Watch Season 1 Episode 03 of *Jamie Durie’s Future House* where Jamie and his expert team continue to build the cutting-edge sustainable home, using innovative designs and eco-friendly materials. This episode delves into the next phase of the build, showcasing new challenges and creative solutions for a truly future-ready home. Don’t miss the journey of constructing a home that combines modern living with sustainability.
#JamieDurie #FutureHouse #SustainableLiving #EcoHome #ModularBuild #HomeDesign #GreenBuilding #2025HomeBuild #EcoFriendlyHome #SustainableArchitecture
#JamieDurie #FutureHouse #SustainableLiving #EcoHome #ModularBuild #HomeDesign #GreenBuilding #2025HomeBuild #EcoFriendlyHome #SustainableArchitecture
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Australia is in the midst of the biggest housing crisis we've ever had.
00:08We need to build homes faster and more efficiently for all budgets and all Australians.
00:14And that's exactly what Future House is all about.
00:19Our mission is to build three houses for three families in just three months.
00:26For three different budgets using three different modern methods of construction.
00:33Now, we may not solve Australia's housing crisis, but we're going to give this a red-hot go.
00:42Previously, we met the brave families who are joining us on this mission.
00:47The Fox family from the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, are building two modular homes on the same block
00:54so they can care for their disabled daughter, Caitlin.
00:57So here is where Mummy's house is.
00:59And this is a bit strange, isn't it?
01:01Because Mummy's got a house and Daddy's got a house.
01:03Their build-it high-tech modular is flying ahead.
01:06Very happy with everything.
01:08They're moving along really fast.
01:10Then there's the Cochini family from Canberra, who are planning to build a precast concrete home.
01:16They've been butting their heads against an endless bureaucratic brick wall, which has cost their time, their money and their sanity.
01:24Unless we get this resolved in the next 24 hours, I'm going to have to go talk to the real estate and find out how much I can get for selling this block.
01:30And us, the Juries, in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, have also thrown our hat into the ring.
01:36And we'll be building a revolutionary 3D printed concrete home.
01:40This looks incredible, mate.
01:42The plans and the concept are spectacular.
01:45But we've still got a bit of work to do on the process.
01:48No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
01:51Tonight, I give the boys a hand to keep things moving.
01:55That's Jamie's one?
01:56Yeah, he's a little bit out.
01:57You're going to have to double check in everything.
02:00Lucky he wasn't building the pyramids.
02:01Finally, Sean's precast home starts to take shape.
02:05It's a dream come true.
02:06It sounds so corny, but it is.
02:10While back on the farm...
02:12There we go.
02:13Coffee.
02:14Gotta buy a chicken.
02:15Gotta buy a chicken.
02:16We built a house in the time you went and bought five chickens, mate.
02:20And after jumping out of the blocks early...
02:22Oh, my God!
02:23Wow!
02:24It seems the foxes are one step forward and two steps back.
02:29Definitely a lot of anxiety going on.
02:32That's really scraping the barrel.
02:34Yeah!
02:43In Canberra, Sean's been through some stress recently
02:46with delays and cost blowouts to the new home.
02:49But it's nothing like the trauma he's already experienced in his life
02:53and the method he's found of managing his anxiety.
02:56This lovely piece of timber is a piece of spotted gum.
03:00And this is going to be the doorknobs for the front door.
03:03I just wanted to put my own artistic touch on it a little bit
03:07and just...
03:08So we'll see how we go.
03:10If not, it'll all go in the bin and we'll just buy some.
03:14Sean often retreats to the shed
03:16and creates beautiful bowls and implements
03:18by recycling discarded timber
03:20and then shaping it on a wood lathe.
03:23It's one of my favourite hobbies called woodturning.
03:26I like making things that are useful as well.
03:30Most of the stuff I make, I just make it for friends.
03:33Making wood!
03:34Sean once had a job in emergency response management,
03:37which he found very traumatic.
03:40I think the thing that I found the hardest
03:42was asking your friends to put their lives on the line
03:48and knowing you're sending them into danger.
03:51And that...that was really hard.
03:56With the stress of work affecting him,
03:58Sean's troubles were about to multiply.
04:02I had a motor vehicle accident,
04:03so I hit a kangaroo at 90 kilometres an hour
04:05on a vintage motorcycle.
04:09Lost everything from the waist down.
04:13I was staring down being wheelchair bound forever.
04:18You have a choice.
04:19You can sit there and you can feel sorry for yourself.
04:23And the world will let you do that
04:24and they will support you in doing that.
04:27Or you can grit your teeth and you can get on with it.
04:30And I chose to grit my teeth and get on with it.
04:32Woodworking for me is...
04:38I mean, I think everybody needs a creative outlet.
04:42I think it's really important for you to make things
04:44and do things with your hands.
04:47For me, it's a major stress relief.
04:49Like, I lose track of time here.
04:51That kind of...the PTSD stuff calms down on the brain,
04:54just gets right into the zone.
04:57You put the oil on it, you get this magic grain come out
05:00that you just cannot replicate.
05:03It's got to be real timber.
05:06I had to relearn how to walk and function.
05:10So, my attitude to life now is...
05:12My job is to be the best dad I can,
05:17giving my kids the best life they can
05:18and try and have some fun in the process.
05:21The oil will bring these colours out really richly.
05:23For Sean and his family, it's been a frustrating time.
05:34Battling red tape for over a year
05:36in the hope of getting a building approval,
05:39while packed together like sardines in a rental accommodation.
05:43So, very exciting.
05:45It was probably 15 minutes ago.
05:47Yes, not long ago.
05:48We finally got full approval.
05:51Finally.
05:52Formally, in writing.
05:53Formally, in writing.
05:54We are approved to actually build something.
05:57Which is so exciting after so many delays and frustrations.
