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
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The most housing crisis we've ever had.
00:03We need to build homes faster and more efficiently
00:06for all budgets and all Australians.
00:09And that's exactly what Future House is all about.
00:14Our mission is to build three houses for three families
00:18in just three months.
00:21For three different budgets
00:22using three different modern methods of construction.
00:26Now, we may not solve Australia's housing crisis,
00:31but we're going to give this a red-hot go.
00:37Previously, we met the brave families
00:40who were joining us on this mission.
00:42The Fox family from the Blue Mountains, New South Wales,
00:45are building two modular homes on the same block
00:48so they can care for their disabled daughter, Caitlin.
00:52So here is where Mummy's house is.
00:54And this is a bit strange, isn't it?
00:55Because Mummy's got a house and Daddy's got a house.
00:58Their build-it high-tech modular is flying ahead.
01:01They're happy with everything.
01:03They're moving along really fast.
01:05Then there's the Cochini family from Canberra
01:08who are planning to build a precast concrete home.
01:11They've been butting their heads
01:12against an endless bureaucratic brick wall,
01:15which has cost their time, their money and their sanity.
01:19Unless we get this resolved in the next 24 hours,
01:21I'm going to have to go talk to the real estate
01:23and find out how much I can get for selling this block.
01:25And us, the juries, in the northern rivers of New South Wales,
01:29have also thrown our hat into the ring
01:31and we'll be building a revolutionary 3D-printed concrete home.
01:35This looks incredible, mate.
01:37The plans and the concept are spectacular,
01:41but we've still got a bit of work to do on the process.
01:43No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
01:47Tonight, I give the boys a hand to keep things moving.
01:50That's Jamie's one?
01:51Yeah, he's a little bit out.
01:52We're going to have to double check him.
01:54Everything.
01:54Lucky he wasn't building the pyramid.
01:56Finally, Sean's precast home starts to take shape.
02:00It's a dream come true.
02:01It sounds so corny, but...
02:03It is.
02:04While back on the farm...
02:07There we go.
02:08Coffee.
02:09Gotta buy chicken.
02:10Gotta buy chicken.
02:12We built a house in the time you went and bought five chickens, mate.
02:15And after jumping out of the blocks early...
02:17Oh, my God!
02:18Wow.
02:20..it seems the foxes are one step forward and two steps back.
02:24Definitely a lot of anxiety going on.
02:26That's really scraping the barrel.
02:28In Canberra, Sean's been through some stress recently
02:40with delays and cost blowouts to the new home.
02:44But it's nothing like the trauma he's already experienced in his life
02:48and the method he's found of managing his anxiety.
02:51This lovely piece of timber is a piece of spotted gum.
02:54And this is going to be the doorknobs for the front door.
02:58I just wanted to put my own artistic touch on it a little bit
03:02and just...
03:03So we'll see how we go.
03:04If not, it'll all go in the bin and we'll just buy some.
03:09Sean often retreats to the shed
03:11and creates beautiful bowls and implements
03:13by recycling discarded timber
03:15and then shaping it on a wood lathe.
03:18It's one of my favourite hobbies called woodturning.
03:21I like making things that are useful as well.
03:24Most of the stuff I make, I just make it for friends.
03:28Making wood.
03:29Sean once had a job in emergency response management,
03:33which he found very traumatic.
03:35I think the thing that I found the hardest
03:37was asking your friends to put their lives on the line
03:42and knowing you're sending them into danger.
03:46And that...that was really hard.
03:50With the stress of work affecting him,
03:54Sean's troubles were about to multiply.
03:57I had a motor vehicle accident,
03:58so I ate a kangaroo at 90km an hour on a vintage motorcycle.
04:04Lost everything from the waist down.
04:08I was staring down, being wheelchair-bound forever.
04:11You have a choice.
04:14You can sit there and you can feel sorry for yourself
04:17and the world will let you do that
04:19and they will support you in doing that.
04:21Or you can grit your teeth and you can get on with it.
04:25And I chose to grit my teeth and get on with it.
04:33Woodworking for me is...
04:34I mean, I think everybody needs a creative outlet.
04:38I think it's really important for you to make things
04:40and do things with your hands.
04:42For me, it's a major stress relief.
04:44Like, I lose track of time here.
04:46That kind of...the PTSD stuff calms down on the brain,
04:50just gets right into the zone.
04:52You put the oil on, you get this magic grain come out
04:55that you just cannot replicate.
04:58It's got to be real timber.
04:59I had to relearn how to walk and function.
05:05So, my attitude to life now is my...
05:08..my job is to be the best that I can,
05:12give my kids the best life they can
05:13and try and have some fun in the process.
05:15The oil will bring these colours out really richly.
05:21OK, come on.
05:25For Sean and his family, it's been a frustrating time.
05:29Battling red tape for over a year
05:31in the hope of getting a building approval,
05:33while packed together like sardines
05:35in a rental accommodation.
05:38So, very exciting.
05:40It was probably 15 minutes ago.
05:41Yes, not long ago.
05:42We finally got full approval.
05:45Finally.
05:46Formally in writing.
05:48In writing.
05:49We are approved to actually build something.
05:52Which is so exciting
05:54after so many delays and frustrations.
05:57We're there.
05:59Yes, finally.
05:59We are in writing, allowed to do stuff.
06:04Well, hallelujah, the green light.
06:08But to get the go-ahead from council,
06:10they had to excavate and drop the level of their block
06:13by about a metre,
06:15costing them a whopping $31,000
06:17they hadn't budgeted for.
06:19I got to that point
06:21where you can only hit your head
06:22against a brick wall for so long
06:24and we'd had so many of these little hurdles
06:29that weren't little
06:31because they were weeks and weeks and weeks
06:33to resolve what's next.
06:37I'm a very, very patient person
06:39and even this pushed me to the brink.
06:41The plan for the Cuccini family
06:47has always been to use
06:48ResiCast concrete panels for their walls.
06:51They're made in Western Sydney
06:52in a factory called Solid Precast,
06:55then trucked to the location
06:56and simply craned into place.
