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00:00on a steep climb like this you might find yourself wanting a little assistance a free lift to the top
00:14but that wouldn't feel as satisfying as if you'd toiled and suffered to get there
00:23is it the same in architecture can we simply pay for a great design and stand back or do we need to
00:37experience the toil and turmoil of the process in order to imbue your building with notions
00:43of pride personal connection a sense of achievement
00:49so
00:57so
00:59so
01:01so
01:03so
01:09so
01:11so
01:13Auckland's concrete jungle peers jealously across the Hulraki Gulf.
01:28It dreams of escape to Waiheki Island.
01:34Unbutton the collar, kick off those heels.
01:38A glass of the finest wine.
01:42Fresh oysters.
01:44Balmy weather on a tranquil beach.
01:46Toes in the sand, trousers rolled.
01:52It's where recruitment consultants Maria and Dale Gray are planning on making their downtown dream an island reality.
02:01Aww.
02:02It always feels like we're at peace when we're here.
02:04We always take a breath and slow down when you arrive on the island.
02:06You know, just to create a lifestyle that we really want to live, you know.
02:10And yet we're only 35, 40 minutes from Auckland.
02:12So it's got the best of both worlds, I think.
02:15They've spent nearly 20 years living in the central Auckland suburb of Mount Eden, where they raise daughters Hannah and Maddy.
02:24Mum, do you want some baguette?
02:26Yes.
02:27Mum is the sane one.
02:28She's a bit of a silent assassin.
02:30She really is.
02:31You know, she comes with shots in the background.
02:33Come on.
02:35You want tomatoes?
02:35I'm not leading from the front, you could say.
02:39Yeah.
02:40I'm supporting from behind.
02:42Sammy's already hit some of the bread, haven't they?
02:47I think Dad's quite a big character.
02:49He's a very generous, loving guy.
02:51But at the same time, he loves it when there's a spotlight on him.
02:56The car is definitely another element of that.
03:01I find it slightly stressful.
03:03When we're driving down the street and people are looking, that's probably the worst nightmare.
03:06It's very much a, yeah, don't make eye contact.
03:12Yeah, duck the head, lay down on the back.
03:15There's a big change on the horizon.
03:17Hannah is already living in Wellington and Maddy is about to leave home.
03:22We've worked hard to get to where we've got to.
03:24Now it's the time to just bring a bit more balance to it all, I think.
03:28Yeah.
03:28A bit more fun.
03:30We're going to be empty nesters, so I guess you've got to prepare for that.
03:34Don't eat it too fast, Mad.
03:36So they've bought a section on Waiheke where they'll be building the empty nest of their dreams.
03:42And this is a dream with a profound origin,
03:47inspired by a truly awful experience Dale had in 2001.
03:54I got caught in New York in September 11.
03:59Like, real close.
04:01So, what a scenario where I actually had to basically run for my life, you know.
04:07And it's certainly an event that certainly shapes me a bit differently.
04:11It probably just makes me appreciate things a lot more, and particularly family.
04:15As part of Dale's drive to make the most of his life, he decided to write down how he saw his dream future.
04:23I wrote a story, and, you know, it involved Waiheke.
04:28I suppose the defining point was me on a deck, overlooking a beach, having a beer, and having the barbecue going,
04:38and having a pool next to me, and going, shit, this is my house.
04:42If ever there was a place to live a Waiheke dream, this could be it.
04:51The site they've purchased is in the exclusive Palm Beach, at the top of a stunning bush-filled valley.
05:00Hey, how are you?
05:01Yeah, hey, Tom. How are you? Good to see you.
05:02Very good.
05:03Hey, Dale.
05:03Hi.
05:04So, I think I'm a bit late, I know.
05:06There's a building site down there.
05:08That's not yours, is it?
05:09No, I wish it was ours. No, not at all.
05:12Ours is the native bush right behind us.
05:15That's just trees and a really steep slope, isn't it?
05:17It certainly is at the moment.
05:19Yeah, there could be tigers down there, I reckon.
05:20Oh, yeah.
05:21It's very steep slope, but I think a bit further down you can sort of see the view.
05:26Well, let's do that. I want to see these tigers.
05:27Okay, cool. Let's go.
05:33Oh, it's beautiful, isn't it?
05:35Yes, it's gorgeous, isn't it?
05:35Green, green valley.
05:37Look at that view. I mean...
05:39That's stunning.
05:40Yeah, it is.
05:40It's pretty amazing, yeah.
05:42It's a challenging site because of the steepness,
05:44but I suppose it's part of the challenge that you undertake
05:46when you do something like this, isn't it?
05:47So, what are you going to build here?
05:48It's going to have to be special.
05:50Yeah, we're going to build a modern, contemporary sort of house.
05:53When you work out how to build here.
05:56We work out how to pay for it.
05:57That's our builder's job.
05:59Did we mention the site was steep?
06:01The builders will have to stabilise this precipitous slope,
06:05then perform some engineering magic to build up complex foundations piece by piece.