06:03We're there.
06:04Yes, finally.
06:05In writing, allowed to do stuff.
06:07Well, hallelujah, the green light.
06:13But to get the go-ahead from council,
06:15they had to excavate and drop the level of their block
06:18by about a metre,
06:20costing them a whopping $31,000 they hadn't budgeted for.
06:25I got to that point where you can only hit your head
06:27against a brick wall for so long.
06:30And we'd had so many of these little hurdles
06:34that weren't little because they were weeks and weeks and weeks
06:38to resolve what's next.
06:42I'm a very, very patient person.
06:45And even this pushed me to the brink.
06:50The plan for the Cochini family
06:52has always been to use ResiCast concrete panels for their walls.
06:56They're made in Western Sydney
06:57in a factory called Solid Precast.
07:00Then trucked to the location
07:01and simply craned into place.
07:05I'm at the factory to meet Mick,
07:07who's building Sean and Sarah's house.
07:09He reckons he can get their house to lock up in 10 days,
07:13which I think is a very big call.
07:16So I want to see how these walls are made.
07:19This looks very exciting,
07:21because I'd imagine this doesn't take long
07:23to pour a slab, which then becomes a wall.
07:26Correct.
07:27It's in the process of designing and engineering.
07:29Yeah.
07:30And then that's obviously transferred to the bed,
07:31all formed up.
07:33Yeah, you can see a lot of reinforcement in them.
07:35Yeah.
07:36Pouring and finishing is probably the easy part.
07:39So the beauty of the ResiCast,
07:41it's full structural precast walls hold the load.
07:44Unlike normal, the inside frames would hold the load.
07:47Yes.
07:48Slab moves, frames move.
07:49Your walls are your structure.
07:51Correct. Yeah.
07:52It's all in one.
07:53Yeah, correct.
07:54Disaster resilience.
07:55Building for the future.
08:04That looks like a very heavy load.
08:07Yeah.
08:09So the whole house will come on three trucks.
08:11This is load number one.
08:13Sean's going to be very excited when he sees this, eh?
08:15Oh, mate, yeah.
08:17Yay!
08:19See you, champion!
08:21We'll see you in Canberra!
08:29Back on our farm in the Northern Rivers,
08:32I would like a small cappuccino, please.
08:36I'll be back later for lunch.
08:38Thank you, bye.
08:42With the old caretaker's cottage now gone,
08:45it's time to prepare the ground for the new 3D printed house.
08:48The site needs to be cut, filled and compacted to create a solid base.
08:53Now, the DA isn't quite approved just yet, but light groundwork preparations can get underway for us to get ahead of it.
09:01Legally, we're allowed to cut and fill the site up to 600 millimetres, which is great.
09:06So that's what we're doing, we're preparing the pad.
09:10That's a dump truck.
09:12That's a dump truck, that's right.
09:16There we go.
09:17And our DA is going in as we speak, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that we can expedite this as quickly as possible.
09:27I think all DAs are very complex, to be honest, these days.
09:31The amount of reports you've got to put together and compile, and the amount of time and money that takes.
09:35You know, I've been in the building game now 30 years, and I still find it complex.
09:41Simon Croft, the CEO of the HIA, the Housing Industry Association, also feels the pain.
09:47I think red tape, white tape and green tape is what I talk a lot about.
09:50You know, it's never been harder to build a home.
09:53We need to simplify and streamline the approval process.
09:56We need to simplify and streamline our building codes.
09:59It used to be a 200-page document, it's now over 2,000 pages.
10:02My ute would nearly be full of the paperwork, and that's just to build the home, let alone the safety rules, compliance and contract rules.
10:11All of them just keeps adding up, and you go, we've got more builders leaving the industry than wanting to come into it.
10:17Simon's dead right.
10:19All I seem to hear about is how frustrated builders are sitting in offices doing days of paperwork, rather than actually building homes.
10:26This is impossible.
10:27Every council requires different things, and it can sometimes take a year to two years to get your final approval through.
10:36And once you get your DA, you're not through the woods yet.
10:40You've then got to go back and get your construction certificates for each phase of that build.
10:44I've seen so many people just give up on their DA, purely because they've run out of energy, and they've actually lost the will to complete building their house.
10:55They're exhausted. And quite frankly, I am too.
10:58Coming up, how space-age tech is helping you protect your home.
11:05I didn't realise the floods got that high. No wonder I got it cheap.
11:09And it's a momentous day for the Guccini family, as their forever home takes shape before their very eyes.
11:17It's pretty amazing. It makes it real.
11:18Oh, I feel just like it's a dream come true. It sounds so corny, but...
11:25Eee.
11:34Up on our farm at the Northern Rivers...
11:36Got your dump truck?
11:38Alright.
11:39The family are in the car, and we're off to buy chickens.
11:46Gotta buy chicken. Gotta buy chicken.
11:49What are you laughing at?
11:52Don't you like my chicken wrap?
11:55It's so silly.
11:57It's so great for the kids. They just love feeding the chooks and collecting eggs.
12:01Nashie and Bo are super excited.
12:04Whoa! Look at that!
12:05That's a lot of chickens.
12:07Here we go.
12:10Look at that!
12:11Look at her!
12:12Oh, she's beautiful!
12:14Alright, that's how many is that?
12:16Whoa, whoa, whoa!
12:20In Canberra, a life-changing event is happening for the Guccini family.
12:29After five years of planning, and a year dealing with DA approval, including hold-ups and red tape,
12:35finally the big day has arrived.
12:38The construction of the Guccini family home in Canberra is underway.
12:44First one's about to go in, so that's actually a bit of a relief, mate.
12:48We've had a week's worth of wet weather, like the place was a mud pit yesterday morning.
12:52So to get the crane down was a relief yesterday afternoon, and now we're off and running, mate, so it's good.
