All language subtitles for Casonas secretas

[gentle music]
[birds chirping]

[Narrator] Imagine
living in a home

that sits secluded in a forest.

[inspiring music]

On a 100 kilometer beach.

[inspiring music]

Or on top of a mountain.

[inspiring music]
[chopper whirring]

In this series, we
travel the globe

to explore some of the
world's most secret homes,

hidden away in truly
inspiring locations.

From jungle hideaways and
secluded mountain cabins.

This is what it's all about.

I love it!

[Narrator] To coastal
sanctuaries and desert retreats.

It does something
to your soul.

[Narrator] We explore
how these spectacular homes

were built.

It was amazing because
it was lost for 70 years.

[Narrator] And meet the
people who live in them.

People come in
and say, "Oh, wow."

No one's expecting it.

[Narrator] As we discover
the world's most secret homes.

[dramatic music]

[grand music]

Scandinavia.

[grand music]

An extreme landscape
of ice and snow,

of forests, fjords,
and volcanoes.

[grand music]

The glaciers and mountains here

may look like a
great place to live,

but building a house in an
icy wilderness like this

and getting to it
poses a huge challenge.

[birds squawking]

[somber music]

Somewhere in this mountain range

is a house that blends
perfectly into its surroundings.

Can you spot it?

There are no roads here.

There are no obvious pathways.

Getting to this remote spot
is not for the faint-hearted.

In the summer, it
is a five hour hike.

In winter, access
is via helicopter.

[grand music]
[chopper whirring]

But the extreme
journey is worth it

for the family who built

this incredible secret
mountainside house.

[grand music]

It's called the Hunting Cabin.

[gentle music]

The people who own
this remarkable retreat

are Osvald and Thorhild.

Osvald and Thorhild are from
a family of sheep farmers.

Their family has owned the
land that surrounds the cabin

for many years.

I remember, as a young
boy and also as a young man,

roaming these mountains
with my family.

And more or less, every time
I came to this precise spot,

where we built the
cabin, with my father,

he would lean on his
walking stick and say,

"Osvald, we should
really have a cabin here.

This is really where we
could get some rest."

And then a little bit
later, after the reports,

he would say, "Yeah, and my
father always said that too."

[bright music]

[Narrator] The
Hunting Cabin is a tiny,

single story construction
on the mountainside.

It is just 35 square meters.

There's a small kitchen area,

central living space,

and a mezzanine level
accessible by ladder.

There's a separate toilet and
washhouse outside the cabin.

Although the idea of the cabin

had been in the minds of
the family for many years,

when it came to actually
building the structure

in these unspoiled mountains,

there were responsibilities
that needed to be met.

When we talked about
the features of this,

it should be modest, not
disturb the area in any way,

look as if it was a natural part

of this physical environment.

We wanted to tap into
ancient building traditions

in the area,

yet use modern materials
to make it strong,

so it could hopefully stand tall

for a very long period of time.

I'm very happy with it.

[bright upbeat music]

[Narrator] Now
that it is complete,

the Hunting Cabin
has become central

to the life of this family.

I feel that this
cabin is so...

Such a hidden place,

and it's such a secret
place where you hike into.

So when you come there,

you feel that you are so
far away from anything else

that you couldn't believe it.

[bright music]

So this is it.

This is, like, the perfect
use of 35 square meters.

We have a small kitchen.

We can make three or
four-course dishes here,

which are eminent and beautiful,
so that we enjoy a lot.

This is the dining table.

This is this majestic stone
we just brought in here.

We sit around.

This is, like, a combination
of an Indian-inspired

when you were sitting in
the tents, in the old days,

around the fire.

You have a stove here
that'll be lit with logs.

[Narrator] And
really, that's about it.

Once you have a place to
eat, sleep, and keep warm,

what more do you need?

However, tiny though
this cabin is,

it does conceal an
extraordinary secret.

What you might not realize
here is that this small space,

we are actually able
to host 21 people.

So this has been very,
very carefully planned,

and we have 13 people
who can sleep down here,

around this stove,

and then there are eight
people up on this sleeping area

above here.

[Narrator] Cozy
though this is,

21 people will need some
privacy at some point.

So you might
have noticed that,

of course, there is no
bathroom here, or a toilet.

