GrandDesigns S26E05 Richmond Revisit 2025
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00In the UK, around 84% of us live in the urban environment in towns and cities.
00:07I mean, after all, we're a social species, aren't we?
00:09And these places are exciting and they're convenient.
00:12But there's one downside, and that is pollution.
00:17So imagine, you could build a house in a built-up area like this,
00:22but the moment you open the door,
00:24you breathe air, which is as clean and pure and cool and fresh as in a forest.
00:32And that is exactly what Bourne and Eleanor set out to do eight years ago.
00:38Back in 2017, I followed one of the most ambitious building projects I've ever witnessed.
00:46A project that wasn't about aesthetics.
00:50Worried about it looking like a shed, but we've realised it is going to look like a shed.
00:53A very beautiful shed.
00:55It certainly wasn't about pinpoint organisation.
00:58But we know that we can't get a crane down our current non-existent driveway.
01:02Because it's too narrow.
01:03Or having a problem-free construction process.
01:08It's been very stressful, very stressful.
01:11What set this project apart was its motivation.
01:15We're very much at a stage with their health
01:17that we just don't know what's going to happen from day to day.
01:19To build a hypoallergenic house
01:22that would keep their children safe from extreme allergies and asthma.
01:27Our whole life seems to be around how you can manage the allergies
01:31and integrate them into normal, everyday life.
01:34The project's ambitions were huge.
01:37What we would like to see happen as a result of all of our endeavours
01:40is that in a year's time,
01:42the children will be taking less medications,
01:44having less asthma attacks,
01:46having less allergic reactions to things.
01:48And as there were no guarantees this building would actually work,
01:52I had to come back.
01:54Bourne and Eleanor risked so much here
01:57on an idea that you could take a building
02:00and with innovative technology
02:01and a rigorous approach to construction,
02:04make something that could look after its occupants,
02:08safeguard their children.
02:10So, while you watch their story,
02:13I'm...
02:14I'm going to go and get a train.
02:16Has anyone thought this through?
02:20We are clean freaks.
02:50Bourne, a fitness entrepreneur,
02:52and his wife Eleanor, who owns a gallery,
02:54live in a comfortable home in London with their three children.
02:57Hello!
02:58Look how it gets you!
03:01Whoa!
03:02Don't eat them, no!
03:04But the health of their sons is a constant concern.
03:09Avery and Pascal have multiple allergies
03:11to everything from wheat, gluten, egg.
03:14We're allergic to nuts that's in the tree.
03:18Bread.
03:20Peas.
03:21Dust.
03:22Allergic to cats.
03:23The pollen levels in the air.
03:25Certain cleaning products are a problem.
03:27Sometimes chlorine at snooples.
03:29And bagels.
03:31And books.
03:33No.
03:33Our whole life seems to be around
03:35how you can manage the allergies
03:38and integrate them into normal, everyday life.
03:44This makes life complicated
03:47and sometimes frightening.
03:49With our children,
03:51I know that their allergies are so severe
03:52that if they have exposure to certain things,
03:54they could go into an anaphylactic shock
03:56and be really, really ill.
04:00Pascal and Avery are in the top 5%
04:03of the children that I treat with multiple allergies.
04:07Open wide.
04:08Oh, fantastic!
04:10Their allergies can be life-threatening.
04:13We might get an ear,
04:15and then we might have to go home.
04:17I might die.
04:18We might die or something.
04:20But only if we have peanuts we might.
04:23Peanuts make us die.
04:26So, to support their children's health,
04:32Bourne and Eleanor intend to build
04:33a hypoallergenic home.
04:36They've bought a plot of land in southwest London,
04:38in a leafy area full of parks and suburban semis.
04:43Right. Oh, yeah, look, big treads,
04:45big hole in the ground.
04:46Tucked away down a long drive,
04:48their quarter-acre plot cost £765,000.
04:52This is it.
04:53Yeah, yeah, nice.
04:54And used to be part of someone's back garden.
04:58It's all of, what, 50 yards to the road there,
05:00but it's completely quiet here.
05:02It was exactly the kind of location they were looking for.
05:06Our two sons have severe allergies.
05:09Right.
05:09And we always said we would love to live near a hospital.
05:12And this plot, gosh, it must be...
05:14200 metres away?
05:16If anything does happen, we can get them in a blink of an eye.
05:18Making a healthy home is a key issue here for you.
05:20Correct, yeah.
05:21When we started looking at this building,
05:23we began to understand that we could do things
05:26that could seriously improve their health.
05:30The ventilation in the house,
05:31how we can actually be filtering the air that comes in and out.
05:33and make a haven for our kids to grow and thrive in, really.
05:37They've owned the land for five months.
05:39Their original architect's design is being adapted
05:42by a team of healthy building specialists
05:44who are already on site marking out the footprint of the house.
05:48We chose our project managers and build team for precisely this reason.
05:52This is their area of expertise,
05:54so they can advise us and help us on this journey.
05:57And externally, how does the building present itself to the world?
05:59A single-storey house with basement dwelling.
06:03Because this is a garden plot,
06:04there was a limit on how big the above-ground building can be.
06:09It's going to be a very, very beautiful back garden shed
06:13if anyone does think it's a shed.
06:15We're a bit worried about it looking like a shed,
06:17but we've realised it is going to look like a shed.
06:19A very beautiful shed.
06:22To deliver the space they want,
06:24Bourne and Eleanor's healthy house will have hidden depths.
06:27They'll start by excavating 700 cubic metres
06:32to accommodate a large concrete basement.
06:36In the darkest corner,
06:38they'll put the plant room, family bathrooms and a cinema room.
06:42While in the lighter spaces,
06:44a master suite for Bourne and Eleanor
06:46and three bedrooms for the children
06:48will all look out onto a sunken garden.
06:51Above ground,
06:54they'll use big, pre-formed,
06:56ready-insulated timber panels or cassettes
06:58to make a single-storey building.
07:01The timber, insulation and cladding
07:03will all use low-toxin materials
07:05for a healthier home.
07:07The entire building will be skinned
07:10with an airtight membrane
07:11to satisfy Bourne and Eleanor's air quality requirements,
07:15then fitted with a mechanical ventilation system
07:17with extra filters.
07:18The spaces above ground will be light-filled
07:23and contain the main living areas,
07:25decorated with solvent-free paints
07:27and low-toxin flooring and furnishings
07:30to minimise the danger of allergic reaction.
