1) so that he can provide them a estimate on what it would most likely cost. Undefined scope = greater costs to the client. If it was over their budget, it given them option to appropriate more funds if they so desired, instead of overdrawing their limit later in the budget (mistake no. 2). Also the project manager would have allevaited major delays in the program such as the roof incident. Things always go wrong on projects, and it is how to manage the risks are managed quickly which makes a project successful. The project manager would have reduced the delay and get the project back on track. Greater delays in the project = greater cost to the client. Yes it would have cost them for the project manager's fee, but the cost wouldn't have blown out to double their original (and under estimated) budget. I felt that both of them we're trying to save face instead of considering the possibility that it could have done it better in hindsight. Only fools don't learn from their mistakes.

   Posted by Waku on 10/09/2009 16:01:38

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4. I did feel sorry for these guys. They had a great initial concept, but then rather than paying an architect to come up with a play on Victorian Gothic that was within their budget, they did it themselves and got an attractive home but one that didn't really match up to the initial promise. And I think they should have ignored Kevin and gone for the bigger fireplace. It would have looked great.

   Posted by Mark J on 18/06/2009 15:09:09

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5. thats the good thing about australia, there is heaps of room :D... but the thing i love about england is its historic arcitecture. but house like that wouldnt suit our austalian surroundings, and i reckoon they should of covered the whole thing in stone.

   Posted by josh on 02/03/2009 07:23:40

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6. I really didn't like this grand design. Although the idea was good they made just too many mistakes on the way. For example they built it in the wrong place, they didn't have a realistic budget, they didn't build it out of proper solid materials; instead using cheap replica's (except for the staircase which was a complete success), and so on. Personally I would have found a quiet country location off the main road, maybe just a small lane for access and clad it all in proper stone. I would have used real solid timbers for the support of each level and probably increased the size by a few hundred square feet. But most of all I would have ensured it could be proper Victorian Gothic throughout, not just to the rear where it was unseen, that I find is the biggest problem of this house, the fact that they weren't allowed to build it the way they wanted, that I think is the main problem with this country, its too small and cramped.

   Posted by Simon on 16/01/2009 18:33:52

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