06:11Resting on those are concrete walls poured in situ,
06:14including a very unusual splayed wall, wider at the top than the bottom.
06:18The bedroom level is fully glass-fronted,
06:21with two guest bedrooms, an office, and a master suite with walk-in wardrobe.
06:25There's also a bathroom and laundry,
06:27and a compact internal garden catching sunlight from the stairway above.
06:31The living level is rotated and oriented towards the views,
06:35but it means there's barely a right angle in the whole building.
06:39Another complication made evident by the centrepiece,
06:42a lattice roof structure created out of huge beams cut at jaunty angles.
06:46A drive-on turntable serving a car stacker
06:50adds a touch of rotating theatre at one end of the house.
06:54While at the other end,
06:55the appetite for luxury is satisfied by a pool and spa.
07:00This will be a true challenge for the builders,
07:03who might just need a PhD in geometry
07:05to solve this mind-bending jigsaw puzzle of a house.
07:12How do you approach this?
07:13Are you going to be here every day with a builder,
07:15on the tools?
07:18I think we're going to let people that are really good at what they do,
07:20do what they're good at, you know?
07:21So, from our perspective,
07:24the least we have to be involved, the better.
07:26Personally, I'd love a scenario where they go,
07:28it's finished.
07:29So when is that phone call?
07:31Dale, Maria, your house is ready, here's the key.
07:34Yeah, look, we're estimating a two-year build,
07:36so middle of 2023.
07:38Yeah, OK.
07:39So what's the unknown?
07:40What worries you?
07:41It's been a long time in the making, you know?
07:43It's taken the best part of probably two and a half to three years
07:46to even get to consenting phase,
07:48so, and, you know,
07:49probably the big elephant in the room is the cost, you know?
07:51It's, things are rapidly changing around building materials,
07:55cost to build on the island, resource on the island,
07:57and, you know, that's a moving target,
08:00and at the end of the day, you know, we have a budget.
08:02Which is?
08:03I knew you were going to ask that.
08:04I think I'm going to ask Maria.
08:06You ask Maria.
08:07It's a very scary budget, I must say.
08:09Right.
08:09Yeah, it's, um, gosh,
08:12I can't even say the number out loud.
08:15It's sort of circa three million.
08:17And if you get to three million,
08:19and it rolls on from there, what happens?
08:22I think the commitment is to build our dream,
08:24and, um, like a lot of people, we've worked really, really hard.
08:28Yeah.
08:29Yeah, yeah.
08:30You know, to get to where we are, and, you know, right?
08:33God, Dale!
08:34No, I'll just say, we've worked hard to get to where we are,
08:35and, like, we're just going to do it, you know?
08:36Yeah.
08:37At the end of the day, um, I'm not going to muck around.
08:39We're committed to it, and we're going to follow our dream.
08:42Yeah.
08:42And it'll cost what it cost at the end of the day.
08:48Maria and Dale want to be hands-off on this project,
08:50but there's an uncertainty about cost,
08:54on top of which they're constructing something incredibly complicated
08:58on a terrifyingly steep hill.
09:02Projects like this have a habit of sucking you in.
09:13Such design complexity is usually a vice to be wary of,
09:17but in this case, it seems to have been embraced as a design virtue.
09:23Hey!
09:24Hey, Tom, how you doing?
09:25Hopefully, architectural designer Dylan Rind
09:28can shed light on how this came to be.
09:31It's been, I suppose, one of the most interesting projects
09:34we've really worked on.
09:35The client wanted to build something special.
09:38They wanted the joy of living in our house,
09:40which has the detail in the unexpected every day.
09:45There's something changing.
09:46Even once the building's completed,
09:48they'll still be finding different interests in the building
09:50that they wouldn't have understood were there
09:52from, you know, their initial impression.
09:57Dylan's theory is that these oblique angles
10:00and fragmented decks and roofs
10:02will offer a richness of detail
10:04that will reveal itself slowly
10:06as Maria and Dale inhabit their home.
10:10We just happen to be sitting in a proof of this concept,
10:12one of Dylan's recent designs.
10:15There's a multiplex of geometries in every vista,
10:18creating a canvas for light
10:21to paint unexpected reflections and fleeting shadows.
10:26Square metre-wise, it's not ginormous,
10:28but it is a tall house,
10:30a tall structure on a relatively unstable site as well.
10:34We've got local instability issues.
10:36Throw in an elevated pool sitting on a deck,
10:40a car stacker,
10:41all these elevated structures with masses on top.
10:44Yeah, yeah.
10:45Just in the wrong place.
10:46All in the wrong place.
10:47Yeah.
10:47This house is a great illustration
10:51of the richness of Dylan's architectural style,
10:54but it's on a flat suburban section.
10:58Replace that with a difficult island location,
11:02a precipitous slope,
11:03and Dale and Maria have signed up
11:05for a real building challenge.
11:07It's ten months later.
11:19A combination of COVID
11:20and the delayed engineering reports
11:22stalled the project.
11:24But now, lead builder Alex Toy
11:26is finally starting the returning walls
11:28and is getting to grips
11:29with this seriously difficult site.
