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http://Scene-RLS.net
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On Great Escapes, we're going
to travel the wilderness,
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on the hunt for unique
architectural design.
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I'm Colin McAllister.
And I'm Justin Ryan.
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We're designers and have travelled
the globe, renovating houses
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and adding our own unique flair
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to other people's homes.
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Now, we love the great outdoors
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and the idea of embracing
the wilderness into your home,
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and, in fact, just how far people
will go to achieve precisely that.
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Building an escape in the woods
presents magnificent opportunities
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for individual design,
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but also unique challenges to work
in harmony with the surroundings.
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Add to that, an extreme climate,
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from blistering hot summers
to teeth-chattering winters,
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and these escapes must combine
splendour with functionality.
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We're going to explore properties
that take that challenge
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head on, as we investigate homes
that celebrate the landscape
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and work with the environment
in interesting and distinctive ways.
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On this episode,
we'll be talking to people
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who have never before
built their own home.
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But the very same people
who gave it their all
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to build their dream escape.
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One first-time builder spent a year
surveying his property,
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looking for the perfect view before
even breaking ground. Wow! Come on!
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Some properties just stop
you in your tracks!
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Another drew on family history
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and local heritage before building
their very first dream home.
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Everything's big about
this property!
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And our last first-time builder
decided to take the simplicity
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of condo life and transport
it into the ultimate off-grid oasis.
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I love the realisation of a dream,
when you know what you want
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and you go out there
and you jolly well get it!
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I will never forget the hassle,
Colin,
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of being a first-time builder
in the middle of nowhere,
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but it came together beautifully,
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and so did the next house
that we're about to visit.
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Yep, it's truly a sight to behold.
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We've all heard the mantra,
location, location, location...
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Well, this impressive 2,400 square
foot escape known as Black Birch
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takes full advantage
of its placement
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and sits naturally amongst the
trees, as if it's always been here.
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One of the key elements to a great
building is the way it
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sits on its site, to take
advantage of the sun as it moves
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through the sky and of course,
the breezes to cool the interior.
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But sometimes,
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these type of details can be
overlooked by a first-time builder.
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That's not the case here, however.
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It's clear that homeowner Chris
and his wife Susan carefully
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studied the site upon which
Black Birch was built.
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Wow! Wow! Well, I know why
it's called Black Birch. Yeah.
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Hey, Chris, how are you doing?
I'm doing well. How are you?
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I'm all the better for seeing this
incredible place of yours.
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That mix of black exterior,
the greenery, the water,
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the blue skies,
I have died and gone to heaven.
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And this was your first build.
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Can I take you inside?
I'd love a look. Great, let's do it.
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Windows are Chris's passion.
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He has spent his life building
a custom glazing business,
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so it's no surprise that Black Birch
would feature an impressive
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display of incredible windows.
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Hey, Susan. Hi, guys. How are you?
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Good! Good to see you, too.
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Oh, wow! We were standing outside,
we were blown away,
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but coming inside and seeing this
incredible volume, all
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the glass, all the black frameworks
and the furnishing detail...
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Oh, my goodness! Off the charts!
One of the things that strikes me
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immediately about this place is
there isn't any drywalls,
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so it's significantly glass
on all elevations.
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Chris, you are the window guy.
I am the window guy.
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You ARE the window guy,
so this is exactly what we'd expect.
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Almost 360 degrees, it really
influences the architecture.
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How important to you when putting
this design together was
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the landscape and representing
aspects of what's out there, inside?
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I would say it was very important.
In fact, we spent a lot of time...
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We spent almost a year
on the property
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before we started building,
where we'd just come in here with
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a lunch during the afternoon
and just sit in the wooded forest
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and decide, you know, what view
we wanted, what trees we wanted.
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The interesting point is
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so much of the view was
designed around the coffee machine,
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so when we are talking
about the view
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and we are talking about the
perspective, that's our thing,
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that's what we do, how would this
view look while standing
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and making a coffee?
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And all of a sudden,
you're surrounded by the very,
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very best in nature.
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That's actually my favourite window.
We call that our snow globe window.
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That's the window when you can
be sitting in the kitchen
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and the snow is dropping or
blowing off the trees
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and it literally looks like you're
in a snow globe. Amazing.
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It's amazing that you actually
thought of that
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and this is your first big
build as a couple.
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We had the luxury of time,
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so we weren't in a time constraint
where we had to move in here.
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We had tonnes of time to plan.
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There was nothing here, initially,
was there? Nothing.