06:59I'm at the factory to meet Mick,
07:02who's building Sean and Sarah's house.
07:04He reckons he can get their house to lock up
07:06in 10 days,
07:08which I think is a very big call.
07:10So, I want to see how these walls are made.
07:13This looks very exciting
07:14because I'd imagine this doesn't take long
07:17to pour a slab,
07:18which then becomes a wall.
07:20Correct.
07:21There's a lot in the process
07:22designing and engineering
07:23and then that's obviously transferred
07:25to the bed, all formed up.
07:27You can see a lot of reinforcement in them.
07:30Pouring and finishing
07:31is probably the easy part.
07:33So the beauty of the ResiCast,
07:35this is full structural precast walls
07:38hold the load.
07:39Unlike normal,
07:40the inside frames would hold the load.
07:42Yes.
07:42Slab moves, frames move.
07:43Your walls are your structure.
07:45Correct.
07:46Yeah.
07:46It's all in one.
07:48Yeah, correct.
07:48Talk about disaster, resilience,
07:50building for the future.
07:59That looks like a very heavy load.
08:01Yeah.
08:02So, the whole house will come on three trucks.
08:05This is load number one.
08:07Sean's going to be very excited
08:08when he sees this, eh?
08:09Oh, mate.
08:10Yeah.
08:12Yay!
08:13See you, champion!
08:15We'll see you in Canberra!
08:16Back on our farm in the northern rivers.
08:25Uh, I would like a small cappuccino, please.
08:30Yep.
08:30I'll be back later for lunch.
08:32Thank you, bye.
08:33With the old caretaker's cottage now gone,
08:40it's time to prepare the ground
08:41for the new 3D printed house.
08:44The site needs to be cut, filled and compacted
08:47to create a solid base.
08:49Now, the DA isn't quite approved just yet,
08:51but light groundwork preparations
08:53can get underway for us to get ahead of it.
08:56Legally, we're allowed to cut and fill the site
08:59up to 600 millimetres, which is great.
09:01So that's what we're doing.
09:03We're preparing the pad.
09:05That's a dump truck.
09:06That's a dump truck.
09:08That's right.
09:10Whoop, whoop!
09:11There we go.
09:14And our DA is going in as we speak,
09:18so we're keeping our fingers crossed
09:19that we can expedite this as quickly as possible.
09:22I think all DAs are very complex,
09:24to be honest, these days.
09:25The amount of reports you've got to put together
09:27and compile and the amount of time and money that takes,
09:31you know, I've been in the building game now 30 years
09:33and I still find it complex.
09:36Simon Croft, the CEO of the HIA,
09:38the Housing Industry Association,
09:40also feels the pain.
09:42I think red tape, white tape and green tape
09:44is what I talk a lot about.
09:45You know, it's never been harder to build a home.
09:48We need to simplify and streamline the approval process.
09:51We need to simplify and streamline our building codes.
09:54It used to be a 200-page document.
09:56It's now over 2,000 pages.
09:58My ute would nearly be full of the paperwork
10:00and that's just to build the home,
10:02let alone the safety rules,
10:03compliance and contract rules.
10:06All of them just keeps adding up
10:07and you go,
10:08we've got more builders leaving the industry
10:09than wanting to come into it.
10:11Simon's dead right.
10:13All I seem to hear about
10:14is how frustrated builders are sitting in offices
10:17doing days of paperwork
10:18rather than actually building homes.
10:20This is impossible.
10:21Every council requires different things
10:24and it can sometimes take a year to two years
10:28to get your final approval through
10:30and once you get your DA,
10:32you're not through the woods yet.
10:34You've then got to go back
10:35and get your construction certificates
10:36for each phase of that build.
10:40I've seen so many people just give up on their DA
10:42purely because they've run out of energy
10:45and they've actually lost the will
10:47to complete building their house.
10:49They're exhausted and quite frankly,
10:52I am too.
10:55Coming up,
10:56how space age tech
10:57is helping you protect your home.
11:00I didn't realise the floods got that high.
11:02No wonder I got it cheap.
11:05And it's a momentous day
11:07for the Coutini family
11:08as their forever home
11:09takes shape before their very eyes.
11:12It's pretty amazing.
11:13It makes it real.
11:15I think just like it's a dream come true.
11:16It sounds so corny,
11:18but...
11:20E.
11:28Up on our farm at the Northern Rivers...
11:31Got your dump truck?
11:32All right.
11:33The family are in the car
11:35and we're off to buy chickens.
11:40Gotta buy chicken.
11:42Gotta buy chicken.
11:44What are you laughing at?
11:47Don't you like my chicken wrap?
11:49It's so silly.
11:51It's so great for the kids.
11:53They just love feeding the chooks
11:54and collecting eggs.
11:56Nashie and Bo are super excited.
11:58Whoa.
11:58Look at that.
11:59That's a lot of chickens.
12:01Here we go.
12:02Oh, mate.
12:04Look at that.
12:05Look at her.
12:06Oh, she's beautiful.
12:08All right, that's how many is that?
12:10Whoa, whoa, whoa.
12:11Whoa.
12:14In Canberra,
12:15a life-changing event
12:17is happening for the Coutini family.
12:18After five years of planning
12:25and a year dealing with DA approval,
12:28including hold-ups and red tape,
12:30finally, the big day has arrived.
12:32The construction of the Coutini family home
12:35in Canberra is underway.
12:38First one's about to go in,
12:40so that's actually a bit of a relief, mate.
12:42We've had a week's worth of wet weather.
12:44The place was a mud pit yesterday morning,
12:46so to get the crane down
12:48was a relief yesterday afternoon,
12:50and now we're off and running, mate,
12:52so it's good.
12:54We've been planning to build our house
12:57and, you know, dreaming about it for years,
12:59and so finally seeing it become a reality now
13:03is just...
13:04It's the most exciting.
13:06I feel like we've been climbing this mountain
13:07and we're just starting to see the top.