11:34We've got such a steep slope.
11:37We're like Himalayan mountain goats, really.
11:40With winter just around the corner,
11:43things are set to get tougher still.
11:47As soon as it gets wet,
11:48it's nigh on impossible.
11:50To compound his problems,
11:51after all this time,
11:53he still doesn't have final construction drawings.
11:56If we're not out of the ground by June,
11:58we'll be snookered.
12:00There he is.
12:02Maria and Dale can finally see some broken ground,
12:05but the stresses are not far beneath the surface.
12:08We're pretty excited to be here
12:10and have a bit of a look.
12:10Oh, sure.
12:11Yeah, it was progress, eh?
12:13Come for a walk.
12:14Yeah, it's probably starting to get a feel
12:15for the level of the house.
12:16Oh, most definitely,
12:17and how bloody steep it is.
12:20It would be the steepest site I've ever built on.
12:22Oh, you love a challenge, don't you, Alex?
12:24Yeah, totally.
12:25No, the challenge is cool.
12:26It's just...
12:28I know we keep bringing up the drawings.
12:31We really need the drawings.
12:32Maria and Dale's courage and urgency to live their dreams
12:37have been a recipe for success in life,
12:40but those very same qualities have pushed them into building
12:43before things have been fully planned or costed,
12:46and that may just be a recipe for disaster.
12:59It's the middle of New Zealand's wettest July on record.
13:03Have I got the weight distributed all right?
13:05And the delays have meant that builder Alex is living his fears
13:08and building foundations in a mudbath.
13:12Can you come up any more?
13:14It's been relentless.
13:15If it's wet, we go home.
13:17Effectively, it's just too dangerous.
13:19Today, they're preparing their first concrete pour
13:21for the foundations,
13:23but these are no ordinary foundations.
13:27What you're seeing here at the minute
13:29shows you quite the complexity
13:30and tells a bit of a story
13:32of how much work we've got to do
13:34just to get to the framing.
13:3850 concrete piles up to 7.5 metres deep
13:41stop this house sliding down the 30-degree slope.
13:45But after that's done,
13:47there's no nice flat concrete pad.
13:49Oh, no.
13:50There are several levels on different orientations
13:53as well as significant concrete retaining walls.
13:57You'll see the landslide effectively.
14:01That's just after, like, a week's rain.
14:05Dale's plan was to stay away from sight
14:08as much as possible.
14:10But there's an old boxing adage.
14:12Everyone has a plan
14:14until they get punched in the face.
14:17Watch your footing, mate.
14:18Yep.
14:20We've probably spent, you know,
14:22in excess of just over a million dollars already
14:24on the build costs.
14:25Let's grab this.
14:27Yep.
14:27Already, one-third of the budget
14:30has been spent on the retaining work
14:32and COVID-related stockpiling of building materials
14:35without even one concrete pile to show for it.
14:40It's quite overwhelming for me.
14:42Oh, I don't doubt it.
14:46I'd said no idea that there was so much involved.
14:50As Dale's dream home begins to rise from the mud,
14:54so does the realisation of the true complexity
14:57of what he's signed up for.
15:11Back in Auckland,
15:12Dale has signed up for another building project,
15:15but one he has a little more control over.
15:18Slow, and go, up.
15:20So I'm building up to a bodybuilding competition,
15:23so into the hard yards now.
15:25Too easy.
15:26Nice job.
15:28You've got to be unwavering in your commitment to it,
15:30so once you flick the switch,
15:32there's sort of no going back.
15:36It is a little bit like building.
15:37Once you start, you can't stop.
15:41But the difficulties of house and bodybuilding
15:44are about to be put firmly in perspective.
15:46Maria is dealing with troubles that occlude all others.
15:55She's moved back to Tauranga
15:56to nurse her mother, who is terminally ill.
15:59I've been here for a couple of months,
16:02and I'm just here looking after mum
16:04until we're no longer here.
16:08So, yeah.
16:10So however long that takes,
16:11I'll be here for mum.
16:13Yeah.
16:13Maria has turned her mother's embroidery room
16:17into an office,
16:18where she's dealing with the invoices for the build,
16:20and they have no sympathy for her situation.
16:26Yes, we've had some whoppers come in recently,
16:29and they keep coming in.
16:32They come in with monotonous regularity,
16:34and they're still digging holes.
16:37We know we've got some really tough decisions
16:40and compromises ahead of us.
16:43It seems an uncomfortable truth is emerging.
16:47This build is going to be a lot more demanding
16:50and expensive than Maria and Dale ever imagined.
16:54The wettest July on record
17:03turned into the wettest winter on record.
17:06It's now spring, and the rain hasn't let up.
17:10The concrete work is even further behind.
17:13It's left Alex...
17:14Emotionally scarred.
17:15No, we're good.
17:19This is a big day for us.
17:21That's because they're finally ready
17:23for one of the most difficult concrete pours
17:25of the entire build.
17:26Come back real slow with me.