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It was forest, dense forest,
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and we had to clear it all and that
was a huge, huge undertaking.
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I really love the open plan.
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Everywhere you look, there's
something else glorious to look at.
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And there's never a moment where
you're thinking,
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"I'm bored seeing what I'm seeing."
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How important for you was the open
plan aspect, Susan?
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Very, very important.
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We have a lot of family up
on the lake and a lot of friends...
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Do you throw a lot of parties?
Yes, we do. I can imagine. We do.
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We have great parties up here.
So we wanted one big,
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huge open space where everyone can
just mingle around
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and a great flow
and very interactive,
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so, yeah, that was very important,
to keep this space open.
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I think part of the planning was
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we really wanted two separate
environments.
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The main living area's very bright,
very open and very tall,
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whereas when you go into
the bedrooms,
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the bedrooms have a very different
feel.
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The bedrooms are a little bit
smaller, a little bit darker,
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and very quiet,
so it's really and truly a retreat.
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One of the stunning architectural
features of Black Birch is
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this incredible two-storey wall,
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a feature that divides the living
area from the bedrooms.
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Now, not only is it gorgeous,
but it's completely soundproof.
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One thing I'm noticing is
I'm not seeing any air conditioning
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ducts anywhere. How are you cooling
and how are you heating?
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In-floor heating. We also wanted it
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to be really warm underfoot,
so we wanted to be comfortable.
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Chris heats the house via
radiant floor heating,
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which although not a new system,
is still somewhat rare.
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Radiant floor heating is a system
that injects heat into the floor.
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The radiant floor heating is
transferred to the floor
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through liquid in tubes.
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We don't have a cooling system.
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We've been working with something
called an active house
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principle and that is just
having as many operable
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windows as possible, including
entire moving walls of glass.
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So it allows for a very
efficient air flow,
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so we don't need air conditioning.
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So that's really fancy speak
for open a window! Pretty much! Yes!
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How does it actually work?
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Would you like me to show you?
Yeah! OK.
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We had the balance
between as big as we can get,
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but not so big that we
couldn't handle it.
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Wow! And they are just seamless!
You know, that is so simple to do.
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Well, it's clearly all about that
incredible view. This is awesome!
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You know what, you can't get
that on prescription, can you?
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That feeling,
that sense of connection to water.
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And that wonderful
feeling of tranquillity you get.
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And you never tire of it
cos it's always changing,
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so we could walk down here
in the morning and it can look
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completely different and the sunsets
are completely different again.
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So it's never the same.
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You could be in the same spot,
but never get the same view.
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For someone thinking about embarking
on a build
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for the first time,
what advice would you give them?
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If I had to give any advice,
it's allow yourself the time
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and the opportunity to execute your
vision
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and execute your vision properly,
as opposed to having a date on which
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you need or want to be in there
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and everything else is a compromise
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as a result of that date,
cos we've seen it happen before.
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It's all about the relationship
between the building
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and the location.
Everything just works.
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I like the fact that this home is
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so perfectly positioned
within this area of forest.
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It's a big, modern, black box,
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yet it doesn't feel
overwhelmingly out of place.
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Black Birch isn't just a home,
it's the future.
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It really is, I think,
a statement of what you can do
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when you put your mind to it
to make a wonderful holiday escape.
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It was the Roman engineer Vitruvius
who wrote
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that the three principles
of good architecture
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are durability, usefulness
and beauty.
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The breathtaking Black Birch
ticks all three boxes.
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But now, in our present day,
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we need to add a new fourth
principle to the list,
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sustainability, and one of the best
ways to make a structure
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sustainable is by preserving
the past.
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It's hard to believe, but this
impressive wood frame house
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has its roots in humble log cabins
built by early
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settlers in the North American West.
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This style of wood
and stone construction
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reached its peak in the grand stone
and timber lodges built for
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the brand-new National Park system
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in the early part of the 20th
century.
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Lodges,
such as Grand Canyon's El Tovar
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and the Old Faithful lodge
in Yellowstone
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were massive in scale, but were
remarkably cosy and intimate.
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The architectural style is known
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today as
National Park Service Rustic,
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or Parkitecture.
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OK, don't worry, Justin.
It's not a prison. Phew!
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These walls used to part of an old
cooperage and that of course
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is the place where they would make
the barrels for whisky and wine.
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I wonder if they've got any whisky
left indoors. What do you reckon?
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I think we're going to find out!