13:13It's pretty amazing.
13:14It makes it real.
13:15It's all been in theory until this point.
13:18There's no turning back now, that's for sure.
13:32It's so big.
13:34So, Ted, over there's our lounge room
13:36where we're going to watch our theater,
13:38and there's the dining room we'll eat our lunch,
13:41and then the next bit is where our kitchen will be.
13:43How did they know that we were going to have a new house?
13:45Oh, we told them.
13:47We told them that we were going to have a new house.
13:50Sarah was very dubious at first
13:52about the concrete precast option,
13:55but now, yeah, now you can see it in real life.
13:59I think all those nerves have disappeared.
14:01It's very cool.
14:02It's just so exciting.
14:08Darling.
14:10I know.
14:10Yeah.
14:11It's just...
14:11This is just the beginning.
14:13Yeah.
14:13Yeah.
14:14Oh, I think just, like, it's a dream come true.
14:17It sounds so corny, but...
14:19It is.
14:21It's just a dream.
14:23Another couple of hours, the walls will be up.
14:25Pardon?
14:26We'll do the trusses tonight.
14:28I know, so am I, buddy.
14:29You can move in next week.
14:30I know.
14:31It's incredible, isn't it?
14:32Just set up a tent inside.
14:33This resi-cast construction method is so incredibly fast
14:38because all the concrete panels for the walls
14:41are made in a factory
14:42and then they're trucked to the site and craned in.
14:45It only takes a few hours
14:47and the walls for the house are up in place.
14:50The precision is truly amazing.
14:54Everything here is an engineered solution.
14:56We get a set of house plans.
14:58We transfer them into what we call precast working drawings.
15:01Those drawings that have 1,000 measurements on them
15:04all to the millimetre,
15:05that's what you pay for, precise, factory-made prefab.
15:09If we've got a chance of solving the building crisis,
15:13techniques like resi-cast that reduce construction time
15:16need to be used by big-volume home builders.
15:19So I've invited one of the biggest home building companies
15:22in Australia, Clarendon and Domain Homes,
15:25to check out this resi-cast system.
15:28They've built over 35,000 homes,
15:30but they've never seen anything like this before.
15:35So these guys over here, the ones in the vest,
15:37they're all watching
15:38because they're learning how to do this for other people.
15:40So other people can build their houses like we are.
15:44What are your first impressions of the resi-cast?
15:46Very impressive.
15:47Very impressive.
15:48Fast.
15:49We're in disbelief of...
15:51It actually went together as quick as what it did
15:54and in the time it did, so...
15:55And it's easy.
15:56You're certainly less exposed to the weather as well
15:59and, you know, less trades on site.
16:02I mean, that's the one thing that kind of stood out to us today.
16:05There's less moving parts.
16:07Today has proven that it's got some potential.
16:10So, yeah, we're going to have a go.
16:11We're going to put one up over in Rouskill
16:13and let's see how we go.
16:16OK, because you can get excited.
16:19This is exciting as we get, mate.
16:22Deadpan builder.
16:24That's awesome news,
16:25as it has the potential to reduce their build times
16:28by up to 50%
16:30from eight months to just four months.
16:33I think Mick's impressed them.
16:35She's feisty.
16:35And my progress...
16:37OK.
16:38..is something to crow about as well.
16:39Jamie.
16:43How are you going?
16:44Well, mate, we're having a great day.
16:46We've just bought nine chooks.
16:51Mate, we're just ringing to tell you.
16:53It's 11.30, mate,
16:54and we've just got all our pre-car stuff, mate,
16:56so we've built a house.
16:58What?
16:58We built a house in the time you went
17:00and bought five chickens, mate.
17:02Well, nine chickens.
17:03Thank you very much.
17:05Oh, nine chickens.
17:05Sorry.
17:06Big morning, you poor bugger.
17:07You might have got a head start on me,
17:09but wait until I start 3D printing, my friend.
17:13How's the DA process going up there?
17:15Yeah, not fun.
17:16Not fun.
17:18Well, mate, listen,
17:19if we can inspire builders like Clarendon and Domain,
17:25we could have a real shot at making an impact
17:28on our housing shortage here.
17:30You know what I mean?
17:31Exactly, mate.
17:32That's what we're all about, mate.
17:34Exactly.
17:34Mate, that's tremendous.
17:35I'm very, very proud of you, Mick.
17:37Good on you.
17:38I'm also inside, slightly nervous,
17:42a little bit jealous.
17:43Look, mate, don't be so hard on yourself.
17:45By the time you chicken hatch,
17:47these guys will be in this house.
17:48That'll be all good, mate.
17:50You sure you don't want a resi-cast house up there, mate?
17:55Don't you worry.
17:56I reckon I'm back to winter.
17:57We'll see how we roll.
17:58West of Sydney in the Blue Mountains,
18:09Michael and Helen Fox have separated,
18:11but you wouldn't know it
18:12because they're still living in the same house
18:14and caring for their disabled daughter, Caitlin.
18:17Do you want to see the cauliflower?
18:18It's been over a year now
18:20and I'm kind of used to it.
18:22Probably not a lot different to what it was.
18:25Is that nice? Cauliflower.
18:28They're building two identical modular homes
18:30on the same block
18:32so that Caitlin will feel just as comfortable in either home.
18:37Now, I'm a big fan of modular prefab homes.
18:39They're high quality and suit all budgets.
18:42But the Foxes, like many home builders,
18:45are finding that as they progress,
18:47money's getting tight.
18:48We were trying to do everything possible
18:52to do everything right by the council.
18:54Yeah, the expenses just keep coming up.
18:57There was an application fee to council.
19:00Oh, an acoustic check.
19:02They demanded a landscape plan.
19:04Dish drain.
19:05Dish drain.
19:05That's the word for it.
19:06Dish drain is cool.
19:06Dish drain.
19:07Arborist report.
19:09Contribution fees.
19:10But it's been way over 13 months
19:12and it's costing so much more in rent.
19:15I started to feel like it was a money pit.