12:59We've been planning to build our house and, you know, dreaming about it for years.
13:05And so, finally seeing it become a reality now is just, it's the most exciting.
13:10I feel like we've been climbing this mountain and we're just starting to see the top.
13:18It's pretty amazing, it makes it real.
13:20It's all been in theory until this point.
13:23There's no turning back now, that's for sure.
13:25It's so big.
13:39So Ted, over there is our lounge room where we're going to watch our food in.
13:43And there's the dining room where we'll eat our lunch.
13:46And then the next bit is where our kitchen will be.
13:48How did they know that we were going to have a new house?
13:51Oh, we told them.
13:52We told them that we were going to have a new house.
13:55Sarah was very dubious at first about the concrete precast option.
14:01But now, yeah, now you can see it in real life.
14:04I think all those nerves have disappeared.
14:07It's very cool.
14:11It's just so exciting.
14:13Darling.
14:15I know.
14:16Yeah.
14:17It's just, this is just the beginning.
14:18Yeah.
14:19Yeah.
14:20Oh, I think just like, it's a dream come true.
14:23It sounds so corny, but it is.
14:26It's just a dream.
14:29Another couple of hours, the walls will be up.
14:32We'll do the trusses tonight.
14:33I know, so am I, buddy.
14:34You can move in next week.
14:36It's incredible, isn't it?
14:37Just set up a tent inside.
14:38All right.
14:40This resi-cast construction method is so incredibly fast
14:44because all the concrete panels for the walls are made in a factory
14:48and then they're trucked to the site and craned in.
14:51It only takes a few hours and the walls for the house are up in place.
14:56The precision is truly amazing.
14:59Everything here is an engineered solution.
15:01We get a set of house plans.
15:03We transfer them into what we call pre-cast working drawings.
15:07Those drawings have a thousand measurements on them all to the millimetre.
15:11That's what you pay for.
15:12Precise, factory-made prefab.
15:15If we've got a chance of solving the building crisis,
15:18techniques like resi-cast that reduce construction time
15:21need to be used by big volume home builders.
15:24So I've invited one of the biggest home building companies in Australia,
15:29Clarendon and Domain Homes, to check out this resi-cast system.
15:33They've built over 35,000 homes,
15:36but they've never seen anything like this before.
15:40So these guys over here, the ones in the vest,
15:43they're all watching because they're learning how to do this for other people.
15:46So other people can build their houses like we are.
15:49What are your first impressions of the resi-cast?
15:52Very impressive.
15:53Fast.
15:55You're in disbelief of...
15:57It actually went together as quick as what it did
15:59and in the time it did, so...
16:01And it's easy.
16:02You're certainly less exposed to the weather as well,
16:05and, you know, less trades on site.
16:08I mean, that's the one thing that kind of stood out to us today.
16:10There's less moving parts.
16:12Today has proven that it's got some potential.
16:15So, yeah, we're going to have a go.
16:16We're going to put one up over in Roushill
16:19and let's see how we go.
16:21How we go?
16:22Okay, because you can get excited.
16:24I'm as excited as we get, mate.
16:27Deadpan builder.
16:30That's awesome news, as it has the potential to reduce their build times by up to 50%,
16:35from eight months to just four months.
16:39I think Mick's impressed them.
16:41And my progress...
16:42Okay.
16:43...is something to crow about as well.
16:44Jamie.
16:45How are you going?
16:46Well, mate, we're having a great day.
16:47We've just bought nine chooks.
16:49Mate, we're just ringing to tell you.
16:50It's 11.30, mate.
16:51And we've just got all our pre-car stuff, mate.
16:52So we've built a house.
16:53What?
16:54We built a house in the time you went and bought five chickens, mate.
16:56Well, nine chickens.
16:57Thank you very much.
16:58Oh, nine chickens.
16:59Sorry.
17:00Big morning, you poor bugger.
17:01You might have got a head start on me, but wait until I start 3D printing, my friend.
17:18How's the DA process going up there?
17:20Yeah.
17:21Not fun.
17:22Not fun.
17:23Well, mate, listen.
17:24If we can inspire builders like Clarendon and Domain,
17:30we could have a real shot at making an impact on our housing shortage here.
17:36You know what I mean?
17:37Exactly, mate.
17:38That's what we're all about, mate.
17:39Exactly.
17:40Mate, that's tremendous.
17:41I'm very, very proud of you, Mick.
17:43Good on you.
17:44I'm also inside slightly nervous, a little bit jealous.
17:49Look, mate, don't be so hard on yourself.
17:51By the time your chicken hatch, these guys will be in this house.
17:54It'll be all good, mate.
17:56You sure you don't want a resi-cast house up there, mate?
17:59Don't you worry.
18:00I reckon I'm back to winter.
18:03We'll see how we roll.
18:12West of Sydney in the Blue Mountains, Michael and Helen Fox have separated, but you wouldn't
18:17know it because they're still living in the same house and caring for their disabled daughter,
18:22you know?
18:23Do you want to see the cauliflower?
18:24It's been over a year now and I'm kind of used to it.
18:28Probably not a lot different to what it was.
18:31Is that nice?
18:33Cauliflower.
18:34We're building two identical modular homes on the same block so that Caitlin will feel
18:39just as comfortable in either home.
18:42Now, I'm a big fan of modular prefab homes.
18:45They're high quality and suit all budgets.
18:47But the foxes, like many home builders, are finding that as they progress, money's getting
18:53tight.
18:54We were trying to do everything possible to do everything right by the council.
18:59Yeah, the expenses just keep coming up.
19:02There was an application fee to council.
19:05Oh, an acoustic check.
19:07They demanded a landscape plan.
19:09Dish drain.
19:10Dish drain.
19:11That's the word for it.