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This massive wood framed house
stands at 4,850 square feet
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and is the brainchild of couple
Steve and Rene, who were attracted
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to the property because of
the ruined remains of the old
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cooperage, which occupied the site
from 1933 until the early 1950s.
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Guys! Grand rooms! Great rooms!
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Some are greater than others
and this certainly delivers.
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Everything's big about this
property.
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I'm thinking of the fact that this
property is built
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on the site of the old cooperage,
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you've brought the
wood detail in here again to reflect
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days gone by,
yet in a modern interpretation.
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When we go to the community and they
say, "Oh, you bought the Cooperage.
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"My grandfather worked there.
My uncle worked there.
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"We used to play there as kids."
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So, everybody that we talked to
almost has used this property,
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so why not have a great stone
and wood building that matches up?
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So, Steve, how does that happen?
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00:10:34,072 --> 00:10:37,056
You know, you find a great
property on the lake, amazing walls,
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how do you then turn
that into a home?
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Cos this is a first-time build for
you two. A lot of research.
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Mostly in the States, Wisconsin,
Montana, Missouri, Colorado
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in particular. And we visited, too,
as well, a lot of log homes
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and we looked at kind of how they
were set up, how the rooms flow.
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How tall is the ceiling? Cos that's
a mammoth. It's 26.5ft. 26.5ft?
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Yeah. How can you be so accurate?
I was up there.
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00:11:04,012 --> 00:11:06,040
OK. Yes, I did the staining and...
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00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:07,064
The staining on that, yes!
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And put the beam up there. Yes.
With some help.
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I love the size of it because
you can get lost in it, if you want.
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You can go into your own room
and it's great.
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We've got the media room where
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you can go and watch the sports,
if you want.
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And we love the idea that friends
and family can come
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and that we're not like on top
of each other. We can spread out.
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You can be outside, you can be down
at the fire pit, you can
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be out on the water, kayaking,
canoeing, so we love that.
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Steve, is it important for you
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00:11:30,036 --> 00:11:32,060
to actually capture
a sense of history in your home?
234
00:11:32,060 --> 00:11:34,064
Cos this is essentially
a new-build property,
235
00:11:34,064 --> 00:11:37,024
but it's got a great sense
of heritage about it.
236
00:11:37,024 --> 00:11:40,068
It's very important. My family was
a logging family in Oregon.
237
00:11:40,068 --> 00:11:45,048
My grandparents came from Europe
and had a homestead, 165 acres,
238
00:11:45,048 --> 00:11:48,096
and they logged that and we just
built the family business up,
239
00:11:48,096 --> 00:11:53,040
had our own sawmill, so it has
a little bit more than just wood.
240
00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,016
It's, you know, the blood
of my family too.
241
00:11:56,016 --> 00:11:57,088
You know, Steve, I love that!
242
00:11:57,088 --> 00:12:00,032
I like that sense of appreciation
of the past,
243
00:12:00,032 --> 00:12:01,088
the connection with timber,
244
00:12:01,088 --> 00:12:04,068
you can see it in every single
piece of wood in here.
245
00:12:04,068 --> 00:12:06,000
It's amazing!
246
00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,016
Now, the flooring here I'm seeing is
that lovely kind of weathered look.
247
00:12:09,016 --> 00:12:11,088
Was that inspired by the wood
of the barrels? Oh!
248
00:12:11,088 --> 00:12:14,020
It was definitely
inspired by the wood of the barrels
249
00:12:14,020 --> 00:12:16,076
and so I wanted to
incorporate that in here,
250
00:12:16,076 --> 00:12:20,072
so this is reclaimed wood
from an old aeroplane hangar.
251
00:12:20,072 --> 00:12:24,024
It's lovely, isn't it? It's really
fab. It is. It's amazing.
252
00:12:24,024 --> 00:12:27,032
Sourcing reclaimed
materials for a first-time build,
253
00:12:27,032 --> 00:12:29,028
you're using material which has
already been
254
00:12:29,028 --> 00:12:32,096
harvested from the forest,
so by using reclaimed materials,
255
00:12:32,096 --> 00:12:35,032
the energy which is used to
produce a material,
256
00:12:35,032 --> 00:12:37,088
that embodied energy,
is already there,
257
00:12:37,088 --> 00:12:40,000
so that's one of the primary
advantages
258
00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:41,068
of using reclaimed materials,
259
00:12:41,068 --> 00:12:43,012
as well as the aesthetic.
