- 3 hours ago
Grand Designs Australia - Season 12 Episode 9 -
Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00For most of us, recycling's a simple affair.
00:08Separating your paper from your bottles, job done.
00:12But, what if you wanted to take it much more seriously?
00:17What if you wanted to build your house out of materials like plastic bags and old milk cartons?
00:25Or what if you had an architecturally designed three bedroom house in mind, but only a couple of hundred grand to spend?
00:32You've got to worry, wouldn't it all look just a bit...
00:37...rubbish?
00:55Let's go and have a look at the orchard.
01:10Up the gate.
01:13You definitely need to have an orchard, though.
01:16Ooh, look at those juicy lemons.
01:18What do you think, Hugo?
01:20By rights, James LeCompte and Rita Ordonez should never have met.
01:25He's the son of a builder in Sydney.
01:27She grew up in the mountains of Ecuador.
01:30But here they are, living in Newcastle, after fate brought them together.
01:35Rita and I met at a backpackers in New Orleans after a rather crazy evening of heavy rain
01:41and the ceiling of the hostel collapsing.
01:45We had a long-distance relationship until Rita moved out in...
01:502006.
01:51...2006.
01:52I wanted to come to see this guy in Australia,
01:56told all my family about this gringo, you know, that I met.
01:59Not too bad.
02:00Gringo or not, things just clicked.
02:04They married and had kids, Hugo and Celeste.
02:08Together, there's nothing they enjoy more than being out in nature.
02:13The connection to earth for me is definitely my childhood.
02:18Being on my dad's farm and my grandparents' farm.
02:21Picking fresh fruit from the trees and eating berries until you feel sick in the tummy.
02:27So all of that is very important for me.
02:29Let me see your turn, Hugo.
02:31Let's get some fruit and veggies, shall we?
02:34The family spent years travelling the world, living in five different countries.
02:39Rita teaching and James working in international trade development.
02:46But their lives changed with a move to Ecuador,
02:49where Rita's dad farmed cacao trees, used to make the world's best dark chocolate.
02:56They decided to take the leap into, I guess, a passion project,
03:00which was investing in a luxury chocolate business from Ecuador.
03:06And that's where I'm working today, and I do that remotely.
03:09It's exquisite handmade stuff.
03:13How exquisite?
03:15As much as $8,000 a kilo for the very best quality.
03:19You'll find it in high-end stores and James' personal stash.
03:28I love the crunchiness of caramel. It's a good combo.
03:31After all that travelling, they moved back to Australia,
03:34looking for somewhere to dig roots deep into the earth.
03:38They found that place in an idyllic little community nestled among the rolling hills of the Hunter Valley,
03:4645 minutes from Newcastle.
03:49It's a big farm that's owned by 29 families.
03:53We're all shareholders in the farm.
03:55And the idea is that we build in a way that's sustainable,
03:58and it's sensitive to the environment that we're building in as well.
04:03The first time we came, I said to James,
04:05James, look at the hills. It's like Ecuador. I love it.
04:09For me especially, I would like to see my children growing up
04:13in a place where they can see the stars,
04:15where they can interact with animals,
04:17where they can be around neighbours and friends.
04:21And that's a huge part of this place.
04:24They call it an intentional community,
04:27which involves everyone working together
04:30towards a shared goal of sustainability.
04:36This is an extraordinary place you've got here, yeah?
04:38It is.
04:39The landscape is pretty remarkable, looking around. Wow.
04:42But it comes with a catch, right, because it's not just on its own.
04:45It's got this community wrapped around it.
04:47That's right. Yeah.
04:48Yeah, we love that aspect of it, actually.
04:50Yeah?
04:51Yeah, we didn't want to be isolated on a farm all by ourselves,
04:54so having our neighbours and our friends nearby is a big plus.
04:59It's a good thing.
05:00It is, yeah.
05:01And there's also going to be a real social aspect
05:03to the build as well.
05:05The fact that my dad and my father-in-law
05:08are going to be building it with me, you know.
05:11Hang on a second. Just go back one step now.
05:14Your dad and your father-in-law.
05:17Yeah.
05:18My dad said that he's probably not able to live as a huge inheritance
05:22or something like that, but he wants to help,
05:24and this is part of his contribution.
05:27That's really, that's lovely.
05:28Yeah.
05:29It's a nice gift.
05:30It's a lovely gift, isn't it?
05:31Yeah.
05:32Tell me, you know, paint the picture for me.
05:33What is the dream?
05:34We're going to build a single-storey house.
05:37We've got this philosophy about building with materials that are recyclable or biodegradable
05:45and, you know, zero toxin.
05:48Simple to say, but difficult to execute.
05:52And it's all got to be off-grid.
05:56Designed by architect Morton Pedersen, this house embodies environmental ambitions,
06:03starting with an earthen floor made from layers of granite, pumice and clay.
06:08James and Rita want a barefoot connection to the planet.
06:12A recyclable steel frame will be clad in biodegradable wood fibre panels.
06:18On one side, a study and two bedrooms for the kids.
06:22Feature walls will be built of bricks, handmade on-site.
06:26The two bathrooms will sit back-to-back.
06:31One for the kids, the other, James and Rita's en-suite.
06:35In the main living space, the eco-factor really cranks up.
06:40Rita will handcraft kitchen tiles for the splash-back, while the kitchen walls and ceiling
06:45are ingeniously fashioned from recycled plastic bags, those environmental terrorists.
06:52Upstairs, there's a mezzanine art space.
06:55The house will be fully off-grid.
06:58Solar power, rainwater tanks, composting toilets and, of course, double-glazed windows.
07:04Finally, corrugated iron cladding, brilliantly bent to wrap around corners,
07:09forms a seamless barrier to bugs and bushfires.
07:12On paper, it's eco-excellence.
07:15But, of course, nothing's ever built on paper.
07:21How long is this thing going to take you to build?
