Grand Designs: 12x3

The Glass Cubes House

In Brixton in south London design-mad couple Mary Martin and Carl Turner want to build a home that resembles a giant stack of glass cubes that’s a Zen retreat from the noise and chaos of the capital.

Mary and Carl want to build something never seen before amongst Brixton’s traditional Victorian terraces. Minimalism-obsessed Mary and her architect partner Carl have spent years renovating their homes to be as simple to live in as possible.

But this project is bigger and more ambitious than anything they’ve taken on before.

In order to save money, Carl decides he has to take on as many of the specialist build jobs as he can. The results are hair raising as the cranes and steel frames hit the narrow plot.

But Carl’s biggest test lies ahead, when it comes to finishing the minimalist interior. The tiniest error in the detailing could ruin all the blood, sweat and tears he’s put into building this urban sanctuary.