260
00:12:43,012 --> 00:12:46,040
If you want to have a home that
looks like it's 200 years old,
261
00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:49,068
then why not use materials
that are 200 years old?
262
00:12:49,068 --> 00:12:54,076
So, this room here, I call
Cosy Cabin. OK. I can see why!
263
00:12:54,076 --> 00:12:56,040
I wonder why
264
00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,088
You know, it feels like a cosy
cabin.
265
00:12:58,088 --> 00:13:00,068
The timber is beautiful.
266
00:13:00,068 --> 00:13:04,008
The bed is fantastic.
I love the antique-style bedstead.
267
00:13:04,008 --> 00:13:05,068
And then we have the balcony,
268
00:13:05,068 --> 00:13:09,036
where we can sit outside
and we can look at the lake
269
00:13:09,036 --> 00:13:11,036
in the morning and have our coffee.
270
00:13:11,036 --> 00:13:14,036
Isn't it self-indulgent to have
an amazing space like this,
271
00:13:14,036 --> 00:13:16,028
where the two
of you can be together
272
00:13:16,028 --> 00:13:19,028
and it feels like the rest
of the world just doesn't exist?
273
00:13:19,028 --> 00:13:21,036
Well, you guys have done
a load of work here
274
00:13:21,036 --> 00:13:23,084
and this has been your first build,
so a huge achievement.
275
00:13:23,084 --> 00:13:26,060
And for anyone who fancies doing
this at home, you know, they think,
276
00:13:26,060 --> 00:13:29,040
"OK, I'm going to build an escape,"
what advice would you give them?
277
00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:30,096
Start with the things that you love.
278
00:13:30,096 --> 00:13:33,048
Pick one piece that you love
and then build around that.
279
00:13:33,048 --> 00:13:36,020
It has to be something that
speaks to you in your heart
280
00:13:36,020 --> 00:13:39,068
and this speaks to us in our heart.
Yeah.
281
00:13:39,068 --> 00:13:42,080
You know, being here on the site
of the old cooperage,
282
00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:44,036
it's great to see it breathe again.
283
00:13:44,036 --> 00:13:47,036
You know, this must have been
the centre of the community.
284
00:13:47,036 --> 00:13:48,048
It's been uncovered
285
00:13:48,048 --> 00:13:51,020
and there are people here enjoying
this amazing site.
286
00:13:51,020 --> 00:13:53,068
For me,
it's really exciting that Rene
287
00:13:53,068 --> 00:13:57,040
and Steve have built this place as
their first ever home construction.
288
00:13:57,040 --> 00:14:01,016
It's a great big log home with all
manner of fantastic detail.
289
00:14:01,016 --> 00:14:04,064
Be inspired, be yourself.
That's the lesson from this house.
290
00:14:11,012 --> 00:14:14,004
It's the job of the architect
to turn their client's vision
291
00:14:14,004 --> 00:14:16,016
into reality and it takes a skilled
architect
292
00:14:16,016 --> 00:14:19,004
to bring a first-time home
builder's dream to life.
293
00:14:19,004 --> 00:14:21,072
Black Birch is the perfect
synthesis of client vision
294
00:14:21,072 --> 00:14:23,068
and architectural skill.
295
00:14:23,068 --> 00:14:27,064
The Cooperage echoes the heritage
of the site upon which it was built.
296
00:14:27,064 --> 00:14:30,020
But sometimes,
a builder's dream is so specific,
297
00:14:30,020 --> 00:14:32,016
they decide to be their own
architect.
298
00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,056
We love the simplicity of condo
living, the clean,
299
00:14:38,056 --> 00:14:42,076
contemporary lifestyle, the feeling
of a reduced amount of clutter.
300
00:14:42,076 --> 00:14:45,060
It's so de-stressing
and makes for a way better life.
301
00:14:45,060 --> 00:14:49,016
Yeah, so why not bring that
feeling into the country?
302
00:14:49,016 --> 00:14:52,016
Simon and Bram have lived all over
Europe and North America,
303
00:14:52,016 --> 00:14:55,016
but decided to settle in the country
to build their dream home
304
00:14:55,016 --> 00:14:58,056
because of Bram's childhood memories
of attending camp in the area.
305
00:14:58,056 --> 00:14:59,092
When a large waterfront lot
306
00:14:59,092 --> 00:15:02,016
with a massive shoreline
became available,
307
00:15:02,016 --> 00:15:05,004
they snapped it up
and Bram was off to the races,
308
00:15:05,004 --> 00:15:07,036
designing the off-grid home
of their dreams.