07:23Best case would be eight months.
07:26How did you arrive at that number?
07:28Spreadsheets.
07:29So, I spend quite a bit of time in spreadsheets in my day job.
07:33They're only as good as the information you put in, you know.
07:35That's right.
07:36Yeah.
07:37That's a pretty ambitious timeline.
07:38Only because, not the scale so much as the experience.
07:40Knowing where you're going and those are things.
07:42And you'll have to make the mistakes in order to correct them and move along.
07:45Correct.
07:46What about budget?
07:47Yeah.
07:48There's not a lot of it.
07:50So, 230 grand.
07:52Really?
07:53Are you serious?
07:55Yep.
07:56Yep.
07:57That's not very much money at all.
08:02If you look at it in a new build, it can be up to 50% of the cost can be in the labour.
08:07You know, 230, multiply that by two, it's a $460,000 house.
08:12Okay.
08:13And in a year and a half from now, when I'm standing here talking to you and we're still
08:17looking at the building that's about to go into lock up, what will you be telling me
08:21then?
08:22Um...
08:23Which, that's not ours.
08:24That's the neighbours' house.
08:26That's the neighbours' house.
08:27This one is ours.
08:28Because we're going to finish.
08:31Really?
08:32In my book, something doesn't quite add up.
08:37It's not just the short timeframe and the minuscule budget.
08:41But the thing that really worries me is that these guys are novice builders working with
08:46new and experimental methods and materials.
08:49It's a bit like fancy chocolate.
08:52If you want the really good stuff made with organic, hand-picked ingredients from the hills
08:57of the gods, that's going to cost you.
09:00Big time.
09:01There's a mid-winter chill in the air, but you couldn't get a more perfect morning to
09:12start the adventure of a lifetime.
09:15Well, today's a really big day.
09:17It's the first day that we're going to be breaking ground.
09:19I've got this little beauty with me.
09:22She's a five-and-a-half tonne excavator.
09:24I just finished a five-day crash course on exactly this machine, actually, which is great.
09:31So I'm feeling quietly confident.
09:34Leveling a block is a skill that can take months to master.
09:38James is bravely taking it on with just a few days' instruction.
09:43Permission.
09:45Engage the hydraulics.
09:48Lift the revs a bit.
09:51Lift up the blade a little bit.
09:55Here we go.
09:58That's what I'm talking about.
10:10Ooh.
10:15Well, this is me breaking ground on my own property.
10:18I've got to say, it feels pretty good.
10:21It's kind of pleasurable watching the earth sort of curl up a little bit like butter.
10:29James is in heaven, moving earth.
10:32And he's in good company.
10:33As promised, Dad's army is here to help.
10:37Secret weapon number one is father-in-law Italo, a retired politician.
10:43Some places, the just thing is, you see, you go a little bit deeper.
10:47He's flown out from Ecuador to lend a hand.
10:50I am really very happy because I am sure I am helping my family.
10:55And I am sure we are going to overcome this challenge.
11:01I'll give you some instruction on the blade with the razor.
11:04James' dad, Steve, is secret weapon number two.
11:08And while he'll be coming and going from the site,
11:11the best news is he's a retired builder.
11:15What are you thinking, Dad?
11:16Well, you're probably going a little bit deep.
11:19Up a bit or...?
11:20Yeah, up a bit.
11:22I run that lot right through now.
11:24He's doing well.
11:25It's a bit tougher than I think he thought it would be.
11:28But, you know, when you're on a new piece of equipment,
11:30something you haven't used before, it's not easy.
11:34But he's making a good job of it.
11:35I'm quite proud of him.
11:37He's doing well.
11:38He's doing well.
11:4345 minutes away, at their rental in Newcastle,
11:47Rita and the kids are settling into a different existence.
11:51James has been staying at the build site
11:53because sometimes driving back takes a long time.
11:57I think it's more productive at the build site
12:00when James is there early, early in the morning.
12:04It's a lot for Rita to take on solo.
12:07To pay the bills, she's working full-time as a teacher
12:10as well as looking after the kids.
12:12Let's make these tiles with the clay that you collected, Hugo.
12:17But she's still finding time for everyone to stay connected to the build.
12:21They're making tiles for the kitchen.
12:24What makes it so special is that we're making them together
12:27and we are using the soil from the sides,
12:32which makes it even more special
12:34because it feels like our house is really providing everything for us.
12:39The tiles won't just save money on the tiny budget.
12:43They're taking Rita back to her roots.
12:46These tiles are definitely inspired by Ecuadorian pottery.
12:50It's definitely a bit of going down memory lane.
12:56The colour of my city where I come from is all terracottas
13:00because it's huge. Pottery is huge where I come from.
13:03So it's good to bring that bit of home to Australia.
13:11Even at this early stage, Rita is clearly thinking more about a home than a house.
13:17I just hope it lives up to her dreams.
13:21You know, we are successful.
13:24We can make the bathroom tiles.
13:26Maybe not.
13:36Before embarking on this build, James researched every aspect,
13:40looking for sustainable options and ways to save money.
13:44Lots of money.
13:45One of the tools he'll need has arrived from a most unexpected place.
13:50We just drove back from Sydney at the docks
13:54where I picked up this big box that arrived from India.
13:57It is a compressed earth brick-making machine,
14:00so we're going to be able to make our own bricks with this.
14:03You've got to hand it to James.
14:05He's not afraid to think outside the box.
14:07If they can get it open.
14:08This is against theft.
14:21Anti-theft.
14:23Anti-theft.
14:25Anti-theft packaging.
14:27Yeah, I love the energy of having the two dads around there and just get stuck into it straight away.
14:36Whoo!
14:38There she is in all her glory.
14:40A little brick machine.
14:41This is an exciting moment, I think, for Italo because he's been designated Chief Brick Maker for the job.
14:49Yes.
14:50We're going to see a good quantity of bricks coming out.
