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00:00For most of us recycling's a simple affair separating your paper from your
00:14bottles job done. But what if you wanted to take it much more seriously? What if
00:22you wanted to build your house out of materials like plastic bags and old milk
00:27cartons? What if you had an architecturally designed three-bedroom house in mind but
00:34only a couple of hundred grand to spend? You've got to worry, wouldn't it all look
00:39just a bit rubbish?
00:57Let's go and have a look at the orchard up the gate. Thank you. You definitely need to
01:04have an orchard though.
01:06Ooh, look at those juicy lemons. What do you think Hugo? By rights, James Lecomte and Rita
01:13Ordonez should never have met. He's the son of a builder in Sydney. She grew up in the
01:21mountains of Ecuador. But here they are living in Newcastle after fate brought them together.
01:27Rita and I met at a backpackers in New Orleans after a rather crazy evening of heavy rain and
01:34the ceiling of the hostel collapsing. We had a long distance relationship until Rita moved
01:40out in 2006. I wanted to come to see this guy in Australia. I told all my family about this gringo,
01:47you know, that I met. Not too bad. Gringo or not, things just clicked. They married and
01:53had kids, Hugo and Celeste. Together, there's nothing they enjoy more than being out in nature. The
02:18connection to earth, for me, it's definitely my childhood. Being on my dad's farm and my
02:24grandparents' farm. Picking fresh fruit from the trees and eating berries until you feel sick in
02:31the tummy. So all of that is very important for me. Let me see your tongue, Hugo. Let's get some fruit
02:38and veggies, shall we? The family spent years travelling the world, living in five different
02:43countries. Rita teaching and James working in international trade development. But their
02:51lives changed with a move to Ecuador, where Rita's dad found cacao trees used to make the
02:58world's best dark chocolate. I decided to take the leap into, I guess, a passion project which
03:05was investing in a luxury chocolate business from Ecuador. And that's where I'm working today
03:12and I do that remotely. It's exquisite handmade stuff. How exquisite? As much as $8,000 a kilo
03:23for the very best quality. You'll find it in high-end stores and James' personal stash. I love
03:33the crunchiness of caramel. It's a good combo. After all that travelling, they moved back
03:38to Australia, looking for somewhere to dig roots deep into the earth. They found that
03:45place in an idyllic little community nestled among the rolling hills of the Hunter Valley,
03:5145 minutes from Newcastle. It's a big farm that's owned by 29 families. We're all shareholders
03:59in the farm. And the idea is that we build in a way that's sustainable and it's sensitive to the
04:05environment that we're building in as well. The first time we came, I said to James,
04:10James, look at the hills. It's like Ecuador. I love it. For me especially, I would like to see my
04:16children growing up in a place where they can see the stars, where they can interact with animals,
04:21where they can be around neighbours and friends. And that's a huge part of this place. They call
04:30it an intentional community, which involves everyone working together towards a shared goal
04:36of sustainability. This is an extraordinary place you've got here, yeah? It is. The landscape is pretty
04:45remarkable looking around. Wow. But it comes with a catch, right? Because it's not just on its own,
04:50it's got this community wrapped around it. That's right. Yeah. Yeah, we love that aspect of it,
04:55actually. Yeah? Yeah. We didn't want to be isolated on a farm all by ourselves, so having our neighbours
05:01and our friends nearby is a big plus. It's a good thing. It is. Yeah. And there's also going to be a real
05:07social aspect to the build as well. The fact that my dad and my father-in-law are going to be building
05:15it with me, you know? Hang on a second. Just go back one step now. Your dad and your father, your dad and
05:20your father-in-law. Yeah. My dad said that he's probably not able to live as a huge inheritance or
05:27something like that, but he wants to help and this is part of his contribution. That's really, that's lovely.
05:33A nice gift. It's a lovely gift, isn't it? Yeah. Tell me, you know, paint the picture for me. What is the dream?
05:38We're going to build a single-storey house. We've got this philosophy about building with materials that
05:47are recyclable or biodegradable and, you know, zero toxin. Simple to say, but difficult to execute. And
05:56it's all got to be off-grid. Designed by architect Morton Pedersen, this house embodies environmental
06:06ambitions, starting with an earthen floor made from layers of granite, pumice and clay. James
06:13and Rita want a barefoot connection to the planet. A recyclable steel frame will be clad in biodegradable
06:20wood fibre panels. On one side, a study and two bedrooms for the kids. Feature walls will be built of bricks,
06:28handmade on site. The two bathrooms will sit back to back, one for the kids, the other, James and Rita's en suite.