309
00:15:09,020 --> 00:15:12,024
Simon, talk about the rough
and the smooth, rugged landscape
310
00:15:12,024 --> 00:15:13,056
and super sleek building.
311
00:15:13,056 --> 00:15:16,012
What a space! Thank you.
Do you want to come and have a look?
312
00:15:16,012 --> 00:15:17,064
I'd love to have a look inside.
313
00:15:19,028 --> 00:15:24,020
Oh, hello! You know,
it really is exactly like a condo.
314
00:15:24,020 --> 00:15:27,092
It's like a slice of a tower
block by the lake. That's the idea.
315
00:15:27,092 --> 00:15:29,024
We loved our condo in the city.
316
00:15:29,024 --> 00:15:31,088
We thought we'd create something
just as liveable out here.
317
00:15:31,088 --> 00:15:33,028
Well, you've clearly done that.
318
00:15:33,028 --> 00:15:35,084
I love the realisation of a dream,
when you know what you want
319
00:15:35,084 --> 00:15:38,020
and you go out there
and you jolly well get it!
320
00:15:38,020 --> 00:15:41,000
We tend to think of condos
as a millennial phenomenon,
321
00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,060
but they actually have their roots
in the German design
322
00:15:43,060 --> 00:15:46,064
and architectural movement
from the 1920s, known as Bauhaus.
323
00:15:46,064 --> 00:15:49,024
With their credo,
"form follows function",
324
00:15:49,024 --> 00:15:50,040
the mission of Bauhaus was
325
00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:52,052
to provide simple
and functional spaces,
326
00:15:52,052 --> 00:15:54,020
based on a minimalist approach,
327
00:15:54,020 --> 00:15:57,036
which features clean lines with bold
and graphic colourways.
328
00:15:58,056 --> 00:16:00,064
There's a very contemporary
feel to this.
329
00:16:00,064 --> 00:16:02,076
It feels really laid out
and precise.
330
00:16:02,076 --> 00:16:04,088
For me, the great thing about
this place is
331
00:16:04,088 --> 00:16:06,036
the fact that it is so simple.
332
00:16:06,036 --> 00:16:08,060
You actually let
the landscape speak to us.
333
00:16:08,060 --> 00:16:10,088
Those black windows really
frame the trees.
334
00:16:10,088 --> 00:16:12,048
The star of the show is the woods,
to us.
335
00:16:12,048 --> 00:16:14,040
You know, we don't need
anything else, really.
336
00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,068
We can just be here,
enjoy the woods, enjoy the location.
337
00:16:17,068 --> 00:16:20,072
We love the clean lines
of the windows, of the walls.
338
00:16:20,072 --> 00:16:22,036
We have space for our art.
339
00:16:22,036 --> 00:16:25,020
We even have our condo furniture
in here cos it seemed to
340
00:16:25,020 --> 00:16:27,028
fit in perfectly
with what we had in the city.
341
00:16:27,028 --> 00:16:29,008
I like the fact that you've taken
something
342
00:16:29,008 --> 00:16:31,000
that most people think
is a negative, you know,
343
00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,092
cos people complain about condos,
don't they? "Oh, they're too small."
344
00:16:33,092 --> 00:16:36,028
So they really do dictate to you
that you have to pare back
345
00:16:36,028 --> 00:16:38,040
your lifestyle
and it seems that you've taken
346
00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,024
that as a positive and you've
brought it here to this location.
347
00:16:41,024 --> 00:16:43,096
In this house, we have everything
we need and nothing we don't need.
348
00:16:43,096 --> 00:16:46,068
So we feel that we're using every
single room in the house,
349
00:16:46,068 --> 00:16:49,036
so we feel we're really getting
the most out of the house.
350
00:16:49,036 --> 00:16:50,080
It also makes it easier to clean.
351
00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:53,036
Yeah, so you can actually enjoy
this beautiful landscape
352
00:16:53,036 --> 00:16:55,028
without worrying about vacuuming.
353
00:16:55,028 --> 00:16:56,092
Exactly! I could just sit there
354
00:16:56,092 --> 00:16:58,088
and look out the window
and enjoy it.
355
00:16:58,088 --> 00:17:01,068
Now, in terms of your original plan,
did you work with an architect,
356
00:17:01,068 --> 00:17:03,020
or did you do the vision yourselves?
357
00:17:03,020 --> 00:17:04,080
We actually did the design
ourselves.