And there is no
running water here.

There is no electricity.

But we have, like,
a fantastic outhouse

just across from
here, which is hard.

It's very camouflaged.

But it really is
well put together.

And then, of course, in
terms of electricity,

we really don't need it.

So we are totally off-grid.

[gentle music]

[Narrator] Built to
accommodate the 21 members

of Osvald and Thorhild's
extended family,

the cabin is
positioned to look out

into this spectacular panorama,

to make the most of the views.

Osvald and Thorhild
built this cabin

as an escape from
their busy lives,

for themselves and their family.

They chose family friend,
architect Kjetil Thorsen,

to design this extreme lodge.

So the brief we were given

was to create a 35
square meter cabin

which could house 21
people for a night or two.

You should be able to
cook for 21 people.

You should be able
to serve 21 people,

21 people should be sitting
around the fireplace,

the same fireplace,
and actually get warm.

So, yes, even though it
was a very small footprint

and a very small cabin,

the complexity of the
task was quite high.

The idea of the building
from the very beginning

was that it would become
part of the landscape.

[bright music]

[dramatic music]

[Narrator] The shape
of the cabin is inspired

by the idea of a section
of peeled back turf.

To build it, the team
used hand-hewn local pine,

rocks from the mountain side,

and flagstones from
the family farm.

[dramatic music]

High winds and snow
pummel this mountainside

for up to six
months of the year,

so the cabin has been engineered
to withstand everything

that the Scandinavian
weather can throw at it.

Two steel arches support
the main structure.

Timber logs fill the
gaps between the arches.

A grass roof helps
keep the logs in place.

A stone wall fills the
steepest edge of the house,

which is two vertical for grass.

Small panes of glass
make up front window.

And the glass is
recessed into the facade

to protect it from the
worst of the weather.

[bright music]

Now that the cabin is complete,

Osvald and Thorhild
use it a lot,

particularly when
the skiing is good.

It's lovely.

Well, there's a lot of beautiful
places around the world,

but this is what it's all about.

Oh, I love it!

[snow crunching]

[bright grand music]

[Narrator] This cabin is
the ultimate extreme retreat.

It's been a dream for this
family for many years,

and now, they're
making the most of it.

[grand music]

It is, in a way,
some kind of memorial

for those who used to walk
these mountains before us.

Is it secret?

Well, it is a secret.

It was a secret dream
for us for a long time.

[grand music]

Pablo Picasso once said
that the meaning of life

is to find your gift.

The purpose of life
is to give it away.

And I feel that was what we...

And I felt that it is a
pleasure to give this gift away

to the next generation.

[grand music]
[chopper whirring]

[gentle music]

[Narrator] 8,500
kilometers southwest

is the American
state of California.

Just 160 kilometers
north of Los Angeles

sits the desert
town of Tehachapi.

[bright gentle music]

Today, with most of
the local industry

now dedicated to wind farming,

living around here
may be quieter,

but building a home in
this extreme environment

is a huge challenge.

[gentle music]

[birds chirping]

Hidden in this remote landscape,

eight kilometers
down a dirt track,

with only a few
coyotes for company,

lies an extraordinary
secret home.

Invisible to all
accept the owners,

concealed deep in
the wilderness,

this contemporary retreat,
called the Sawmill,

as a nod to past local industry,

sits in around 140,000
square meters of land,

giving the owners total
seclusion from the modern world.

[upbeat folk music]

With their main home in LA,

owners engineer Bruce Shafer

and retired art teacher
and ceramicist wife Carol

wanted an escape
from busy city life,

but realizing their dream
home in this arid wilderness

was no simple task.

[Carol] It's an unexpected
surprise back here.

[dramatic western music]

It looks like it belongs,

but it's a surprising and
delightful thing to come across.

It's different from every angle.

There's all these
rectangles that fit together

in interesting ways.

And it's just
always interesting.

[Narrator] This
unusually-shaped house has been designed

to make the most of its
extreme surroundings.

[Bruce] Welcome to Sawmill.

This is our getaway.

[dramatic music]

[Narrator] This home
of 248 square meters

is built with all its
main rooms on one level

in the middle of a
tough desert landscape.

Its layout is inspired
by the idea of tents

encircling a central campfire.