19:22Aussies across the country
19:23get blindsided by these hidden costs and delays.
19:27And Helen's budget is certainly under pressure.
19:30The independence, I really want it to be there,
19:32but there's a lot involved.
19:34You know, it's not just moving house.
19:35It's not just separating.
19:37It's going, starting your career, get a job.
19:40So financially, I'm trying to do what I can.
19:45Yeah.
19:45They each have a final payment of $50,000
19:48to make on delivery of their homes.
19:50There's definitely a lot of anxiety going on,
19:53you know, paying that last instalment
19:55because that's really scraping the barrel.
19:58The good news is that high-tech modular
20:00have been incredibly fast.
20:02Their homes are due for completion in just five weeks.
20:07The walls have been covered in the plywood bracing on the outside
20:11and one of the houses had the insulation added to.
20:15It even started with a little bit of cladding on the outside
20:19so you could really get a sense of how it was going to look.
20:23Rex has been amazing.
20:27The whole team is sort of like really feeling quite nice.
20:30It's almost like going to visit friends.
20:33I've got one bone to pick, though.
20:35This one's called...
20:36The primary one.
20:37The primary one.
20:38Because it's the most important.
20:38And that one's called the secondary.
20:40It doesn't work that way, right?
20:41No.
20:41It's fantastic.
20:44We'll call it primary one, primary two now.
20:47I feel like bananas in pyjamas right now.
20:49B1, B2.
20:55There's no doubt that our weather is changing.
20:59And so when we're building our future houses,
21:01we need to make sure that we build with the weather in mind.
21:05But there's one company who's using state-of-the-art technology
21:08to match house locations to weather events and potential risk.
21:13Wow.
21:14I'll tell you what, it is blowing an absolute gale out here.
21:18Talk about weather extremes.
21:20I'm actually here in Brisbane at CBD
21:22at Suncorp Insurance's head office
21:25to learn a little more about their disaster management centre.
21:31So we're in the disaster management centre,
21:34which is our epicentre for how we manage event response.
21:38Across Suncorp.
21:39So no matter where the event is,
21:41we have all the data and information here
21:43that enables us to mobilise faster
21:46and get to our customers as soon as we possibly can,
21:49including things like geospatial mapping,
21:51satellite and aerial imagery.
21:52Whoa, what's geospatial mapping?
21:55So that enables us to look across the country
21:58and have an aerial view of how it all is sitting.
22:02I see.
22:02At the present.
22:03Wow.
22:04Geospatial mapping?
22:05This place is seriously impressive.
22:08I feel like I'm at NASA headquarters.
22:10So the blue hue you can see on the screen here
22:12that Lily's pulling up,
22:13that is flood mapping.
22:16That's how the flood water is peaking.
22:18Suncorp Insurance have developed this amazing technology
22:21to help protect our homes
22:23and lay the foundations
22:25for a stronger and more resilient future
22:27for Aussie families.
22:29This is the floods down in New South Wales this year.
22:32Oh, the one that just happened?
22:33Mm, Port Macquarie.
22:34It was this big?
22:34Yes.
22:35Wow.
22:36If we look at Shoreline Drive here,
22:38that's residential housing all along Shoreline Drive.
22:43Wow.
22:43They were all underwater.
22:45There was a level of flood impact.
22:49The disaster management centre
22:50has been built by Suncorp
22:52to help their customers prepare for
22:54and respond to massive weather events.
22:57Speed is really important
22:58and early information is really important.
23:01Yeah.
23:01So if we do see some weather
23:02and we do think it's going to be significant,
23:04Yeah.
23:05we will proactively message our customers.
23:07So while I'm here,
23:09I might just see what the flood risk is like
23:11on my property.
23:12So that's my boundary running through here
23:14and I was looking at building
23:17a little glass house somewhere around here
23:20but I didn't realise the floods got that high.
23:23This is 72 acres
23:25and look how much of it's underwater.
23:27It's really interesting.
23:29No wonder I got it cheap.
23:35Coming up, I'm back on the tools
23:37and the boys couldn't be happier.
23:39So that's your post?
23:41Yeah.
23:41That's where it really is.
23:43Lucky you're not building the pyramids.
23:45And in Canberra,
23:46a new house has sprung up in just hours.
23:49But there's a problem with the roof trusses.
23:52It's a bit of a jigsaw puzzle at the moment.
23:55Might be a little bit slow working out bits and pieces,
23:57to be honest.
23:58Back at our Northern Rivers farm,
24:09my earth-moving team, Dazza and James,
24:11have been hard at it,
24:13trucking hundreds of tonnes of soil
24:14to build the site for our new home.
24:17How are we going, lads?
24:25Whoa.
24:25Look at that.
24:26Whoa, look at the digger over here.
24:29Come and say hello to Uncle Daz.
24:31You got your digger?
24:32Dig the rocks.
24:35I dig the rocks on my dump truck.
24:37He wants to dig the rocks with his dump truck.
24:40That's fine.
24:40We need every help we can get.
24:43Big job, guys.
24:45Really beautiful, isn't it?
24:46Like, we're starting to get
24:47a really nice elevation here, you know?
24:49Yep.
24:50I won't deny the fact that
24:51this project is placing more pressure
24:54on our family again.
24:56And having just come out of another build,
24:59I'm getting quite a few raised eyebrows
25:03about the fact that we're embarking on another...
25:06I was promised this would be fast and painless.
25:09Let's just say that.
25:11And it's already proving to be not that.
25:15You must admit, though,
25:16it's all happening a little faster
25:18than it did before.
25:20I mean, we were in the DA process for two years.
25:22We still could be.
25:25She's right.
25:28My builders are now on site
25:29and have started getting all the precise measurements
25:32they'll need to guarantee accurate lines and levels
25:35for the construction of our new 3D-printed home.
25:39And luckily for the team,
25:40I've helped make things a little faster
25:42with pinpoint-accurate set-outs.
25:45They're doing the set-out and the profiles this morning, but...
25:48So you want that peg pulled out now?