17:30We're pouring about 19 cubic metres today,
17:33and I don't know,
17:33it's somewhat a quarter of the walls
17:35that are on this job.
17:36The concrete walls will be 4.5 metres tall,
17:40and so the bottom of the wooden formwork
17:43will need to withstand an extraordinary amount of pressure.
17:48Are we losing any concrete down there anywhere?
17:51So any little bit of seepage is dealt with quick sharp.
17:55Corey, can we get bolts in here, bro?
17:58Yes.
17:59Real quick.
18:00Who's got the dinodrill?
18:02The consequences of a blowout on this slope
18:05would be disastrous.
18:08So far, so good.
18:10We're at the mercy of the concrete gods.
18:12And those gods reign supreme
18:14as concrete work rises fragment by fragment
18:18through the spring
18:21and the summer
18:24until summer turns to another autumn
18:28and the concrete crawls close to a conclusion.
18:32One of the final pieces is a wall
18:40that, for purely aesthetic reasons,
18:44splayed from narrow at the bottom to wide at the top.
18:48This piece of concrete gymnastics was poured yesterday
18:51and is setting behind some extremely serious wooden formwork.
18:56We've come to see the grand reveal,
18:58but before we can even get our gumboots on,
19:02Alex greets us with some bad news.
19:05Yesterday didn't quite go to plan.
19:06Oh.
19:07Yeah, we had a reasonably good concrete.
19:10Kaboom.
19:11We lost three metres of concrete down the back.
19:14Yeah.
19:15Oh!
19:16It's either going to be a real nice story
19:19for your house mad character or...
19:21And you can blame me.
19:23No, you're not.
19:25I want to be buried in that concrete down there.
19:28It'll probably be organised.
19:32Significant leaks like this
19:34usually result in ugly seams in the concrete.
19:37But for now,
19:38the consequences are concealed behind the wooden formwork.
19:41This wall will defy physics
19:44and is substantially thicker at the top than the bottom.
19:49That's remarkable, isn't it?
19:51That skinny little wall turns into that at the top.
19:55Oh, pretty boy.
19:57Did you know it was going to be like this?
19:58No, no.
19:59I knew it was complex.
20:00Yeah.
20:01Alex told me that.
20:02Yeah.
20:03Before he built it.
20:04Yeah.
20:04But the level of complexity has been a surprise.
20:06Oh, yeah.
20:07Yeah, absolutely.
20:10OK, you got the top.
20:11The damage can't hide forever.
20:14Time for the big reveal.
20:16Let's close now.
20:16Time's three.
20:17Yeah.
20:21All right, another big one off.
20:26Yes, there's a little bit there.
20:27You got a little bit of air.
20:33What do you do now?
20:35I'll probably call the concrete gods.
20:39Potentially Monday,
20:40I'll probably hit that with a sander
20:41and see if I can just sand out that seam.
20:44This wall is an aesthetic centerpiece
20:50and its floors might become more apparent
20:53once the house is complete.
20:59It's a bitter pill to swallow
21:01after a tough year of building.
21:04I think originally we spent sort of like a $3 million build.
21:09The reality is that's going to be closer to five.
21:12Gosh, that's enormous.
21:14Yes.
21:15For most people, that would be too much to handle.
21:17Do you still worry about that budget changing even more?
21:21Oh, every month.
21:22At the end of every month, we worry about it.
21:24Being over budget will not define us and I won't let it.
21:28It was never about bricks and mortar.
21:29It was about having a dream that we brought to fruition
21:32and creating a life that is richer for both of us and our family.
21:36The greys have this wonderful ability
21:41to turn lemons into lemonade.
21:44But no matter how much sugar you pour in,
21:47a lemon is still a bitter fruit.
21:50And I'm beginning to worry that
21:52once they're in their house finally,
21:55it's the bitter taste that will linger.
21:58Another spring rolls around
22:15and the complications of the concrete walls and foundations
22:19are a thing of the past.
22:22Jesus, look at that.
22:24Wow.
22:25Holy moly.
22:26God, that's stunning, isn't it?
22:29I'll say.
22:30The build has reached the living level
22:32and they can now stand on the deck that Dale once dreamed of.
22:39I could stand here all day
22:40without that noise.
22:48Downstairs, a home is just beginning to emerge
22:51from the building chaos.
22:54Watch out for those stairs everywhere.
22:56They are going to go somewhere, I'm sure, at some point.
22:59So this is Maddie's bedroom.
23:00She's got the pick of the rooms, that's for sure.
23:02That's right.
23:03Little monkey.
23:07So this is our master bedroom.
23:10It feels very peaceful.
23:10It's like a little sanctuary
23:13because you're sort of stuck in amongst the trees a little bit.
23:17It's the reason why, isn't it?
23:19It's why we're doing what we're doing.
23:20I think you need to remember that.
23:22It's easy to forget when the bills are rolling in
23:25and there's stresses and strains.
23:26But this tranquil moment flatters to deceive.
23:35The site is only quiet because there's been another delay
23:38with some steel framing.
23:40And delays are always costly,
23:42putting more pressure on the massively inflated budget.