07:34Outside, the building will be clad
07:35in large and white render
07:37with a modest grey zinc roof.
07:40Bourne and Eleanor hope this place
07:42will be a haven for their children,
07:43but there are very few precedents
07:45for hypoallergenic buildings.
07:48No-one knows if it'll work.
07:52The requirements of this house
07:54in terms of your children's health
07:55is a very high-spec.
07:57Yeah.
07:57So how much does all that cost?
07:59It has to come in for under half a million.
08:01OK.
08:01I was going to ask you where the cash comes from.
08:03We've got some equity from our previous sale
08:05and then we've had to borrow money.
08:06We have a set budget.
08:07We can't go above our budget.
08:10It's tight for a project
08:12with such unusual bespoke demands
08:14and already there's an obvious problem.
08:17Bourne and Eleanor's newly formed driveway
08:19is too narrow for any lorry or digger to get down.
08:24Instead, they'll need to cross
08:25the neighbouring plot of land
08:27which has direct access to a road.
08:29So this bit of land here is not yours?
08:32No, we're borrowing.
08:34How long have you got access for?
08:35Until July.
08:36Why have you been given such a short window?
08:38So this plot is going to be sold imminently.
08:42Somewhat focuses the mind, doesn't it?
08:44I mean, you've got, you know,
08:46what, six months now to...
08:48To, yeah.
08:49Do it all.
08:50Get everything on site.
08:51It's not long.
08:52No.
08:52So imagine that I am a lorry.
08:57I'm either coming to collect 20 tonnes of earth
08:59or I'm delivering stone or, I don't know, wall panels.
09:03Anyway, there are going to be dozens of these lorries
09:05traversing this bit of borrowed land.
09:07The point really is here
09:08that the period that they can use this land for
09:12is really not long enough.
09:15They're trying to do this for half a million quid.
09:18Sounds like quite a lot, doesn't it?
09:19They're also demanding a very exacting specification
09:23that is all focused around the health of their children.
09:29Time, money, quality,
09:32all three factors on this project are critical.
09:36All three of them are already very stressed.
09:39Within a month, the ground workers are on site,
09:49removing 1,000 tonnes of earth.
09:53For the project manager, John Palmer,
09:55the main issue is managing vehicles
09:57on the precious access route.
10:00We've got a logistical limit, really,
10:02on the number of lorries we can get in and out a day,
10:04purely in terms of loading
10:05and then getting more onto site.
10:07And there's a lot, a lot to get out.
10:08Wow.
10:10Since the clock is ticking on the access agreement,
10:13the ground workers are working flat out.
10:15We've got such a short time limit to get everything in,
10:18which is stressful.
10:21Unfortunately, there's a limit
10:23to how much Bourne and Eleanor
10:24can drive this project forward themselves.
10:27Let's go!
10:28Because they both work long hours
10:30running their own companies.
10:32Double jab, punch and then slip.
10:35A national fitness training business.
10:37How deep is it?
10:38Three and a half metres.
10:40And an art gallery.
10:43So, they're depending on their management team
10:46to keep the programme on track.
10:48Hi, Dave.
10:49Yeah, I just wanted a quick chat
10:50about this basement tender, if that's all right?
10:52But finding a basement contractor
10:55for their somewhat limited budget
10:56is proving hard.
10:59Obviously, anything we can do
11:00to bring it down a bit would be appreciated.
11:02So, have a look and give me a call back.
11:04Cheers. Bye.
11:05It takes three months
11:11and £28,000 more than they budgeted.
11:14But they eventually get
11:15a basement contractor on board.
11:18The basement work's going to be
11:20around £100,000.
11:21I am frustrated that we're not on schedule,
11:24but I am pleased with the way
11:27the job's going at this point
11:28in terms of the technical aspects.
11:30Ten lorry loads of concrete
11:33are needed to complete this basement,
11:35each truck traversing the borrowed land.
11:38Getting everything onto this site
11:39is the biggest problem.
11:41We were very concerned,
11:42as the weeks and the time are slipping by,
11:45that we wouldn't be able to do it.
11:47Bourne and Eleanor's access agreement
11:49was due to expire by now.
11:51Their neighbours have been relatively flexible,
11:53but all that is about to change.
12:00Looking between your heads
12:03is a sign that says sale agreed
12:05on the access loan next to it.
12:08We think we've got up to four weeks now
12:09before we start negotiating
12:10with the new owners.
12:12We don't know what the new chap's
12:14going to be like,
12:14but we know that we can't get a crane
12:17down our current non-existent driveway.
12:20Because it's too narrow.
12:20It's too narrow.
12:22No way.
12:23In terms of red flags on this project,
12:24the access has always been the big one.
12:27It's been very stressful,
12:28very stressful.
12:29It's an incontrovertible fact, isn't it?
12:32No matter how fine and noble your project is,
12:35if you can't get to the site,
12:37you can't build it.
12:54Bourne and Eleanor's builders
12:56are now eight months in.
12:57Their healthy house project
13:00is racing against the clock.
13:02The basement was done in record time,
13:04but access remains the biggest issue.
13:06They managed to negotiate an extension,
13:08but it's due to expire in nine days.
13:12But just in time,
13:14today they are taking the last big delivery.
13:17It's really exciting.
13:18I think we've waited for this moment
13:19for many, many months.
13:21The ground floor wall panels
13:23have arrived all the way from Latvia.
13:27Once these lorries are unloaded,
13:29access should no longer be a serious problem.
13:31I think it's a massive relief
13:33that no one can finish the project now,
13:34so that's all suitable.
13:39These timber cassettes
13:40are made with healthy materials,
13:42and they come with a healthy Latvian team
13:44of assemblers.
13:46Like a flat pack.
13:48Like a massive Ikea flat pack.
13:51In principle,
13:52they fit together so precisely
13:54that they form an airtight seal,
13:56so the air quality inside the building
13:58can be controlled.
14:00The thing about this system
14:01is that the panels that come
14:03are all ready with the membranes
14:04and the vapour block board
14:06as the airtightness layer,
14:08and that's already in place.
14:10So once the windows are in,
14:11they're taped,
14:12and that's our airtightness barrier
14:13all done.
14:14Put the doors in,
14:16and put the front door in,
14:17and you've got an airtight building.