19:12Dish drain.
19:13Arborist report.
19:14Contribution fees.
19:15But it's been way over 13 months and it's costing so much more in rent.
19:21I started to feel like it was a money pit.
19:27Aussies across the country get blindsided by these hidden costs and delays.
19:32And Helen's budget is certainly under pressure.
19:35The independence, I really want it to be there, but there's a lot involved.
19:39You know, it's not just moving house.
19:41It's not just separating.
19:42It's going, start a new career, get a job.
19:45So financially, I'm trying to do what I can.
19:50Yeah.
19:51They each have a final payment of $50,000 to make on delivery of their homes.
19:56There's definitely a lot of anxiety going on, you know, paying that last instalment
20:00because that's really scraping the barrel.
20:03The good news is that High Tech Modular have been incredibly fast.
20:07Their homes are due for completion in just five weeks.
20:11The walls have been covered in the plywood bracing on the outside.
20:17And one of the houses had the insulation added too.
20:20It even started with a little bit of cladding on the outside.
20:24So you could really get a sense of how it was going to look.
20:30Rex has been amazing.
20:32The whole team sort of like really feeling quite nice.
20:35It's almost like going to visit friends.
20:37I got one bone to pick though.
20:40This one's called...
20:41The primary one.
20:42The primary one.
20:43Because it's the most important.
20:44And that one's called the secondary.
20:45It doesn't work that way, right?
20:46No.
20:47We'll call it primary one, primary two now.
20:51I feel like bananas in pyjamas right now.
20:54B1, B2.
20:56There's no doubt that our weather is changing.
21:04And so when we're building our future houses,
21:06we need to make sure that we build with the weather in mind.
21:10But there's one company who's using state-of-the-art technology
21:13to match house locations to weather events and potential risk.
21:18Wow.
21:19I'll tell you what.
21:20It is blowing an absolute gale out here.
21:23Talk about weather extremes.
21:25I'm actually here in Brisbane at CBD at Suncorp Insurance's head office
21:30to learn a little more about their Disaster Management Centre.
21:36So we're in the Disaster Management Centre,
21:39which is our epicentre for how we manage event response across Suncorp.
21:44Yep.
21:45So no matter where the event is,
21:46we have all the data and information here that enables us
21:49to mobilise faster and get to our customers as soon as we possibly can,
21:54including things like geospatial mapping,
21:56satellite and aerial imagery.
21:58Whoa. What's geospatial mapping?
22:00So that enables us to look across the country
22:03and have an aerial view of how it all is sitting at the present.
22:07I see. Wow.
22:09Geospatial mapping?
22:10This place is seriously impressive.
22:13I feel like I'm at NASA headquarters.
22:15So the blue hue you can see on the screen here,
22:17that little is pulling up.
22:18Yes.
22:19That is flood mapping.
22:21That's how the flood water is peaking.
22:23Suncorp Insurance have developed this amazing technology
22:26to help protect our homes and lay the foundations
22:30for a stronger and more resilient future for Aussie families.
22:34This is the floods down in New South Wales this year.
22:37Oh, the one that just happened?
22:38Mm, Port Macquarie.
22:39It was this big?
22:40Yes.
22:41Yeah.
22:42Wow.
22:43If we look at Shoreline Drive here,
22:44that's residential housing all along Shoreline Drive.
22:48Wow.
22:49They were all underwater.
22:51And that was all...
22:52There was a level of flood impact.
22:54The Disaster Management Centre has been built by Suncorp
22:57to help their customers prepare for and respond
23:00to massive weather events.
23:02Speed is really important.
23:03Yeah.
23:04And early information is really important.
23:06Yeah.
23:07So if we do see some weather
23:08and we do think it's going to be significant...
23:09Yeah.
23:10...we will proactively message our customers.
23:12So, while I'm here,
23:14I might just see what the flood risk is like on my property.
23:17So that's my boundary running through here.
23:20And I was looking at building a little glass house
23:24somewhere around here,
23:26but I didn't realise the floods got that high.
23:29This is 72 acres and look how much of it's underwater.
23:32Mm.
23:33It's really interesting.
23:34No wonder I got it cheap.
23:40Coming up, I'm back on the tools
23:43and the boys couldn't be happier.
23:45So that's your post?
23:46Yeah.
23:47That's where it really is.
23:48Lucky you're not building the pyramids.
23:49And in Canberra,
23:51a new house has sprung up in just hours.
23:54But there's a problem with the roof trusses.
23:57It's a bit of a jigsaw puzzle at the moment.
24:00Might be a little bit slow working out bits and pieces,
24:02to be honest.
24:12Back at our Northern Rivers farm,
24:14my earth-moving team, Dazza and James,
24:16have been hard at it,
24:17trucking hundreds of tonnes of soil
24:19to build the site for our new home.
24:29How are we going, lads?
24:30Whoa.
24:31Look at that.
24:32Whoa, look at the digger over here.
24:34Come and say hello to Uncle Daz.
24:36You got your digger?
24:37Dig the rocks.
24:38I dig the rocks on my dump truck.
24:42He wants to dig the rocks with his dump truck.
24:45That's fine.
24:46We need every help we can get.
24:48Big job, guys.
24:49Big job.
24:50Really beautiful, isn't it?
24:51Like we're starting to get a really nice elevation here, you know?
24:54Yep.
24:55I won't deny the fact that this project is placing more pressure on our family again.
25:01And having just come out of another build, I'm getting quite a few raised eyebrows about the fact that we're embarking on another build.
25:11I was promised this would be fast and painless, let's just say that.
25:15Yeah.
25:16And it's already proving to be not that.
25:20You must admit though, it's all happening a little faster than it did before.
25:24I mean, we were in the DA process for two years.
25:27We still could be.
25:30She's right.