25:50Yeah, we're going to have to remove that.
25:51That was Jamie's.
25:52That's Jamie's one?
25:52Yeah, he's a little bit out.
25:54So today's a big day
25:55because we're actually setting out the site,
25:58putting in what we call profiles.
26:00Profiles sit at the corner of all the blocks
26:02at various intervals
26:04where we might do cross-sections throughout the slab.
26:07and those profiles will stay there permanently
26:09throughout the entire build.
26:12That measurement's back from the 1,200.
26:15Once again, he's about 1,500 out.
26:1715 mil.
26:181,500 millimetres.
26:2015 mil in James' hands.
26:2215,16 mil.
26:24Lucky he wasn't building the pyramids.
26:27Come over here, you idiot.
26:28OK.
26:30I've come to know over the last 30 years
26:32that when you call me an idiot,
26:34it's a term of endearment.
26:36Of course it is.
26:36Yeah.
26:37So that's your post.
26:39Yeah.
26:40That's where it really is.
26:41Oh, this way.
26:43Yeah, this way.
26:45So we're going to have to double-check.
26:47Everything.
26:48Everything.
26:48Everything.
26:49That's yours and my job.
26:50That's why we're here.
26:51That is why you're here.
26:52Yeah.
26:52Now, while the base layer for our new home progresses,
26:56we're waiting on the all-important DA to be approved.
26:59And unfortunately, that's still a work in progress.
27:04It's easy to apportion blame for the housing crisis,
27:07but it's far better to focus on the solutions.
27:10And that means being open to changing our minds.
27:15Prefab construction is really taking off,
27:18and there's some stunning high-end custom builds
27:20hitting the market.
27:22I'm about to meet Steve Bridger from Salt Air Modular,
27:25a company that's building award-winning prefab homes
27:28in a factory on the Sunshine Coast.
27:31It's not anything different or to be scared about.
27:34Yeah.
27:34It's just something that's been put together
27:36without the weather beating it up.
27:38Yes.
27:38And it's been put together with a whole lot more supervision.
27:42And when a client comes along and says,
27:44mate, I want this, and I want a bit more architecture,
27:47and his name might be Jamie Durie,
27:49do you start pulling your hair out and go,
27:51mate, we don't do custom?
27:52What happens here?
27:53The hair's all gone.
27:54You've already met me, haven't you?
27:55Yeah, and that's the thing.
27:57I mean, basically we're trying to build up and scale.
28:00Yeah.
28:00So we are just saying, yes, yes, yes, we can do it.
28:03We've recently completed,
28:05and it's won a Master Builders Award,
28:07a 16-module, two-storey home.
28:10Wow.
28:11That's right.
28:12And I've got to put my hands together for ComBank
28:14for being the one bank who's come and further investigated
28:18to actually say, well, there are some acts,
28:20there are some protections.
28:21It is actually a relatively safe space.
28:24Here's a product, and I can tell you now,
28:27the minute that came out,
28:28we have had a whole host of inquiries
28:31of people who could get finance for a traditional build
28:33who can now get finance for a modular build.
28:38What we're trying to do is scale up.
28:40Yes.
28:40And to scale up, you need to be at a really affordable price.
28:45Yeah.
28:46The catch is that you need big scale
28:50and be doing lots of volume to get that affordable price.
28:53Yes, yes.
28:53So in a way, the more volume that the modular industry can get,
28:57and this is what ComBank is helping to provide,
28:59it actually decreases the cost of housing
29:02and is better for housing affordability.
29:05That's a win-win for everyone, isn't it?
29:06Absolutely.
29:10In Canberra, all the walls for the Cochini family
29:19have been craned in and installed in a little over five hours.
29:24There's nothing quite like the feeling of a plan
29:26coming together at the last minute.
29:30A lot of moving parts to get us to this point,
29:33a lot of hard graft.
29:35It's just incredible to see that touchdown.
29:37I bolt it on and we've essentially got a house.
29:42How good is that?
29:44And now the trusses that support the roof have arrived.
29:48Mick gets them pre-built to save time.
29:51However, there is a problem.
29:53They're 22, 23, 25.
29:56Yeah.
29:56Which ones are they here?
29:58Mick promised to get all the walls and trusses up in one day.
30:02It's like a box of goodies when the truss truck turns up.
30:06It's obviously half a dozen packs of trusses
30:09and the truss you want will be on the bottom of the pack.
30:11It's a bit of a jigsaw puzzle at the moment,
30:14so it might be a little bit slow working out bits and pieces,
30:17to be honest.
30:18It's good to get some trusses on.
30:26A little bit late, but that's OK.
30:28We'll still get them done.
30:31We've got a couple of hours before it's dark.
30:33The problem is there's a couple of big gaps
30:35between these trusses for a couple of big skylights,
30:37so it's not normal.
30:39We've got to spend a little bit of time
30:40spacing that out for the skylights.
30:43If it was a normal roof, we'd just keep going,
30:45but this is going to take a little bit of time now.
30:48Probably a dozen to go, so we'll do that Monday.
30:52Come on, Mick, you did say one day.
30:54Well, I suppose a day and a half is still very good.
30:58There was nothing here yesterday.
30:59It was a mud pit.
31:00You know, 24 hours later, there's a shell of a house.
31:08Coming up, an external plaiting that's strong,
31:11chemical-free and good enough to eat.
31:13That's great.
31:15Natural.
31:15Plus, stone benchtops that resist paint stains
31:19and extreme heat.
31:28It's mind-blowing how much the high-tech modular team
31:31have achieved in just five weeks.
31:34And it's not just the foxes' houses.
31:36The whole place is buzzing.
31:39The future is this.
31:42The future is, you know, modular housing.
31:44Now, you know I love sustainability,
31:47and the house of the future needs to be kind to the planet.
31:50So when I first met Rex,
31:52I sent him the challenge to make his modular builds
31:55as environmentally friendly as possible.
31:58Three months on,
31:59and I'm here to see if he actually listened
32:01to my sustainable solutions.