23:45In this quiet moment,
23:51Maria can turn her attention to a smaller gesture
23:54with a big meaning.
23:58She's heading to her picture framers
24:00with a special piece of art for the new house.
24:02How can I help you?
24:05I've got a piece of my mother's embroidery.
24:08Oh, wow.
24:09Let's have a look.
24:11She won an award for it
24:13at the New Zealand Embroiderers Guild
24:15quite a few years ago now.
24:17Oh, my goodness.
24:19Look at that.
24:20What she got now.
24:20Can I ask about your mother?
24:22Is mum still with us?
24:23No.
24:23Oh, OK.
24:24She passed last year.
24:25Oh, right, OK.
24:27This is her most precious piece
24:28that she was particularly proud of.
24:31Right.
24:31Yeah, OK.
24:33It might even be my wedding dress, Silk.
24:35Really?
24:36I think it might be.
24:37Yeah, so this is precious.
24:39So this is precious, yeah.
24:40Yeah, absolutely.
24:42Bringing precious memories into a new house
24:45is a great way of making it feel like a home
24:48and perhaps banishing unwanted memories
24:51of a difficult build.
24:58It's the height of summer
25:00and an all-weather wrap
25:02covers the now-framed-up top floor.
25:04Alex is working on possibly
25:06the most striking feature of this building.
25:09Mate, I'm going to have a really sore arm after this.
25:12The roof of the living area
25:13is built from exposed beams
25:15of up to 200 kilos
25:17and will eventually form
25:19an impressive grid-like structure.
25:22We'll hook on and hang.
25:24But true to this house's form,
25:27it's complicated.
25:35This roof structure
25:37has a subtle rake of two degrees
25:38and none of the walls it sits on
25:40are parallel.
25:43So there isn't a single right angle
25:45in over 120 joints
25:47which each have to be routed out by hand
25:49to conceal the very expensive fixings.
25:54We are around 1,600 screws
25:57that countersink into here
25:59and there's about 2,500 nails.
26:02So yeah, very expensive stainless steel.
26:04So this is like $5.
26:07The roof will take over a month to finish.
26:16More time and money than necessary?
26:18Certainly.
26:19But it's shaping up to be
26:21the striking centerpiece
26:22at the heart of this design.
26:26One down, 50 to go, all right.
26:28In Mount Eden,
26:36an interesting sign
26:38has appeared outside
26:39Maria and Dale's home.
26:41Ah, Tom, how are you?
26:42Good to see you.
26:42Do you want to buy a house?
26:44I saw the sign.
26:48The financial pressure
26:49is forcing the Greys
26:51to put their family home
26:52of 15 years to auction
26:53in a few weeks' time.
26:56So you need to sell this
26:57in order to pay those big bills
27:00over on the island.
27:02I think you were of the opinion
27:03that this was a project
27:04that could be managed by other people
27:07and you were going to turn up
27:08when the house was finished
27:09and have a delivered product to you.
27:11But now you're much more involved.
27:15Yeah, we've really had to manage
27:16the budget tightly.
27:17So we had a budget that we set
27:20that we know went from
27:22$3 million to $5 million.
27:23So we're still sort of
27:24recovering from that.
27:25That's where we were
27:26when I saw you last
27:28at $5 million.
27:29That's still the case?
27:30Yeah, that's still the case
27:31and it will be the case.
27:33I think you probably understand
27:35the process a lot better
27:36than at the beginning.
27:37Is that true to say?
27:39Yes, probably.
27:41Yeah.
27:41Knowing what I know now,
27:43I think we should have been
27:44devil in the detail
27:45a wee bit more.
27:47Yeah, it's been
27:47pretty challenging, right?
27:49There's some other stuff
27:50that we've had, you know,
27:51I've had some family challenges.
27:52Hmm.
27:54You have?
27:56Along the way.
27:56Yeah.
27:57So when we get there,
27:58we've kind of got to flush
27:59the dunny on the journey
28:01a bit to getting there
28:02because I don't want to go there
28:03and live there
28:04and be a bit bitter
28:05and twisted
28:05that it's been hard
28:06and challenging
28:07and bring all this
28:08negativity to that house
28:10because it doesn't deserve that
28:11and we don't deserve that.
28:14Maria and Dale
28:15are now all over the budget.
28:17They've gone from
28:18distant managers
28:19to intimate collaborators
28:21on their dream home
28:22and I, for one,
28:24think that's a very good thing indeed.
28:37Another winter is looming
28:39but the build
28:40is gathering momentum
28:41the roof has been sealed
28:43an absolute madness
28:46of electrical cabling
28:47and ducting
28:48for a state-of-the-art
28:49heating and cooling system
28:50has been installed
28:51and Alex
28:53has completed
28:54his masterpiece.
28:56I'm not interested
28:56in doing another one
28:57any time soon
28:58but now we're getting
28:59visual progress.
29:01Dale and Maria
29:01can see what we've done
29:02day in, day out.
29:04They're like, wow.
29:08And this isn't
29:09the only building project
29:10that's made
29:11visual progress.
