Kevin McCloud’s Grandest Designs! Presenter reveals his top five builds in tonight’s 20th anniversary episode – including a £10k shipping container project in Northern Ireland that he admits is his favourite EVER
Kevin McCloud has revealed a converted shipping container and cave are among his all-time favourite Grand Designs in tonight’s commemorative episode. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the hit Channel 4 show, the TV presenter whittled down his top five picks on Kevin’s Grandest Designs. Among them was a home he called his ‘most visited’ project – a house nicknamed Miss Tiggy Winkle’s mansion in Herefordshire, which has been a work of love for Rowena and Ed since they started building 12 years ago.
Another of Kevin’s most memorable and ambitious self-building projects was by a man called Angelo, who transformed an 800-year-old cave in Worcestershire into a home worthy of the title ‘cave man chic’. A couple who spent £850K transforming a barn the size of seven three-bedroom houses in Essex into a home also made the cut, as did the impressive Kennington Water Tower conversion, which Kevin dubbed an ‘obscenely expensive’ project. However, he praised owners Graham and Leigh for restoring the ten-floor Victorian building in London in nine months and it was ‘one of the most dynamic and intelligent restoration projects’ he’s ‘ever had the pleasure to follow.’ But in a final revelation, Kevin admitted that ‘probably’ his all-time favourite build was created by a farmer and architect in Northern Ireland, who turned £10K worth of shipping containers into an architectural delight. And while undeniably impressive for a variety of reasons, they’re not the only properties worth dedicating an entire episode to. Other spectacular properties that have featured in the show’s history include a £800k snake-like home that nestles in the Blackdown Hills and a spectacular £7.5million home in Holland Park that was originally a music studio which saw the likes of Shirley Bassey, Queen and John Lennon record there.
Farmer and architect Patrick Bradley created this home in 2013 and the £133k dream home is made entirely out of four shipping containers and located in Derry, Northern Ireland. Kevin dubbed it ‘probably’ his all-time favourite.Patrick’s home is located over a stream at a beautiful and secluded spot on the family farm and the four shipping containers form a giant cross. Patrick decided that a spot on his family farm would be the perfect place to build this impressive project from ship containers, which many deemed impossible. At the time, Kevin thought the project was a disaster in the making, with the potential to ruin an idyllic spot on the family farm. Patrick faced a desperate uphill struggle to win over his doubters. But Kevin was won over from the project which he later called ‘almost faultless’. Pictured, the living room now with spectacular views.The pioneer has continued his innovative work and has since built a shipping container studio clad in gold which he can work from.
