Andrew Black Design to be featured on More 4\'s \'Building the Dream\'

Published

26th January 2017

A stunning home, designed by a firm of award-winning Dundee architects, will be featured on national television later this month.

‘Glasshouse’ in Dalgety Bay, Fife, the creation of Andrew Black Design, will feature on More 4’s ‘Building the Dream’ at 9pm on Tuesday 31 January 2017. 

In Building the Dream, a True North production, Architectural Designer Charlie Luxton works with people aiming to turn empty plots of land into their dream homes, made to suit their lifestyles, but on a budget they can afford. But will these brave first-time builders draw on all Charlie’s knowledge and advice or will they stick to their original plans? And can they build for less than the cost of buying?

The programme follows Alan and Lucy Brown’s journey which began in August 2012 when they took the plunge and bought the plot on Lumsdaine Drive, overlooking the Forth bridges, after viewing around 50 potential homes for sale.  The couple, and their 11 year old twin daughters, moved into their new home just before Christmas 2016.

Alan (40), who has lived in Dalgety Bay for 35 years said, “When we first saw the ‘for sale’ sign while out walking the dog, we jumped on it, and purchased the plot two days later.

“We had been looking at many properties for some time and none of them were quite right, so we decided to do it ourselves and start from scratch. After receiving a recommendation from a friend, we went with Andrew Black Design.  As the property and its many, beautiful design features began to take shape,  many people suggested that we try and capture some TV interest so we were delighted to catch the attention of Charlie Luxton from Building the Dream, a programme we’ve been following since it began. It was great fun working with them and, in addition to the crew’s many visits to our home, and Charlie’s of course, we were given a ‘build cam’ and memory cards to capture the project as it went along. Charlie put his stamp on the property too of course, changing the balcony in conjunction with our architects.  The final reveal took place in December, and we had a party shortly after to celebrate its completion!”

Andrew Black, Andrew Black Design commented, “We are delighted and proud that one of our designs will be shown on television and look forward to seeing the programme which I’m sure will show off the house well.  The owners went through many designs and it’s fantastic to now see them all settled in their bespoke, dream home.”

‘Glasshouse’ is a two-storey dwelling with three en-suite bedrooms, a master bedroom en-suite and attached dressing room, utility room and plant room on the ground floor, with an open plan kitchen/living/ dining/ lounge area and further WC on the first floor. The dining and lounge area have access to a large balcony with views south over the Firth of Forth.

Built by local firm Dalgety Joiners, the exterior is largely white render with a dark grey stone cladding to minimise the impact on neighbouring housing.  Extensive use of glass maximises the stunning views and natural sunlight, as does the glass balustrade within the balcony area. Internally, the property is bright and contemporary, with light grey wooden floors and light grey marble tiles.  There is also a large glass floor in the living area and a timber and glass floating staircase.

So, would Alan go down the self-build route again?

“Despite the huge of amount of work, and the emotional commitment too, it’s all been positive and we would definitely do it again, tapping into Andrew Black Design’s expertise again of course. It was well worth it on a number of levels. We spent around £480,000 but have since had the property valued around the £1M mark, essentially doubling our money!  But more importantly, we’ve got the home we wanted, which has been designed exactly for our family.  However, we’ll never sell Glasshouse. We designed this for our family, and we don’t see ourselves moving.  Now that we’re in, we just want to enjoy it.”

Established in 2002, Andrew Black Design is a design-led practice providing innovative and contemporary built solutions over a diverse portfolio of projects, including bespoke designs for new build and existing dwellings and commercial work such as office buildings, workshops, nightclubs and bar design. The practice recently won the Supreme Award from the Dundee Institute of Architects for its stunning design of Ladies Lake, St Andrews.

The practice provides a personalised and focused design service, working closely with clients to develop individual briefs and producing imaginative solutions, often with limited budgets and timescales. Specialising in incorporating exterior and interior architecture within a holistic design package, the practice provides a comprehensive service, from feasibility through to completion.

For more information, visit http://www.andrewblackdesign.com/or telephone 01382 666512.

Andrew Black Design

Andrew Black Design is a design-led architectural practice based in Dundee, providing innovative and contemporary built solutions over a diverse portfolio of projects including speculative and bespoke designs for new build and existing dwellings and commercial work such as office buildings, workshops, nightclubs and bar design.

Back to news