29:16Over in Auckland
29:17it's Dale's big night.
29:20His bodybuilding competition
29:22for which he starved
29:23and dehydrated himself
29:25to extreme levels.
29:26Yeah, I'm feeling a bit blurry
29:30a bit headachy
29:31a bit grumpy
29:32And that
29:34can be attested to
29:35by housemate
29:36Maddy.
29:37I won't lie
29:38he's been difficult
29:39to live with
29:40over the past couple months
29:41he's been hungry
29:42tired
29:43cold
29:44any
29:45small thing
29:46becomes a very big issue
29:48in our house
29:48at the moment.
29:49Dale has gone through
29:59physical torture
30:00for this competition
30:00but it must make
30:05the win
30:06all the more satisfying.
30:07medal to Dale Gray
30:10who's a Masters Athletic
30:1150-plus champion.
30:16Hopefully
30:17the same will be true
30:18of the financial
30:19and emotional torture
30:20caused by the
30:21Waiheke build.
30:22It's been a full
30:33three years
30:34since I first
30:35looked down
30:35on a wild bush section
30:37now I'm finally
30:38looking at a
30:39double height garage
30:40almost ready
30:41for the car stacker
30:42and a swimming pool.
30:45Well,
30:46there's lots of
30:47stimulation here
30:48lots of complexity
30:49incredible window
30:51opening.
30:52Look at that
30:53but also
30:55angles and angles
30:56and angles
30:57look at this thing
30:58and that's a
30:59little sliver of ceiling
31:01but it's not even
31:02horizontal is it?
31:03It kind of tilts that way
31:04and how do you frame
31:05that up?
31:07With difficulty
31:08the furniture's
31:10going to help
31:11zone the space
31:12but at the moment
31:13I don't know
31:14where the kitchen goes
31:15where do I sit?
31:17Yeah, it's confusing
31:18it's striking
31:19but confusing
31:22heading downstairs
31:27is almost a relief
31:28where the rooms
31:29are more square
31:31recognisable
31:32easier to understand
31:34Hey, hello
31:35Oh, hey, how are you?
31:36Good to see you
31:37You too
31:38and we're here
31:38Hi
31:38Good to see you again
31:39Yeah, well
31:40look at you two
31:42on site
31:42Yes
31:43You're now hands-on
31:44aren't you?
31:45We are
31:45So you know everything
31:45that's going on here
31:46right?
31:47Well, we think we do
31:48I think for the project
31:50and actually for making
31:51your own home
31:52it kind of has to be
31:53like that
31:53you've got to be
31:54fully invested
31:55no matter how that happened
31:57This is the fun part
31:58It's quite real now
31:59isn't it?
31:59Like we've
32:00you know
32:01when you're picking
32:02flooring and tiles
32:03and bathroom fittings
32:04electrical fittings
32:05it's sort of
32:05brought it to life
32:06for us
32:06A bit more tangible
32:07I'll tell you what
32:08being on this level
32:09rather than upstairs
32:10this place
32:11which has
32:12you know
32:12right-angled walls
32:13this is much more
32:16understandable
32:17as a house for me
32:18Upstairs I'm still
32:19that's a little bit at sea
32:20I mean
32:20Yeah
32:21Do you know what
32:21that's going to look like?
32:23No, it's a little
32:24more difficult I think
32:26It's probably more
32:26the space up there
32:27that's hard to get
32:28into and
32:29not so much
32:30I think I've got a feel
32:31for a lot
32:31it's just
32:32the spaces
32:33Yeah
32:33Yeah
32:33Yeah
32:34It's really great
32:39to see Maria
32:40and Dale
32:41down there
32:42in the dust
32:43and wreck at a site
32:43they're finally
32:45connecting
32:45with their home
32:46But is it too late?
32:49This is the 11th hour
32:51isn't it?
32:51The house is almost finished
32:53How well do they know it?
32:56Will they feel at home
32:57amongst all those
32:59eccentric angles?
33:13Late winter
33:14and the build
33:15is flying along
33:17The covers are down
33:21revealing the black aluminium cladding
33:23that's beginning to bed this house
33:25into the native bush
33:26The Tyler is here
33:29hard at work
33:30and the deck
33:35so central to Dale's vision
33:37of his dream life
33:38is being laid
33:40We'll make this meeting
33:44We'll make this meeting very brief
33:44today Lorraine
33:45And amongst the chaos
33:46are Maria and Dale
33:48They've managed to sell
33:49their Mount Eden home
33:50and can now focus
33:52on completing the build
33:53Is that all sorted or not?
33:54Not quite
33:55It's being revised
33:56isn't it?
33:59There's been times
34:00when we felt like
34:01we disliked this house
34:03because of
34:04all the stuff
34:06that was going on
34:07and now
34:07you sort of feel
34:09like
34:10the end is in sight
34:12it's starting to feel
34:13like a house
34:13Palm Beach
34:22was where this all began
34:23What better place
34:25to reflect on the journey?