25:33My builders are now on site and have started getting all the precise measurements they'll need to guarantee accurate lines and levels for the construction of our new 3D printed home.
25:44And luckily for the team, I've helped make things a little faster with pinpoint accurate set outs.
25:50They're doing the set out and the profiles this morning, but...
25:53So you want that peg pulled out now?
25:55Yeah, we're going to have to remove that.
25:56That was Jamie's.
25:57That's Jamie's one?
25:58Yeah, he's a little bit out.
25:59So today's a big day because we're actually setting out the site, putting in what we call profiles.
26:05Profiles sit at the corner of all the blocks at various intervals where we might do cross sections throughout the slab.
26:12And those profiles will stay there permanently throughout the entire build.
26:16That measurement's back from the 1200.
26:20Once again, he's about 1500 out.
26:2215 mils.
26:231500 millimetres.
26:2515 mils in Jamie's hand.
26:271500 to 15 mils.
26:29Lucky he wasn't building the pyramids.
26:32Come over here, you idiot.
26:33Okay.
26:35I've come to know over the last 30 years that when you call me an idiot, it's a term of endearment.
26:41Of course it is.
26:42So that's your post.
26:44Yeah.
26:45That's where it really is.
26:47Oh, this way.
26:48Yeah.
26:49This way.
26:50So we're going to have to double check.
26:52Everything.
26:53Everything.
26:54That's yours and my job.
26:55That's why we're here.
26:56That is why you're here.
26:57Yeah.
26:59Now while the base layer for our new home progresses, we're waiting on the all-important DA to be approved.
27:05And unfortunately, that's still a work in progress.
27:09It's easy to apportion blame for the housing crisis, but it's far better to focus on the solutions.
27:16And that means being open to changing our minds.
27:19Prefab construction is really taking off, and there's some stunning high-end custom builds hitting the market.
27:27I'm about to meet Steve Bridger from Saltair Modula, a company that's building award-winning prefab homes in a factory on the Sunshine Coast.
27:36It's not anything different or to be scared about.
27:39Yeah.
27:40It's just something that's been put together without the weather beating it up.
27:43Yeah.
27:44And it's been put together with a whole lot more supervision.
27:47And when a client comes along and says, mate, I want this, and I want a bit more architecture, and his name might be Jamie Dury,
27:54do you start pulling your hair out and go, mate, we don't do custom?
27:58What happens here?
27:59The hair's all gone.
28:00You've already met me, haven't you?
28:01Yeah, and that's the thing.
28:02I mean, basically, we're trying to build up and scale.
28:05Yeah.
28:06So we are just saying, yes, yes, yes, we can do it.
28:09We've recently completed, and it's won a Master Builders Award, a 16-module, two-storey home.
28:15Wow.
28:16That's right.
28:17And I've got to put my hands together for ComBank, for being the one bank who's come and further investigated to actually say,
28:24well, there are some acts, there are some protections.
28:27It is actually a relatively safe space.
28:29Here's a product.
28:30And I can tell you now, the minute that came out, we have had a whole host of inquiries of people who could get finance for a traditional build,
28:39who can now get finance for a modular build.
28:42What we're trying to do is scale up.
28:44Yes.
28:45And to scale up, you need to be at a really affordable price.
28:50Yeah.
28:51The catch is that you need big scale and be doing lots of volume to get that affordable price.
28:58Yes, yes.
28:59So in a way, the more volume that the modular industry can get, and this is what ComBank is helping to provide,
29:04it actually decreases the cost of housing and is better for housing affordability.
29:10That's a win-win for everyone, isn't it?
29:11Absolutely.
29:12In Canberra, all the walls for the Cochini family have been craned in and installed in a little over five hours.
29:28There's nothing quite like the feeling of a plan coming together at the last minute.
29:35A lot of moving parts to get us to this point, a lot of hard graft.
29:40It's just incredible to see that touchdown.
29:43I bolted on and we've essentially got a house.
29:47How good is that?
29:49And now the trusses that support the roof have arrived.
29:53Mick gets them pre-built to save time.
29:56However, there is a problem.
29:58They're 22, 23, 25.
30:01Yep.
30:02Which ones are they here?
30:03Mick promised to get all the walls and trusses up in one day.
30:08It's like a box of goodies when the truss truck turns up.
30:11It's obviously half a dozen packs of trusses and the truss you want will be on the bottom of the pack.
30:16It's a bit of a jigsaw puzzle at the moment, so it might be a little bit slow working out bits and pieces, to be honest.
30:29It's good to get some trusses on.
30:31A little bit late, but that's okay.
30:33We'll still get them done.
30:36We've got a couple of hours before it's dark.
30:38The problem is there's a couple of big gaps between these trusses for a couple of big skylights, so it's not normal.
30:43We've got to spend a little bit of time spacing that out for the skylights.
30:48If it was a normal roof, we'd just keep going, but this is going to take a little bit of time now.
30:53Probably a dozen to go, so we'll do them Monday.
30:56Come on Mick, you did say one day.
30:59But I suppose a day and a half is still very good.
31:02There was nothing here yesterday.
31:04It was a mud pit.
31:05You know, 24 hours later, there's a shell of a house.
31:12Coming up, an external cladding that's strong, chemical-free and good enough to eat.
31:18That's great. Natural.
31:20Plus, stone benchtops that resist paint stains and extreme heat.
31:26It's mind-blowing how much the high-tech modular team have achieved in just five weeks.
31:40And it's not just the fox's houses.
31:42The whole place is buzzing.
31:45The future is this.
31:47The future is, you know, modular housing.
31:49Now you know I love sustainability.
31:52And the house of the future needs to be kind to the planet.
31:55So when I first met Rex, I set him the challenge to make his modular builds as environmentally friendly as possible.