14:18Yeah, absolutely.
14:19Crazy, crazy.
14:21Let's hope the building
14:22is truly airtight.
14:24Pollution in London,
14:25even in its suburbs,
14:26is legendarily bad.
14:29You have chosen a part of the world
14:30which is built up,
14:30it's industrialised,
14:31it's, you know...
14:32Yeah, I think that's where
14:33you decide on where
14:34you're going to make
14:35your compromises in life,
14:36and we have to live in London
14:38because it's where we work.
14:39It's less built up
14:40than where we were before.
14:41You've chosen, of course,
14:42historically,
14:43the best side of London
14:43to be on because
14:44the wind would blow
14:45from the west,
14:46all the smoke would blow,
14:47and that's why
14:47everybody who was poor
14:49was housed in the East End
14:50because the air quality
14:52was really poor there.
14:54Here, you had a fighting chance,
14:55haven't you?
14:57What with Brexit looming,
14:59everything they ordered from Europe
15:01has gone up by 6%,
15:02so the Latvian panels,
15:04supplied and fitted,
15:05have set Bourne and Eleanor
15:06back at 125 grand.
15:11But the advantage of this system
15:12is speed.
15:14It would take two months
15:15to put this structure up
15:16in the conventional way,
15:17but after just 12 days,
15:19the roof is on.
15:21It's all going to be
15:21the same zinc, isn't it,
15:23as we have wrapped around
15:24and the roof's getting lovely.
15:25And the windows are going in.
15:27I can't believe that.
15:29Well, two and a bit weeks ago
15:31we stood here
15:31and we were outside
15:32with nothing,
15:33and here we are
15:35and we've got
15:35a virtually watertight building.
15:37This is definitely
15:38the way to build a house.
15:41Now, well over halfway
15:42through their project.
15:43Come on, let's get
15:44your asthma pump done.
15:45On we go.
15:46The family are so very keen
15:48to move into what they hope
15:49will be a properly healthy home.
15:51Count, two, three.
15:54We're very much
15:55at a stage with their health
15:57that we just don't know
15:57what's going to happen
15:58from day to day,
15:59so they might be perfectly
16:00all right one day
16:01and the next day
16:01we've got asthma attacks,
16:02we've got allergic reactions
16:03happening.
16:04Good boys.
16:06Good boy, Pascal.
16:08You're hoping in a new house
16:09you won't have to have
16:10as much asthma pump?
16:11Yeah.
16:12I think when we see
16:12the structure going up,
16:13it's more about
16:14checking the materials
16:15and making sure
16:16everything we put in the house
16:18is geared to our family's health
16:21as the main priority.
16:23We've got two EpiPens.
16:24one Vietum in case
16:24we split up
16:25and Pascal's asthma pump
16:26and obviously Cetirazine.
16:28We're taking a barrage
16:29of medicines
16:30every time we leave the house.
16:31What we would like
16:32to see happen
16:33as a result of all
16:34of our endeavours
16:34is that, I don't know,
16:35in a year's time
16:36the children will be
16:37taking less medications,
16:39having less asthma attacks,
16:40having less allergic reactions
16:42to things
16:42and that will be for us
16:44be proof that
16:45something we've done
16:46has contributed towards
16:47improving their health
16:49and their lifestyle
16:50through this build.
16:51Bourne and Eleanor
16:56want this building
16:57to work as a haven
16:58to provide their boys
16:59with respite
17:00from a toxin-laden world.
17:02It's harder
17:03than you might think.
17:05Welcome to my pop-up shop
17:06of very common
17:07building materials.
17:09It may surprise you
17:10to know that all of them
17:11are really quite toxic.
17:13Many of them producing
17:14things called VOCs,
17:16volatile organic compounds,
17:19chemicals that off-gas,
17:21producing a charming cloud
17:22of toxicity
17:23that we, of course,
17:24can breathe in.
17:25And these chemicals
17:26are found in glues
17:28and varnishes
17:29and sticky tapes
17:30and spray foam
17:32and paint, of course.
17:35Oh, and then there's
17:35a whole range
17:37of timber products
17:38held together
17:38with formaldehyde,
17:40you know,
17:40commonly used
17:40for pickling bodies,
17:41and the glue
17:42in carpets.
17:44Just think of that.
17:45Your entire house
17:46fitted wall-to-wall
17:47with a layer
17:48of volatile organic compounds
17:51slowly off-gassing
17:52into your house
17:53and into your lungs.
17:55Wow.
17:57I don't think
17:58Bourne and Eleanor
17:59are going to be
17:59shopping here.
18:01The question,
18:02of course,
18:03is how many
18:04of these common
18:05building products
18:06have they managed
18:06to avoid?
18:07So what have you got here,
18:08for example,
18:09looking around?
18:09You've got a glue lamp.
18:10This glue lamp beam
18:11will be glued together
18:12with...
18:13But it's using
18:13an adhesive
18:14that's low VOC,
18:15so that's going to be checked.
18:16The insulation,
18:17that's mineral oil,
18:18isn't it?
18:18It is, yep.
18:19No petrochemicals
18:19in that.
18:20No petrochemicals
18:20in that.
18:21There's a bit
18:21of waterproof board,
18:22and that's always
18:23made with some
18:24kind of glues,
18:25because it's chipboard,
18:26isn't it?
18:26No, that's
18:27composite wood board,
18:28which is, again,
18:29low VOC.
18:30Really?
18:30Yeah.
18:33Good grief.
18:35So actually,
18:36everything,
18:37just kind of
18:37almost outside in.
18:39Yeah, what we've done
18:40is the very best
18:41that we can do.
18:42It's our duty
18:42to do what we can do
18:43within our budget.
18:46Controlling air quality
18:47isn't just about
18:48using healthy
18:49building materials.
18:50The house has been
18:52designed to be airtight.
18:54There's only one way
18:55to test it,
18:56by trying to suck
18:57the air out.
18:59We're going to use
19:00an enormous fan
19:01to depressurise the home.
19:03It will cause
19:04any leaks in the building
19:05fabric to be known to us.
19:07It's a test used
19:08on high-performance homes.
19:10If you look at
19:11the smoke moving normally,
19:13it will just kind of
19:14go straight up
19:15without any disturbance.
