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GRAND DESIGNS: Oxford (Henry Chopping)

The unmissable Grand Designs continues on Wednesday 23 January with the second episode in the new series. This week Kevin McCloud meets Henry Chopping, a commercial surveyor who has seized the opportunity to build a unique home specifically designed to his own tastes in the heart of Oxford. But there are problems: his plot is tucked away behind a listed wall and strict planning conditions mean that Henry can only build a house one storey high. Undeterred, he and his architect come up with a bizarre design that makes the most of the plot and available light: a series of glass-fronted decagons.

With a very healthy budget of £800,000, Henry is determined to use the very best materials: the huge copper roof is inspired by Oxford colleges, the walls - inside and out - are made from local limestone, and the ceilings are supported by giant glulam beams. It's an eclectic mix of architectural styles.

Henry is a perfectionist, and his determination to get things spot-on means the schedule starts to seriously slide. With so much money at stake, and a demanding job to contend with, the build becomes a bigger challenge than Henry had bargained for. And with such a mix of styles and materials, nobody's sure whether his house will emerge an ugly duckling or a graceful swan.

Grand Designs: Trade Secrets follows on More4.

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