32:02What are we doing in terms of insulation?
32:04So we've upgraded the insulation.
32:06That will be foil board, underflow insulation as well.
32:09So we're turning this Snowgum 60
32:12into the greenest version you've ever done.
32:14A sustainable house.
32:15Exactly right.
32:16Now, I hear there's been some positive news
32:18on the windows.
32:19Yes, we've got the windows.
32:21Double glazed.
32:21Double glazed as well.
32:23With our mates at Dow.
32:24On day one, you insisted on that,
32:26and we've got that.
32:27Good on you, mate.
32:28Yeah, we've got the double glazed.
32:29You are leaping ahead in environmental bounds,
32:32aren't you?
32:32Yes, yes, yes.
32:35He's also upgraded the homes
32:37with an external cladding
32:38that's beautiful,
32:39environmentally sustainable,
32:40and a case study in Aussie manufacturing,
32:44taking on the world and winning.
32:48This is Weathertex.
32:50Exterior cladding.
32:51Termite-proof, chemical-free,
32:54strong and affordable.
32:56You guys are making world-class external cladding,
32:59and it's not every day you can get cladding
33:01that's 97% natural material,
33:043% parapin,
33:05that can actually bend.
33:06Yeah, absolutely, like this.
33:08The process begins with waste.
33:11That big pile of discarded Aussie hardwood chips.
33:14They're the logs that normally get left
33:15on the forest floor.
33:17Wow.
33:17Because the logs that we get are, you know,
33:19are bent or got holes in it
33:20and not much, nothing you can do with it.
33:22So we get the logs that leave on the forest floor,
33:25and we chip them back up and produce Weathertex.
33:28Oh, look at that.
33:28Then steam is used to smash the chips into fibre.
33:34They're taking that raw material,
33:36all that lovely eucalyptus,
33:3820 different varieties,
33:39they're grinding it up
33:40and they're pushing it into a mat
33:42that's about a little over 40 millimetres thick,
33:46and then they press it together
33:48under high strength and heat
33:50without any glues or polymers,
33:53just using one natural derivative
33:55that occurs naturally in the timber,
33:57and that's called lignin.
34:02And there's no chemicals in this whatsoever.
34:06Timber fibre,
34:08a bit of wax and water.
34:14How does it taste?
34:15Tastes great.
34:17Natural.
34:18Beautiful.
34:18I am, just for a change,
34:26stuck in meetings
34:27and trying to get my DA approved.
34:296-1-0 for treasure.
34:30But shopping needs to be done
34:32and waits for no man or woman.
34:34So first up,
34:35style queen Amika Jane
34:36is on the case for tiles.
34:39Alicia!
34:40Hi!
34:41How are you?
34:42Good.
34:42Jamie and I love this trans-stereo feel
34:45where we bring the outdoor in
34:46and the indoor out.
34:48And the way we find
34:49is the best to seamlessly achieve that
34:51is having the same tile
34:52lie throughout the floor.
34:59So we're looking for some natural stone
35:01for outdoors.
35:02I am, natural stone.
35:03I want something either side of the door
35:05that kind of feels grand and warm.
35:07Yeah.
35:07We want to mimic the bluestone
35:09that we're finding on the farm.
35:10I think this one could definitely work for you.
35:12Yeah, I agree.
35:13It's a bluestone backing
35:13that has a lot of warmth
35:15and the rustic sort of feel on it.
35:16So we're bringing those warm tones
35:18from inside
35:18and then we'll take them outside
35:20with the bluestone
35:21and really tie that in.
35:22I love that.
35:23Yeah.
35:23It's really beautiful.
35:24It's beautiful.
35:25That's definitely going to work.
35:25And it's a crazy babe too.
35:26I've always wanted to use crazy babe.
35:28All right.
35:29Let's go.
35:29No time like the present.
35:32Yeah, yeah.
35:35No, no.
35:35I'm running late
35:36but I've got to go.
35:37Okay.
35:39Hey, ladies.
35:40How are we?
35:42Sorry I'm late.
35:43I don't think we're going to need you, Jamie.
35:45Really?
35:45Now we're done.
35:46We chose everything.
35:47You picked everything?
35:48We picked absolutely everything.
35:50Really?
35:50Yeah.
35:51Happy wife, happy life.
35:52We understand.
35:53He's learning.
35:55There was one more thing that we had to do
35:57but I wanted to do it with you.
35:58Okay.
35:58Okay?
35:59Good.
35:59I love it.
35:59These are a new mosaic that's just come in.
36:03Part of the circular economy.
36:05They are recycled from TV screens and monitors.
36:10They're crushed up glass, handmade in Italy.
36:13So B Corp certified by Florum.
36:15So this is recycled TV screens?
36:16Recycled TV screens.
36:18So it's true.
36:21TV really is dead.
36:23We're even making tiles out of them now.
36:25That's right.
36:26Well, at least they'll end up in my house.
36:28Yes.
36:29Probably from one of my shows.
36:30Probably.
36:31Probably.
36:32This is good.
36:33This is what the project needs.
36:35I feel quite redundant.
36:37Well, you might be.
36:38I wasn't needed here at all, was I?
36:40Not really.
36:41Mm.
36:43I love it.
36:44We're happy with that.
36:45Thanks, Alicia.
36:46Anytime.
36:46Good job.
36:47Love it.
36:48Thanks, Coox.
36:48Good job, darling.
36:49Sean and I have teamed up and are on the hunt to find our kitchen benchtops.
36:55It's a very different type of manufactured stone.
36:58Neolith have a range of low-silica, sintered stone benchtops that are 100% carbon neutral.
37:05Con, how are you, mate?
37:06Good to see you again.
37:06Very nice to see you.
37:07Sean.
37:08This is Sean.
37:08Nice to meet you.
37:08Welcome to Neolith.
37:10Just a few selections here, Sean-o.
37:12So hopefully we're going to find something for you.
37:15This is the fun part.
37:16So we're going to use this as our test dummy.
37:19So we'll talk about stain resistance.