32:03Three months on, and I'm here to see if he actually listened to my sustainable solutions.
32:08What are we doing in terms of insulation?
32:10So we've upgraded the insulation, and that will be foil board, underflow insulation as well.
32:14So we're turning this Snowgum 60 into the greenest version you've ever done.
32:19A sustainable house.
32:20Exactly right.
32:21Now, I hear there's been some positive news on the windows.
32:24Yes, we've got the windows.
32:26Double glazed.
32:27Double glazed as well.
32:28With our mates at Dowl.
32:29On day one, you insisted on that, and we got that.
32:32Good on you, mate.
32:33Yeah, we've got the double glazed windows.
32:34You are leaping ahead in environmental bounds, aren't you?
32:37Yes, yes, yes.
32:40He's also upgraded the homes with an external cladding that's beautiful, environmentally sustainable,
32:46and a case study in Aussie manufacturing, taking on the world and winning.
32:52This is WeatherTech's exterior cladding.
32:56Termite proof, chemical free, strong and affordable.
33:01You guys are making world class external cladding, and it's not every day you can get cladding
33:06that's 97% natural material, 3% paraffin, that can actually bend.
33:11Yeah, absolutely.
33:12Like this.
33:13The process begins with waste, that big pile of discarded Aussie hardwood chips.
33:19They're the logs that normally get left on the forest floor.
33:21Wow.
33:22Because the logs that we get are, you know, are bent or got holes in it and nothing you
33:26can do with it.
33:27So we get the logs that leave on the forest floor, and we chip them back up and produce
33:31WeatherTechs.
33:32Oh, look at that.
33:33Then steam is used to smash the chips into fibre.
33:38They're taking that raw material, all that lovely eucalyptus, 20 different varieties,
33:44they're grinding it up and they're pushing it into a mat.
33:48It's about a little over 40 millimetres thick.
33:51And then they press it together under high strength and heat without any glues or polymers,
33:58just using one natural derivative that occurs naturally in the timber.
34:03And that's called lignin.
34:07And there's no chemicals in this whatsoever.
34:11Timber fibre, bit of wax and water.
34:15You'll see us on the news.
34:17We're going to the moon.
34:19How's the taste?
34:20The taste great.
34:22Natural.
34:23Beautiful.
34:30I am, just for a change, stuck in meetings and trying to get my DA approved.
34:35But shopping needs to be done and waits for no man or woman.
34:39So first up, style queen Amika Jane is on the case for tiles.
34:45Alicia, hi.
34:46How are you?
34:47Good.
34:48Jamie and I love this trans-stereo feel where we bring the outdoor in and the indoor out.
34:53And the way we find is the best to seamlessly achieve that is having the same tile lie throughout the floor.
35:04So we're looking for some natural stone for outdoors.
35:07I am, natural stone.
35:08I want something either side of the door that kind of feels grand and warm.
35:12Yeah.
35:13We want to mimic the blue stone that we're finding on the farm.
35:15I think this one could definitely work for you.
35:17Yeah, I agree.
35:18It's a blue stone backing that has a lot of warmth and the rustic sort of feel on it.
35:21So we're bringing those warm tones from inside and then we'll take them outside with the blue stone and really tie that in.
35:27I love that.
35:28Yeah.
35:29It's really beautiful.
35:30It's beautiful.
35:31That's definitely our way.
35:32And it's a crazy babe too.
35:33I've always wanted to use crazy babe.
35:34All right.
35:35Let's go.
35:36Easy.
35:37Yeah, yeah.
35:38No, no, I'm running late but I've got to go.
35:42Okay.
35:43Hey ladies.
35:44Hello.
35:45How are we?
35:46Uh, sorry I'm late.
35:48I don't think we're going to need you, Jamie.
35:50Really?
35:51Yeah, we're done.
35:52We chose everything.
35:53You picked everything?
35:54We picked absolutely everything.
35:55Really?
35:56Yeah.
35:57Happy wife, happy life.
35:58We understand.
35:59He's learning.
36:00There was one more thing that we had to do, but I wanted to do it with you.
36:03Okay.
36:04Okay?
36:05Good.
36:06I love it.
36:07I like a surprise.
36:08These are a new mosaic that's just come in, part of the circular economy.
36:10They are recycled from TV screens and monitors.
36:15They're crushed up glass, handmade in Italy, so B Corp certified by Florrum.
36:20So this is recycled TV screens?
36:22Recycled TV screens.
36:23So it's true.
36:25TV really is dead.
36:28We're even making tiles out of them now.
36:31That's right.
36:32Well, at least they'll end up in my house.
36:33Yes.
36:34Probably from one of my shows.
36:35Probably.
36:36Probably.
36:37This is good.
36:38This is what the project needs.
36:40I feel quite redundant.
36:42Well, you might be.
36:43I wasn't needed here at all, was I?
36:45Not really.
36:48I love it.
36:49We're happy with that.
36:50Thanks, Alicia.
36:51Anytime.
36:52Good job.
36:53Love it.
36:54Thanks, Coops.
36:55Good job, darling.
36:56Sean and I have teamed up and are on the hunt to find our kitchen bench tops.
37:00It's a very different type of manufactured stone.
37:03Neolith have a range of low silica, sintered stone bench tops that are 100% carbon neutral.
37:09Con, how are you, mate?
37:10Good to see you again.
37:11Very nice to see you.
37:12Sean.
37:13This is Sean.
37:14Nice to meet you.
37:15Welcome to Neolith.
37:17So hopefully we're going to find something for you.
37:20This is the fun part.
37:22So we're going to use this as our test dummy.
37:24Okay.
37:25So we'll talk about stain resistance.
37:26Yeah.
37:27Jamie, I'd like to hand you this, being the creative one.
37:29Thank you very much.
37:30Please go for it.