14:54Isn't that right, Italo?
14:55Yes, sir.
15:02James needs about 6,000 bricks to make three internal feature walls.
15:08Italo has his work cut out.
15:11I never made blocks, but I think it's going to be my new profession.
15:20Much like Rita's tiles, these bricks will be highly sustainable,
15:23made largely from clay and soil found on site, mixed with a little cement and water.
15:30More water.
15:31A bit more water, yeah.
15:33Unlike conventional bricks, the mix isn't fired in a kiln.
15:38This is the...
15:40It makes the pressure.
15:42It's compressed, using nothing but human muscle.
15:53There you go.
15:56Look at those beauties.
16:01Steven and myself did a good job.
16:05Put them on the rack to dry.
16:08Yeah.
16:09I think we've started production.
16:12Two down, 5,998 to go.
16:16Did they really say this house would be finished in eight months?
16:20Good job, mister.
16:21Good job.
16:23We must be proud of ourselves.
16:24We are.
16:25Absolutely, absolutely.
16:27We are.
16:31It's taken James two months to level and set out the site.
16:35A fair effort for a first-timer, but there's a deadline looming large.
16:40Rita's favourite part of the entire build is the concrete pour, so she's been eager to see that happen.
16:47But before we can do any of that, we needed to really finish the excavation work, a huge amount of earthworks.
16:53Had to level the site, mark out all of the trench lines, dig the trenches, put up the formwork.
17:00With the concrete trucks beelining to site, some of the neighbours are chipping in to get it ready.
17:05Then we've got the trench that runs into the pit, yeah.
17:10Been working really closely today with Marco on setting out the land.
17:15Marco's gone through all of this before and he's worked on a number of the houses here.
17:19You know, one of the great things about being on a community is that you can, at fairly short notice,
17:24give some help to a friend and neighbour.
17:27I'm just helping out as an extra set of hands to prepare for this big moment, which is the concrete pour.
17:32It's a bit of a cliché, but as we all know, getting out of the ground is the hardest bit of building a house.
17:39There's a few more hard bits to come. James will learn that as he goes.
17:45Dave's here too, and he's a good man to know. He's a concreter.
17:50In a community, in a place like this, there's really a different feel.
17:54Everyone's vibe here is really, really lovely. So, it rubs off, we rub off on each other.
17:59You know, we help each other. There's humour, there's kindness.
18:03You know, there are people coming out and offer you lunch and all sorts of things.
18:07And, you know, people walk around and they're happy. Yeah.
18:09So, what a beautiful place to work in.
18:10While concrete has a huge carbon footprint, James has minimised the impact by only using strip footings, not a whole slab.
18:28Even better, he's found a greener variety.
18:31We chose to go with an eco-packed concrete because apparently it's about 30 to 90% more environmentally friendly than regular concrete.
18:42This concrete reduces carbon emissions by using recycled demolition material in the mix.
18:49And it's healthy for the budget too. 20% cheaper than many traditional products.
18:56Hola, Mum. Hola.
18:58Hola.
19:00Hola.
19:02I just called my mum in Ecuador because she, of course, has to be part of it.
19:07She was like, wow, the house looks big and beautiful and so excited.
19:12Yeah, my mum's really excited. She's always telling me, oh, I can't wait, we're going to plant the mango tree here.
19:18And then when you, when my grandchildren are older, they'll climb it and eat mango and there'll be an old lady thinking, oh, I planted that.
19:25And she's always, she loves it a lot, my mum.
19:30I think I'm going to change careers. What do you think?
19:33I'm going to make a smiley face. What do you think?
19:38In just four hours, the start of the family's ethereal hopes and dreams has been set solid in concrete.
19:46I guess it's quite a milestone, you know, it's, it's getting the concrete poured, it's the footings that are going to hold up our family home, which we're, you know, planned to live in for a very long time.
19:58So, yeah, it's a special moment today. We're going to enjoy the rest of today together, admiring, admiring the work, I think.
20:04But there's no time for dilly-dallying on this building site. James and Rita want to build with zero waste. Not easy in an industry renowned for it, which means a lot of research into recycled products.
20:22And they've managed to source what could be a great solution to the planet's plastic plague.
20:29I hired a truck. I've loaded it up with a bunch of soft plastic waste from the building site, which I was hoping not to send to landfill and very excited to have found a company that turns soft plastics into boards that we're going to use to line our walls and ceilings.
20:46So, looking forward to checking it all out at the factory.
20:59Must be Paul.
21:01Paul Charteris is behind the operation, which is, frankly, a near perfect example of recycling.
21:08The company creates building panels out of soft plastics combined with old milk cartons.
21:14James plans to paint them and use them as internal walls.
21:19Instead of actually using trees, we're actually using packaging fibre. Consumer waste.
21:23Consumer waste.
21:25So, I mean, I basically brought a bunch of soft plastic.
21:29Yeah, and this is low-density polyethylene. It's our glue, basically.
21:35There we go.
21:38It's not even complicated.
21:40First, the plastic and cartons are chopped up.
21:49Heated to 250 degrees, the plastic becomes a kind of glue.
21:56Then it's pressed flat under 200 tonnes of pressure.
21:59If you're wondering, that's just steam. There are no toxic chemical emissions.
22:09And this is your finished board.
22:11Wow.
22:12Under here.
22:13I'll pull this back and you can sort of see this is the exposed black.
22:16Uh-huh.
22:17Which is what you're looking at putting in your place.
22:21So, 100% upcycled.
22:22You'd be able to see some of the different plastics and cartons.
22:26But, you know, it's all your waste and, you know, post-consumer waste that's gone into it.
22:31I mean, I just feel really good about the fact that I haven't had to take it all to landfill.
22:39I've thrown it into this conveyor belt which spits out new building materials which are going to go on our ceiling, on our walls.
22:45The euphoria of the plastic doesn't last long.