The house is comprised
of three wings.

Each wing has a bedroom
and an en suite bathroom.

One doubles up as an office.

The other, as an artist studio.

A solid concrete central
hearth in the living room

connects the rooms together.

There's also an expansive
kitchen and dining room

and basement storage.

[dramatic music]

[Bruce] Usually, there's
a little bit of wow

when people first show up.

Yeah, there's a
bit of magnificence,

that people look up
and they look around.

It reminds me how I feel

when I walk into, like,
a cathedral or something.

[Narrator] The house is
filled with drama and light,

but, first and foremost,

Bruce and Carol wanted a
home where friends and family

could come together

and enjoy the beauty
of the desert setting.

[Carol] This is the room
where the family gathers

in the evening, usually,

and it's the common area.

It's the space where we enjoy
each other's company and relax

and enjoy the warmth
of the fireplace.

[Narrator] The hearth
sits at the heart

of this modern take

on the classic
Californian country cabin.

The fireplace is built
from solid concrete.

So another nice thing
about the fireplace

is these steel doors

that gives you full
access to the fireplace.

[bright music]

[Carol] I think it's
like having a sculpture

in the middle of the room.

I think it's a really
beautiful object in itself.

[Bruce] There you go.

[bright music]

[Narrator] The concrete
chimney has an internal flue.

So when the fire is lit,
heat rises up the flue,

the concrete warms
up and emits heat

back into the entire
open plan space.

For Bruce and Carol,

creating this house was not
only about having a home

that could take in the
breathtaking surroundings,

but also creating a focal
point for family and friends.

The living room is a
small gathering area,

but looking that way
is this grand view

that I never get tired of.

[Narrator] And
what a view it is.

[grand music]

As you've probably
guessed by now,

there is nothing conventional
about this cabin in the woods.

This is a house to be shared,

so space for guests
is important.

Three bedrooms lead off
the central living area,

each in its own
self-contained wing.

[door rolling]
[bright music]

[Carol] This is one
of the three boxes

that are around the main room.

Each of these boxes
has its own bathroom.

And this is the guest room
that we probably use the most.

It's also Bruce's office.

The nice thing about
the separate wings

is that you can close
these big barn doors

and feel like you're
in your own space,

and you can retreat
from the larger group.

[Narrator] This is a
house full of surprises.

It's about boxes that
connect with each other

and rooms that
reveal other rooms.

When it came to creating
a master bedroom suite,

for Bruce and Carol,

the important thing was to
frame that exceptional view.

One thing that I especially
like about this space is,

when you're camping and you
first open your tent window

and you get to see
where you are outside,

in a lovely environment,

pulling up the
blinds in the morning

very much has that
feeling in this space.

[Narrator] Sawmill is where
Bruce and Carol come to relax,

but because they love
to share this space,

this eclectic house also
needs to be multipurpose.

And this room contains a secret,

something completely
surprising and extra special.

[gentle music]

[Carol] This is my studio.

It's where I do
my ceramics work.

When we designed this space,

I wanted it to be a
creative workspace,

but we also knew that it
had to be a guest room.

[Narrator] And engineer
Bruce had a fantastic idea.

[country music]

So as I turn this wheel,
the bed is lowering.

[country music]

It's able to do that because
we have a cable system

from here all the
way over to the bed,

and we have a counterweight
that allows it

to be done with
very little effort.

[country music]

[Carol] This so fits
my husband's personality,

just designing
this whole gadget.

And it was challenging, but
he totally made it work,

and it's awesome.

[country music]

[Narrator] Looking at
this spectacular home,

you'd be forgiven for
thinking Bruce and Carol

had been designing it in
their heads for years,

but the reality behind
the genesis of their home

is rather surprising.

The land came first,

without knowing what
we were gonna build.

I think I typed something into
Google like "cool cabins."

That was the very beginning
of looking for Tom.

[Narrator] Bruce
and Carol worked

with the internationally
renowned architect Tom Kundig

to design their new home.

They were wondering if I would
even be remotely interested

in working on this really
remote site in California.

Of course, I couldn't be
more excited about that.

[Narrator] And once
Tom was on board,

the final design
quickly followed.

We came to him with our story

of what we wanted the
house to be used for.

