Grand Designs Concrete House Sussex

A COUPLE have defended their £450,000 dream family home after Kevin McCloud calls it a "nuclear bunker".

Deep-sea diver, Adrian Corrigall and his wife Megan spent 18 months building their house in Lewes, East Sussex, entirely out on concrete.

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Kevin McCloud compared the house in Lewes, East Sussex, to a 'nuclear bunker' Credit: Channel 4

The controversial development will appear on tonight's episode of Channel 4's Grand Designs which sees host Kevin voice scepticism, comparing the property to a "car park" and "electricity substation", adding that it doesn't look "homely enough".

Adrian, 46, and wife Megan spent £500,000 on the plot of land and budgeted to spend an additional £400,000 on building the property.

However, the couple ran into unexpected costs, adding £50,000 to the final bill, forcing Adrian to take deep-sea diving jobs to bring in the cash, leaving Megan to manage the building of the house solo.

She said: "We have had an absolute nightmare, we've got credit cards and god knows what up to our eyeballs."

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It's made entirely out of Swiss 'nano-concrete' Credit: Channel 4

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Adrian and Megan spent a total of almost £1m on the propety Credit: Channel 4

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Although the Grand Designs host criticised their work, the couple have defended their home Credit: Channel 4

She adds: "We were pushed into this position where we couldn't do anything, we had to go and get some money. So [Adrian] has gone and left me to it. It's literally been the worst week of my life, it's been awful."

The couple stand by their creation, despite the financial hardship, which Adrian claims is inspired by concrete skate parks he used growing up as a BMX rider in Scotland.

They use Swiss 'nano-concrete' which uses cutting edge technology to micro-reinforce bits of glass fibre and shards of stainless steel to strengthen the concrete.

Adrian said: "It's a great big brutal concrete bunker. Building in concrete is a really simple way to build a house. You're pouring concrete, you're not messing around with bricks and mortar, and you're not doing any of that.

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The kitchen contains second-hand work stations from a science classroom Credit: Channel 4

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Even the bedrooms have unfinished concrete walls and floors Credit: Channel 4

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The dining room with marks on the ceiling which show the process of how the house was built Credit: Channel 4

"It's about an honest building built out of a really truly, 21st century material with an incredible history but we're using it in its most modern way it can be utilised… And we're doing it on a budget."

The property features four bedrooms, all with unfinished concrete walls, and a concrete swimming pool with a view of the surrounding countryside.

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There are small alcoves throughout the house that Adrian and Megan have personalised Credit: Channel 4

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There are many house plants and rugs to make the property feel more homely Credit: Channel 4

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The swimming pool looks out onto the surrounding countryside Credit: Channel 4

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Collected furniture inside the building gives it character, including a second hand university science classroom work station in the kitchen, complete with burns and stains uncleaned.

Critical of the innovative design, which began being constructed in October 2017, Kevin calls the building an "unwelcoming fortress" upon arrival.

He then asks: "It's pure and uncompromised… An aesthetic however, which is also going to be governed by the connotations of concrete, because underneath the questions of aesthetics lies a fundamental question: Could you live in a car park?"

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Grand Designs Concrete House Sussex

Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7571385/grand-designs-concrete-home/