22:53Three months into the eight-month schedule, it's replaced by hot, hard graft.
23:00It's a drudgery of James and Rita's own making.
23:03They want the house to be deeply connected to the planet through an earthen floor.
23:08One of the coolest things about the earthen floor is that it recreates the sense of it.
23:14It recreates the sensation and the exact feeling of walking barefoot on the earth.
23:20One of the big benefits of that is that it allows you to still be connected to the energetic vibrations of the earth.
23:28And that's something that, as humans, we've been enjoying for millions and millions of years.
23:33And we'll be able to enjoy it in our house, walking bare feet.
23:36Bare feet and energy flows.
23:39Interesting.
23:41And it's far from the easy option.
23:42A traditional house like this would probably have a concrete slab across the entire base.
23:48But that's got a huge amount of embodied energy.
23:51And it wasn't really the feel, the natural feel, that we wanted for this house.
23:56The earthen floor will consist of compacted layers of granite aggregate for waterproofing, then pumice for insulation, then road base, then polished clay.
24:08It might be terrific for energy flow, but it sure sounds heavy.
24:12It's, you know, it's lower myself now and tons and tons and tons of material to move.
24:20So we've shifted 25 tonne of granite.
24:23We've shifted about 15 tonne of pumice.
24:27We've had some really hot days as well, so it's just been a really laborious part of the build.
24:34The upside of all that mass?
24:37The floor should keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer.
24:41How Italo is keeping his cool I'll never know.
24:45But he is.
24:47And I am doing it with great pleasure.
24:52Besides, the people around here are the best I've ever seen.
24:58So I feel very well.
24:59Unfortunately, two months later, very well is not how you describe progress.
25:20The floor still isn't finished.
25:23In his inexperience, James has underestimated just how long everything takes.
25:30That spreadsheet schedule's in trouble.
25:33But now there should be visible progress.
25:38Today is a, I guess you'd say, momentous day.
25:42We're aiming to put up the first part of the frame.
25:45I've got some good mates here to help, as well as my dad and Italo.
25:49You know I'm an old man, I was sore back.
25:53James has chosen steel frames, which at first glance don't scream sustainable.
25:59But he has his reasons.
26:01We didn't want to use any treated timber products in the house,
26:04because it's, you know, coated in really toxic material.
26:07And we don't want that in our house.
26:08We're trying to build a really healthy home for the family.
26:11There's no perfect solution, of course, because we opted with steel,
26:14which has a lot of issues as well.
26:16But at the end of the day, the steel is 100% recyclable.
26:20I can't see a number on this one.
26:23The frame comes in pieces like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
26:27It was delivered on schedule months ago.
26:30And the floor delay hasn't helped.
26:33The frames are all numbered, but unfortunately they've been here for so long
26:36that the numbers have faded in the sun,
26:39so sometimes they're a bit difficult to read.
26:41Plus, as you can see, the grass is growing up around them.
26:43Look, here. Here it is. W-4.
26:48W-4 is over in that corner.
26:52This would be a sliding door.
26:55This is a sliding door.
26:57The right pieces are eventually unearthed.
27:01They're right here, I think, isn't it?
27:03But for the first time on the build, James has the jitters.
27:07I've never put up a frame before,
27:10and I really don't like putting together furniture,
27:13and so this is like putting together a giant piece of furniture.
27:16So it's a little overwhelming and confusing.
27:18What dimension did you get, James?
27:2011 metres to the millimetre.
27:2211 metres to the millimetre.
27:24I guess I don't think I would have gone into this
27:26if I didn't have a dad who was a builder.
27:29In the moment when you're doing something for the first time
27:32and you really want to make sure you get it right,
27:34having somebody who knows what they're doing
27:36and has done it so many times before,
27:38having them right there is priceless.
27:40I think we should get some timber braces.
27:42Timber, we've got... OK.
27:44And then put this one up.
27:46That's the bottom.
27:48Steve's earning his keep today,
27:50leading the team to erect the first frame.
27:52That goes right on this corner, right?
27:53Yep. It's got on.
27:54Yeah, go on the inside.
27:56Yeah, if you can just hold that there.
27:58Can you get underneath it, James?
27:59Yep.
28:03And are we OK with the position of it and everything?
28:06Yep.
28:10It's so exciting.
28:12It's good. It's happening.
28:14We're getting a house, I think.
28:18The lightweight frames are slotting in perfectly.
28:21Those frames have been lying on the ground next to the site,
28:25haunting me for months,
28:27saying, put me up, put me up!
28:30We'll get it easily.
28:31Nice.
28:33Thanks, Dad.
28:35Thank you. Cool.
28:37It's good vibes all round.
28:39James and Rita aren't just building a house,
28:42they're building a place in this unique community.
28:45CJ has been cheering them on from the sidelines.
28:48You know, I'll walk past this place,
28:51how's it going, James?
28:53Oh, yeah, we're getting there.
28:55He's always positive.
28:57He's always optimistic.
28:59While John has been on sundowner refreshments.
29:01Their spirit is infectious, you know,
29:04draws in people to come and stand in the blazing sun
29:07and how, you know, just hold things up
29:10while somebody drills a hole in something, you know?
29:12You enjoy it and you have a beer and a barbecue afterwards.
29:20Every Wednesday, the village gets together
29:24to sort out local issues.
29:26They have their share.
29:28Margie Brevelle has been here since day dot eight years ago.
29:32People who would buy into this sort of a situation
29:37are very strong individuals.
29:40And to get a lot of very strong individuals
29:45to live in harmony is, I guess, our challenge.
29:52No individual here is stronger than Jane Perkis.
29:55She built the ecovillages very first house.
29:59Hello, Jane.
30:01Hello, Anthony.
30:02How are you?
30:04And I can't help but wonder what motivated her
30:06to take such a radical step
30:08on what was quite an unconventional project.
