Grand Designs’ ‘most ambitious project EVER’ as parents build incredible allergy-proof ‘healthy house’ to protect kids

GRAND Designs has revealed the “most ambitious project ever” as parents embark on building an allergy-proof home.

Elinor and Born Barikor, from Richmond in south west London, have created the “healthy house” for their three children.

Channel 4Elinor and Born Barikor set out on their venture with a £500,000 budget[/caption] Channel 4In seven years the couple have transformed the Richmond home[/caption] Channel 4Avery, 12, Pascal, 14, and Blakely, nine, have all settled nicely into their new house[/caption]

The couple’s two sons, Avery and Pascal, both have potentially life-threatening dairy, wheat, egg, gluten, soya, oat, pulses, fruit, nut, dust, pollen and animal fur allergies.

Elinor and Born bought their property in 2018 with the hopes of forging a “safe haven” for the boys.

Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud has since revisited the family to see how they got on.

While the stunning mansion appeared to tick all their boxes from an aesthetic stand point – the host wanted to know if it had helped the boys’ quality of life.

Elinor said: “We can’t claim it’s one thing or another, it’s a combination of many factors.

“We just feel lucky every day, it just completes our family.”

And, the family’s doctor, Helen Cox, added: “Both boys are doing really well. There has been a definite reduction in hospital visits.

“Could it be that they’re breathing cleaner air inside the home? I don’t know, but they’re doing really well.”

Meanwhile, Avery, 12, Pascal, 14, and Blakely, nine, have all settled nicely into their new house.

Pascal said: “The house has probably helped a lot, it’s helped with my asthma and so I’m capable of doing sports.”

Elinor and Born told how they kickstarted the project with a budget of £500,000.

They battled planning restrictions which forced them to go underground for more space.

This saw them craft a three-bedroom basement looking out onto a sunken garden.

But most of the funds were poured into making sure they used building materials that wouldn’t exacerbate their kids’ health.

Channel 4Their children say the house has helped with their allergies[/caption] Channel 4The couple were forced to create a large basement due to planning restrictions[/caption] Channel 4The opted for second hand furniture to reduce the amount of VOCs[/caption]

The determined parents realised they couldn’t use common carpets, paints or woods because they contain easily inhalable VOCs – volatile organic compounds.

VOCs are emitted from the acetone in wallpaper, benzene in paint, glue in carpets and formaldehyde in some plastics.

In the end, an architect helped the pair decide on walls made from concrete and panels as both materials contained the least VOCs.

And, instead of wool carpets, Elinor and Born sourced ones made of bamboo.

In their kitchen, formaldehyde-free MDF has been used to create everything.

Even the furniture was painstakingly thought out and planned – with the designers opting for second hand to reduce the amount of VOCS.

To make sure the allergen-free space isn’t compromised, the house remains air-tight.

An MVHR unit filters the air to make sure dust and pollen are removed, while moisture is extracted so mould can’t start to fester.

Despite all the incredible bespoke features, experts have highlighted how the children are still exposed to allergens when they go outside.

But after seven years the family insist their quality of life has improved.

Born said: “Now life’s marked out by how much fun we have and all the new stuff they can do in the garden.”

This comes as one local said their life is “completely ruined” by their millionaire neighbour’s “glass MONSTROSITY” Grand Designs-style super home.

Elsewhere, one Grand Designs house has been branded the “biggest pile of s*** in show’s history”.

And, Kevin McCloud has revealed the ONE bit of advice he’d give to anyone embarking on their own building project.

Channel 4The boys said their asthma has improved[/caption] Channel 4All the building materials have been carefully picked to contain the least amount of VOCs possible[/caption] Channel 4The mansion boats a sleek and modern interior[/caption]