19:17If it's near
19:18an air leakage,
19:20you can see that
19:20the smoke is moving
19:22towards this direction,
19:23so there's an indication
19:24that there's some air leakage
19:26underneath this area here.
19:28It's laborious work.
19:30All the leaks
19:30have to be taped,
19:31sealed or masticed
19:32before the house's
19:33overall air pressure reading
19:35can be tested again.
19:37So it's a really good
19:38airtightness figure today,
19:40so the team will be
19:41really pleased
19:42with that result.
19:43Of course,
19:44an airtight house
19:45means you need to
19:46introduce some
19:46controlled ventilation
19:47somewhere.
19:49So Bourne and Eleanor
19:50have chosen
19:50a very high-performance
19:51mechanical ventilation
19:52and heat recovery system,
19:54which sucks air in
19:55from outside,
19:56pre-warms it
19:57and filters out
19:58the pollutants,
19:59hence all the pipes.
20:01Today we're seeing
20:01these metres and metres
20:03of white piping
20:04being fixed
20:05through every single room.
20:08They're going to be
20:08what pumps the clean air
20:09through the house,
20:10so this is surprisingly exciting.
20:15All this high-spec stuff
20:21costs money.
20:23Bourne and Eleanor
20:23have already spent
20:24375 grand
20:26of their half-million-pound budget,
20:28but ventilation
20:29is not something
20:30they're prepared
20:31to compromise on.
20:31It's not a cheap solution.
20:34It's more than
20:35£10,000
20:36for the unit
20:36for this property.
20:37We can't really
20:38put a price
20:39on the difference
20:40to the health
20:40that we are hoping
20:41it will make,
20:41but if it means
20:42that the children
20:42aren't suffering,
20:44that was a sensible
20:45investment for us.
20:49Frankly,
20:49it can't come too soon
20:51for Pascal and Avery.
20:52Their allergic reactions
20:54seem to be getting worse.
20:56He had a massive
20:57asthma attack.
20:58He had to go to hospital
20:59and they gave him
21:01steroid tablets
21:02and he's continuing
21:04to have these
21:05bizarre reactions.
21:06So we've really
21:07bumped him up
21:08onto quite a high dose
21:09and this is happening
21:11despite that.
21:13That's surprising.
21:15He's really ill.
21:17So much seems to ride
21:19on Bourne and Eleanor's project.
21:21Can a building
21:23really improve
21:24their children's health?
21:40Bourne and Eleanor
21:41are nine months
21:42into their healthy
21:43home experiment.
21:45Look at that, Avery.
21:45Wow!
21:47You like it?
21:48When are we going to move?
21:50Soon, I hope.
21:51Very, very soon.
21:53Sticking to the schedule
21:54is more important here
21:55than on most projects.
21:57The sooner they can move in,
21:59the sooner their kids'
22:00allergies might improve.
22:02We're a month over
22:03where I thought
22:04we'd be at the moment
22:04and so the urgency
22:06to move in
22:07is now by Christmas.
22:09If they can pull that off,
22:11this house will be
22:11the best Christmas present
22:13Bourne and Eleanor's kids
22:14could hope for.
22:18It couldn't be more
22:19different from
22:20the East London
22:21council flat
22:21that Bourne spent
22:22his childhood in.
22:23This is it, baby.
22:25This is where
22:26I grew up
22:27when I was a smaller boy,
22:28even smaller than you.
22:30Wait, no,
22:30there's a window in front.
22:32Where I came from,
22:33we didn't really have much.
22:34You see it, Sam, here.
22:37It wasn't the most
22:38healthiest environment
22:38to be in.
22:40It was dusty,
22:40it was mouldy.
22:41We had plumbing problems.
22:43I remember
22:44toilets flooding
22:45all the time.
22:46It was
22:47a bad place to live.
22:49What do you think?
22:51It looks a bit small.
22:52It's not very big
22:53when you think about it
22:54because there was
22:54lots of us in this house.
22:56Out here,
22:57it never used to look like this.
22:58It used to be
22:58pretty run down
22:59and pretty bad.
23:01As a father,
23:02I just feel so
23:03fortunate
23:04that I can give my kids
23:06something different.
23:08We don't know
23:08if it's going to work.
23:09We don't know
23:09if it's going to mean
23:10that they're going
23:11to live healthier
23:11or happier lives.
23:13All we can do
23:14is try
23:15and I feel so lucky
23:17to be able to do that.
23:22The excitement
23:23and hope
23:24that Bourne feels
23:25is beginning
23:25to translate
23:26into reality.
23:27By late October,
23:28the scaffolding
23:29is already down
23:30and there's
23:31a healthy flavour
23:32of what's to come.
23:34Oh, I like this.
23:36This is the front.
23:37That big timber panel
23:39is quite something.
23:40It's still
23:40standard
23:41Siberian large cladding.
23:43And the zinc work
23:44is beautiful.
23:45We've gone for a grey
23:46which ties in nicely
23:47with surrounding
23:48Edwardian-style houses.
23:50But it's a lovely
23:51balance of
23:52the metal,
23:53the render
23:54and the wood.
23:54So part shed?
23:56Part shed.
23:56Part sleek,
23:57contemporary house.
24:00The identity
24:01of this place
24:01changes dramatically
24:03as you walk around it.
24:05Good heavens.
24:06From the front,
24:06it's like a little
24:07scout hut.
24:08And then you walk
24:08around the corner
24:09and it's dribbling
24:10in size.
24:11It looks like
24:11a big white
24:13iceberg.
24:14You know,
24:15four-fifths
24:15below the surface.
24:16Yeah, there you go.
24:18That's the point,
24:19isn't it?
24:19It satisfies
24:20all the planning
24:20conditions.
24:21It's low,
24:21it's modest in ice.
24:22This cliff of mud
24:27is spectacular
24:28in its ugliness,
24:30isn't it?
24:31Wow,
24:31it looks like
24:31it might be a model
24:32for some terrible
24:34disaster movie.
24:35What are you going
24:35to do with it?
24:36This whole area
24:36will be patio.
24:37Right.
24:38And then how many
24:38levels of terracing
24:39is there?
24:40We've got four.
24:40Going much further
24:41out that way.
24:42How much to transform
24:44this site of desolation
24:45into some beauty then?
24:46Probably about
24:47£25,000 for this.
24:49This is going to be
24:50the most used
24:51outdoor area
24:52that we've got.
