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Couple transform an underground water reservoir into an airy family home in Hull

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Couple transform an underground water reservoir into an airy family home in Hull

A couple transformed a dark underground water reservoir near the Humber Estuary into a light, airy courtyard family home for them and their four-year-old daughter in Grand Designs.  

Last night’s episode focused on engineer Richard and his partner Felicia, who back in 2013 set out on a giant re-invention scheme.

The couple wanted to do it in nine months, for just £150,000, almost entirely on their own and without the help of a designer or an architect. 

And while design and layout decisions stretched their abilities and the schedule to the max, everything was put into perspective when Richard was diagnosed with cancer half-way through the build.

At the end of the show, it was revealed that the couple had spent £150K to date and the project had taken six years, due to Richard’s cancer treatment. 

With several rooms still unfinished, they will eventually go over the original budget once the property is complete. 

One viewer wrote: ‘Don’t think I have ever rooted for a couple so much. And a wonderful house at the end of it,’ while another penned: ‘What an amazing house and what lovely people. Congratulations, that place is stunning!’  

Richard and Felicia show presenter Kevin McCloud around the enormous space, which they intend to turn into a large family home

Kevin McCloud arrives to greet the couple after the demolition of the reservoir roof, which exposes the vast expanse of space beneath

The brave couple transform the reservoir near the Humber Estuary into a light, airy courtyard family home

The bright and airy living room (pictured) provides a stark contrast to the vast and dark underwater reservoir from before

Speaking of the former water reservoir, Felicia says: ‘I’m not claustrophobic but that was the moment I understood people who are afraid of being locked up in places like this.’ Pictured, Richard, his partner Felicia and presenter, Kevin McCloud

Grand Design viewers took to Twitter following last night’s episode, with one writing: ‘Just caught up. Don’t think I have ever rooted for a couple so much. And a wonderful house at the end of it’

A third commented: ‘A really good ongoing build tonight and a nice family that deserve some good fortune after the health issues,’ while a fourth added: ‘Who would have thought Grand Designs could be so sad?’

A further wrote: ‘Amazing couple ! Resilience, courage and commitment got them through the build and adversity with serious illness.’ 

In the opening scenes, presenter Kevin McCloud was interested to find out the couple’s first impressions of the water reservoir.

‘I’m not claustrophobic but that was the moment I understood people who are afraid of being locked up in places like this,’ Felicia said. ‘It’s spooky and dark.’

Richard added: ‘Emotionally, it sounds bit daft, but you fall in love with places and I got the idea it wants to be set free.’

‘It’s been down here on its own long enough so all this void needs to disappear into the sky and let the sunlight in.’

The ambitious project, which was bordering on wild optimism, proves an epic task from the start.  

The creepy underwater storage tank is ensconsed in concrete – and the couple want to remove the roof to leave a large insulated courtyard from which they can build the home 

The couple said they hoped to transform the site (pictured) in nine months, for just £150,000, almost entirely on their own

Demolishing the concrete roof while keeping the reservoir’s walls and floor intact takes an almighty feat of engineering

Last night’s episode focused on engineer Richard and his partner Felicia, who, back in 2013, set out on a giant re-invention scheme to transform an underground water reservoir

The plan for the project, which includes three bedrooms, office space and a living area and conservatory, is ambitious

The former dark and underground reservoir has since been converted into a bright living space. Pictured, the living room

The couple vow to keep the walls exposed to remind them of the property’s unique selling point. Pictured, storage 

The couple set to work and grind hundreds of square metres of bare reservoir walls to become the interior of the living spaces. Pictured, storage units after

The couple reveal that they don’t know whether the walls will cave in once the roof is removed. Pictured, the new family home in Hull

Demolishing the concrete roof while keeping the reservoir’s walls and floor intact takes an almighty feat of engineering. 

And grinding hundreds of square metres of bare reservoir walls to become the interior of the living spaces proves utterly exhausting. 

‘The engineering side of it is a complete mystery to us,’ remarked one of the construction workers.  

‘We don’t know how the supporting wall is tied in to the slab or what’s going to happen until we uncover more of the structure and understands how it’s all put together. It could be very expensive or very benign.’

