Grand Designs at Withdean

 

There is renewed building activity, if it ever stopped, at this modern house, 'The Curve', in Withdean Road. Work started in 2007 and, in April 2009 it was the subject of Grand Designs on Channel 4, series15, episode 6.

The builder/property developer Barry owned three properties in a row. He intended selling the outer two to finance redevelopment of the middle site with his dream home, a 4-storey modern mansion with basement pool, hot tub, gym, cinema. artist's studio, double-height living space, fantasy bedroom and Japanese roof garden. His chosen materials were concrete, steel, and floor to ceiling, blue-tinted, curved glass walls.

Eastern end of the 60ft long master bedroom pod.

Unfortunately things didn't go according to plan. During construction, for which he was Project Manager, Barry underwent double hip transplants and then a serious heart attack which necessitated a bypass operation; the property market suffered a setback depressing the value of his two neighbouring properties, and he could not find a supplier, within budget, of the vast curved glass panels he needed. In the end he was forced to compromise with flat panels.

During Kevin McCloud's revisit the house was only barely furnished and appeared unlived in. Kevin obviously struggled to pay some compliments and Barry & his wife admitted that their attitudes to the project had undergone a major sea-change. In March 2010 it was up for sale for £3.5M having cost Barry a total of £1.8M.