06:38In the main living space, the eco-factor really cranks up. Rita will handcraft kitchen tiles for the splashback,
06:48while the kitchen walls and ceiling are ingeniously fashioned from recycled plastic bags, those environmental terrorists.
06:56Upstairs, there's a mezzanine art space. The house will be fully off-grid. Solar power, rainwater tanks,
07:04composting toilets and, of course, double-glazed windows. Finally, corrugated iron cladding,
07:10brilliantly bent to wrap around corners, forms a seamless barrier to bugs and bushfires. On paper,
07:18it's eco-excellence, but of course, nothing's ever built on paper.
07:24How long is this thing going to take you to build? Best case would be eight months.
07:30How did you arrive at that number? Spreadsheets. I spend quite a bit of time in spreadsheets
07:36in my day job. They're only as good as the information you put in, you know? That's right.
07:40Yeah. That's a pretty ambitious timeline, only because not the scale so much as the experience.
07:44Knowing where you're going and those are things, and you'll have to make the mistakes in order to
07:48correct them and move along. What about budget? Yeah, there's not a lot of it. So, 230 grand.
07:56Really? You serious? Yep. Yep.
08:02That's...that's not very much money at all. If you look at it in a new build, it can be up to 50%
08:10of the cost can be in the labour. You know, 230, multiply that by two, it's a $460,000 house.
08:16Okay. And in a year and a half from now, when I'm standing here talking to you, and we're
08:21still looking at the building that's about to go into lock up, what will you be telling
08:25me then? Um... Which...that's not ours. That's the neighbour's house.
08:31This one is ours, because we're going to finish. Really? In my book, something doesn't quite
08:38add up. It's not just the short timeframe and the minuscule budget, but the thing that
08:46really worries me is that these guys are novice builders working with new and experimental
08:51methods and materials. It's a bit like fancy chocolate. If you want the really good stuff,
08:58made with organic, hand-picked ingredients from the hills of the gods, that's going to cost
09:03you. Big time.
09:12There's a mid-winter chill in the air, but you couldn't get a more perfect morning to start
09:17the adventure of a lifetime.
09:20Well, today's a really big day. It's the first day that we're going to be breaking ground.
09:24I've got this little beauty with me. She's a five and a half tonne excavator. I just finished
09:30a five-day crash course on exactly this machine, actually, which is great. So I'm feeling quietly
09:37confident.
09:38Leveling a block is a skill that can take months to master. James is bravely taking it on
09:45with just a few days' instruction.
09:48Commission. Engage the hydraulics. Lift the revs a bit. Lift up the blade a little bit.
09:59Here we go.
10:00That's what I'm talking about. Ooh. Well, this is me breaking ground on my own property. I've
10:22got to say, it feels pretty good. It's kind of pleasurable watching the earth sort of curl
10:29up a little bit like butter.
10:34James is in heaven moving earth, and he's in good company. As promised, Dad's army is here
10:40to help. Secret weapon number one is father-in-law Italo, a retired politician.
10:47Some places, the just thing is, you see, you go a little bit deeper. Yeah.
10:51He's flown out from Ecuador to lend a hand.
10:54I am really very happy because I am sure I am helping my family. And I am sure we are
11:02going to overcome this challenge.
11:04I'll give you some instruction on the blade with the razor.
11:08James' dad, Steve, is secret weapon number two. And while he'll be coming and going from
11:14the site, the best news is he's a retired builder.
11:18What are you thinking, Dad? Well, you're probably going a little bit deep.
11:24Up a bit or...? Yeah, up a bit. I run that lot right through now. He's doing well. It's
11:30a bit tougher than I think he thought it would be. But, you know, when you're on a new piece
11:34of equipment, something you haven't used before, it's not easy. But he's making a good job of
11:39it. I'm quite proud of him. He's doing well.
11:4145 minutes away, at their rental in Newcastle, Rita and the kids are settling into a different
11:54existence.