24:52I love the way
24:53you justify it.
24:57£25,000 will pay
24:59for a landscape architect,
25:00a lot of concrete
25:01and a digger.
25:02But it's half
25:03of what they have left.
25:05Yikes.
25:06It's like a dancing
25:07on there, right?
25:09As the ground workers
25:11get stuck in,
25:12a new dilemma emerges.
25:14I love this tree.
25:15I think we really
25:15want to keep this tree.
25:17And I can see us
25:18getting closer and closer.
25:19The danger is
25:20that if too many
25:21of the tree's roots
25:22are exposed,
25:23it might not survive.
25:25We're not seeing
25:26any major roots yet.
25:28I'll say that.
25:29I just see one.
25:30It's there.
25:31But we really want
25:32to have this tree
25:33in our lives
25:34when we're moving.
25:35It's just going to be
25:36beautiful looking up
25:37and its birds are singing
25:38and all that kind of stuff.
25:40As long as we can
25:40keep it there,
25:41we're good.
25:43Eleanor has her own
25:44fight on her hands,
25:46a labyrinthine quest
25:47to find healthy
25:48toxin-free furnishings
25:50for the house.
25:51It is a challenge.
25:52We've been doing
25:53our research into
25:55the various products
25:56that we've still got
25:56to put into the house.
25:57Everything from the
25:58wallpaper to the carpet
26:00to the furniture
26:01that we want to buy.
26:03It's been really
26:04difficult to understand
26:06what's inside certain
26:07products.
26:08Nothing tells you
26:09whether it is
26:10potentially going to be
26:11a poisonous item.
26:14With just one month
26:16to go until Christmas,
26:17Bourne and Eleanor's
26:18journey is gaining momentum.
26:22This may look like
26:23bog-standard white paint,
26:25but it isn't.
26:27It's a remarkable
26:27solvent-free variety.
26:29But I can't smell anything.
26:33It's pretty awesome.
26:36The floor finish upstairs
26:38is sleek, dust-free
26:39black, polished concrete.
26:41The chemical content
26:42and the VOCs
26:43that it emits
26:44are very low,
26:45so the children
26:46aren't going to be
26:46breathing in extra chemicals.
26:49Just a little bit of more.
26:50While in the bedrooms,
26:52they've opted for a carpet
26:53made from bamboo
26:54with no solvent-based
26:56glue on the back.
26:59How's that made out
27:00of bamboo?
27:01Eleanor and Bourne
27:02are becoming
27:03the national experts
27:04in bronze handles
27:05and hypoallergenic living.
27:07They take their fight
27:08to every aspect
27:10of the project,
27:11but sometimes
27:12they lose a battle.
27:13We're going to be
27:14cutting away
27:14too much of the roots.
27:16OK.
27:17Destabilises it.
27:18Is the question
27:19tree hitting house
27:20or tree go, basically?
27:23So, it's got to go.
27:25House or tree?
27:26Mm-hmm.
27:26It's a no-brainer.
27:34It's ironic
27:35that one of nature's
27:36air filters
27:37has been sentenced.
27:38Bourne mourns
27:39its loss
27:40as collateral damage,
27:41the price of building
27:42a new home,
27:43one which Eleanor
27:44has been curating
27:45in more and more detail.
27:47She does own
27:48an art gallery,
27:49after all.
27:50What's this, then?
27:52We're going to have
27:52a mural on this wall,
27:53so we're working
27:54with this artist.
27:55Looks like this artist
27:55might no longer
27:56be alive.
27:57I mean, it looks like
27:59it's a pre-Raphaelite painting,
28:00albeit with some weird
28:01stuff going on
28:02in the right-hand corner.
28:02A contemporary pre-Raphaelite painting.
28:04We want there to be
28:05a real statement
28:06on this wall,
28:06and it's going to be huge.
28:07It's going to cover
28:07two metres square.
28:09Do you buy into this?
28:10Certainly.
28:10I think the more
28:11white halls we have,
28:12it's the more art
28:13we can put up
28:14and the more stories
28:15we can tell about us.
28:15She has trained the work.
28:16There's no indication
28:21of furniture yet,
28:23just paintings.
28:25It's slightly like a gallery,
28:27this, isn't it?
28:28Dark floor,
28:29white walls,
28:30gallery lighting everywhere.
28:31You know,
28:32the whole thing
28:32has this very subdued
28:33control palette.
28:34Ready to be dressed.
28:36I know what you can do with art.
28:37We haven't got the budget
28:38to go crazy with things,
28:39but I know that we can do
28:40some really spectacular things
28:41that will make this house
28:42come alive.
28:44And you haven't got
28:44far to go, have you?
28:45I mean, you're nearly there,
28:46remarkably.
28:47We're nearly there.
28:49I think we're two weeks off,
28:51which is about right
28:52because it's Christmas
28:52in two weeks.
28:55Of course,
28:56the real evidence
28:58that this home
28:59can make a difference
29:00to the boys' health
29:01will take months
29:02to materialise.
29:07The last time
29:08I saw Eleanor and Bourne,
29:10they'd only just moved
29:11into their high-performance,
29:13fresh-aired,
29:13hypoallergenic house.
29:15How are you?
29:16I love it.
29:17It's so modest,
29:18this building.
29:18And that's what we aimed for,
29:19really,
29:19was kind of not to be
29:20too overbearing
29:21from the road.
29:22And there's no doubt
29:23that architecturally
29:24the building was working.
29:26It's really lovely.
29:28The critical part
29:30of this place
29:30was in its
29:31bedroomed basement.
29:33This is where
29:34the ventilation system lives.
29:36Let's have a look
29:37at the filters.
29:38Whoa!
29:39There's actually a bug in it.
29:40It's absolutely disgusting.
29:42It's actually grotesque.
29:43It's actually satisfying.
29:45The NVHR system
29:47was certainly
29:48cleaning the air.
29:49And the early signs
29:50of a safe haven
29:51for their children
29:52were promising.
29:53Obviously,
29:54we're coming out
29:55of a rather intense
29:56period of our lives.
29:57Any parent will
29:58want to look after
29:59their kids,
30:00but you're taking
30:01responsibility
30:01for the air
30:02that they breathe.
30:03Elinor and Bourne
30:05had spent
30:06£560,000
30:08on a house
30:09that they hoped
30:09would transform
30:10the long-term
30:11health of their children.