And he took that
idea and used it and,

I think over a weekend,

sent this very
loosely-drawn sketch

that turned out to
be the final design.

[Bruce] I think he
might have done it

on the airplane
home from his visit.

Just an amazing sketch,
an amazing idea.

It wasn't on a napkin, but
it might as well have been.

I mean, it sort of had
that sort of napkin drawing

kind of look.

It was very clear,
because of this remote site,

that this was a house that had
to be efficiently laid out.

Everybody has their own separate
bedroom, their own area.

As their kids grow up
and they have kids,

they have their own,
almost like a little hut,

attached to the central
core of the building.

That's where the
family comes together.

In a kind of wonderful way,

you could say this
is the campfire.

This is where the family
gathers around that campfire.

[Narrator] Once the
design was complete,

the build got underway and
took five years to finish.

[bright music]

And what Tom created was an
utterly breathtaking modern take

on the country cabin.

Building the house
on such a remote plot

created many challenges,

but challenges are
made to be met,

and Bruce and Carol
now have a home

that has very little impact
on the local environment.

Being five miles
from the paved road

puts us out of reach
of utilities, water,

electricity, natural gas.

So we're off-grid.

So we have a water well,

and the house is powered
with solar power.

I have to say,
for what it's worth,

that Bruce is really
the only person

that understands all of
the workings of this house.

I can come up here by myself
and probably be comfortable,

but if a thing goes wrong,

he's really the only one who
knows how to work everything.

[hollow knocking]

It's complicated.

[Carol laughing]

[Narrator] Tom has created a
tailor-made and relaxing home

for Bruce and Carol,

but this isolated home
conceals one final secret.

One conversation I
remember having with Tom

is that we found any
excuse to go outside,

and so he just took that
and made a living space

where we basically
had that all the time.

How do you make a
building morph itself,

so it can kind of
open, you know,

like a flower or
close like a flower,

in a sense, almost undress
itself or dress itself?

[Narrator] Tom
devised a glass wall

that can be completely removed,

blurring the lines between
the house and nature.

[country music]

Here we go.

[Narrator] The hand wheel
and accompanying gearbox

are from an old water pump
found on-site by Bruce.

This wheel operates
a small gearbox

that turns a long steel shaft.

The shaft is attached
to another gearbox,

which engages with
a concealed chain.

Just like a chain on a
bicycle, as the chain turns,

the glass wall, weighing
1,360 kilos, opens smoothly.

[door rattling]
[dramatic music]

These devices are literally
just extensions of us.

When you do something manually,

you actually become
part of that machine.

[dramatic music]

Maybe the door is a guy thing,

but to move the entire wall
of a house by your hands,

it's very satisfying.

[Narrator] Bruce and
Carol live in a house

that is spectacular
yet homely too.

It's exactly what they wanted.

But with an engineer
in the house,

will it ever truly be finished?

It never really felt like
there was a spot in time

where this thing was finished,

and I don't think
it is finished,

and I don't think it
ever will be, really.

So it was just so gradual

that you don't really
notice that it's done.

I guess it is; is it done?

[both laughing]

He's laughing 'cause
he knows it's not.

The projects
will never be done.

No.

[gentle western music]

[Narrator] Bruce and
Carol live in a house

that is spectacular,
yet homely too.

It is a beautiful little
slice of modernity

in the southern
Californian desert

that will be loved and
enjoyed for many years to come

[slow western music]

[birds chirping]

9,900 kilometers southeast

is the city of Sao
Paulo in Brazil,

the largest city
south of the equator.

[dramatic music]

Just two hours
drive from the city

are the Serra do Mar Mountains.

The mountains here form
a breathtaking coastline

cloaked with lush vegetation

and surrounded by
pristine sands.

This protected sliver
of Atlantic rainforest

has changed very little

since European explorers
first arrived on these shores

500 years ago.

These dense forests may
look like the idyllic place

to build a secret hideaway,

but it's a huge challenge.

Camouflaged amongst
the tree canopy,

shrouded by the
rainforest mists,

sits a home in perfect
harmony with its surroundings.

[tense music]

This modern home was
designed to blend organically

into the tropical ferns,
palms, and jacaranda trees

that conceal it.

[dramatic music]

This is the jungle house.

