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"Architectural Masterpiece" and "Home Fit for TV" References: Windy Rise Wins Planning Approval
When councillors start dropping Thunderbirds references and calling your design "fit for TV," you know you've got it right.
Our futuristic family home in Little Eaton has just secured planning approval from Erewash Borough Council—and the local media attention that followed has been as exciting as the project itself.
From Tragedy to Triumph
The de Saegar family inherited a hillside Green Belt site where their family bungalow had been destroyed in an arson attack in 2017. Rather than simply rebuilding what was lost, they asked us to create something special—a contemporary family home that would give the overgrown site a bold new chapter.
We proposed a striking two-storey subterranean home featuring an indoor swimming pool, home gym, four bedrooms, two dressing rooms, and a dramatic indoor courtyard. Contemporary materials and confident geometry that commands attention while respecting the Green Belt setting.
Councillors' Reactions Exceeded Expectations
The planning committee's response was overwhelmingly positive. Councillor Wayne Major described the building as "clearly an architectural masterpiece, it is very impressive," while Councillor Kate Fennelly declared it "absolutely fabulous" and admitted she hadn't "seen anything like this apart from on the TV."
Councillor Margaret Griffiths quipped "Thunderbirds are go," and Councillor Harrison Broadhurst said: "It is good to see modern architecture crop up now and again so I am rather enthusiastic about this."
Eleven in favor, one against.
Public Spotlight
The approval has generated significant coverage across Derbyshire and beyond, with the Derbyshire Times, Nottingham Post, and Yahoo News all featuring the project. Headlines celebrating the "architectural masterpiece" prove there's genuine appetite for architecture that dares to be different.
This Little Eaton success demonstrates that bold contemporary design can secure Green Belt planning consent when it responds intelligently to its context. The de Saegar family will soon transform a site of loss into a contemporary sanctuary—complete with that indoor pool that caught everyone's imagination.
And if it happens to look like something from Thunderbirds? We'll take that as a compliment.