30:14But they knew well
30:16that nothing
30:17was guaranteed.
30:19Now,
30:21seven years later...
30:22The big hope
30:24was that
30:24the building
30:25could improve
30:27the lives
30:28of those boys.
30:30I guess it's time
30:31to find out.
30:32I last saw
30:46Elinor and Bourne
30:47seven years ago
30:48when they'd just
30:49moved into their
30:50oasis house
30:51in this southwest
30:52London suburb.
30:55Only now
30:56is it possible
30:56to know
30:57if their original
30:58heartfelt ambitions
30:59of well-being
31:00and health
31:01have been met.
31:02at the end
31:03of their secret
31:04drawbridge driveway.
31:08The approach
31:10to this house
31:10was always kind of
31:11odd
31:12because the drive
31:13is so long
31:14down in between
31:15these existing
31:16terraced houses,
31:17but look at that!
31:18It's a little slice
31:19of, I don't know,
31:21the Mediterranean.
31:22This fortress shed
31:24is crisp,
31:25modern...
31:26Also mature.
31:28And it aged well.
31:30The timber
31:31has silvered
31:32beautiful,
31:32but you still get
31:33that lovely
31:34warm orange
31:35just underneath
31:36the eaves there.
31:37It's beautiful.
31:39Really beautiful.
31:41But its shed-like
31:43modesty
31:44has hidden depths
31:45and meanings.
31:49There is now
31:51a mature
31:51terraced garden
31:52that softens
31:57and elevates
31:58and elevates
31:58the building.
32:01But these elegant,
32:03large-clad
32:04and white-rendered walls
32:06were built
32:07to protect
32:08their contents,
32:09to enhance
32:10the lives
32:11and health
32:12of those within.
32:15Wow.
32:16Hey.
32:18Hello.
32:18Welcome back.
32:19Long time.
32:21Very long time.
32:22How are you?
32:23Very well.
32:23Very well.
32:24Your hair's even longer.
32:26How's your place?
32:27I hope you recognise it still.
32:28Yeah, do you know,
32:29it's so lovely
32:29with all the planting.
32:31Everything's kind of
32:31so lush now
32:32compared to...
32:33I think you're going to see
32:34a lot of plants.
32:35It's sort of mellowed.
32:37That's a good word
32:38for it, I think.
32:39It's settled.
32:40It's settled into
32:40its environment
32:41and really found its place.
32:43We are establishing,
32:45let's say, our greenery.
32:46It's romantic.
32:47How are the kids?
32:49They're wonderful.
32:50Yeah, well,
32:50you may not recognise them.
32:52They've grown a lot.
32:53I can't make for you
32:53to see them
32:54and they're doing us all proud.
32:57And enjoying the house.
32:58They enjoy the house the most.
32:59Because life is sort of
33:00marked out by
33:01hospital visits,
33:02wasn't it?
33:03Yeah.
33:04Medical intervention.
33:05Yeah.
33:05Yeah, and our life's
33:06marked out by
33:07how much fun
33:07we have each year
33:08and all the new stuff
33:10they can do
33:11amazingly in a garden.
33:12Seriously?
33:12Yeah, it's love.
33:14And it's a powerful
33:15thing to hear you say.
33:16Can't wait to show you.
33:17Yeah, come on in.
33:18Yeah, let's go.
33:21Once over the threshold...
33:22Well, it's very lovely.
33:25It's clear the inside
33:27has matured too.
33:29Lots of greenery.
33:31Crisp, framed views
33:33of a now verdant garden
33:34are matched
33:35by indoor greenery
33:36and everywhere
33:37you're invited to explore.
33:41This has come into its own.
33:42Yeah, this is fantastic.
33:43Yeah.
33:43We're so pleased
33:44we've done the glass floor.
33:45Absolutely.
33:45Bringing light down
33:46but also adding that drama.
33:48Yeah.
33:49It's suspended
33:50as you come in
33:51into the house.
33:52This is the main act,
33:52isn't it?
33:53Come on through.
33:54This main living area
33:56now feels lived in
33:57and luxurious.
33:59Huge windows
33:59bring the outside in
34:01from every angle
34:02and the views
34:04are embellished
34:05by Eleanor's
34:05exquisite taste
34:06in art and furnishings.
34:09Well, yeah,
34:10it's the main act.
34:11The big change
34:13is what's happened outside
34:14because the gardens
34:15have matured.
34:15There's another room
34:16in that direction.
34:17There's another room
34:18in that direction.
34:19You can see they're both
34:19really lived in.
34:20They serve different purposes.
34:21That's beautiful
34:22because suddenly
34:23the whole building
34:24is twice as big.
34:25Yeah.
34:26The power of green space
34:27is just phenomenal.
34:29Massive, yeah.
34:29There's a lot of surprises
34:30as you walk around the house.
34:32We feel so lucky
34:33and so privileged
34:33to have got to do this
34:34because we know
34:35it's not normal
34:36to get to build a house.
34:37We know it's not normal
34:37to get to do this
34:38for our family.
34:39Sit down an evening
34:40in the garden
34:40watching them run around.
34:42They never stay still.
34:44Ever.
34:44That's phenomenal.
34:45I mean, I think
34:46it was always around
34:46the functional home first
34:49and then we built
34:50the look around
34:51the function.
34:52I think that
34:52it looks great
34:54but it's very functional.
34:56It doesn't feel functional
34:57until you know.
34:57It just seems like
34:59a really busy,
35:00thriving home
35:01for doing stuff, yeah?
35:04Yeah.
35:04It's a home.
35:05Yeah, it's a home.
35:06The connection
35:06to green space
35:08Ooh!
35:09Oh, yeah!
35:10also invades the kitchen.
35:12From here
35:12there are some promising signs
35:13of active, healthy children.
35:15The sunken terraced garden
35:17suggests a purpose
35:18other than sporting.
35:19It sparks a sense
35:20of childlike wonder.
35:22I love the kind of
35:23aerial view of that
35:25from up here.
35:26It's so rare.
35:27This is great.
35:28It's really nicely planted.
35:29It brings us
35:30so much happiness,
35:31that area.
35:31Who's the gardener here?
35:33I think I buy them
35:34and you put them
35:34in the ground.
35:35It's generally what we do.
