East Yorkshire

When Zahid from Leeds bought an obsolete coastguard station in an auction, he and wife Ferzana set out on an ambitious plan to replace it with a bold family home for their three children and grandchildren. Set on an exposed East Yorkshire headland, the idea was to create a cantilevered, three-storey steel and glass box to enhance the panoramic sea views the old coastguard station offered. Yusef, their twenty something son, was to be given the task of project managing, with a ten-month deadline and a tight 325k budget. It would be a big challenge for him but at least Zahid and Ferzana’s business, building affordable retail units to regenerate town centres, meant they had some construction experience as a backup.

However right from the start the build is fraught with issues. As the site is exposed to very high wind loads, the cantilevered design and window strength are a technical headache. Moreover, Yusef leaves the project for a career opportunity he can’t turn down. Zahid picks up the reins but he is, by his own admission, 'a nightmare' because he enjoys designing on the hoof, without detailed construction drawings – rarely a recipe for build success. Confusion inevitably follows, Covid hits their business, and the birdproof glass window contract seems jinxed with bad luck. Five years down the line, the question is whether this distinctive new addition to the East Yorkshire coastline will ever come to fruition?