358
00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:07,020
My partner, Bram, he loves
architecture, he loves design,
359
00:17:07,020 --> 00:17:08,068
so he sketched it out online.
360
00:17:08,068 --> 00:17:11,068
Used some of this software,
even put furniture in online.
361
00:17:11,068 --> 00:17:14,060
Got it exactly how we want it and
then we sent it to an architectural
362
00:17:14,060 --> 00:17:17,004
drawer, who drew up the plans,
together with an engineer.
363
00:17:17,004 --> 00:17:18,012
Nowadays, you know,
364
00:17:18,012 --> 00:17:20,028
with the software platforms
that are in fact...
365
00:17:20,028 --> 00:17:24,000
There is like freeware, there is
all sorts of things that one can
366
00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,052
use to start to tinker
with architectural space.
367
00:17:27,052 --> 00:17:31,096
If one is really interested
in creating their own home,
368
00:17:31,096 --> 00:17:36,020
there's nothing to stop you
from really going with gut instinct
369
00:17:36,020 --> 00:17:39,012
and looking at precedents
that you like.
370
00:17:39,012 --> 00:17:40,068
Now that you see
everything laid out,
371
00:17:40,068 --> 00:17:43,064
does it correspond to your vision?
Almost perfectly.
372
00:17:43,064 --> 00:17:46,024
The way the light comes through,
the way everything is
373
00:17:46,024 --> 00:17:49,012
great for entertaining, with the
kitchen here and the living room.
374
00:17:49,012 --> 00:17:52,016
It's almost, I would say,
exactly to our vision.
375
00:17:52,016 --> 00:17:53,064
This is your first-time build,
376
00:17:53,064 --> 00:17:57,008
but you've complicated that even
further by deciding to go off-grid.
377
00:17:57,008 --> 00:17:59,016
Yeah. How has that played
out for you guys?
378
00:17:59,016 --> 00:18:00,080
It really made sense for us.
379
00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:04,064
We like the idea of being off-grid,
we like the independence of it.
380
00:18:04,064 --> 00:18:07,056
Off-grid is the principle of not
being connected to the
381
00:18:07,056 --> 00:18:11,092
municipal systems, so you're not
connected to the electricity
382
00:18:11,092 --> 00:18:14,064
grid, the sewage grid,
or to the water grid.
383
00:18:14,064 --> 00:18:17,072
You are producing all the energy
that you need,
384
00:18:17,072 --> 00:18:19,060
you're drawing the water that you
need,
385
00:18:19,060 --> 00:18:21,088
and you're dealing with
all your sewage waste
386
00:18:21,088 --> 00:18:23,016
on your property as well.
387
00:18:23,016 --> 00:18:24,092
When designing an off-grid space,
388
00:18:24,092 --> 00:18:28,036
the first-time builder needs to make
sure that they keep it simple,
389
00:18:28,036 --> 00:18:31,008
so they have good air tightness
and good insulation.
390
00:18:31,008 --> 00:18:33,060
So, we've got 15 solar panels
at the top of the hill,
391
00:18:33,060 --> 00:18:36,076
facing the sun, 24 lead-acid
batteries down in the basement,
392
00:18:36,076 --> 00:18:38,032
and they give us enough electricity,
393
00:18:38,032 --> 00:18:40,056
especially in the summer,
we have so much electricity,
394
00:18:40,056 --> 00:18:43,012
we're thinking of like selling it to
neighbours or something.
395
00:18:43,012 --> 00:18:44,084
In the winter,
there's a lot less sun,
396
00:18:44,084 --> 00:18:47,020
which means sometimes
if it's a cloudy week,
397
00:18:47,020 --> 00:18:49,088
we've got a generator that kicks in
and tops up the batteries. Wow!
398
00:18:49,088 --> 00:18:51,076
So you're totally kind of
self-sufficient,
399
00:18:51,076 --> 00:18:53,040
in your own little universe.
400
00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:57,004
Yeah, we are. When there's hydro
out, we're just fine. Exactly!
401
00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,096
So it all sounds great,
all sounds really positive.
402
00:19:03,096 --> 00:19:06,084
But come on, be honest, you know,
during this first-time build,
403
00:19:06,084 --> 00:19:09,016
it's not like you're in the city,
in the suburbs,
404
00:19:09,016 --> 00:19:10,064
you're in the middle of nowhere.
405
00:19:10,064 --> 00:19:12,040
That must have been
really difficult.
406
00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:14,092
We're in the middle of nowhere
and we're on a very steep hill.