30:11Jane, you have the honour, I suppose,
30:14of building the first house here.
30:16Is that right?
30:17I do have that honour.
30:18And when I hear that said, I think,
30:20I actually did that and I get really excited.
30:22How long ago was that?
30:23That was seven years ago when I...
30:26Just before I turned 80, I walked into here.
30:28So that was wonderful.
30:30What makes it so special?
30:32It's special because a lot of people got together,
30:35a number of people got together,
30:37with the idea that we needed to live differently on the earth,
30:40to care for the earth, to do it with others,
30:43and just to recreate the idea of a rural farm and village.
30:48None of us could have afforded this absolutely glorious land
30:51by ourselves.
30:53Yeah.
30:54But we could do that when we got together.
30:56Yeah.
30:57We all have our own home sites that we build on,
30:59but we've got all the rest of the property that we share.
31:01Yeah.
31:02And it's quite a magic thing to do.
31:07Certainly, James and Rita have fallen under the village's spell.
31:10Fantastic.
31:14Hi, welcome.
31:16Hello.
31:17Anthony.
31:18Look at you two.
31:19This is the idea becoming reality.
31:22It is.
31:23Welcome.
31:24Congratulations.
31:26It's looking like you're making some real progress here.
31:27This is what your dream looks like.
31:29You're starting to see it now.
31:30How does it feel?
31:31It is great.
31:33To me, it's just perfect.
31:34Uh-huh.
31:35It's not anything else or anything more.
31:37Not too small.
31:38It's just perfect.
31:40Any surprises so far?
31:41I think it's the flaws, the whole process of the earthen flaws
31:44that we really want to make it happen,
31:46that I think probably so far has been the hardest part of the house.
31:50Yeah.
31:51This is a really important thing for you, isn't it?
31:52Yeah.
31:53To feel the earth that way.
31:55Yeah.
31:56It really ties into that idea of a healthy home,
31:58a home that doesn't just have zero toxins,
32:02but actually adds health benefits.
32:05It's health positive.
32:06Health positive.
32:07Yeah.
32:08When I look around, forgive me for saying this,
32:10but I see steel in the walls,
32:12I see a steel-clad building,
32:14I see, yeah, self-made bricks and all that stuff,
32:16but I'm not seeing the usual trappings
32:18of what I'd expect to see for a sustainable home.
32:20Sure.
32:21There's no hemp, there's no mud,
32:24there's none of these sorts of traditional materials and so on.
32:26How do we read sustainable out of the house?
32:28Yeah, it's a great question.
32:30So the principles were using biodegradable materials
32:35or recyclable or recycled materials.
32:38So steel is recyclable, endlessly recyclable.
32:41But in terms of getting that sustainable feel,
32:44the whole steel frame will be completely hidden.
32:47It will be wrapped in, you know, in wood fibre panels
32:51and then it will be finished with a lovely clay plaster on the inside.
32:55So how are you going?
32:56I mean, you're doing this to save money,
32:57but how are you going on the budget then?
32:58Because $230,000 is what you're aiming for.
33:01That's an exceedingly small amount of money.
33:04Yeah. Budget's probably creeped up to $250,000.
33:08Okay.
33:09Around about $250,000.
33:10So $20,000 in that scheme of things.
33:12Doesn't sound like much, but...
33:13It is.
33:14With this tiny budget, it's quite a lot.
33:15Yeah, it's quite a lot.
33:16Yeah, 10, 15%.
33:17And you're five months in, so...
33:19Well, you said eight months was your total build time.
33:22Yeah.
33:23I think so.
33:24I'm pretty sure, actually.
33:25I don't think so.
33:26Thinking that we need to realistically add another
33:29possibly month and a half, two months to that original timeframe.
33:32Yeah, okay.
33:33And that's at the moment.
33:34I mean, I don't know if there'll be any surprises, you know...
33:36I will bet you there will be some more surprises.
33:38There will be some more surprises.
33:42The biggest surprise to me will be if James gets this done
33:45in anything like 10 months.
33:50Doubly so come the new year.
33:53He's staying on site in a neighbour's shed,
33:56but he's very much alone.
33:59Italo's visa was up.
34:01He's back in Ecuador.
34:03Things have noticeably slowed down
34:06and it's not just Italo being away,
34:08but, you know, my own dad hasn't been here
34:11as much as either of us would like, I think.
34:13He's got some health issues.
34:15He's got Parkinson's.
34:17So I guess just brought into focus for me
34:20the importance of choosing healthy building materials
34:23because a lot of the, you know,
34:26a lot of the exposure that dad had in the building industry
34:29to chemicals and the like
34:32have really, you know, influenced his current health.
34:36Dad's army was James' secret weapon
34:39and only chance of meeting the schedule.
34:42Now it's gone.
34:44Yeah, just there's definitely moments when I'm on my own
34:49and I'm thinking, you know, what am I doing?
34:52How am I going to move this thing forward?
34:55You know, I don't even know what I need to think about.
34:59I don't know what I don't know.
35:04For all his concerns, James is making progress.
35:08He's finished the frame and started cladding it
35:10using remarkable wood panels
35:12made from upcycled waste sawdust.
35:15They're both breathable and repel water.
35:18We'll have these boards
35:20wrapping the entire steel frame on the outside
35:22and then they'll also wrap the entire steel frame on the inside.
35:26And so we'll get around this issue
35:28that a lot of houses have where they're not breathable
35:31and you have all sorts of mould and health issues.
35:34This actually forms an integral part
35:36of the entire house functioning
35:39as a healthy, comfortable living space for us.
35:45Whatever progress James was making
35:47soon grinds to a halt.
35:52The chocolate business in Ecuador
35:54is in need of his business expertise.
35:57So he's had to down tools entirely.
36:01So this is Quito, Ecuador, 2,500 metres above sea level.
36:05It used to be the place that we called home for a number of years.
