A man who spent £800k on one of Grand Designs most memorable homes has revealed he can’t bring himself to watch the show 15 years later.
Architect Richard Hawkes and wife Sophie spent a fortune building Crossways in Staplehurst, Kent.
Inspired by designs dating back to the Middle Ages, it split opinion – with even host Kevin McCloud declaring it ‘lunacy’.
Despite a few hiccups, it eventually took a year to build the property and Richard, 50, said living there has been one of the ‘highlights of his life’.
He told : ‘We’re still in the property and we still absolutely love it.
‘It still amazes us.’
The ‘world first’ house came with a dome-shaped roof and its very framework is based on a medieval design, known as timbrel vaulting.
It caused shockwaves through the industry when the couple appeared on the hit show back in 2009.
First used in 1382 in Spain, this method uses thin bricks to create a lightweight, durable building.
The arch is less than 5in thick, so wastes no material. Gravel and soil on top, in which flowers will be planted, help weigh the self-supporting frame down, stabilising it.
Not only does the structure do away with the need for materials such as concrete, which are energy intensive to make, it also allows the building to retain heat.
And in his quest to save power, Richard again found traditional methods were best.
He used locally-sourced, old-fashioned clay tiles, in place of brick, as they were more energy efficient.
And the property still plays a huge part in the history of the show, featuring prominently on a special called Grand Designs: 25 Years & Counting broadcast earlier this month.
Richard told Mail Online: ‘It’s been one of the highlights of my life.
‘Appearing on the show has been incredible, even all these years later people come up and say we were on Grand Designs.
‘It’s pretty crazy.
‘We used to get cyclists going by and stopping and talking about us being on the show.
‘I think the house was considered marmite at the time. People had a lot of opinions. The design and structure and how we had done things divided opinion.
‘I think after these years people’s opinions have changed and there are more fans than not now. But it wasn’t always like that.’
The couple and their son, Oscar, then aged eight, lived in a caravan on site before moving in.
Fame on the show came in 2009 – with Kevin’s infamous ‘lunacy’ comment perhaps giving the impression he was not a fan.
But Richard insists that is not the case.
He added: ‘I think he was very shocked at what we had done and how we had gone about it.
‘He was very taken aback by the arch in particular.
‘But he stayed in touch after the broadcast and has always been very complimentary.
‘Like a lot of people, he has a fondness for the home.
‘People do have a bond and an associated with it and we have always tried to reflect that.
‘It’s a special feeling.’
Although they have kept the main elements of the home the same, there have been changes from when they appeared on the show.
The kitchen has now opened into a large space, and outbuildings have also been created.
It also has greater privacy, with trees growing outside and a gate, as well as more land.
Richard added: ‘It wasn’t a case that people were looking all the time. But it has been nice to get a bit more privacy.
‘It’s been a great journey. Things have evolved naturally.’
The couple have kept in touch with other people they have met who have appeared on the show.
And through his own architect company, Richard has arranged for other properties to feature.
But after a long day of looking after other people’s properties, he said, respectfully, the last thing he wants to do is watch the show.
He explains: ‘We loved Grand Designs and it will always have a fondness in our lives. It changed them.
‘It’s been a fantastic journey. But I have to admit I don’t watch it anymore.
‘I come home from work as an architect, where I am arranging and talking about other people’s properties all day.
‘The last thing I want to do is then watch a television show about the same thing. I still have opinions when I was watching it.
‘I would sit there disagreeing with them. Then I thought this isn’t what I want to be doing.
‘In the nicest way I cannot watch it. The company and what we have achieved has overtaken it really.
‘But I will always be so grateful. It was amazing. I would highly recommend anybody else to go on it.’