[dramatic music]

[birds chirping]

[gentle music]

The house covers
805 square meters

and has been constructed
over three floors.

On the top floor is the
living area, dining space,

kitchen, and
terrace with a pool.

On the first floor is the
family room and six bedrooms,

each with its own
private terrace.

On the ground floor is the
housekeeper's apartment,

children's playroom,
and utility room.

[gentle music]

[dramatic music]

This area is part of
a world heritage site,

so the building plot
allowed was narrow

and carefully controlled.

Designing and
constructing a home here

was a unique engineering
challenge for Samanta Cafardo.

This area is a protected
Atlantic rainforest,

so there are heavy
restrictions to build here.

We didn't have to cut trees.

The plot has, already, a
clearing of the vegetation.

[Narrator] These
restrictions forced Samanta

to be creative in
her design approach.

[dramatic music]

[Samanta] The design
concept was to connect

the architecture to the nature.

[dramatic music]

At the same time, we tried
to gently insert the house

into the mountain.

[dramatic music]

The climate is very important
aspect for the design

because you needed to
deal with the humidity.

And also, the mountainside
was a great challenge.

[Narrator] The house was
designed as three boxes

sitting on top of each other

to anchor it up
the mountainside.

[dramatic music]
[birds chirping]

It sits on a rocky
outcrop on one side

and is supported by two
pillars at the front.

[gentle music]
[birds chirping]

The entrance is a
discreet staircase

that disappears into a
poured concrete ceiling.

[dramatic music]

It looks like the doorway
to an alien spaceship.

[dramatic music]

It's kind of a
mysterious element.

You dunno what
you'll find upstairs.

[dramatic music]

[bright music]

This is the first place when
you arrive into the house.

This is a cozy area for the
family to relax together.

At this level, we are at
the same level as the trees.

I especially like this window
that frames the vegetation.

[bright music]

[Narrator] The other
rooms on this floor

were designed to be
surrounded by the rainforest

to make them secluded.

[bright music]

The master bedroom suite
and five additional bedrooms

sit on this level.

Each bedroom has its own
enclosed private space.

[bright dramatic music]

Each of the rooms has
a bathroom and a balcony.

These folding panels
filter the light.

They offer privacy
and ventilation also.

[bright dramatic music]

[Narrator] To take
advantage of the landscape

and the views,

the main living area has
been created at tree level,

on the homes uppermost floor.

[Samanta] This
is the top floor,

and here we have all the
living and leisure spaces.

[bright music]

[Narrator] In this vast space,

which opens onto the rainforest,

there is a living
room and dining area.

One side of the room conceals
a clever secret space,

an invisible kitchen.

The client asked us
to create a kitchen

that could be open to the
living room or closed.

So that's why we designed
these sliding folding doors.

[bright music]

[Narrator] This floor also
has a sauna and jacuzzi.

[gentle music]

What I like the
most of this house

is the the deep connection

between the architecture
and the nature.

[gentle music]
[birds chirping]

[Narrator] The glass
doors on the upper level

open up completely,

so the living room becomes
part of the rainforest outside.

[gentle music]

Here, on this deck, we
are so close to nature

that you can almost
touch the trees.

That's why it's called
the Jungle House,

because you're really in
the middle of the jungle.

[gentle music]

This is the pool.

It's one of the best
features of the house.

In order to see the view,

we wanted to put the
pool on the rooftop.

So it was a big
engineering challenge also

because, to get
the depth we need,

we raised the
flooring around it.

[gentle music]

[Narrator] Engineers
had to double

the thickness of
the supporting floor

to give enough depth to
the pool and add stability.

With the concrete installed,

engineers raised the pool
surrounding high above the deck.

This added extra depth

and brought the water
level in line with the sea.

The ultimate effect?

A one of a kind
rainforest infinity pool.

[birds chirping]

The Jungle House conceals
one more surprise.

[Samanta] There is a
secret space on the rooftop.

[Narrator] Climb
a tiny ladder,

and it reveals a majestic view

that stretches down
through the rainforest

to the Atlantic Ocean.

[bright music]

This green roof is
not only beautiful,

but also insulates the house

and protects it from
the heat of summer.

It's just one more
innovative feature

that integrates this magnificent
home into the jungle.