However, the couple set a £7,000 budget to get rid of the 22 tonne underground water reservoir. 

‘A lot of people think you can go into a house or building and hit it willy-nilly, but demolition is very controlled,’ explained one of the workers. 

‘Breaking in is the hard part – slowly munching the edges so when the roof does pre-collapse it doesn’t tear the walls as well.’

Kevin McCloud arrives to greet the couple after the demolition of the reservoir roof, which exposes the vast expanse of space beneath

A steel frame is adding to the pioneering conversion, designed by Richard to save on costs

However, after 45 minutes the reservoir still isn’t surrendering to the jaws of the machine, so the experts re-position, hoping for more luck.

Finally, they break through, but there’s still no inkling whether the roof is tying the walls together and will bring them crashing down with it.

‘The only way to access the old structure is by accessing the valve room,’ explained Kevin, as he takes a look around. ‘In here, stairs lead down to the other wordly water chamber.’

‘It’s vast and it’s twice as deep as I thought it would be. It’s spectacular.’ 

Pictured, the open windows provide a plentiful supply of light – unlike the underground water reservoir before

The couple (pictured with presenter Kevin McCloud) wanted to complete the project in nine months – but a life threatening illness strikes out of the blue

The couple also decide to leave the walls exposed to act as a reminder of how the tank used to be. 

‘What we’re doing is taking off this top layer, the water proofing treatment they did for the tank,’ explained Felicia.

‘We’ve decided to grind it down and leave it as it is because this is more or less the only feature of the tank that stays.’  

However, half-way through the project Richard is diagnosed with cancer, and requires an operation followed by gruelling treatment – during which he contracts a dangerous infection.

With neither of the couple receiving an income during his recovery, the project is put on hold for three years – after which Richard returns with renewed vigour to bring his dream to life.

 The couple initially set a £7,000 budget to get rid of the 22 tonne underground water reservoir. Pictured after

A steel frame is added to the pioneering conversion, designed by Richard to save on costs and to add to the industrial theme of the home.

While the architect they reluctantly hired is skeptical that they’ll finish the project with just £110,000 left in the budget, Richard decides to work solo to board out much of the structure.

‘Regarding the illness and the impact it’s had on me and the build, I think it’s had a positive influence,’ Richard said. ‘This is a small bit of paradise for me now, I wake up in the morning and I look forward to this immensely.’ 

With their daughter now nine, the strain of living in the small ‘temporary’ flat while they complete the build is visibly taking its toll on the couple. 

But they begin to see the life at the end of the tunnel, ditching some of their more elaborate design ideas such as the living roof, replacing it with a rubber alternative. 

The start of 2018 sees Richard install large cladding to the sides of the buildings on his own, while a local fitter helps put in the windows.  

Four-and-a-half years since they set out on their pioneering project, the new structure is finally water-tight – but there’s just £40,000 left in the budget.

With the addition of the roof, the property finally begins to take shape and resemble a home

After six years of experimental engineering and a family pulling together to get the 60-year structure transformed and finished, McCloud is very impressed

McCloud applauds their undertaking as ‘heroic’, describing the vast scale of the building as being like three sports halls, with 450 sq metres of walls which require sanding down – a job taken on by Felicia.

After Richard constructs the enormous timber floor which runs throughout the property, the couple call in the tradesmen to fit out the property with plastering, electricity and plumbing. 

After six years of experimental engineering and a family pulling together to get the 60-year structure transformed and finished, McCloud is very impressed – particularly with the open-plan living space and impressive courtyard.

‘The whole thing is just elegant,’ he said. ‘The concrete walls are also brilliant. They are the backdrop of family life now.’ 

‘This is literally a dream come true, we’ve been locked up in a flat with no outside space and it’s beautiful to wake up to birds singing, you open the door to the courtyard… it’s really something special,’ Felicia said. 

Grand Designs airs on Wednesdays at 9pm on Channel 4. 

Viewers took to social media to praise the couple for accomplishing their dream build – despite everything that was thrown at them

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