35:36We've had so much fun
35:38learning about plants
35:39and we know the children
35:41and we know the children
35:41have lots of reactions
35:42because of nature
35:44so being really careful
35:45with what we put in.
35:46It's been a real education.
35:48So if you remember
35:49we lost that beautiful tree
35:50that was here
35:51but I think it was
35:52our 10th anniversary
35:53and so we bought
35:54the olive tree
35:55to mark the 10-year anniversary
35:56and that's made us
35:58also extremely happy
35:59having that there.
36:01I was going to say
36:01the kitchen's the same
36:02but it's not
36:03because this has also
36:03turned into a greenhouse.
36:06There's plants everywhere.
36:07So if you're both gardeners
36:08are you both cooks
36:08as well in here?
36:09I do a lot of the cooking.
36:11We have to cook fresh
36:12for them a lot
36:12because they're allergies.
36:14It's a place
36:14where we all sit down
36:15and meet
36:16at least twice
36:17or three times a day
36:18especially over lockdown
36:19and I'm realising
36:21actually
36:21that's when we fell
36:23in love with the house
36:23that we had
36:24so much time
36:25to spend
36:25in the house
36:26and that's when
36:26we did the garden
36:28and we started
36:28to look at the spaces
36:29and that's when
36:30we truly realised
36:31actually
36:32as lucky as we are
36:33we've actually built
36:34a space
36:34that we could be proud of.
36:36Lockdown for us
36:37was probably
36:38the way in which
36:39we came together
36:40even closer
36:41as a family.
36:47For something
36:48designed as a safe haven
36:50this human arc
36:52expresses a bold
36:53spirit of adventure.
36:55Do you want to have
36:55a look downstairs?
36:56No, I'd love to see
36:57those rooms.
37:00Downstairs
37:01in the air-managed
37:03basement
37:03each of the three
37:06children's bedrooms
37:07gives out
37:07onto the courtyard garden
37:09and the tireless
37:12MVHR system
37:13is still working hard
37:15after seven years.
37:16It's really hard
37:17to believe
37:18that we're standing
37:19in a basement
37:19because if you're
37:22it's so fresh.
37:24We have so much
37:25light coming in
37:26I don't ever feel
37:27any different
37:27than being in an upstairs
37:28or a ground floor
37:29of a house.
37:30I don't even remember
37:31when we built this
37:32and it felt like a car park
37:33when it was first
37:33just that concrete
37:34it felt dark
37:35it felt quite ominous
37:36so simple things
37:37the lighting
37:38putting the glass ceiling
37:39making sure that
37:40there was enough light
37:41coming in
37:42bigger windows as possible
37:43so I think we probably
37:44we overcompensated
37:45what we thought
37:46it was going to be like
37:46and as a result
37:47it's worked.
37:49Eleanor and Bourne's
37:50own slice of sanctuary
37:52is still as fresh
37:53and bright as it was
37:54seven years ago.
37:58Everything would suggest
37:59the biggest change
38:01here is not
38:02to the house
38:02but its principal
38:03residence.
38:09Now Avery is 14
38:11Pascal 12
38:13and Blakely is 9
38:14and it seems
38:16they're as active
38:16and happy
38:17as never before.
38:19Their doctor
38:20who knows
38:21the family well
38:22has seen
38:23an improvement
38:24in their health.
38:25Both boys
38:26are doing really well
38:27and you know
38:28there has been
38:29a definite
38:30reduction
38:32in hospital visits.
38:35Could it be
38:36that they're breathing
38:37cleaner air
38:38inside their home
38:39I don't know
38:40but they've both
38:41done very well
38:42and I think
38:43actually for this family
38:44it's interesting
38:45how the house
38:45just feeds
38:46into their health
38:47ethos
38:48and approach
38:48to health
38:49in general.
38:50The VOC count
38:51and internal air quality
38:53were always critical here.
38:55We're looking at
38:564 million particles
38:57per cubic metre
38:58that's very low.
39:00And some recent tests
39:01show the house
39:02is still performing well.
39:04The enclosed
39:05cinema room
39:06is one space
39:07where ventilation
39:08could be improved.
39:10We are built
39:11programmed
39:12to breathe fresh air.
39:14Exactly.
39:15We're not designed
39:16to sit in airtight houses.
39:17No.
39:18So what did you find here?
39:19What were the results?
39:20The air flow
39:21was a little bit
39:23challenged in places.
39:24part of the ground floor
39:26at the back
39:26of the building
39:27particularly.
39:28Yeah.
39:29I would say
39:29that this property
39:30out of the 4,000 or so
39:32that I've tested
39:33in detail
39:34I would say
39:35is one of the
39:36better properties
39:37as far as indoor air quality
39:39is concerned
39:40and I know
39:40that the family
39:41have experienced
39:42great improvements
39:43to their life
39:44and their lifestyle
39:45and their health
39:46since they've been here.
39:48So,
39:49after these recent tests
39:50the family are now
39:51considering a new
39:52air purifier
39:53for the lower floor
39:54but the greatest
39:56testament to how
39:57effective this house
39:58has been
39:58lies in the health
40:00and happiness
40:00of the children
40:01that live here.
40:04So,
40:05if I went back to
40:06you know
40:06when you were younger
40:06right
40:07and you were
40:07off to hospital
40:09every couple of weeks
40:10and waking up
40:10with asthma attacks
40:11and so on
40:12the night
40:12what changed?
40:13What's changed
40:13since then?
40:14The house
40:14has like prevented
40:15most of that happening
40:17and it's
40:18we still
40:18sometimes go to
40:19the hospital
40:20but it's quite rare.
40:21You're all pretty active?
40:22Yeah.
40:23Me and Avery
40:23just came back
40:24from the national
40:25cross country
40:25in Leeds.
40:27Running?
40:28Yeah, running.
40:28Cross country.
40:29Yeah, but I mean
40:30how far?
40:31How far?
40:31He ran
40:32I ran 4.2
40:33and I ran 2.4K.
40:36Not going to hospital
40:37and also
40:38running cross country
40:39in national competition
40:41that's remarkable
40:42isn't it?
40:43Well I guess
40:43the house has probably
40:44helped a lot
40:45because
40:45it's
40:47like helped
40:47us with my asthma
40:48and then
40:49so that
40:50it's easy
40:51I'm capable
40:52of doing sports.
