Thread: Oak Frame House On the ABC

Ye i saw the house it was fantastic i watch grant design every thurs night religiouls its a great program which we made tv like the brits

Chris was that the original (Series 4) or the revisited (Series 7)?

Think the ABC has gone right back to series #1, tonight's was the 2nd episode.

The green wood mortice/tenon/dowel construction is inspiring.

Originally Posted by Cruzi

Think the ABC has gone right back to series #1, tonight's was the 2nd episode.

Yes must have. The presenter looked very young and skinny all of sudden.

I always find this show interesting. Kid always must have early bath on Thursdays, even if still clean. Tonights was fascinating seeing the oak joinery. I like seeing all the different approaches everyone has to their projects. The Prefab house from Germany (Some months ago) was pretty amazing. Precision or what.

That's a great show. I thought the joinery in the oak house was beautifully done but the design was a bit overdone. That said, I guess the point of the program is to show the exerience people go through in the design process, from original idea to the compromises and changes necessary for completion. Got to admire the drive and energy of the folks who built that house at the stage of life where many are just winding back.
I'm not sure it it's from this series, but check out the episode about the couple who build a houseboat as their main family home with virtually no budget and a vague plan, using only found or recycled materials (over the Engish winter). Talk about optimistic, but they got there.
Makes building my shed look real easy

Mike

Originally Posted by Pat

Chris was that the original (Series 4) or the revisited (Series 7)?

Definitely an old series. The mosaic the lady made for the patio had the date 1998.

I only watch it on a casual basis but have seen some spectacular houses all the same. Next week is a co-operative building project of several houses.

I love grand designs. Figured last nights episode must have been from an earlier series because the presenter had lots of hair and was actually quite nice to the people building the house, whereas in more recent episodes he is much more critical and opinionated.

Originally Posted by JMB

I love grand designs. Figured last nights episode must have been from an earlier series because the presenter had lots of hair and was actually quite nice to the people building the house, whereas in more recent episodes he is much more critical and opinionated.

I guess you get like that when you see people making the same stupid mistakes again and again. Project managing when you have no idea, and making major changes when underway that destroy the time table and in both cases usually blow out costs. Regardless of his opinion at the end of each show he usually speaks in positive terms about the outcome.

I always watch this show, then on Fridays I work with a couple of architects, so we dissect the previous night's offering.
I really liked the oak house, but to then go and build a bloody great concrete block wall was a bit of sacrilege. IMHO, it would have looked much better if they'd done a series of terraces.

In this series he seems to be hopping in and helping. He was painting this week. And last week in installed a garden for them. I don't think he does that in later series.

It was a great to see that sort of building going on - the comment by the carpenter about the oak being like butter to work with was intriguing. And it seems that the underfloor heating trend started around this time...along with the heatbank trenching (not sure what this is called) ie. transferring the warmth of the ground into the house via buried pipes (I do know this is a fairly old method though).

Grand Designs is a great show but if the first episode is anything to go by it is a wonder this fella still has a show. The house they built last week could hardly be classified as a grand design - I think it was more the fact that the couple were having a baby and had unrealistic expectations about their build - nothing like suspense to get people interested - I find this necessity to build such suspense annoying and detracting from the build. Does anyone really care if they get to move in before the baby is born?

** Rant over **