HOMEOWNERS Spencer and Emma Guy, with their children James and Olivia
LOCATION Buckinghamshire
SIZE 270m2 (plus 100m2 garage)
BUILD ROUTE DIY
CONSTRUCTION Cross laminated timber
BUILD TIME Five years
PLOT COST £400,000
BUILD COST £450,000
VALUE £1.5million (estimated)
Living on site is not for the faint-hearted, but Spencer and Emma Guy have most certainly proved their mettle by living in a work-in-progress self-build for more than 10 years.
CONSIDERED CLADDING
The cladding wasn't added to the house until the family had been living in the house for four years. Local clay bricks were used for the base, with black-painted larch timber boards above. A large balcony extends from the master suite and creates a patio pergola.
Their journey first started in 2007, when their abstract idea to move out of London, where they worked and had renovated a terraced house, changed into a firm plan for a new lifestyle outside of the city. "We're both architects and we've always wanted to build a house,"," begins Spencer Guy, founder of Levitate Architects. "We started to think a bit more seriously about moving to the countryside so we began looking on plot finding sites. We're both from Yorkshire so wanted somewhere north of London and a plot came up in Buckinghamshire in 2009, so we went to have a look at it."
Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av Homebuilding & Renovating.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av Homebuilding & Renovating.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Back to black
Dramatic black finishes and industrial touches add impact to Charlotte and Sam Tisdall's extended end-terrace home
Change for good
A last-minute decision to build a kitchen extension instead of a general update turned out to be a wise move for the owners of this detached period property
High praise
After converting a run-down gospel hall into a unique 1930s-inspired home-complete with geodesic dome - Alice Deuchar and Daniel Schamroth pronounced it a resounding succes
Lifetime achievement
Replacing a tired 1960s bungalow with a bespoke prefabricated contemporary house allowed retired architect Helen Heslop Brunt and her husband Martin to fulfil a long-held dream
Self-build for beginners PART 13 PRE-CONSTRUCTION GUIDE
Make sure that your insurance, health and safety, build and cost schedules and all documents are all in place before kick-off
ECO LANDSCAPING
Creating a garden with green credentials isn't without its challenges, but there are plenty of ways you can reduce its impact on the environment, once you know how
WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT PASSIVHAUS VENTILATION?
Heat and energy expert David Hilton explains the benefits, options and costs of this ultimate heating standard
HOW MUCH DOES EXTERNAL WALL INSULATION COST?
It's touted as an affordable home insulation method, but is external wall insulation worth the outlay and what are the lifetime costs? We look at the figures...
Open-plan kitchen DAVID HOCKNEY EXTENSIONS
From structural considerations and zoning to layout ideas and lighting, our practical guide to creating your new space has it covered
RENOVATING A GEORGIAN HOME
Known for their elegant architectural features, Georgian homes need to be restored sensitively to make them fit for modern life