RK6

Wow. Seriously cool project! I’d be tempted to try to get some natural light in there via a light tube or similar, but can’t imagine how much of a pain it would be to get through the roof of a bunker.

Welcome aboard. Sounds like you’re marching towards kicking off an awesome project. Look forward to seeing the designs.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome!

Welcome! Sounds like an interesting and challenging project.

My list is already long enough without a bloody lake! ? I did think about the garage being separate rather than under the house. Would probably be cheaper, and could provide more flexibility down the line. My concern is planning, as I was warned that the planners were going to be really cautious about anything that could potentially detract from the listed Doocot. Building down kills that worry, but I’m guessing it’s going to dramatically increase complexity. I’ll have a better feel for what is and isn’t likely to be possible once I’ve spoken to a few local architects.

Saying "them" made it sound like I sold a huge collection. I didn't, I sold 2 cars and 2 bikes.

@ProDave— that’s definitely a worry, but I’m fairly set on my plan to use it as the entrance down into the house, so I’ll have to find a way to make it work. @joe90 it’s grade 2 listed, and the main stipulation from the planning dept is that the Doocot needs to remain the prominent feature of the plot, hence building below. For everyone asking what cars I have, I’m actually starting from scratch after selling them all to fund a business when I left the UK a few years back. I love older stuff, so I’m starting my new collection with a restomod 911, and perhaps a 308 GTB or 512 TR for something a little more unique. I’m also big into my bikes, so a chunk of the garage will be reserved for storing and tinkering with them.

I've got all of that fun and games to look forward to!

Here are a few pics of the listed Doo’cot (pigeon house) and muddy field. Hoping to have some aerial pics, and full survey data in the coming weeks.

Yeah, I think that’s exactly the route I need to take. Appreciate the guidance, folks. Sounds like I’ve dodged a bit of a bullet.

To be completely clear, I haven't asked anyone for a free design. Wouldn't dream of doing so -- guessing you mixed me up with Op, who was hoping for a quick back of the fag packet sketch from architects he was speaking to. My plan was to give 3 architects a budget of say 5k each to come up with their interpretation of my brief, and then use their outputs to pick a design and architect that felt right. I get what you're saying about pulling ideas from one, and if I were an architect, I would react the same way you explained, so that rules out my original competitive design phase idea.

Thanks everyone. That’s really helpful feedback. I don’t plan to build a house every few years, so this build is a huge deal for me, which is why I figured spending more in the initial design phase by effectively “wasting” 2 sets of drafts would be worth it to figure out which firm best suits my brief, and can do most justice to the plot. I didn’t consider the dynamic of trying to take ideas from one and push them into another, I can definitely see how that would cause problems right off the bat. Liking the idea of getting a single architect to draw up multiple designs. That could be a solid compromise. Just means I need to pick the right firm at the offset!

@Ferdinand I’d rather just quietly get it done then move in an enjoy it, but I’m a big fan of the show so the thought has crossed my mind a few times. @Tennentslager a car elevator would be utterly amazing, but that’s definitely going to be a hugely expensive item. I was however thinking that opening a heritage door on the small building to find brushed steel elevator doors behind it would be amazing. And a personnel lift would likely be much more affordable than a massive car lift. I’m definitely enjoying the daydreaming phase of this project, but it’s very nearly time to get real. It’ll be interesting to see how many of my whacky ideas make it into the final build.

This topic has been really useful. Thanks Op! I have a few potential architects shortlisted, and ready to brief. My plan (at least in my head) is to pay each firm to run through the initial design phase with me, and then use both the experience of working with them, and the design ideas they come up with, to decide which org to marry. Is that a reasonable approach?

@Roys My plot is in the North East, which is where I’m from, although I’m currently living overseas. @Ferdinand I’m a big fan of Grand Designs, and have seen both of those episodes. Solid inspiration for sure. I was tempted to ping them about this project, but I quite like my privacy. Not sure how I’d feel about telling the world where I live. @Cpd I should have a friend flying a drone over the site in the next week or so. I’ll follow up with some pics then. @the_r_sole best name I’ve seen in a while. Well played! Budget hasn’t been finalized yet, but I’m expecting this to sting. My hope is that I can do it for 1.25M, but that figure just came directly from my r_sole.

That’s my job for next week!

It’s likely going to be a bit of both, which means underpinning and all that fun stuff. The dream would be to have an elevator down to the house, but that’s likely a tad OTT. More likely to open a very old looking door on the listed building to find a modern and industrial set of stairs leading straight down into the house, which means the house can be pushed forward a little, rather than building directly underneath.

Hey everyone! I’m in the process of buying a ~10 acre plot in Scotland, c/w a very small and very wrecked listed building, and full planning permission for a partially underground house that I plan to completely redesign to suit my needs. I’m a big petrol head, so my build will likely be 60/40 house to garage, possibly even 50/50, but we’ll see how the basement costs stack up. Basic premise is to use the tiny listed building as an entrance down into the new house which will be underneath, helped by the topography of the site. My aim is to completely hide the main house from sight when approaching from the rear so all that can be seen is the tiny listed building, providing a bit of theatre as it opens up when you descend into it. From the garden side, the house will be floor to ceiling glass looking into the surrounding woods, which provide the site with good shelter. I expect the livable area to be 250-300m2. If I can justify the expense of a full-size (or nearly full-size) garage under the living area then that’s exactly what I’ll do. It’s definitely going to be a bit of a whacky build, and for sure it’s going to hurt my wallet, but I think it has potential to be pretty special if I can pull it off…. I’ll do my best to share my progress (both good and bad) over the coming months and years. Very much looking forward to learning from everyone here!