34:28When we first met you
34:30it was here
34:30on this beach
34:32and you talked about
34:33that holiday feeling
34:34does that feel like
34:35a distant concept?
34:37Not for me
34:38There's many a time
34:40that we have said
34:41this is going to be amazing
34:42We can't wait
34:43I think the relief
34:44will be initial
34:45and then the enjoyment
34:47will come
34:47a bit later
34:49That's a longer term
34:50When we've got over
34:51the fact that
34:52we've spent so much money
34:53on a building
34:55I spoke to somebody
34:56the other day
34:57who'd been through
34:57a similar situation
34:58and said you've got to
34:58really learn to
34:59cleanse yourself
35:00quite quickly
35:01of that
35:02You can't carry that
35:04challenge and a bit of
35:05baggage maybe
35:06whatever it is
35:06into the new house
35:07You've got to wash yourself
35:08cleanse yourself
35:09and be positive
35:10and enjoy it for what it is
35:11And I think when people
35:13come across to see it
35:14it'll just reinforce it
35:16over and over again
35:17because they will see it
35:19for what it is
35:19as opposed to what's been
35:20Yeah
35:21Which I think will
35:22be quite good as well
35:23Can you see the end?
35:25Well it's going to be October
35:26come hella high water now
35:27Okay
35:28There's a battle going on
35:35within De La Maria
35:36isn't there?
35:38On the one hand
35:39they want to love this house
35:41On the other
35:43this has been
35:44an incredibly difficult
35:46traumatic
35:47and financially crippling journey
35:49For all of that
35:52to be worthwhile
35:53this is going to have to be
35:55one hell of a house
35:56Maria and Dale
36:06have crossed a literal gulf
36:07to get to this point in time
36:09They had hoped to be
36:10hands off
36:10with this whole project
36:12but the storm
36:13certainly rolled in
36:14I mean goodness
36:16four years
36:17and a two million dollar
36:19overspend
36:20let's just hope that
36:21by battling
36:22and ultimately
36:23seeing out that storm
36:24they've managed to make
36:27a real connection
36:28with their new home
36:29Oh yeah
36:38look at that
36:39that's thunderbirds
36:40isn't it?
36:41Well
36:42see if I can do this
36:43right
36:43Well that's intriguing
36:53and there's a real
36:55machine-like quality
36:57to this house
36:57isn't there?
36:58Not just the gadgets
36:58but the way
37:00this place is finished
37:01the materials
37:02muted
37:03matching in colour
37:04and then this wall
37:06tilting and tessellating
37:08and snaking down the hill
37:10it promises something
37:13very special inside
37:14doesn't it?
37:16Oh
37:16there's movement
37:17Hi
37:17Hello
37:18Well let's meet
37:19on the turntable
37:20Good to see you
37:22Hey Tom
37:22How are you?
37:23Good to see you
37:23This house looks
37:24fabulous
37:25We're absolutely delighted
37:26you know
37:27Yeah
37:27Yeah
37:27I've done a fabulous job
37:29But you deserve it
37:30right?
37:30It's been a long time
37:31Yes
37:31Come on
37:32Come on
37:32Have a look
37:33Now that is a showstopper
37:42That's amazing
37:43Your lattice ceiling
37:45It's an incredible feature
37:47of this property
37:48It's huge
37:49It is
37:49It's so dramatic
37:50It's so dramatic
37:51Feels big
37:54Yeah
37:54It feels a lot bigger
37:55than
37:55It sort of goes in and out
37:57in different stages
37:58And now it's gone out
38:00Yeah
38:00It's gone out again
38:00Right
38:01Gosh it's so visually exciting
38:04You can see the back
38:06of the breeze block there
38:07and at a slight
38:09different angle
38:09from the ceiling
38:10There's a lot going on
38:11in this area
38:13A big part must be
38:16about being out here
38:17It's lovely
38:18Yeah
38:18It's mind-bogglingly
38:22beautiful isn't it
38:22And look
38:23the deck
38:23has this sort of prowl
38:25pointing out into that
38:26big sea of green
38:27like a ship
38:28Yeah
38:28It's gorgeous
38:29It's gorgeous
38:30Definitely a lot better
38:32than what it was originally
38:34when we were
38:34on the dirt track
38:35Yeah
38:36It's an incredible feeling
38:36Yeah
38:37On the top of the world
38:38Yeah
38:39That's great to hear
38:42because I know
38:42the couple seriously questioned
38:44whether some of the
38:45complexities of this house
38:47could possibly be worth it
38:48But now
38:50the more I explore
38:51the more the house
38:53reveals itself
38:54and the value of its
38:55intricate design
38:56becomes clear
38:57I love this
38:59layering effect
39:00and the little pockets
39:01Now this is
39:03Alex's wall isn't it
39:04It is
39:05Certainly is
39:06Concrete wall
39:06This must be where
39:07it went wrong
39:08There's a wee blemish
39:10Nothing too bad
39:11thank God
39:12And of course
39:13a bit of natural light
39:13as well trickling through
39:14for the garden
39:15under here
39:16Yeah
39:16Right in the guts
39:17of the house
39:18Yeah
39:19Bit of greenery inside
39:20Yeah
39:21What next?
