A self-confessed 'eco-warrior' who was criticised for his 'utterly bonkers' decision to create the UK's first self-heating home has insisted it was all worth it to create his 'dream' family home.
asserted
it → confess → home
In 2017, Dr Andrew Smith, and his wife Margretta, from Bletchey, Buckinghamshire, set out to construct the nation's first ever self-heating house in just 18 months with an ambitious budget of £300,000 on Channel 4's Grand Designs.
asserted
Smith → set → Designs
Built with a concrete base, walls and roof, the home would rely on the warmth of the summer sun stored in insulated earth banks over and around the house.
asserted
home → build → house
If successful, the heat could then be radiated back into the rooms of the home throughout the year.
uncertain
heat → radiate → year
But online critics were hugely sceptical of his project, with viewers questioning the vast amount of 'plastic and polystyrene' used.
asserted
viewers → question → plastic
Others, meanwhile, branded him an 'ego warrior' who built an 'environmentally unfriendly' property.
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who → brand → property
'The only eco thing about this house is the heating system, so much concrete, polystyrene and plastic!' criticised one X user, while another added: 'Mixed feelings about all the concrete used in the construction...
asserted
another → criticise → construction
Could an alternative not have been used'.
uncertain
alternative → use → ?
Following a tumultuous construction period that saw their project halted by the likes of 'sloppy concrete', in 2020 the pair finally moved into the unique new home with their children, Jasper and Imogen.
asserted
pair → follow → children
Now, six years since the move, host Kevin McCloud returned to Andrew and Margretta's quirky leafy haven for the show's series finale to discover if their controversial plans had come to fruition.
asserted
plans → return → fruition
Despite the public backlash and Margretta's own reservations about the project, Andrew insisted that the 'blood, sweat and tears', of which he confessed there had been many, were all worth it in the long-run.
asserted
he → insist → run
A self-confessed 'eco-warrior' who was criticised for his 'utterly bonkers' decision to create the UK's first self-heating home has insisted it was all worth it to create his 'dream' family home
In 2017, Dr Andrew Smith, and his wife Margretta, from Bletchey, Buckinghamshire, set out to construct the nation's first ever self-heating house in just 18 months with an ambitious budget of £300,000 on Channel 4's Grand Designs
asserted
Smith → confess → Designs
Following a tumultuous construction period that saw their project halted by the likes of 'sloppy concrete', in 2020 the pair finally moved into the unique new home with their children, Jasper and Imogen
Arriving at the sunken-in minimalist home, Kevin was instantly impressed with the overall look and feel of the property but remained curious what the reality would be once they stepped indoors.
asserted
they → follow → property
Andrew had initially estimated that the home would take two years to begin heating up, though the brisk temperatures of last winter and unprecedented summer heatwave left Kevin sceptical of its success.
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temperatures → estimate → success
However, greeting Kevin outside, Margretta, a former midwife, confessed: 'We're enjoying the home.
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We → greet → home
It’s looking after us, it's serving us as a home and it’s lovely.
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it → look → home
Reflecting on how the experimental build had navigated Britain's warmest summer on record, Andrew revealed: 'It's been remarkably cool.
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It → reflect → record
We’ve had people come in thinking we’ve got air con.
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we → have → con
'The norms we grew up with climatically are changing without a doubt and certainly in the UK we’ve got to deal with overheating.’
asserted
we → grow → overheating
Inside, Andrew and Margretta gave Kevin an in-depth tour of the property, which boasts four bedrooms, a spacious kitchen-living space with a log burner, alongside an outdoor central courtyard to provide an abundance of natural light.
asserted
which → give → light
'From the top of the courtyard we have got light coming into all of the rooms,' Andrew explained.
asserted
Andrew → get → rooms
'You do not feel like you are deep underground.
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you → feel → ?
When we first moved in, it felt like that light you get on holiday.'
asserted
you → move → holiday
Kevin also noted that the bedrooms arranged along the back wall of the home have remained dry and mould free, despite being enclosed by the earth's bank surrounding the property.
asserted
bedrooms → note → property
In Imogen's room, patterns of light bounced along the wall and carpet.
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patterns → bounce → wall
The teenager's space had been tastefully designed with plenty of space, and even an en-suite to enjoy.
asserted
space → design → space
Meanwhile, in Andrew and Margretta's bedroom, a large walk-in-wardrobe provides plenty of space for Andrew's old fleeces, while the en-suite adds an additional surprising touch of luxury to the eco-friendly home.
asserted
suite → walk → home
Now, six years since the move, host Kevin McCloud returned to Andrew and Margretta's quirky leafy haven for the show's series finale to discover if it their controversial plans had come to fruition
Andrew had initially estimated that the home would take two years to begin heating up, though the brisk temperatures of last winter and unprecedented summer heatwave left Kevin sceptical of its success
Inside, Andrew and Margretta gave Kevin an in-depth tour of the property, which boasts four bedrooms, a spacious kitchen-living space with a log burner, alongside an outdoor central courtyard to provide an abundance of natural light
Ahead of the build, Dr Andrew and Margretta were living in their stunning countryside cottage, which had been passed down through the generations in Andrew's family
And
asserted
which → return → family
as with several aspects of the home, Andrew explained that the hot water system is far from conventional.
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system → explain → home
Showcasing a prototype to explain how the innovative system works, he added: 'Your waste water goes through there'
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water → showcase → prototype
And as with several aspects of the home, Andrew explained that the hot water system is far from conventional.
asserted
system → explain → home
He said: 'I tried to make the hot water usage in the bathrooms as efficient as possible.
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usage → say → bathrooms
We’re covering the heat out of the outgoing shower water.’
asserted
We → cover → water
Showcasing a prototype to explain how the innovative system works, he added: 'Your waste water goes through there and it washes over the copper coil and at the same time, your fresh water for your shower is going through the copper coil.
'
asserted
water → showcase → coil
It’s basically doing shower heat recovery so you end up with lets say cold at 10 degrees, that will come out at about 25.
asserted
that → do → 25
‘It typically can save between a third and a half of your hot water and it just makes a limited tank last half as long.
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tank → save → water
Yet this is not the only aspect of the home that is relying upon environmental methods of energy conservation - with VB panels installed for electricity, while solar dupes help to heat the water in the summer.
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dupes → rely → summer
The earthbank heat store, fully plumbed by Andrew himself, sees the heat harvested from the summertime sent in 'dump circuits around the back of the house that goes into the earthbank'.
asserted
that → plumb → earthbank
He added: 'We're taking heat from a slab being heated by the sun to then use in February.
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We → add → February
What we’ve got stored in there already is this year’s heatwave, so that’s already there.’
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that → store → What
…and 28 more, not listed.
The Aporia