40:53How do you view
40:53your parents
40:54as a result of it?
40:56I love them.
40:57I love them with my heart.
40:59Yeah.
40:59They're great.
41:00I'm very grateful
41:01for them bringing us here
41:02and where we are now
41:03so
41:04yeah.
41:05You've got a favourite
41:06corner of the building
41:07you like?
41:08Probably like the outdoor space
41:09because it's so spacious
41:09and you can like
41:10run around
41:11and you lose all your energy
41:12if you're like hyper.
41:13Yeah.
41:14What about you, Pascal?
41:15It's probably got to be
41:16the games room.
41:17Really?
41:17Yeah.
41:19And the most annoying
41:19about living here?
41:21Those two.
41:21Ha ha!
41:23When I first met
41:24Eleanor and Bourne
41:25I doubt they could have
41:27ever envisaged
41:28the strong, sporty,
41:30independent children
41:31they've raised
41:32within these walls
41:33and this building
41:35has nourished them
41:36as well.
41:37A new garden office
41:38provides extra space
41:39for Bourne's expanding business
41:41and he and Eleanor
41:43both now
41:45also breathe easier
41:46knowing their children
41:48are truly safe.
41:50All of this
41:50leads to one
41:51final question.
41:53So do you absolutely
41:54believe the house
41:55has made the kids healthier?
41:56Yeah.
41:57Oh dear.
41:57Yeah.
41:58Yeah.
41:58Yeah.
41:58I'm not sure
41:59I'm not exactly sure why
42:00I'm not going to say no
42:01we can't claim
42:02it's one thing or another
42:03I think it's a
42:04combination of many factors
42:06have all contributed
42:08to that point.
42:09Yeah.
42:10It really does
42:11I just feel lucky
42:13every day
42:13I don't know how to describe it
42:14it completes our family.
42:16As a parent
42:16you obviously
42:17you're there to protect
42:18and look after
42:19your loved ones
42:20and then
42:21you build a house
42:22and suddenly
42:23you become a parent
42:24to all those plants
42:25outside the house
42:26because you've seen it
42:27from the beginning
42:28so it's like a big kid
42:30for us as well
42:30because we built this
42:32from start to finish
42:33and the house
42:34loves the kids
42:35the way we love the kids
42:36it's keeping them safe.
42:37I've always thought of
42:37you know
42:38buildings is having
42:38this capacity
42:39to help people heal
42:41but I've never seen it
42:44expressed
42:45so succinctly
42:46in three children.
42:49I mean how does that
42:50make you feel now?
42:52Yeah very
42:53very emotional
42:54and I think
42:56if you told us
42:57when they were really small
42:58and said
42:59oh they're going to be
43:00running for the county
43:02I don't know
43:03I don't know
43:03if I would have thought
43:04they couldn't do it
43:04but I don't think
43:05I would have thought
43:06that's something
43:06we're aiming towards
43:07I think we were aiming
43:07towards health
43:08well actually
43:10I'll be really honest
43:11survival
43:11I think is probably
43:12what we were aiming towards
43:13you know
43:13it's like
43:13how do we get these kids
43:14to be able to
43:15take part in
43:16as much of the world
43:17as possible
43:18and what we've watched
43:19them do
43:19is embrace the world
43:21they go out
43:22and they really
43:23make the most
43:24of every opportunity
43:25that they want to
43:26has the building
43:27surprised you with anything?
43:28I'd say
43:29the fact that it keeps
43:30every time we come in
43:31that we still get that
43:32first day feeling
43:33it feels like Christmas
43:34it's the most wonderful feeling
43:37knowing that this is ours
43:39we're very proud of it
43:39as well
43:40we've been so proud
43:41of the house
43:42of the children
43:43the whole process
43:44it's been
43:46people say we do it again
43:48we say yes
43:49in a heartbeat
43:49but we have no
43:50interest in moving
43:51I can't imagine
43:52actually having a movie again
43:53but it was
43:54it was an enjoyable process
43:55we stretched ourselves
43:56and we will be paying it off
43:57for the foreseeable future
43:58but it's
43:59it's such an important
44:00investment for us
44:01it is so much more
44:03than just a mortgage
44:03it's our home
44:05you can't put a price on love
44:06you can't put a price on health
44:06and for us it was
44:07we just wanted to really
44:09ensure that we give our kids
44:11the best possible chance
44:12of health
44:13I like that
44:14they're lovely things
44:16thank you all
44:17who knew it
44:18who knew it
44:19yeah
44:19this family's journey
44:25with this building
44:26has been remarkable
44:28it has in effect
44:29shaped itself
44:31around their needs
44:32it has nourished them
44:34no scientist
44:36or town planner
44:37would rashly claim
44:38a building
44:38has the power to heal
44:40although I would
44:42our relationships
44:43with these inanimate structures
44:45run perhaps deeper
44:46than science will allow
44:48buildings
44:49frame
44:50our outlooks
44:51and our energies
44:53they can shape our emotions
44:54even in the face
44:56of overwhelming challenges
44:57it is of course
45:00pretty straightforward
45:01to measure the tangibles
45:02in buildings
45:03their cost
45:04their size
45:05their performance
45:06much harder
45:07to measure
45:09the intangibles
45:10the effects
45:11they have
45:12on human beings
45:13and here
45:15for Edinburgh
45:16I think the journey
45:17has been one
45:17from hope
45:18and faith
45:19and belief
45:20that this
45:21this building
45:22this piece of
45:22building engineering
45:23could do something
45:24positive for their
45:25children's health
45:25to a position
45:26where they're
45:28if anything
45:29slightly
45:29surprised
45:31slightly
45:31taken aback
45:33by how well
45:34the building
45:35has done that
45:36looking after
45:37their children
45:38yes
45:38perhaps improving
45:40their health
45:40yes
45:41but also
45:43improving
45:43Bourne
45:45and Eleanor's
45:46view
45:47and hopes
45:47and disposition
45:49the building
45:50provides a new
45:51baseline
45:52for the family
45:53of care
45:54and protection
45:55and it's helped
45:57the pair of them
45:58climb down
45:59from that state
46:00of high alert
46:01it's helped them
46:02all as a family
46:04grow
46:05and flourish
46:07and really
46:08really thrive
46:31as a family
46:32of long
46:47you
46:48you