Tuesday, 19 August 2008
8.35pm

Martin Pease is a successful commercial architect, used to designing large scale prestigious offices and high profile projects including Los Angeles' Getty Centre. However, he's about to embark on a much more personal project - a one-off customised house for his family.

Kevin and his wife Katherine discovered their plot of land after a five-year search - situated in one of the most exclusive and expensive parts of Bristol, it's a rare find.

The design Martin has come up with is not the obvious choice for a family - a giant sugar cube-like construction where everything in it is white and open plan.

Determined to keep on schedule and budget, Martin uses his experience of designing commercial buildings to build his own home. He uses materials and systems more commonly seen in office builds. Everything is thought through, pared down, and designed to maximise efficiency and light.

This build though is not without its dangers. It's a high concept design and difficult to pull off. The detailing and design has to be perfect because there's nowhere to hide mistakes. But the biggest risk of all is that using all these commercial techniques and materials Martin's dream home could end up looking more like a glamorous car showroom than a comfortable family home.