36:10So it's a city and a country that holds a very special place in my heart.
36:14And I'm here because I have to attend to some pretty urgent business matters
36:21with the chocolate business.
36:23It's not an ideal time to be travelling
36:26and I'm really hoping that I can get back as soon as possible to the build.
36:31Alright, let's have breakfast.
36:33I would like to have some eggs.
36:35James has been living on site most of the time anyway,
36:38but this unplanned trip and the ballooning budget
36:41has magnified the pressure on Rita.
36:44Get your avocado on your top.
36:45Being on my own managing the home and the kids and my job
36:50has been a little bit tricky.
36:52And the animals has been a little bit tricky.
36:54We're running out of money, running out of time.
36:58It's been really, really difficult for me to manage on my own.
37:04But on top of that, we keep getting more animals, don't we?
37:09Hey?
37:10When we're leaving for school, everything's kind of like a rush
37:13and I often forget things and like, oh, my homework.
37:17Oh, what a shame, you know?
37:19Because we're kind of always rushing around
37:21because my dad's not here, I guess.
37:24It has been really tricky, especially for Sele to...
37:27No.
37:28And, oh gosh, I'm getting emotional.
37:31And not, um, being able to do the things she usually likes to do,
37:37like being in her room and being dragged to come
37:44and I don't know why I got emotional.
37:48Um, I keep telling the kids it's all worth it.
37:52At the end of the day, all this hard work is going to be
37:55really, really worth it.
38:01Come June, it's still hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
38:06Reality waved goodbye to the spreadsheet's initial eight-month schedule ages ago.
38:12But with the chocolate business back on track,
38:15James has been relentlessly grinding on,
38:18finishing the wood panels and installing double-glazed windows.
38:22Today, a new chapter cladding the house in corrugated iron.
38:28It will finally be watertight.
38:31And for the first time in months, Dad's army is back on deck
38:35with all of its members.
38:37Exciting news is that Italo's back from Ecuador.
38:41I think he would probably say I dragged him out.
38:45But truth be told, he was just, uh, raring to come back.
38:49And, uh, it's pretty exciting to have the team back again.
38:53It's so great to be back this second time.
38:57And I am happy because I am sure that I am helping James, Rita
39:02and my grandchildren to build their dream.
39:05They say that.
39:06So if I am part of building the dream, that's very good for everyone.
39:12Like everything with this house, James has done his research.
39:18He's found special corrugated iron panels
39:21that will elevate the home from shed to chic.
39:24Normally, with corrugated iron,
39:26two sheets meet at a corner, leaving a gap.
39:29This new invention is a clear case of simple brilliance.
39:33Have a look at these beautiful curves.
39:36That's the bend.
39:37That's what we're all excited about.
39:39Um, it's, uh, yeah, got this beautiful wavy look
39:43down the corner of the building on each corner.
39:46And, uh, it's not just beautiful, but it's very functional.
39:49It, uh, makes sure that if we have a bushfire,
39:52there's no embers that are gonna get in.
39:54Uh, no gaps.
39:55Uh, also keeps the creepy crawlies out,
39:57which, uh, everyone's happy about.
39:59So, um, yeah, it's beautiful.
40:01I'm really, really excited to have it on.
40:04The manufacturers borrowed from origami
40:07to pull off this little trick.
40:09Believe it or not,
40:10they're the first in the world to manage it.
40:13The only shame is it doesn't put itself up.
40:23A month on, now 12 months into the build...
40:26It's a mud bath here today.
40:28James is still working on the panels.
40:31Like everything on this job,
40:32it's taking much, much longer than he thought.
40:35Grab one side of it.
40:37The labour of love has become a daily grind.
40:41Feels like it's taking forever to get...
40:45get a few things done, but, yeah, I mean,
40:47I think getting the cladding done's gonna be, um,
40:50a big milestone.
40:52OK, thanks.
40:53That looks cool.
40:55Here we go.
40:56Good.
40:57We're ready to move in.
40:58Almost.
40:59Never been closer.
41:03Truth is, they're not close.
41:06Not by any stretch of the imagination.
41:09The earthen floor isn't done.
41:11The insulation isn't done.
41:13It's not even close to liveable
41:15and, frankly, won't be any time soon.
41:19This bold attempt to build a super cheap,
41:22super green, healthy house
41:24might just be an impossible dream.
41:29We're kind of running out of money,
41:31so we're really trying to find ways to save money
41:34with the rent, with the bills, petrol and time.
41:37So, yeah, definitely ready and we need to move.
41:43James is feeling the stress too.
41:56When not on sight,
41:58the forest surrounding it
42:00is proving a refuge to calm his anxiety.
42:07I guess as time goes on,
42:09I'm finding now there are more and more
42:12moments of stress, anxiety, overwhelm.
42:16When's this going to finish?
42:18Have we got enough money?
42:19We, you know, really hit a brick wall
42:22with finances earlier
42:25and had to take some tough decisions
42:28to, you know, sell a little apartment we had in Ecuador
42:35that we thought was sort of part of our retirement.
42:38One of the big things here
42:39was not just that it's a healthy home,
42:42but that you're trying to do it in a budget
42:44which is really, it's microscopic
42:47compared to a standard building in Australia right now.
42:50That, to me, has always been a massive challenge
42:52you've set for yourself.
42:53Yeah.
42:54Yeah.
42:55My estimate is that it'll be closer to the 350 mark.
43:01Yep.
43:02So, time-wise, when we first met,
43:05you said this was going to take eight months.
43:07You're pushing 13 months now.
43:10Where are we at?
43:11I've been trying not to focus too much on the time frame.
43:16That's a lie.
43:18I'm thinking about it all the time.
43:19That's all you think about.
43:20That's all I think about.
43:21Right.
43:22Yeah, I'd say we are another four to six months away
43:28from the finish line.
43:30A hundred and thirty thousand over budget
43:34and the schedule has almost doubled.