11:55James has been staying at the build site because sometimes driving back takes a long time.
12:01I think he's more productive at the build site when James is there early, early in the
12:07morning.
12:08It's a lot for Rita to take on solo. To pay the bills, she's working full time as a teacher,
12:14as well as looking after the kids.
12:16Let's make these tiles with the clay that you collected, Hugo.
12:20But she's still finding time for everyone to stay connected to the build. They're making
12:26tiles for the kitchen.
12:28What makes it so special is that we're making them together. And we are using the soil from
12:35the size, which makes it even more special because it feels like a house is really providing
12:41everything for us.
12:44The tiles won't just save money on the tiny budget, they're taking Rita back to her roots.
12:50These tiles are definitely inspired by Ecuadorian pottery. It's definitely a bit of going down
12:59memory lane. The colour of my city where I come from is all terracottas because it's huge.
13:05Pottery is huge where I come from. So it's good to bring that bit of home to Australia.
13:16Even at this early stage, Rita is clearly thinking more about a home than a house.
13:22I just hope it lives up to her dreams.
13:25You know, we are successful. We can make the bathroom tiles. Maybe not.
13:31Before embarking on this build, James researched every aspect, looking for sustainable options
13:45and ways to save money. Lots of money. One of the tools he'll need has arrived from a most
13:52unexpected place.
13:54We just drove back from Sydney at the docks where I picked up this big box that arrived
14:00from India. It is a compressed earth brick making machine, so we're going to be able to
14:04make our own bricks with this.
14:06You've got to hand it to James. He's not afraid to think outside the box.
14:18If they can get it open.
14:23This is against theft.
14:25Anti-theft.
14:27Anti-theft.
14:28Anti-theft packaging.
14:31Yeah, I love the energy of having the two dads around. They just get stuck into it straight away.
14:41Whoo! There she is in all her glory.
14:44Little brick machine.
14:46This is an exciting moment, I think, for Italo because he's been designated
14:50Chief Brick Maker for the job.
14:53Yes.
14:54We're going to see a good quantity of bricks coming out.
14:58Isn't that right, Italo?
14:59Yes, sir.
15:06James needs about 6,000 bricks to make three internal feature walls.
15:12Italo has his work cut out.
15:14I never made blocks, but I think it's going to be my new profession.
15:24Much like Rita's tiles, these bricks will be highly sustainable,
15:27made largely from clay and soil found on site, mixed with a little cement and water.
15:34More water?
15:35A bit more water, yeah.
15:37Unlike conventional bricks, the mix isn't fired in a kiln.
15:42This is the...
15:44It makes the pressure.
15:45It's compressed, using nothing but human muscle.
15:48Look at those beauties.
15:51Steven and myself did a good job.
15:55Put them on the rack to dry.
15:56Yeah.
15:57I think we've started production.
16:02Two down, 5,998 to go.
16:03Did they really say this house would be finished in eight months?
16:05Good job, mister.
16:06Good job.
16:07Good job.
16:08We must be proud of ourselves.
16:09We are.
16:10Absolutely.
16:11Absolutely.
16:12Absolutely.
16:13Absolutely.
16:14Absolutely.
16:15Absolutely.
16:16Absolutely.
16:17Yeah.
16:18It's taken James two months to level and set out the site.
16:21Fair effort for a first-timer, but there's a deadline looming large.
