Competitions

The Master Builder Competition - Describe your Dream Home

Thank you to every one who entered our competition to describe your dream home. Congratulations to Sharon Harvey who has won a pair of tickets to see The Master Builder and a signed programme.

Here is Sharon's description of her dream home:

Friends would be curious as to the exact location of my dream house. Progressing along a thickly wooded road the beauty and splendor of the countryside would disguise a home in complete harmony with nature.

A weathered wooden structure appears, blending with the trees behind. Chinks of light are bouncing off huge glass windows; peaking your curiosity. For as you move towards the front of the edifice the overwhelming view of the moving sea is reflected a thousand times in the glass.

Your senses are now heightened. Visually your eyes are drinking up the views which are only complimented by the sounds of rolling waves and leaves rustling in symphony.

The yeasty undertones of freshly baked bread whet your appetite as you enter the house. Drawn to the kitchen every nook and cranny seems to hide a delicious jar of pickle or jam. The massive wooden table in the centre of the kitchen is well worn. Every stain and dent able to tell of wonderful gatherings and tall stories.

The space and views are the real achievements within this building. Technology used to harness nature and yet deliver a sensory overload of pure wonder to the people it welcomes.

There were so many strong entries so here are some of our favourites:

Faye Stephens:

My dream house would be located in the sky at night and on earth by day - shifting simultaneously with your personal needs and desires.

It would have small hidden rooms with lots of cushions connected by secret passageways, slides and spiral staircases adorned with roman water fountains. These would lay among multiple spacious rooms that spill out over endless countryside and mountains. The decoration of all rooms would change spontaneously with the seasons and ceilings would fall away with a click of a finger to reveal the stars, moon and sun. On rainy days the house would clean itself inside-out including your clothes and dishes, ceilings would turn to impenetrable canvas that would keep the house dry but echo the droplets of rain. To enter the house no keys would be needed it would know it's owner.

Paul Best:

Suze  Harris:

The house would be at the top of a gentle southwest facing slope.  The front door would be on the northeast side and would only appear to have a single storey. From the main hallway, a sweeping staircase goes down to the light and airy main living areas.  Large windows and French doors face out onto the garden, capturing the views and the sunlight.  The floor is wooden floorboards and a large wood-burning stove dominates the northeast wall. Large comfy sofas are placed around the room, offering views from the windows or of the fire.

Off the living room is the kitchen, with southwest facing door and windows.  Access to the verandah is through this door and the living room doors.  The verandah is spacious and the roof and two ends of it are double glazed glass.

There is a downstairs cloakroom and office.

The bedrooms and bathroom are upstairs with a separate cloakroom.

The garden is enclosed by native hedging, acting as a windbreak, a habitat for nature and for foraging.
There is a large kitchen garden and small orchard with chickens.

The house roof is made of solar tiles and there is a rainwater harvesting system.

Derek Clifton:

My dream home is where I now reside, build for my wife and I by my son
when we downsized from a much larger property in the New Forest and
situated a stones throw away from Harewood Forest. It grew quite bit
from the original plan, which was a small bungalow: First he built a small
outdoor pool at the rear, with a hot-tub, then the bulk of the downstairs
aspect with a granite winding staircase up to the first floor - our bedroom.
Above that, accessed by a metal staircase which he designed, is an office
for all the communications equipment and storeage for small items. When
we took over the home he told us that, when we are departed, he would
convert the building into a gymnasium and, at the same time, asked us,
"How long do you think you will be?" - before adding a croquet lawn beside.
Our advice to those considering building their own home - or getting a
competant person to do so - would be 'plan the work before working the plan'
in that way there is is far less that will go wrong!

Bryan Hills:

My dream home has been in my head for many years now.  It would be sited on a hillside, defined as a sloping site.  It would therefore be a split level house, with garage, services, utility rooms etc., on the ground or semi basement floor.  The living area would be at first floor level, but accessed at ground floor level at the rear of the sloping site.