Hull

Back in 2013 engineer Richard and his partner Felicia set out on a giant re-invention scheme - to transform a vast, dark underground water reservoir near the Humber Estuary into a light, airy courtyard family home for them and their four-year-old daughter. And they wanted to do it in 9 months, for just 150 thousand pounds, almost entirely on their own without the help of a designer or an

architect. It’s ambition bordering on wild optimism.

 

From the start it proves an epic task. Demolishing the concrete roof while keeping the reservoir’s walls and floor intact takes an almighty feat of engineering. Grinding hundreds of square metres of bare reservoir walls to become the interior of the living spaces is utterly exhausting. Design and layout decisions stretch their abilities and the schedule to the max. But all this is put into perspective when life threatening illness strikes out of the blue…