I feel very happy with
the result of the design.

Actually, it's much
better than I imagined

from the beginning.

[Narrator] The
design works perfectly,

especially when
the sun goes down.

[grand music]

I think it's more blinded
into the nature than I imagined.

I definitely want to live here.

[grand music]

[Narrator] This secret
house was created to form

a relationship between
nature and design,

and it looks perfectly at home

in the mountaintop rainforest.

[dramatic music]

[waves crashing]

9,400 kilometers northeast
is the Isle of Wight.

[gentle music]

Separated from mainland England

by a stretch of water
called the Solent.

[gentle music]

This diamond-shaped
island has 90 kilometers

of secluded coves and
pristine sandy beaches.

[bright music]

The small village
of Gurnard sits

on the northeast
coast of the island.

[bright music]

Secluded within the
natural habitat here,

with no other
beachside neighbors,

is a spectacular
yet secret home.

[bright music]

[dramatic music]

Hidden amongst the trees here

sits a house at one with nature.

[dramatic music]

The building was designed
to blend seamlessly

with the lush
environment around it.

[dramatic music]

This is the hidden Island House.

[dramatic music]

The owner of this remarkable
waterfront property

is New Zealand-born
sailmaker John Welsh.

[gentle music]

Around 2005-2006,

we started looking for
a property in the UK.

My wife was actually from
the island originally,

and we were living in
the States at the time.

I was desperate to
live on the water here.

One of the reasons to
come back to the island

was to try and get a
waterfront property.

[Narrator] The house
sits on a 45-degree slope

and has been sandwiched to fill

the entire width of the plot.

It has a steel frame combined
with glass and concrete

that covers 805 square
meters over two floors.

On the top level is
the living space,

dining area,
kitchen, and terrace,

all designed to maximize
the spectacular views.

Downstairs, there
are four bedrooms,

one with en suite,
and a family bathroom.

All this sits on
top of a four meter,

tear-dropped, concrete tube base

with a door leading
onto the coastal garden.

[gentle music]

John not only wanted the
property to be near the water,

where he works, but also
offer total seclusion.

[John] You come down a
long drive between two fences

and, at the end of that,

you kind of see one
window in the house.

You can actually get a
slight glimpse of the ocean

because you can see right
through the glass, both sides,

but it's only a small hint.

Once you get down, it opens up,

and you find a house
hidden away in the woods.

[dramatic music]

It's black, a high gloss black,

and, once you get
a bit further back,

the glass also becomes black,

so it really disappears into
the woods as a black box,

which is the way it
was designed to be.

[Narrator] John's garden
has indigenous trees

to camouflage the house

and tie the sight to his
New Zealand heritage.

[John] I'm a Kiwi, so
there's a lot of ferns,

and it feels a little bit
like a tropical haven.

[Narrator] From deep
within the foliage,

a wooden pathway opens up,

leading to a narrow footbridge

which links to the ground floor.

[bright music]

[John] As you
walk into the house,

you'll see that we have
a spiral staircase here,

which is a feature.

And then, obviously, it's a
little bit of a entrance hall

with some nice artwork.

[Narrator] Each of the
four bedrooms on this level

have a corner view,

with partial glass
walls to give the sense

of floating in the treetops.

[bright music]

[John] Off the master bedroom
here, we have an en suite,

which has the bath in
front of the window,

which is fantastic.

You can sit here in the winter
and look out at the view.

I'm sure, you know, if
they really wanted to,

they could probably
see us from the water,

but it would be difficult,

and we are very private
on the front here.

[dramatic music]

[Narrator] It's up
the spiral staircase

where the staggering views
really take your breath away.

[bright music]

I really enjoy
walking up the stairs,

here in the lookout,

and the expansive view opens up.

[bright music]

Until you actually get up here,

you're not really aware
of what you're gonna see,

and we're much closer to the
water than you'd imagine,

so you have a fantastic view.

[bright music]

To me, this epitomizes
a house, really.

We're in the sun; we're
next to the ocean.

We can watch the boats go by.

It's all what I wanted,
and we enjoy it every day.

And it's never the same.

[bright music]
[waves crashing]

[Narrator] John wanted
the picturesque outlook

to be the main
feature of the house.