407
00:19:14,092 --> 00:19:16,016
Yeah. So that was difficult.
408
00:19:16,016 --> 00:19:18,024
And then, you know, we're
in the middle of winter,
409
00:19:18,024 --> 00:19:19,068
building, it's not always easy.
410
00:19:19,068 --> 00:19:21,020
Sometimes it's hard to get in here.
411
00:19:21,020 --> 00:19:23,020
First of all,
we had to sort out the drainage.
412
00:19:23,020 --> 00:19:26,004
All the water seems to want to come
down right here where the house is
413
00:19:26,004 --> 00:19:27,064
and right down to
where the bunky is.
414
00:19:27,064 --> 00:19:29,044
It's a very steep slope
down to the lake.
415
00:19:29,044 --> 00:19:32,012
We have to climb that every day,
so did our contractors have to
416
00:19:32,012 --> 00:19:34,060
climb all the way up and down,
like 15 times in a morning.
417
00:19:34,060 --> 00:19:36,028
You'd have legs like a mountain
gazelle,
418
00:19:36,028 --> 00:19:38,076
going up and down
that particular precipice.
419
00:19:38,076 --> 00:19:40,036
One reason why we chose this lot is
420
00:19:40,036 --> 00:19:42,072
because it has 500ft of waterfront
and six acres.
421
00:19:42,072 --> 00:19:45,012
Six acres! So it is isolated.
422
00:19:45,012 --> 00:19:47,028
That kind of land,
it's hard to find around here
423
00:19:47,028 --> 00:19:49,012
and so,
although it's a challenging lot,
424
00:19:49,012 --> 00:19:50,060
with the hill, we chose to buy it.
425
00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,016
So you very successfully champion
the small-scale living.
426
00:19:55,016 --> 00:19:56,072
What is the actual square footage?
427
00:19:56,072 --> 00:19:58,092
So the actual house
is 1,250 square foot,
428
00:19:58,092 --> 00:20:01,064
plus 100 extra for the covered
patio out there.
429
00:20:01,064 --> 00:20:03,068
So, how many bedrooms do
you have in here?
430
00:20:03,068 --> 00:20:05,076
We have two bedrooms,
but we also have the bunky.
431
00:20:05,076 --> 00:20:08,076
We decided to keep this house up
here just for us,
432
00:20:08,076 --> 00:20:11,040
cos it's nice to have guests,
but sometimes, you want them
433
00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:12,064
to be a little bit distant,
434
00:20:12,064 --> 00:20:15,048
so that's why we've got a bunky
down by the lake for the guests.
435
00:20:23,060 --> 00:20:25,028
It's a challenge for any architect
436
00:20:25,028 --> 00:20:27,096
to connect two buildings
on the same property
437
00:20:27,096 --> 00:20:29,072
with nothing except design.
438
00:20:29,072 --> 00:20:31,072
First-time architects
and builders Bram
439
00:20:31,072 --> 00:20:35,060
and Simon rose to the challenge of
tying this bunky to the main house.
440
00:20:35,060 --> 00:20:37,068
It functions as overflow
space for guests
441
00:20:37,068 --> 00:20:40,064
and echoes the architecture with
the same simplicity of design,
442
00:20:40,064 --> 00:20:43,008
the same exterior materials,
and, of course,
443
00:20:43,008 --> 00:20:45,084
floor to ceiling windows
with a spectacular view.
444
00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:54,036
So, this is the bunky!
Yep. There was a bunky here,
445
00:20:54,036 --> 00:20:57,032
but we decided to take it down
and build it on the footprint.
446
00:20:58,072 --> 00:21:02,012
Oh! This is cute. Wow!
This is just unbelievable.
447
00:21:02,012 --> 00:21:05,056
The view, you know, nature,
its purity, its proximity.
448
00:21:05,056 --> 00:21:08,028
I really like this because it
kind of serves all requirements.
449
00:21:08,028 --> 00:21:11,016
A little living zone here,
somewhere to prepare drinks,
450
00:21:11,016 --> 00:21:13,096
bit of a snack, bed zone round
the corner. It's got it all.
451
00:21:13,096 --> 00:21:15,036
You can be very comfortable here.
452
00:21:15,036 --> 00:21:16,084
You know, you could stay here
all day
453
00:21:16,084 --> 00:21:18,032
and you've got everything you need,
454
00:21:18,032 --> 00:21:20,080
you can just enjoy the lake
and come back here in the evening.
455
00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:23,068
You've considered its placement
and how it affects the topography.