37:31Let's see what you can design on here.
37:32All right.
37:33Excellent.
37:35We're going to let that dry there for a while.
37:43Really?
37:44Let it dry.
37:45We'll come past and we'll see if it actually can wipe off.
37:48Yep.
37:49And then we'll try and clean that up.
37:50Con says these beautiful slabs are the toughest yet.
37:53We're going to test out the heat resistance here.
37:55And I'm here to put them to the test.
37:57Whoa.
37:58Look at that.
37:59And there's no marks at all.
38:01No.
38:02There's no marks there.
38:03And you could do that on a white bench top.
38:04Yeah.
38:05Still the same.
38:06No marks.
38:07Correct.
38:08Very nice.
38:09So hot pots directly onto the surface aren't going to damage the material whatsoever.
38:10You just take your pan out of the oven.
38:12Yep.
38:13Straight onto the bench top.
38:14No problems at all.
38:15That makes my day.
38:16That's really cool.
38:17It's good, mate.
38:18That's very cool.
38:19It's good.
38:20We've now spray painted this.
38:23We've set it on fire.
38:24We've just seen Jamie do.
38:26Now we're going to try and clean it off.
38:29Now look at this, guys.
38:31Wow.
38:32It's cleaned right off.
38:33We can still see the graffiti that Jamie had done for us.
38:37Now we know there's nothing the kids are going to damage this with.
38:39Oh, yeah.
38:40They're not going to mark it.
38:41They can go with their texters and do whatever they like.
38:43It is literally bulletproof, my friend.
38:45Yeah.
38:46I am blown away by that.
38:47It's amazing, isn't it?
38:48I really am.
38:52Coming up...
38:53I'll tell you what, there's a skip in your step.
38:54A solar Santa bestows gifts to the foxes.
38:58You will actually be making money out of your home every year.
39:11At the high-tech modular factory in Western Sydney, the foxes' modular homes are flying ahead, without delay and within budget.
39:20I've dropped by to see Michael and Helen Fox, which might make me feel a little left behind.
39:26Oh, look at this.
39:27Oh, my God.
39:29It's beautiful.
39:31And I noticed there's a little window from the kitchen there, so you can keep an eye on Michael.
39:35On Michael.
39:36Is that right?
39:37Is that what that's about?
39:38Nah.
39:39Just as well, mate.
39:40Yeah.
39:41I just wanted to make sure you were still keeping your privacy and your bachelor pad over there.
39:45No windows on that side.
39:46Perfect.
39:47That's good.
39:48Yeah.
39:49Okay.
39:50Oh, yeah.
39:51Jamie.
39:52Yeah.
39:53He's good fun.
39:54He loves to tease us, doesn't he?
39:55Go and tap those windows.
39:56Look at that.
39:57Here you go.
39:58Oh, pretty good.
39:59Solid.
40:00Solid, isn't it?
40:01Pretty good.
40:02Yeah.
40:03Michael, your breakfast bench here.
40:06Is there a reason for it?
40:07Will you be serving breakfast to anyone at any stage?
40:10Well, I'm hoping.
40:12You're hoping.
40:13This is what healthy separation is all about, isn't it?
40:18Oh, yeah.
40:19Baked beans on toast.
40:20He's already thinking.
40:22Did you used to get breakfast?
40:23No.
40:24No?
40:25No.
40:26No.
40:27Interesting that he's building a breakfast bench then, isn't it?
40:29Ready?
40:33You guys are experiencing the cost of living crisis just like the rest of Australia.
40:38Mm-hmm.
40:39Yep.
40:40Yeah.
40:41High energy bills, all that sort of stuff.
40:43I've got a bloke who I think can help solve this problem for you.
40:47Oh, wow.
40:49Where is he?
40:50Matt?
40:51Are you around, mate?
40:52Helen?
40:53Helen, Michael?
40:54Matt Somerville, CEO of Renewco Solar, has come up with a clever plan to turn the Foxes' Blackheath Cottages into renewable, money-saving powerhouses.
41:05Matt, tell them what you've got in store, my friend.
41:08So, what we're going to do for you guys is supply and install a 48 kilowatt SIG energy battery per house.
41:18Wow.
41:19Plus, also cover the entire roof space with REC alpha series panels.
41:26Oh, my gosh.
41:27So, roughly 10 to 15 kilowatt of solar per house.
41:30Oh, wow.
41:31With the right energy plan, signing up for something called Amber Electric if you've ever heard of it.
41:36Yeah.
41:37You'll be able to capitalise on, like, price spikes and the system will automatically feed power back to the grid.
41:44Yes.
41:45Because it provides battery storage.
41:46Yes.
41:47And we estimate $4,000-ish a year in credit per house.
41:50Wow.
41:51That's incredible.
41:52So, there'll be no energy costs.
41:53Yeah.
41:54Oh, my gosh.
41:55So, you won't just have no more bills.
41:56Thank you so much.
41:57That's okay.
41:58You will actually be making money out of your homes every year.
42:02Yeah.
42:03All right.
42:04Go on.
42:05Let's go.
42:06Go on, then.
42:07That's you too, Michael.
42:09Come on, mate.
42:10Come on.
42:11Come on, mate.
42:14She gets a bit emotional.
42:15I did mention this.
42:16Yeah.
42:17As our future homes take shape, it's time to lock in crucial bathroom decisions.
42:24And Sarah Colcini has a very clear idea of what she's looking for in the Otty showroom.
42:30We're looking for more earthy, natural kind of tones.
42:33So, looking at the timber features that they have here at Otty.
42:36Oh, wow.
42:37Look at this.
42:38Yeah, it looks good, isn't it?
42:39Very nice.
42:40The Otty showroom is gorgeous.
42:42It's beautiful.
42:43The products in there just jump out at you, don't they?
