Channel 4 - George Clarke's Amazing Spaces (2012)

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Channel 4 - George Clarke's Amazing Spaces (2012)

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George Clarke explores the extraordinary world of small builds, where people turn tiny spaces into the most incredible places to live, work and play. He even tries making one of his own. For many the dream of having a bolt hole or a place to escape from their hectic lives can seem unobtainable. Architect George Clarke shows how such big dreams can be achieved in small and affordable places. George meets the creative people who are making homes out of shipping containers, horseboxes and old buses. Others are building tiny huts or incredible treehouses in the middle of the woods. George also undertakes a small-build property project of his own, buying a dilapidated caravan for just �300, with the aim of transforming it into a stunning second home for his growing family.

Part 1: Bus, Horsebox and Loo
George meets a couple who have invested their life savings in the hope of converting a wreck of a bus into a holiday let. He also sees how an old underground toilet has been transformed into a stunning apartment and how a horsebox has been given a new lease of life as a family holiday home. And George's own caravan build gets off to a shaky start as his builder fails to see the potential in this hulk of rusting metal from the 1970s.

Part 2: Bolthole, Shipping Containers, Caravan
George meets a teacher creating a bolt-hole in the Lake District by following an increasingly popular trend in the UK of buying his own plot of countryside and doing the building himself. George visits a community in Hackney who live and work in customized shipping containers and is astounded to find an architect who has moved his kitchen onto the roof of his house. In Oxford, Bernard Fontannaz has lifted a 1971 airstream caravan into his back garden to create the ultimate party palace - and it doesn't break any planning laws. And on his own project, George bids farewell to the nostalgia of his caravan's 70s interior and takes the plunge with a risky but ingenious way of creating extra space for the family.

Part 3: Modules, Beach Hut and Gypsy Caravans
George heads to Scotland to meet Julie and George Nicholson, who take an enormous financial risk and commission local designer Sam Booth to build a truly unforgettable, innovative prototype module holiday home. The stakes are high, as the couple have invested their entire savings of £30,000 on a design that's never been tested before. George also takes a trip to Bournemouth and meets Andrew and Emma Collett, who decided not to spend money on a honeymoon but bought a six foot by six foot beach hut to transform into a multi-function small space that can accommodate up to six guests for lunch. Hungry to find inspiration for his own small space caravan design, George visits Gemma Doyle who has lovingly restored some gypsy caravans back to their former glory. And on his own build, George tries to come up with an ingenious solution that will sleep his family of five in a space barely big enough for one double bed.

Part 4: Caravan, Tree Tent and Tube Carriages
George meets Ruth Tidd, who is attempting to turn an old caravan that was once used as a home for chickens into an ice cream parlour. He also follows the building of the country's first ever tree tent and is lucky enough to get to try it out, as well as getting the chance to visit some very unique offices built from four old tube carriages Finally, he travels to Barcelona to take a closer look at the tiny studio flat that thinks it's a five room apartment. And on his own caravan build, George designs a sofa that doubles up as a bath..

Part 5: Beach Hut, Showmans Carriage
George meets a man who drunkenly bought a 1920s showman's carriage on eBay, but quickly sobered up when he saw the poor condition it was in. He visits a holiday home built from an old World War II vehicle and follows the build of Britain's most landlocked beach hut, based in Birmingham. And George faces a major setback with his own project to create an ultra-modern holiday home out of a 1970s caravan, when he discovers the windows he's ordered are actually meant for a boat.

Part 6: Barge, Container and Caravan
George visits a canal boat that's been revamped as the ultimate bachelor pad as he prepares to unveil his deluxe family caravan. Having bought a 1970s caravan for just £300, George and his team have spent months turning it into an extraordinary holiday home for him and his family, including a bespoke kitchen, a wood burning stove, innovative bedrooms as well as a beautiful deck that will enable him and his family to take in the most breathtaking views. And George meets a man whose simple plan of converting a shipping container into a garden office proved anything but.

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Channel 4 - George Clarke's Amazing Spaces (2012)

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Channel 4 - George Clarke's Amazing Spaces (2012)

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Channel 4 - George Clarke's Amazing Spaces (2012)

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