Grand Designs viewers consider the new series the ‘worst ever’ after the third unfinished project in a row – as Princess Diana’s divorce lawyer and her husband fail to complete a giant £1.25 million eco-home within three years to complete
Viewers of Grand Designs have complained about yet another unfinished project in the new series of Channel 4’s architecture show, after Wednesday night’s episode concluded with a partially built house.
The episode, which aired Wednesday night at 9 p.m., featured Duncan, an environmental consultant from London, on a mission to build his eco-friendly, “miniature power station” home, along with his wife Liz Vernon, a high-powered divorce lawyer whose clients include more Princess Diana and Bernie Ecclestone.
The couple planned to build their 800-square-foot eco-home, called a Passivhaus Premium (a first in Britain, according to the couple), on a plot of land in the Cotswolds. The purpose of the house is to generate so much energy that it will also supply electricity to other nearby buildings.
They explained that the budget for their huge home, which would include four bedrooms, a library and a wine cellar, was £1.2 million and that construction would take between 18 months and 2 years.
But near the end of the episode, when Duncan estimated they would need another 18 months to finish the house, viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to criticize the series for another unfinished project.
Grand Designs viewers are left disappointed after the latest episode revealed yet another unfinished house, this time in the Cotswolds
Liz Vernon, a high-powered divorce lawyer whose clients included Princess Diana and Bernie Ecclestone, and her husband Duncan wanted to build an eco-friendly home in The Cotswolds
When Kevin visited the couple on their plot of land at the start of the episode, filmed in August 2020, Duncan revealed that they had managed to obtain planning permission to build a Passive House Premium.
He explained that a passive house must be thermally efficient, energy efficient and airtight; but a Passive House Premium must also generate four times as much energy as it consumes.
“On a sunny summer day we provide electricity to half the village,” he said.
The plans for the building were originally designed by an architect, before Duncan and a second architect took the plans in hand and developed them further.
Duncan and Liz wanted to build a huge 800 sq ft eco-friendly home called a Passive House Premium
After a three-year project, the house is still unfinished and Duncan estimates that it will take another 18 months before the house is finished
Duncan and Liz had designed a well-insulated house, equipped with a kitchen made from recycled materials.
It would include a yoga mezzanine for Liz to use, a library and a wine cellar.
To generate all the electricity needed for the house to qualify for the Passive House Premium rating, Duncan’s plans include a solar panel to clad the roof, plus a plant room that would supply electricity around the house, to the electric car in the garage – and back to the national grid.
However, when Kevin looked at the site and took into account the enormous size of the proposed building, he asked the couple if they thought there was a risk of it becoming a ‘monster’.
Liz responded, “If we do it right internally, it should just feel homely.”
The enormous house, even though it is not yet finished, passes the test to be considered Passive House Premium
The spiral staircase leading to the basement was initially described by Duncan as an ‘ugly duckling’, but now lends itself to the overall look of the house
When Kevin pulled up to the house at the end of the episode, it was clear that the building was incomplete
The living and dining room are already somewhat furnished, but Liz and Duncan do not yet live in the building
After revealing their £1.2 million budget to the presenter, Kevin asked what would happen if the total cost ended up being closer to £1.5 million.
“I’ll keep working,” Liz replied.
But as the project got underway, the tight specifications became apparent as Duncan checked the construction to ensure measurements were within an accurate range.
Meanwhile, Duncan, who had been living temporarily in a shed in a pub garden, had to look for rental properties near the site of the construction, while Liz continued to live in their terraced house in London.
After a project that took almost three years, the couple welcomed Kevin back to their home, which was not yet finished – despite a total spend to date of £1.25 million.
After the episode, frustrated viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to complain about another unfinished project
The house still needed work and Duncan and Liz admitted they don’t live in the huge building yet, but it does pass the test to be classified as Passive House Premium.
Although the couple admitted they were happy with the home they have produced so far, Liz revealed: ‘It’s been three years since we’ve had a shared life. Three years ago we had dinner and watched television together.’
Despite spending so long on the project so far, Duncan added that he estimated another 18 months before it would be finished.
After watching the episode, the third version of the most recent series that remains incomplete, viewers took to X to express their frustration.
One person wrote: ‘Is there any danger we’ll get a completed house this season?’
Another said: ‘Most disappointing GD series ever! Tired of sitting for an hour looking at yet another unfinished, oversized project!’