42:46Yeah.
42:47They look amazing.
42:48Oh, here we go.
42:49This is nice.
42:50Oh, yeah, I like that.
42:51This one looks more like oak.
42:52This is the fun part for me, picking out all of the things that are going to style our house
42:55and make it feel like home.
42:57So, this is the Byron collection.
43:00So, this one, all fluted, all natural timber.
43:02With the drawers, they're all soft closing.
43:04Okay.
43:05So, you're not going to have all the banging that comes with having kids using the drawers.
43:09Yes.
43:10And, of course, it's water resistant, being plywood.
43:12So, that's the difference with the Otty, is that everything is water resistant.
43:15Great.
43:16So, I wish I had a bathroom big enough to fit there.
43:18No room for a bath.
43:19I can always put one on the deck.
43:21Yeah, you wanted one on the deck, didn't you?
43:24I'd really love to have that bath outside.
43:26Oh, yes.
43:27Helen likes the idea of an outdoor bath.
43:30Not in winter.
43:31I'm sure one of those with the spa fittings and everything would look really nice outside
43:37with the possums to come and have a soak with her.
43:41Yeah.
43:42Really good.
43:43Coming up, Jaune turns timber into treasure, creating a beautiful gift for his new home.
43:49These are things that I can add a little bit of my art and my creativity to our home.
43:56G'day.
43:57Phil.
43:58How are you doing?
43:59Very nice to see you.
44:00Welcome to Koda.
44:01Oh, mate.
44:02Yes, thank you.
44:03Good to see you.
44:04For over 20 years, Koda has been at the forefront of global lighting trends and technology.
44:15And you do indoor and outdoor?
44:17We do, yeah.
44:18We're a one-stop shop, whether it be wall, pendant, garden or architectural.
44:23So, I've engaged the internationally renowned Koda lighting team to design the lighting plan for my 3D printed home.
44:31We're finding that genuine, authentic, material-based product, sustainable, recycled, is a big push and we're happy to be able to provide that to the Australian market.
44:45Well, I'm aware of David Pompa's work.
44:47Yes.
44:48I've seen him all through Milan and Europe.
44:51Yeah.
44:52From Mexico City, David sources everyday materials and showcases the beauty of them in these products.
44:58So, this is the recycled glass?
45:00Yes.
45:01As a wall sconce?
45:02Exactly.
45:03This is the Trufa light.
45:04Yep.
45:05Not the frosted or the clear.
45:06Yep.
45:07But you can see really, if you look at the detail, the imperfections and the bubbles that come through.
45:09Yeah.
45:10He really wants to accentuate that, that it is repurposed and recycled glass and each piece that you buy will be different from the next.
45:16With so many innovative products on show, it's fantastic that Coda offer an expert consultation service to help you navigate your choices and find the right lights for your home.
45:28All right.
45:29Well, I can see lots of different dots running through here.
45:32Walk me through it.
45:33So, your columns are amazing.
45:34Yep.
45:35They've been fantastic to design with.
45:36My concrete trees.
45:37Yes.
45:38So, we've actually taken to lighting those from the ground.
45:41If you can put any of the lights in the ground lighting up, instantly it elevates the feel of the space.
45:47Yes.
45:48Yeah.
45:49Very elegant, very thoughtful and I haven't had to lift a finger.
45:52That's how we like to do it.
46:00So, we're doing a knockdown rebuild.
46:02Okay.
46:03And we're looking for some stylish, functional, boring for our new home.
46:07Okay.
46:08And I can see you've got a little one here.
46:09Yes.
46:10So, you're probably looking for something that's going to be really good with the kids in the house, are you?
46:13Yes.
46:14So, we've got three children, five and under.
46:15Okay.
46:16So, definitely something hard wearing, stain resistant.
46:18Excellent.
46:19Well, let me show you a couple of options.
46:21Come on through.
46:22Thanks.
46:23I want to show you this wool collection here, the Prospect Valley.
46:25You're looking at 100% wool carpet, which is Australian made, which is what we love here at Carpet Court.
46:31You find with this, it's hyperallergenic and it's got a natural stain resistance and a fire resistance as well with the product.
46:39I'd love to have a bit of a look at the different colours.
46:42This just kind of gives you an idea.
46:45I think this middle one is actually looking like it's going to be the best option.
46:49I like the little flexing and I think it'll hide the stains or damage.
46:53Earlier, Sean was busy at the lathe, attempting to craft some peace of mind.
46:59Some custom door handles to add a personal touch to his new home.
47:03And now, they're ready to be installed.
47:06So, these are the door handles.
47:09So, this is the two handles.
47:13So, there's a matching set.
47:15That's the front of the door, the external at the top, and that's the back.
47:20So, it took probably about 20 hours of work to get to this point.
47:24Yeah, really happy.
47:25I'm glad I could make something for the house.
47:28Like, it's one of those things that you always want to do as much as you can.
47:31So, these are the things that I can add a little bit of my art and my creativity to our home.
47:37All right, off to the joiners they go.
47:44Next week on Future House.
47:47With the other two houses well on the way, I'm back at 3D Contour to see if my concrete print is actually going to work.
47:56It's a bit experimental.
47:57I think we're on our fourth test now.
47:58I sit down with the Federal Housing Minister Honourable Claire O'Neill to see what we can do together to help cut some of this housing red tape.
48:07We are building homes in Australia basically the same way that we were 40 years ago.
48:11And if we're going to build faster, we need that to change.
48:14We meet a family who hasn't had an energy bill in years and are actually making monthly profits.
48:20Giving you power back at the lowest price.
48:22Correct.
48:23They're going to show us how you can do it as well.
48:25And it's moving day at the Foxes.
48:28But are they ready?
48:37...
48:38...
48:39...
48:47...
48:48...
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