43:36No wonder James needs the odd walk in the woods.
43:40This actually, you know, brings things back to,
43:45I guess, like the simple pleasures and the reality that,
43:50you know, I'm trying to put my values into practice.
43:56You know, I'm trying to walk the talk, if you like.
44:00You know, it's really, for me, about being authentic.
44:03Turns out that that is a lot harder than it looks.
44:10It's now 13 months since I last visited James and Rita.
44:17And I'm afraid to say the past year has been even tougher for them.
44:36On top of the very difficult build and financial worries,
44:43there's been a family tragedy.
44:45James' mother, Moira, died unexpectedly after a short illness.
44:50With all that going on, I'm not sure what I'm going to find here.
45:03Oh, that is such a relief.
45:08It looks finished.
45:10At least it looks finished from the outside.
45:13Well, it's far more industrial looking
45:16than the shabby sustainable shack I was imagining.
45:19This is going to be interesting.
45:21Congratulations, guys.
45:35Hi, Anthony.
45:36Hi, Anthony.
45:37This is extraordinary.
45:40You got there, didn't you?
45:44Bienvenido.
45:45Muchas gracias.
45:47Do you love it?
45:48We do.
45:49So much.
45:50So much.
45:51So much.
45:52She's a baby.
45:53She's a creation.
45:54Yeah.
45:55We're in love with each other.
45:56So, yeah, it's all fantastic.
45:58A big journey, yeah?
45:59Yeah.
46:00And, James, I'm very sorry to hear about you.
46:02Mum.
46:03Thanks, Anthony.
46:04Yeah?
46:05And that's relatively recent too,
46:06so that would have put a whole different layer over all of this.
46:09Are you guys okay?
46:11Yeah, I think...
46:12Yeah, we're okay.
46:13We feel her, I think, in the house.
46:14Yeah.
46:15Definitely.
46:16Her presence is definitely felt.
46:17Yeah.
46:18We had a really, really beautiful last week with Mum, and so that was something special.
46:23The big ambition here too was to do the non-toxic, fully sustainable, as recycled as possible home.
46:30That was the mission.
46:31Yeah.
46:32Yeah.
46:33We pretty much did, I think.
46:34Did you do it?
46:35Yeah.
46:36Yeah.
46:37Can I have a look?
46:38Yeah, of course.
46:39Let's go.
46:40Okay, show me.
46:41While the landscaping is yet to bed in, the completed house is modestly scaled and looks
46:47great.
46:48Enough for the family is enough.
46:52It's off-grid credentials are easy to see.
46:55The water tanks, the solar panels.
46:57The whole thing wrapped in that cleverly folded corrugated iron.
47:04This is no ordinary eco-house.
47:07And shoes off?
47:08Yeah, shoes off if you want to enjoy the full benefits of the earthen floor.
47:12I certainly do.
47:13Will my socks survive?
47:15That is the question.
47:16We'll see.
47:17We'll find out.
47:18Of course, we're in the welcoming space of the home, the central part of the home,
47:21and that courtyard, poof, with that view out there.
47:24It's a really fantastic way to come in from a shaded sort of veranda space back into the
47:30light again.
47:31Yeah, it really opens up.
47:33But I want to get into the kitchen now, because I know that there's a lot of detail
47:37that you've been thinking about in there, so if we can go have a look at that.
47:39Yeah, that's one of our favourite parts of the house.
47:40I would love to see your favourite room in the house.
47:42Show me.
47:45Come, come.
47:46So this is our living dining room.
47:50The floors, and oh wow, this space.
47:53Suddenly from that compressed entry space in the middle of the house here, all this sort
47:56of volume, it's magic.
47:58And then this ceiling, with the baton panels up there, these are the recycled panels you
48:03were always thinking about?
48:05Yeah, soft plastics, milk cartons, cardboard, etc.
48:09And it's pressed into this board, which we, you know, had to use a bit of muscle and balance
48:14to pin to the ceiling.
48:16And then we covered it with a spray of cork paint.
48:19And then these walls here, same, same?
48:21Same material again.
48:22And that was a really natural lime fresco that was trowelled on.
48:26So that's the result.
48:27And then the tiles, they made it to the kitchen.
48:30Mm-mm.
48:31Don't they look fabulous?
48:32They look great.
48:33Come, have a little bit of a moment of pride.
48:35You know, wonderful job.
48:36Well, yeah, they remind me of home a lot, actually.
48:38Yeah, right.
48:39I mean, all the textures in here are very warm, have that kind of sense of earthiness about
48:44them, if you like.
48:45Yeah.
48:46I can't, I have to mention the floor.
48:47The floor, though, is like a whole other level of chocolate.
48:51I know you know chocolate, right?
48:53It feels unreal.
48:54I mean, you're kind of curling up your toes all the time, just sort of making sure you're
48:58grounded.
48:59It's really lovely.
49:00It's almost like walking outside, I think.
49:02You have that sensation.
49:04The touch is like you're walking barefoot outside.
49:08The floor is sealed, solid and beautifully cool on days when the temperature rises.
49:15It's a hot day outside today.
49:16It's about 40, it's more than 40 degrees outside.
49:18Very hot.
49:19But in here, I'm going to say.
49:20You're wearing your jacket.
49:21I've got a jacket on.
49:22I mean, it's warm up.
49:23There's no AC.
49:24No AC.
49:25We've only got ceiling fans.
49:26That's what I was going to say.
49:27Just the fans doing their work, yeah?
49:28And the insulation, of course.
49:29And the insulation.
49:30So that's the payoff for all of this effort is actually you've got a really kind of minimal,
49:34you know, heating and cooling system because it's all happening passively.
49:37That's right.
49:38Yeah.
49:39Speaking of cool, every stick of furniture in here is recycled.
49:45From the workbench kitchen island to the vintage stereo.