[dramatic music]

So the front of the
house is fully glazed

and faces out onto the sea.

But there's a special place

which John keeps
hidden from sight.

Obviously, this here is
pretty much totally open plan,

but we have one little secret
room tucked away in the corner

that we sneak into
if we wanna watch TV.

[bright music]

So this is our little snug room.

It's a lovely room,
and the family love it.

And you wouldn't
know it was here.

And it's a nice
place just to relax.

[bright music]

[Narrator] This house has
many surprising elements.

[John] All modern architecture.

The devil's in the detail.

And what looks like a
very simple back box,

which, in many ways, it is,

it's the detailing
that goes with that

that makes it nice inside.

And so you end up with
full height doors.

You end up with
the window frames

sunk into the construction.

Just lots of little
simple details like that,

that create a very
crystal image.

Just difficult to create

and, actually, difficult
to build as well

because it requires a very
high specification of finish.

[bright music]

[Narrator] To realize his
dream of building on the water,

John worked with fellow
sailor and architect

Jonathan Manser.

It was one of those occasions

where the client
and the architect

want exactly the same thing,

a modern house that made
the best of the view.

[upbeat music]

[Narrator] But it was a
difficult site to build on

because the ground
here is always moving.

So Jonathan had to do
something quite extreme.

The reason this slope is
more difficult to build on

than just being a slope

is because there's a
mixture of clay and gravel

and big lumps of rock.

So the whole thing
is on the move

all the way along
this coastline here,

which is why, in the
planning guidance,

this particular site is assumed

that you can't do any
building work at all.

You know, no building here.

[upbeat music]

And so we had to come
up with a solution,

which a lot of people
who looked at the site

were too frightened
to contemplate.

So what we've done is
create this concrete,

tear-shaped cylinder under
the middle of the house,

and that's not gonna move.

[Narrator] It took
innovative engineering

and detailed geological surveys

to ensure that this family
home had a solid footing

on the unstable soil here.

[pensive music]

Geological reports
determined the foundations

needed to be sunk 26
meters underground

to find a solid point of anchor.

Engineers inserted 10
concrete piles into the ground

to create a solid base.

Each pile was just over
30 centimeters wide,

and they then
pulled more concrete

to form a pile cab to
hold it all together.

Finally, they laid
ties in the soil

to connect the
foundations of the house

to a stable part
of the hillside.

With the foundation secured,

they built the two story home
on top of the concrete piles

and anchored it with steel rods.

[gentle music]

When I look back,
I guess we were,

you know, arguably
a little naive

because we've got a
price on the piling

It was obviously more
than we anticipated,

but at the same time,

I didn't really think
through the risk, you know?

I think if you thought
through the risk properly,

you may not have done it.

I think, looking at it now,

all that process has actually
really been worthwhile.

And it's just quite
an achievement.

Quite pleased with it, really.

[Narrator] Jonathan's
team transformed

the concrete tube at
the base of the house

into a remarkable secret room.

What we have done is use the
resulting structural solution

with this concrete tube,

and we've put stuff
into the concrete tube

rather than just
leaving it empty.

We've got a utility
room and shower room

and storage and so on.

And then coming out
onto this terrace

so that you can walk
out and down the stairs

and down to the beach.

[inspiring music]

[Narrator] A beach
that's so remote,

it's virtually private.

[inspiring music]

John's gamble of building
on this challenging site

has paid off.

[John] When I look back
at a house like this,

it's a bit of a structural
triumph, I think.

It's fun to look at it,
and you keep on thinking,

"Wow, there's a lot of house
sitting on a very small base,"

and it's pretty
impressive engineering.

[inspiring music]

Yeah, my heart is in
sailing and passion...

And my passion is
really sailing,

and I'm a sailmaker by trade,

so it's always fun when you
see your clients going by.

You know who's out sailing.

You know who's training,

what's going on on
a day to day basis.

[inspiring music]

You know, there's
something a bit special

about living next to water,

being able to hear
the waves at night,

you know, hear the
boats going by;.

I just feel quite at
home next to the ocean.

[inspiring music]

[Narrator] John's
house is a triumph

of design and engineering

and a home where he can
work, rest, and sail

to his heart's content.

[inspiring music]

[dramatic music]