39:22Yeah I don't know
39:23Oh come and have a look
39:24Yeah
39:25In contrast to the dark wood
39:30and golden light upstairs
39:32the muted tones
39:33and textures down here
39:35create a spa-like serenity
39:37A looping corridor
39:39enhances the feeling
39:40of free flow movement
39:41and wraps around
39:42the family bathroom
39:43with its bespoke vanity
39:45and soft opaque
39:46reeded glass
39:47There are two guest bedrooms
39:50calm and relaxing
39:51with wonderful views
39:53and at the far end
39:54Dale and Maria's
39:55bedroom and en suite
39:57The master
39:59Oh
40:00We're in a little paradise
40:01Yes
40:02We're surrounded by green
40:06Yeah
40:06Yeah
40:07It's very calming
40:08because you've got
40:09like the trees
40:10that sort of
40:10hold you close
40:11and the room
40:12It's really lovely
40:13A little tree cuddle
40:14Yeah
40:14This lower level
40:19is all about
40:21understated elegance
40:22and quiet sophistication
40:23but if you're ready
40:25for a bit of adventure
40:26there's not far to go
40:27I love this whole space
40:29actually
40:29it's a sort of
40:30transitional space
40:31it blurs the line
40:33between being inside and out
40:34particularly with that garden
40:35back there
40:35Yeah
40:35Yeah
40:36It's a house
40:40where you
40:41find something new
40:43around every corner
40:44Yeah
40:44And you know
40:46everywhere you look
40:46there's something
40:47different going on
40:48I have to say
40:56sitting here
40:57this house now
40:58makes a lot of sense
40:59It was quite hard
41:00to get your head around
41:01I think we're all
41:01in the same boat
41:02but how do you feel now?
41:04I love it
41:05Yeah
41:06Yeah
41:06It's incredible
41:07you know
41:07the features of this
41:08of this house
41:09are just never ending
41:10Way more grand
41:11than what we thought
41:12it would be
41:12Everything is
41:18not like a normal house
41:19No
41:19Yes
41:20Geometry is the big one
41:21Absolutely
41:22Yeah
41:22And from the outsider's
41:24perspective
41:24the person who
41:25hasn't paid for the house
41:26it's a real joy
41:27but I wonder
41:28would you have
41:29taken a simpler house
41:31having gone through
41:32the turmoil
41:34of this journey
41:34to get here
41:35No
41:36No
41:36No way
41:37No
41:37We were entrusting
41:38of the architect
41:39and the interior design
41:40and the builder
41:41and we sort of
41:42held firm
41:43and did what we need
41:44to do to do the house
41:45to the standard
41:45that it should have
41:46been done to
41:46and thank God we did
41:48An expensive endeavour then
41:56chasing the dream
41:57So where did you end up?
41:59The house itself
42:005.5 million
42:01Yeah
42:015.5 million
42:04That's another
42:05half a million dollars
42:07on top of the
42:085 million you got to
42:09which is already
42:10much more than
42:11the 3 million
42:12that you couldn't even say
42:13at the beginning
42:14Rhea
42:14Yes
42:15made my eyes water
42:17somewhat
42:17But I think
42:19at the end of the day
42:20we were committed
42:21and we stayed committed
42:22to finishing it
42:24to what we needed to
42:24and
42:25Yeah
42:25we've got the air
42:26but
42:26you know
42:27not without
42:27a few sleepless nights
42:28So
42:37the big question then
42:38is
42:38this dream
42:40of yours
42:41it was you
42:41on the balcony
42:43next to a pool
42:44with a barbecue
42:45and a beer
42:46Yeah
42:46saying
42:47Shit this is my house
42:49Yeah
42:51Yeah
42:51Have you had that moment?
42:53Yeah
42:53Yes
42:54Yeah
42:54You do not have had it
42:55more than once
42:56Right
42:56Yeah totally
42:58It's
42:59It is a wee bit
43:00pinch yourself sometimes
43:01but
43:02yeah we stand out there
43:03and
43:03it's just incredible
43:05Absolutely fabulous
43:06So it sounds like
43:07you now sharing
43:08that dream
43:09Maria
43:09Yeah
43:10Yeah
43:11You know there's a take out
43:12for myself and others
43:14that
43:14if you do dare to dream
43:16you know
43:17you can pull it off
43:18For me
43:24this house
43:25has been
43:26a real revelation
43:27I had serious doubts
43:29that Dale and Maria's
43:30hands-off approach
43:30would ultimately
43:31get them what they wanted
43:32in such a personal project
43:34but even when they did
43:36get involved
43:37they had the wisdom
43:38to leave
43:39the most important element
43:40alone
43:41the designer's vision
43:43and so the vision
43:45has flourished
43:46and delivered
43:47that architectural
43:48fundamental
43:49to surprise
43:51and delight
43:52and to enrich
43:54the experience
43:55of being here
43:56in this most dreamlike
43:59island location
44:00of being here