16:41Rita's favourite part of the entire built is the concrete pour, so she's been eager to
16:45Rita's favourite part of the entire build is the concrete pour so she's been eager to see that
16:51happen but before we can do any of that we needed to really finish the excavation work a huge amount
16:56of earthworks had to level the site mark out all of the the trench lines dig the trenches put up
17:03the formwork with the concrete trucks beelining to site some of the neighbours are chipping in
17:10to get it ready then where you've got the trench yeah that runs into the pit yeah been working
17:16really closely today with Marco on setting out the land Marco's gone through all of this before
17:21and he's worked on a number of the houses here you know one of the great things about being on
17:26a community is that you can at fairly short notice give some help to to a friend and neighbor 16 i'm
17:31just helping out as a as an extra set of hands to prepare for this big moment which is the concrete
17:37poor which is it's a bit of a cliche but as we all know getting out of the ground is the hardest bit
17:42of building a house um there's a few more hard bits to come james will james will learn that as he goes
17:50dave's here too and he's a good man to know he's a concreter in a community in a place like this
17:57there's really a different feel everyone's vibe here is really really lovely so it rubs off we rub
18:03often each other you know we we help each other there's humour there's kindness you know there
18:08people come out and offer you lunch and and all sorts of things and you know people walk around
18:12they're happy yeah so what a beautiful place to work in
18:23while concrete has a huge carbon footprint james has minimized the impact by only using strip footings
18:31not a whole slab even better he's found a greener variety we chose to go with an eco packed concrete
18:40because apparently it's about 30 to 90 percent more environmentally friendly than regular concrete
18:48this concrete reduces carbon emissions by using recycled demolition material in the mix
18:54and it's healthy for the budget too 20 percent cheaper than many traditional products
19:06i just called my mom in ecuador because she of course has to be part of it she was like wow the house
19:12looks big and beautiful and so excited yeah my mom's really excited she's always telling me oh i can't
19:20wait we're going to plant the mango tree here and then when you when my grandchildren are older they'll
19:25climb it and eat mango and there'll be an old lady thinking oh i planted that and she's always
19:31she loves it a lot my mom
19:35i think i'm going to change careers what do you think i'm going to make a smiley face what do you think
19:40you think i'm going to make a smiley face what's going to be a smiley face what's going to be a smiley face
19:43in just four hours the start of the family's ethereal hopes and dreams has been set solid in concrete
19:51i guess it's quite a milestone you know it's it's getting the concrete poured it's the footings that
19:56are going to hold up our family home which we're you know plan to live in for a very long time
20:02so yeah it's a special moment today we're going to enjoy the rest of today together admiring admiring
20:08the work i think
20:15but there's no time for dilly dallying on this building site james and reta want to build with
20:21zero waste not easy in an industry renowned for it which means a lot of research into recycled products
20:28and they've managed to source what could be a great solution to the planet's plastic plague
20:34i hired a truck i've loaded it up with a bunch of soft plastic waste from the building site
20:40which i was hoping not to send to landfill and very excited to have found a company that turns soft
20:46plastics into boards that we're going to use to line our walls and ceilings so looking forward to
20:53checking it all out at the factory
21:03all right how are you going james yeah paul charteris is behind the operation which is frankly a near
21:10perfect example of recycling the company creates building panels out of soft plastics combined with
21:17old milk cartons james plans to paint them and use them as internal walls instead of actually using
21:25trees we're actually using packaging fiber consumer waste so i mean i basically brought a bunch of soft
21:33plastic yeah and this is low density polyethylene it's our glue basically there we go
21:40it's not even complicated first the plastic and cartons are chopped up
21:53heated to 250 degrees the plastic becomes a kind of glue
22:01then it's pressed flat under 200 tons of pressure
22:04if you're wondering that's just steam there are no toxic chemical emissions
22:14and this is your finished board wow under here we'll pull this back and you can sort of see this
22:19is the exposed black uh-huh which is what you're looking at putting in your um your place so 100
22:26percent upcycled you'd be able to see some of the different plastics and cartons but you know
22:31you know it's all your waste and you know post-consumer waste that's gone into it
22:38i mean i just feel really good about the fact that i haven't had to take it all to landfill
22:43i've thrown it into this conveyor belt which spits out new building materials which are going to go
22:48on our ceiling on our walls
22:50the euphoria of the plastic doesn't last long three months into the eight month schedule it's replaced
23:02by hot hard graft it's a drudgery of james and reta's own making they want the house to be deeply
23:10connected to the planet through an earthen floor
23:12one of the coolest things about the earthen floor is that it recreates the sensation and