37:21Jamie, I'd like to hand you this, being the creative one.
37:24Thank you very much.
37:25Please go for it.
37:26Let's see what you can design right here.
37:27All right, excellent.
37:36We're going to let that dry there for a while.
37:38Really?
37:39Let it dry.
37:40We'll come past and we'll see if it actually can wipe off.
37:43And then we'll try and clean that up.
37:44Con says these beautiful slabs are the toughest yet.
37:48We're going to test out the heat resistance here.
37:50And I'm here to put them to the test.
37:51Whoa.
37:52Look at that.
37:54And there's no marks at all.
37:56There's no marks there.
37:57And you could do that on a white bench top.
37:59Yeah.
38:00Still the same.
38:00No marks.
38:01Correct.
38:01Very nice.
38:02So hot pots directly onto the surface aren't going to damage the material whatsoever.
38:05You just take your pan out of the oven.
38:07Yep.
38:07Straight onto the bench top.
38:08No problems at all.
38:09That makes my day.
38:11That's really cool.
38:11It's good, mate.
38:12That's very cool.
38:13It's good.
38:13We've now spray painted this.
38:18We've set it on fire.
38:19We've just seen Jamie do.
38:20Now we're going to try and clean it off.
38:25Now look at this, guys.
38:27Wow.
38:28It's cleaned right off.
38:28We can still see the graffiti that Jamie had done for us.
38:32Now we know there's nothing the kids are going to damage this with.
38:34Oh, yeah.
38:34They're not going to mark it.
38:35They can go with their texters and do whatever they like.
38:38It is literally bulletproof, my friend.
38:39Yeah.
38:40I am blown away by that.
38:42I really am.
38:42It's amazing.
38:43I really am.
38:47Coming up...
38:47Well, I'll tell you what, there's a skip in your step.
38:49...a solar Santa bestows gifts to the Foxes.
38:52You will actually be making money out of your home every year.
38:56At the high-tech modular factory in Western Sydney, the Foxes' modular homes are flying
39:11ahead, without delay and within budget.
39:15I've dropped by to see Michael and Helen Fox, which might make me feel a little left behind.
39:20Oh, look at this.
39:23Oh, my God.
39:24It's beautiful.
39:26And I noticed there's a little window from the kitchen there, so you can keep an eye on
39:30Michael.
39:30On Michael.
39:31Is that right?
39:31Is that what that's about?
39:32Nah.
39:33Just as well, mate.
39:34Yeah.
39:34I just wanted to make sure you were still keeping your privacy and your bachelor pad over there.
39:40No windows on that side of the room.
39:41Perfect.
39:42That's good, yeah.
39:43Okay.
39:44Oh, yeah.
39:44Jamie, yeah.
39:45He's good fun.
39:46He loves to tease us, doesn't he?
39:48Go and tap those windows.
39:49Hey.
39:50Look at that.
39:50Woo-hoo.
39:51Here you go.
39:51Woo-hoo.
39:53Oh, pretty good.
39:55Solid.
39:55Solid, isn't it?
39:56Pretty good.
39:56Pretty good.
39:56Anything.
39:57Yeah.
39:57Michael, your breakfast bench here, is there a reason for it?
40:02Will you be serving breakfast to anyone at any stage?
40:05Well, I'm hoping.
40:06You're hoping.
40:07I'm seeing it.
40:10This is what healthy separation's all about, isn't it?
40:13Yeah.
40:14Baked beans on toast.
40:15He's already thinking.
40:17Did you used to get breakfast?
40:18No.
40:19No?
40:19No.
40:20No.
40:21Interesting that he's building a breakfast bench then, isn't it?
40:24Hey.
40:27You guys are experiencing the cost of living crisis just like the rest of Australia.
40:33Mm-hmm.
40:33Yeah.
40:34Yeah.
40:34High energy bills, all that sort of stuff.
40:38I've got a bloke who I think can help solve this problem for you.
40:41Oh, wow.
40:42Um, where is he?
40:44Matt?
40:45Are you around, mate?
40:47Helen?
40:47Helen?
40:48Michael?
40:48Matt Somerville, CEO of Renewco Solar, has come up with a clever plan to turn the Fox's
40:55Blackheath cottages into renewable, money-saving powerhouses.
40:59Matt, tell them what you've got in store, my friend.
41:02So, what we're going to do for you guys is supply and install a 48 kilowatt SIG energy battery
41:12per house.
41:13Wow.
41:14Plus, also cover the entire roof space with REC Alpha Series panels.
41:21Oh, my gosh.
41:22So, roughly 10 to 15 kilowatt of solar per house.
41:25Oh, wow.
41:26With the right energy plan, signing up for something called Amber Electric, if you've ever heard of it.
41:31Yeah.
41:32You'll be able to capitalise on, like, price spikes and the system will automatically feed power back to the grid.
41:39Yes.
41:39Because it provides battery storage.
41:40Yes.
41:41And we estimate $4,000-ish a year in credit per house.
41:45Wow.
41:46So, there'll be no energy costs.
41:47Yeah.
41:48Oh, my gosh.
41:49So, you won't just have no more bills.
41:51Thank you so much.
41:52You will actually be making money out of your home every year.
41:57Yeah.
41:58Oh, my God.
42:02That's you too, Michael.
42:04Come on, mate.
42:05Come on.
42:06Come on, mate.
42:09She gets a bit emotional.
42:10I did mention this.
42:14As our future homes take shape, it's time to lock in crucial bathroom decisions.
42:20And Sarah Colcini has a very clear idea of what she's looking for in the Otty showroom.
42:25We're looking for more earthy, natural kind of tone.
42:28So, looking at the timber features that they have here at Otty.
42:31Oh, wow.
42:33Look at this.
42:33Yeah, it looks good, isn't it?
42:34Isn't it nice?
42:36The Otty showroom is gorgeous.
42:37It's beautiful.
42:38The products in there just jump out at you, don't they?
42:41Yeah.
42:41They look amazing.
42:42Oh, here we go.