456
00:21:23,068 --> 00:21:25,048
And we also considered
its relationship
457
00:21:25,048 --> 00:21:27,008
to the house at the top of
the hill too.
458
00:21:27,008 --> 00:21:28,064
We kind of call it big box,
little box.
459
00:21:28,064 --> 00:21:31,036
The family resemblance.
Right, exactly. I love it.
460
00:21:31,036 --> 00:21:32,068
I like the use of timber in here
461
00:21:32,068 --> 00:21:35,016
because you do blur
the lines between the forest
462
00:21:35,016 --> 00:21:37,088
and the inside, timber floor,
timber furniture,
463
00:21:37,088 --> 00:21:41,040
the kind of very pale timber
on the walls. It all seems to work.
464
00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:44,056
You know, nothing is too painted.
It's all really natural in here.
465
00:21:44,056 --> 00:21:47,088
We took a lot of our cues from
what's around us, so a lot of wood
466
00:21:47,088 --> 00:21:50,024
around us, a lot of greys,
of rock around us,
467
00:21:50,024 --> 00:21:53,004
so it makes you feel like you're
part of nature.
468
00:21:53,004 --> 00:21:55,068
I'm going to say it right now.
I think I'd rather be here!
469
00:21:55,068 --> 00:21:58,040
I'm thinking of moving down here
actually, myself.
470
00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:00,084
So, what was the most successful
thing about this,
471
00:22:00,084 --> 00:22:02,096
for two first renovators who have
come
472
00:22:02,096 --> 00:22:05,020
from the city to a rural location?
473
00:22:05,020 --> 00:22:07,044
I think this bunky actually is it.
474
00:22:07,044 --> 00:22:11,004
Where else do you get a place where
you can hang out so close to a lake?
475
00:22:11,004 --> 00:22:12,068
And this is just an oasis for us.
476
00:22:17,036 --> 00:22:19,028
I love it
when opposites come together
477
00:22:19,028 --> 00:22:20,092
and create something positive,
478
00:22:20,092 --> 00:22:22,084
cos this shouldn't work,
but it does.
479
00:22:22,084 --> 00:22:25,016
You know, you've got this super
smooth, sleek building
480
00:22:25,016 --> 00:22:27,064
and this incredibly rough landscape,
but it all works.
481
00:22:27,064 --> 00:22:29,016
It's amazing how times change.
482
00:22:29,016 --> 00:22:31,064
You think, in days gone by,
of off-the-grid living
483
00:22:31,064 --> 00:22:33,048
and you think of a real kind of
hippy commune.
484
00:22:33,048 --> 00:22:35,068
You know, producing
your own power is super cool now.
485
00:22:35,068 --> 00:22:37,052
It's about being self-sufficient.
486
00:22:37,052 --> 00:22:39,072
It's about not putting
a drain on resources
487
00:22:39,072 --> 00:22:42,020
and it's about just taking control
of your own destiny.
488
00:22:42,020 --> 00:22:44,012
I think it's hip, not hippy! Mm-hm.
489
00:22:52,012 --> 00:22:54,024
Now, they say that fortune
favours the brave
490
00:22:54,024 --> 00:22:57,012
and that certainly can be
said for each of our home builders
491
00:22:57,012 --> 00:22:59,092
because they haven't made it
easy for themselves by choosing
492
00:22:59,092 --> 00:23:02,016
a rural location for their
first-time builds.
493
00:23:02,016 --> 00:23:04,012
But it's clear,
to build a great escape,
494
00:23:04,012 --> 00:23:07,036
these elements are important.
Careful study of the landscape
495
00:23:07,036 --> 00:23:09,076
and patient planning to
hone your vision.
496
00:23:09,076 --> 00:23:11,072
Build on those things that inspire.
497
00:23:11,072 --> 00:23:13,092
A sense of heritage
and personal history.
498
00:23:13,092 --> 00:23:16,048
Keep it simple and sustainable.
499
00:23:16,048 --> 00:23:19,092
Three brilliantly brave builders,
three incredible first-time builds.
500
00:23:19,092 --> 00:23:21,040
I'm feeling inspired. Do you know?
501
00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:22,068
I feel really inspired as well
502
00:23:22,068 --> 00:23:24,080
because they're all so distinctly
different,
503
00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:27,048
yet, I'll tell you something else
they share in common,
504
00:23:27,048 --> 00:23:29,048
the fact that they're all great
escapes.
505
00:23:29,072 --> 00:23:37,072
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