HARI haus

HARI haus is a stunning three storey 204 sq. m home, with four beds and three baths, designed and project managed by owner Jitinder Hari.

Jitinder Hari enjoyed watching Grand Designs but whenever he saw self-build projects, he presumed they were taking place in remote places like Dorset or Somerset. So, while the idea of a self-build appealed, he knew a lot of the locations just weren’t practical for him and his work as a business consultant.

“I watched every episode of Grand Designs, The Street, Series 1 but I didn’t realise until the final episode it was in Bicester. I was living in Reading in a two-bed flat and had been looking for somewhere to move for about 8-10 years. Eventually I got bored of looking, they either needed too much work or were overpriced. When I first started watching the series, I also thought they would be too far out of the way but when I realised it was Bicester it’s an area I knew well and would often call into Bicester Village.

“I called Graven Hill the next morning and they had a tour bus planned but it was fully booked. I called three times a day after that until I got a spot and went to have a look around. That was a Saturday morning and I walked back into the office afterwards and said: “can I have a plot please”. I went on the waiting list and, again, called every week until something became available. There were two plots to choose from, I literally looked left and right, got the lay of the land and after a bit of negotiation, I signed up.

"I knew within split second what the layout would be, I wanted the picture frame views all year round and this was a house I was building for just me.”

Jitinder has created a 3-storey home where the ground floor has 3 bedrooms with a family bathroom and one ensuite. There is also a plant/utility room with a full working kitchen.

The first floor has the main living space– open plan with lounge, kitchen and diner, the kitchen being double height, creating zones without the need of physical walls. The top floor has the master bedroom with ensuite and at the top of the stairs there is an open plan study area that looks down on to the kitchen where Jitinder has the flexibility to work from home. There are two balconies (first floor and second floor), and both are at the front of the house overlooking Graven Hill itself.

The finished foundations given back to Jitinder in November 2020 with the actual build starting in April 2021. Jitinder admits that he probably spent the same amount of time planning the build as actually executing it. He was so determined to build his perfect “forever home” that he knew he had to design it himself. He explained that you can get a free hour’s consultation with architects before you sign up and so Jitinder met up with 12 altogether and they all looked at an individual part of the house. “I felt there are two things you should get from an architect - ideas you have never thought about and then coming up with solutions so they almost pay for themselves. I engaged with Damon Ball from A’Bear and Ball architects, as he understood everything that I was trying to achieve plus he did a couple of builds before me, and he has since gone on to do another three or four at Graven Hill.”

Jitinder likes geometric shapes and clean lines but if you are putting in curves make sure it’s a nice clean curve, he explained. “One of the first things Damon said to me was: “You don’t want curves they’re expensive and I thought you’re the guy for me!”

Jitinder went on to project manage the build but admitted it was a steep learning curve where he had to adjust his mindset. “There were things coming into the house that I’d never heard of – louvres for example - all I knew were mass produced buildings from the 1970s when I was growing up. I had to update my knowledge and start with a blank piece of paper. As a man in my fifties with established opinions I made sure I threw away any preconceptions I had of architecture.”

Jitinder found himself in unchartered waters and went online to sites such as Pinterest for inspiration. He came across half a dozen homes that were quite modern in style and there were some things he knew he definitely didn’t want, such as a pitched roof (wasted space) or skirting boards (just dust magnets). He also wanted to work with the outdoor environment.

“I knew the layout I wanted, for example the ground floor having three bedrooms, the living/dining/kitchen on first and a top floor bedroom. I gave the Pinterest house styles I liked to Damon, and he created the design. Naturally, we did some fine tuning. My view was that I’m only doing this house once - one house, one opportunity and one chance to get it right. I interviewed every one of the trades and visited them. I wanted to know them as a person and how they worked.

“Again, we worked together for my vision, and they really added value. The builder came up with some great ideas along the way and they all bought into it. I created a Whats’ App group with all the trades and tried to make it inclusive. It gave them ownership.”
To the exterior of “HARI haus” Jitinder has chosen what he calls a “manly mauve” and a grey shade for his silicon render. The timber cladding is a darker shade of grey. There is a car port serviced by a resin driveway and the garden has a decking area that mirrors the balconies.

After devoting so much time, effort and passion into the project, Jitinder has the home of his dreams. His favourite part? “I wanted to ability to have the views all year round and integrate them into the house, that’s why I went for the balconies and 4.5m sliding doors. Having that inside/outside blend works for me and I like having the environment all around me.”

Inside Jitinder also has some “boy’s toys” and gadgets with wi-fi speakers in every room to make up the ultimate surround sound system. With one eye on the future, he also had blinds built into the ceiling for a neat, clean, finish and at the touch of a button they drop down. “It’s really cool,” he said. “And I thought it would also help in older age when my fingers start to go! I also built in resting platforms on the stairs where I can take a breath when I’m older, as well as leaving a gap in the middle. There’s a chandelier there at the minute, but I can remove that and put in a lift if needed – that’s forward planning!”

HARI haus also has solid sustainable credentials thanks to its carbon retaining timber frame, an environmentally friendly sedum roof and a MVHR heating recovery system. It is a very energy efficient home that retains around 90% of its heat.