It could become a modern classic, given the passage of time and a reasonable exposure to weathering to the rustic brickwork and bespoke clay tile roof.
I have seen the build through all of its stages.
Some 8 months ago I was standing looking over that garden plot trying to make some sense of the plans and elevations provided by the builder, a well known local contractor with an eye and a flair for individually designed private residences.
It is quite a skill to track down a development site and particularly so for the smaller local contractors who thrive on say one or two projects of this budget and scale every year just to keep their income and workers ticking over.
There is always the competition from the big regional and national house builders who, on the projected cash flow generated by multiple sales, can afford to pay top dollar for even the most mediocre of sites and locations.
In the intervening period the house in question had emerged to quite an advanced stage.
At today's inspection it was roofed in, the brushed aluminium finished triple glazed windows and doors were fitted and so being watertight and weatherproof the internal works could speed ahead. The couple who had commissioned the house were frequent visitors to check on the progress and discuss any finer detail with the builder. At least they were assured of a good quality of materials and workmanship. I would tend to discourage proud prospective owners on the large multi unit estates from carrying out an out of hours recce of their house when being built as many have expressed shock at the sight of discarded packed lunches stuffed into the wall cavity or, in a particularly bad case, the same gap filled with human excrement where, obviously, toilet facilities for the contractors were lacking somewhat.
Such incidents are, thankfully, pretty rare but do tend to polarise the difference being high volume and bespoke housing.
I walked around the echoing shell accompanied by the builder and was pleasantly surprised by the layout and natural lighting. That transition from an A1 sheet drawing to a three dimensional form always fascinates and thrills me. Even when footings are laid out it is hard to imagine that such a space can become a well loved home.
The plasterwork through the new build was a sight to behold in its sheer smoothness and evenness. I have not seen such a high standard for a long time. The plasterer responsible for this high skilled work was, understandably one of the most valued member of the team.
I was just about to leave via the angled plank leading down from the front door threshold when I saw the trail of large pad paw marks in the otherwise glass-smooth concrete floor. They led all of the way through what would be the reception hall and through to a side entrance and the intended utility room.
The culprit animal had obviously got into the property just an hour or so after the concrete screed had been pumped in and levelled and made its way carefully through the cavernous rooms.
I thought that a fox was probable given that the local environment provided ample cover and foraging to support a family unit. The house could realistically have been built over an ancient route, the equivalent of an elephant walk for local wildlife from fox to badger, roe deer to rabbit.
The paws were large in span and the imprints in the concrete suggested a fully grown animal.
The plasterer, whose work I had admired, made an appearance as I was concluding my visit and noticed my interest in the trail.
He then admitted that his own dog had made the pattern having got loose from its daily observation post on the passenger seat in his works van.
I would think that on the larger building sites this will have been a sackable offence but where superbly skilled artisans are involved they could just about get away with anything at all.
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