23:20the the exact feeling of walking barefoot on the earth one of the big benefits of that is that it
23:27allows you to still be connected to the energetic vibrations of the earth and that's something that
23:33as humans we've been enjoying for millions and millions of years and we'll be able to enjoy it
23:38in our house walking bare feet bare feet and energy flows interesting and it's far from the easy option
23:47a traditional house like this would probably have a concrete slab across the entire base
23:52but that's got a huge amount of embodied energy um and it wasn't really the the feel the natural feel
23:59that we wanted um for this house the earthen floor will consist of compacted layers of granite
24:05aggregate for waterproofing then pumice for insulation then road base then polished clay
24:13it might be terrific for energy flow but it sure sounds heavy it's you know it alone myself now and uh
24:21tons and tons and tons of material to move so we've shifted 25 ton of granite um we've shifted
24:29about 15 ton of pumice we've had some really hot days as well so it's just been a really laborious
24:37part of the build the upside of all that mass the floor should keep the house warm in winter and cool
24:45in summer how italo is keeping his cool i'll never know but he is and i'm doing with great pleasure
24:56besides the people around here are the best i ever seen so i feel very well
25:14where's this one going on top yeah
25:18unfortunately two months later very well is not how you describe progress
25:24the floor still isn't finished in his inexperience james has underestimated just how long everything
25:34takes that spreadsheet schedules in trouble but now there should be visible progress
25:43today is a i guess you'd say momentous day we're we're aiming to put up the first part of the frame i've
25:49got uh some good mates uh here to help as well as uh my dad and italo you know i'm an old man i was
25:56still back james has chosen steel frames which at first glance don't scream sustainable but he has
26:04his reasons we didn't want to use any treated timber products in the house um because it's you know coated
26:10in really toxic material and we don't want that in our house we're trying to build a really healthy home for
26:14the family there's no perfect solution of course because we opted with steel which has a lot of
26:20issues as well but at the end of the day the steel is a hundred percent recyclable
26:26i can't see a number on this one the frame comes in pieces like a giant jigsaw puzzle
26:32it was delivered on schedule months ago and the floor delay hasn't helped the frames are all numbered but
26:39unfortunately they've been here for so long that uh the numbers are faded in the sun so sometimes
26:44they're a bit difficult to read plus as you can see the grass is growing up around them
26:50look here here it is w4 w4 is over in that corner this would be a sliding door this is a sliding door
27:00the right pieces are eventually unearthed they're right here i think isn't it but for the first
27:08time on the build james has the jitters i've never put up a frame before um and i really don't like
27:16putting together furniture and so this is like putting together a giant piece of furniture
27:20so it's a little overwhelming and confusing what dimension did you get james 11 meters to the millimetre
27:2611 meters to the millimetre i guess i don't think i would have gone into this if i didn't have a dad
27:32who was a builder in the moment when you're doing something for the first time and you really want
27:37to make sure you get it right having somebody who knows what they're doing and has done it so many
27:42times before having them right there is priceless i think we should get some timber braces okay and uh
27:48and then put this one up that's the bottom steve's earning his keep today leading the team to erect
27:55the first frame that goes right on this corner right yeah go on inside yeah if you can just hold
28:02that there you can underneath it yep and are we okay with the position of it and everything
28:15it's so exciting it's good it's happening we're getting a house i think
28:20the light weight frames are slotting in perfectly those frames have been lying on the ground next
28:29to the site haunting me for months saying put me up put me up we'll get it easily nice
28:36okay cool it's good vibes all round james and rita aren't just building a house they're building a place in this
28:48unique community cj has been cheering them on from the sidelines you know i'll walk past this place
28:56how's it going james oh yeah we're getting there it's always positive he's always optimistic
29:02while john has been on sundowner refreshments their spirit is infectious you know it draws in
29:09people to come and stand in the blazing sun and and how you know just hold things up while somebody
29:15drills a hole in something you know you enjoy it and you have a beer and a barbecue afterwards
29:25every wednesday the village gets together to sort out local issues they have their share
29:33margie breville has been here since day dot eight years ago people who would buy into this
29:40sort of a situation of very strong individuals and to get a lot of very strong individuals
29:50to live in harmony is i guess our challenge
29:57no individual here is stronger than jane perkis she built the eco village's very first house
30:04hello jane hello anthony how are you and i can't help but wonder what motivated her to take such a
30:11radical step on what was quite an unconventional project jane you had the honor i suppose of building
30:18the first house here is that right i do have that honor and when i hear that said i think i actually did