49:51Somehow everything works together and makes this brand new home feel cosy and lived in
49:58and welcoming.
49:59Same goes in the main bedroom.
50:03And ensuite.
50:06And the kids' rooms.
50:08Oh, look.
50:09All the beautiful colours.
50:11And this must be Celeste's room.
50:12Sharks on the wall.
50:13Yeah.
50:14Which means this must be Hugo's room.
50:17All the dinosaurs are very happy.
50:19Thanks.
50:20So then this, another warm, generous, comfy space.
50:26What are we calling this room?
50:27Our second, third bedroom?
50:28Yeah, this is my study and our guest room.
50:31So we're hoping to have a lot of friends and family come and stay.
50:34A line of mattresses here.
50:36Right, the bunkhouse.
50:37Yeah.
50:38That's right.
50:39I also think this room must have a few difficult memories.
50:42Mmm.
50:43Because I know...
50:44We're referring to the brick wall.
50:46Exactly.
50:47Memories of endurance.
50:48So much effort and work from your dads went into this particular brick wall, right?
50:53Making these bricks one by one.
50:55How hard really was it?
50:57Would you do it again?
50:58No way.
50:59We planned to make three brick walls out of our own bricks.
51:02Right.
51:03We made one brick wall and then I've never seen that brick machine again.
51:06Yeah, right.
51:07Don't know what happened to it.
51:08It's so hard.
51:09Painful.
51:10I'm thinking about your dads now too though.
51:11They have been such a big part of this build.
51:13I mean, Steve kind of giving you the, I guess the advice and the confidence maybe to lead into the project.
51:20Totally.
51:21There's no way I would have even dreamt about building a house for the family if it wasn't for
51:27my dad being, you know, behind me, supporting me.
51:30And then Italo.
51:31Yes.
51:32He was going to come once.
51:34How many times did he end up coming?
51:35I mean, he'd have some great frequent flyer miles at this point, wouldn't he?
51:38Yeah.
51:39He came three times.
51:40And even though he's not here today, he has been part of this every single day.
51:46Even, like, Italo gave me one of the most beautiful gifts I could have ever asked for.
51:52He came back on the third visit and he said that he wanted me to be able to spend more
51:59time with mum.
52:00Yeah.
52:01Um, and so he came back for a third visit to make that possible.
52:04To make that possible.
52:05To make that possible.
52:06That's, that's...
52:07Yeah, which is an incredible gift.
52:08No words.
52:09Yeah.
52:19This house is greater than the sum of its parts.
52:26James and Rita's ambition for a clean, green home elevated the humble materials they chose
52:32to build it with.
52:35Their efforts given buoyancy by the family and friends who helped make it happen.
52:42It's a home that has really tangible and beautiful feels about it.
52:47Like, it just feels very lovely and very welcoming and very warm and all those wonderful things.
52:52What do you think makes it so special?
52:55I think there's a real kindness to the house.
52:57There's a reflection of that human experience, you know, which has come through all of the
53:02many hands and hearts that have contributed to the, the build process.
53:07Mm.
53:08Rita, are you proud of what James has created here?
53:10Yeah, I've, I don't even think proud is the word.
53:13I'm just, I don't know, in awe.
53:16I have never met someone with such determination.
53:22I usually call him very stubborn.
53:25He's just so determined.
53:27After a while I knew that if something went wrong, he'll fix it.
53:31Yeah.
53:32But then, you know, Rita's just held the fabric of the family together.
53:37And I've, I guess that's given me the privilege of being able to focus on the house.
53:42When we first met, you gave yourself eight months to do the whole house.
53:46In fact, you were adamant.
53:47Eight months.
53:48That's it.
53:49I think.
53:54What happened?
53:55It could three times, over three times longer.
53:58Earthen floors, massively more labor intensive and time consuming than we ever could have imagined.
54:03Yeah.
54:04And then I think just the naivety, to be honest.
54:07I've never built a house before.
54:08And so, yeah, there was just that, you know, innocence.
54:12We'd never done it before.
54:13I think you had an initial budget of $230,000.
54:17Mm-hmm.
54:18Dollars?
54:19Yeah.
54:20I think I just confused the digits slightly.
54:22So we pulled it off for $320,000.
54:25Oh, so just swapped the first two around?
54:27Yeah, just swapped the first two around.
54:28Okay.
54:29I feel like it's a really good outcome.
54:31Is that an excellent...
54:32That's pretty remarkable.
54:33Yeah.
54:34Yeah.
54:35Do you feel, with all that being said then, that this really is the dream?
54:39It's our dream.
54:40Yeah.
54:41It is a dream, yeah.
54:42It's better than a dream.
54:44It's now, you know.
54:45It's so good.
54:46It's happening.
54:47Yeah.
54:48I'm sort of really glad to hear that.
54:49I'm also really glad that my socks are still quite clean, actually.
54:51Yeah.
54:52So the floors are doing really well.
54:53Yeah, yeah.
54:54Who would have thought?
54:55James and Rita wanted a healthy home.
55:02One that made their lives better.
55:04Finally finished and filled with goodwill and laughter and friendship, this place just
55:23makes you feel so good.
55:25I reckon they've done it.
55:27What do you reckon about sharing a little piece of chocolate to celebrate at the end
55:32of the build?
55:33Sounds good, James.
55:34Alright.
55:35We finally got there.
55:36We did it.
55:37This project has been a great teacher.
55:44In the lessons, bigger is not always better.
55:48Creating a beautiful and rich home is not about the money.
55:53To create a sustainable home is not only about environmental considerations, but about
55:59community and connection.
56:01Literally, sustenance for the soul.
56:04James and Rita have created a home here that is chock-a-block, full of all of that
56:09good stuff.
56:10So, here's to a sweet life ahead.
56:14Bye.
56:15Happy birthday.
56:17Bye.
56:19Bye.
56:20Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
56:50Oh, oh, oh.
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