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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
Entertainment
Alexander Smail

Glasgow Grand Designs The Streets couple's home burns down as viewers speechless

Glasgow featured in Wednesday night's episode of Grand Designs: The Streets - and viewers at home had plenty to say about one moment in particular.

With a budget of just £170,000, local animator Joanna and carpenter Ben sought to build an "American ranch-style house in a gritty part of Glasgow".

The Grand Designs spin-off "captures the spirit of community engendered by these impressive self-build streets, as the determination, resilience and ambition of the builders shines through, to create something extraordinary".

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The couple were the first to break ground in Scotland's maiden urban self build scheme after Glasgow City Council gave the series the green light in order to give families the opportunity to better their home life and the outlook of the city.

The finished home is bright, stylish, and contemporary (Channel 4)

Having paid £50,000 for the plot of land, Joanna and Ben had to improvise in order to save on costs, with the latter building his own scaffolding.

During the episode, it was revealed that the couple lost all of their possessions after their temporary caravan home was burned down by local vandals while they were away from the project for one night.

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The moment caught the attention of many viewers watching at home, including those from Glasgow.

One said: "My heart sank when their caravan was burnt to cinders. Such a gutsy couple taking on the challenge of building a wooden house in that area also. I pray it turns out well for them and their fellow neighbours on the street eventually but...."

A second tweeted: "Watching Grand Designs on Channel 4 up at Maryhill... when I start watching it I think "hmm they might have issues with neds".... two minutes in, yup!"

The tribulations were worth it in the end for the stunning self-built home (Channel 4)

A third echoed: "Such a stupid place to build a solo unit, said before the caravan was torched, "that'll get burnt down" I know that area and I wouldn't leave a used condom laying about, it'd be stolen!"

Another agreed: "Is anyone watching Grand Designs, seeing a wooden barn being constructed in "a gritty area of Glasgow" (Channel 4s words - It's Maryhill) and thinking "You are literally building a fire for youths to set alight".

"*Adds ‘neds burned my caravan down’ to Grand Designs bingo card*," a fourth joked.

They persevered, though, and ended up with a home that host Kevin McCloud summed up as "epic".

With a heavy emphasis on natural wood, the finished home successfully captures the "American ranch-style" vibe the couple were aiming for.

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