42:43This is nice.
42:43Oh, yes.
42:44I like that.
42:44This one looks more like oak.
42:45This is the fun part for me, picking out all of the things that are going to style our house
42:50and make it feel like home.
42:52So, this is the Byron collection.
42:54So, this one, all fluted, all natural timber.
42:57With the drawers, they're all soft closing.
42:59Okay.
42:59So, you're not going to have all the banging that comes with having kids using the drawers.
43:04Yes.
43:04And, of course, it's water-resistant, being plywood.
43:07So, that's the difference with the Otty, is that everything is water-resistant.
43:10Great.
43:11So, I wish I had a bathroom big enough to fit there.
43:13No room for a bath.
43:14I can always put one on the deck.
43:17Yeah, you wanted one on the deck, didn't you?
43:19Yeah.
43:19I'd really love to have that bath outside.
43:21Oh, yes.
43:22Helen likes the idea of an outdoor bath.
43:25Not in winter.
43:26I'm sure one of those with the spa fittings and everything would look really nice outside
43:31with the possums to come and have a soak with her.
43:35Yeah.
43:36Really good.
43:38Coming up, Sean turns timber into treasure, creating a beautiful gift for his new home.
43:44These are things that I can add a little bit of my art and my creativity to our home.
43:57G'day.
43:58Phil.
43:59How you going?
43:59Very nice to see you.
44:00Welcome, Dakota.
44:01Oh, mate.
44:02Yes, how are you, mate?
44:02Good to see you.
44:04For over 20 years, Koda has been at the forefront of global lighting trends and technology.
44:10And you do indoor and outdoor?
44:11We do, yeah.
44:12We're a one-stop shop, whether it be wall, pendant, garden or architectural.
44:18So, I've engaged the internationally renowned Koda Lighting Team to design the lighting plan
44:24for my 3D printed home.
44:26We're finding that genuine, authentic material-based product, sustainable, recycled is a big push
44:34and we're happy to be able to provide that to the Australian market.
44:40Well, I'm aware of David Pompa's work.
44:42Yes.
44:42I've seen him all through Milan and Europe.
44:45Yeah.
44:46From Mexico City, David sources everyday materials and showcases the beauty of them in these products.
44:52And so, this is the recycled glass?
44:55Yes.
44:55As a wall sconce?
44:56Exactly.
44:57This is the Trufa Light.
44:58Yeah.
44:58You've got the frosted or the clear.
44:59Yeah.
45:00But you can see, really, if you look at the detail, the imperfections and the bubbles that come through,
45:04he really wants to accentuate that, that it is repurposed and recycled glass
45:08and each piece that you buy will be different from the next.
45:11With so many innovative products on show, it's fantastic that Koda offer an expert consultation service
45:17to help you navigate your choices and find the right lights for your home.
45:23All right.
45:24Well, I can see lots of different dots running through here.
45:27Walk me through it.
45:27So, your columns are amazing.
45:29They've been fantastic to design with.
45:31My concrete trees.
45:32Yes.
45:33So, we've actually taken to lighting those from the ground.
45:36If you can put any of the lights in the ground, lighting up, instantly it elevates the feel
45:41of the space.
45:42Yeah.
45:43Very elegant, very thoughtful, and I haven't had to lift a finger.
45:48That's how we like to do it.
45:55So, we're doing a knockdown rebuild.
45:57Okay.
45:57And we're looking for some stylish, functional flooring for our new home.
46:02Okay.
46:02And I can see you've got a little one here.
46:04Yes.
46:04So, you're probably looking for something that's going to be really good with the kids
46:07in the house, are you?
46:08Yes.
46:08So, we've got three children, five and under.
46:10Oh, okay.
46:11So, definitely something hard-wearing, stain-resistant.
46:14Excellent.
46:14Well, let me show you a couple of options.
46:16Come on through.
46:16Thanks.
46:17I want to show you this wool collection here, the Prospect Valley.
46:20You're looking at 100% wool carpet, which is Australian-made, which is what we love here
46:25at Carpet Court.
46:25So, you find with this, it's hyperallergenic, and it's got a natural stain-resistance and
46:32a fire-resistance as well with the product.
46:34I'd love to have a bit of a look at the different colours.
46:38This just kind of gives you an idea.
46:40I think this middle one is actually looking like it's going to be the best option.
46:44I like the little flex in it, and I think it'll hide the stains or damage.
46:48Earlier, Sean was busy at the lathe, attempting to craft some peace of mind, some custom door
46:55handles to add a personal touch to his new home, and now they're ready to be installed.
47:01So, these are the door handles.
47:04So, this is the two handles.
47:08So, there's a matching set.
47:09That's the front of the door, the external at the top, and that's the back.
47:15So, it took probably about 20 hours of work to get to this point.
47:19Yeah, really happy.
47:20I'm glad I could make something for the house.
47:24Like, it's one of those things that you always want to do as much as you can.
47:27So, these are the things that I can add a little bit of my art and my creativity to our home.
47:35All right, off to the join as they go.
47:39Next week on Future House, with the other two houses well on the way, I'm back at 3D
47:46Contour to see if my concrete print is actually going to work.
47:51It's a bit experimental.
47:52I think we're on our fourth test now.
47:53I sit down with the Federal Housing Minister, Honourable Claire O'Neill, to see what we can
47:58do together to help cut some of this housing red tape.
48:02We are building homes in Australia basically the same way that we were 40 years ago, and
48:06if we're going to build faster, we need that to change.
48:09We meet a family who hasn't had an energy bill in years, and are actually making monthly
48:14profits.
48:15Giving you power back at the lowest price.
48:17Correct.
48:18They're going to show us how you can do it as well.
48:20And it's moving day at the Foxes.
48:23But are they ready?
48:24We're going to show you how you can do it as well.
48:25We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:26We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:27We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:28We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:29We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:30We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:31We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:32We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:33We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:34We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:35We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:36We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:37We're going to show you how you can do it.
48:38We're going to show you how you can do it.
Be the first to comment