30:24that and i get really excited how long ago was that uh that was seven years ago when i just before i
30:30turned 80 i walked into here so that was wonderful yeah what makes it so special it's special because
30:37a lot of people got together a number of people got together with the idea that we needed to live
30:42differently on the earth to care for the earth yeah to do it with others and just to recreate the
30:50idea of a rural farm and village none of us could have afforded this absolutely glorious land
30:55uh by ourselves but we could do that when we got together yeah we all have our own home sites that
31:02we build on but we've got all the rest of the property that we share and it's quite a magic thing to do
31:12certainly james and reta have fallen under the village's spell
31:15fantastic hi welcome hello look at you two this is the this is the idea becoming reality it is
31:27welcome congratulations it's looking like you're making some real progress here you're out of the
31:31ground this is what your dream looks like you're starting to see it now how does it feel it is great
31:37to me it's just perfect it's not anything else or anything not too small it's just perfect any surprises
31:45so far i think it's the floors the whole process of the earthen floors that we really want to make
31:50it happen that i think probably so far has been the hardest part of the house yeah yeah this is a
31:55really important thing for you isn't it yeah yeah to feel the earth that way yeah it really ties into
32:00that idea of a healthy home and a home that doesn't just have zero toxins but actually adds health
32:09benefits it's health positive health positive yeah yeah when i look around forgive me for saying this but
32:14i see steel in the walls i see a steel clad building i see yeah self-made bricks and all that stuff but
32:20i'm i'm not seeing the usual trappings of what i'd expect to see for a sustainable home sure there's
32:25no hemp there's no mud there's none of these sorts of traditional materials and so on how do we read
32:31sustainable out of the house yeah it's a great question so the principles were using biodegradable
32:38materials or recyclable or recycled materials so steel is recyclable endlessly recyclable but in
32:46terms of getting that sustainable feel um the whole steel frame will be completely hidden it'll be
32:52wrapped in um you know in wood fiber panels and then it'll be finished with a lovely clay plaster on
32:59the inside so how are you going i mean you're doing this to save money but how are you going on the budget
33:03then because 230 000 is what you're aiming for that's an exceedingly small amount of money yeah
33:09budget's probably creeped up to 250 um around about 250. so 20 grand in that scheme of things doesn't
33:17sound like much but it is with this tiny budget it's quite a lot it's quite a lot yeah 10 15 percent
33:22and you're five months in so when you said eight months was your total build time yeah i think so
33:28i'm pretty sure actually thinking that we need to realistically add another possibly month and a
33:34half two months to to that original time frame yeah okay and that's at the moment i mean i don't know
33:39if there'll be any surprises you know i will bet there will be some more surprises there will be some
33:44more surprises the biggest surprise to me will be if james gets this done in anything like 10 months
33:52italy so come the new year he's staying on site in a neighbor's shed but he's very much alone
34:04italo's visa was up he's back in ecuador things have noticeably slowed down and it's not just italo
34:12being away but you know my own dad hasn't been here as much as either of us would like i think he's
34:19got some health issues he's got parkinson's so i guess just brought into focus for me the importance
34:26of choosing healthy building materials because a lot of the you know a lot of the exposure that dad
34:32had in the building industry uh to chemicals and and and the like um have really you know influenced
34:38his current health dad's army was james's secret weapon and only chance of meeting the schedule
34:47now it's gone yeah just there's there's definitely moments when i'm on my own and i'm thinking
34:55what am i doing how am i how am i gonna how am i gonna move this thing forward i you know i don't even
35:01know what what i need to think about um i don't know what i don't know for all his concerns james is
35:11making progress he's finished the frame and started cladding it using remarkable wood panels made from
35:18upcycled waste sawdust they're both breathable and repel water we'll have these boards wrapping the entire
35:25steel frame on the outside and then they'll also wrap the entire steel frame on the inside and so
35:31we'll get around this issue that a lot of houses have where they're not breathable and you have all
35:37sorts of mold and health issues this actually forms an integral part of the entire house functioning as
35:43a as a healthy comfortable living space for us
35:47whatever progress james was making soon grinds to a halt
35:56the chocolate business in ecuador is in need of his business expertise
36:01so he's had to down tools entirely so this is quito ecuador 2500 meters above sea level
36:11it used to be the place that we call home for a number of years so it's a city and a country that
36:17holds a very special place in my heart and i'm here because i have to attend to some
36:24pretty urgent business matters with the chocolate business it's not an ideal time to be traveling
36:31and i'm really hoping that i can get back as soon as possible to the build
36:36all right let's have breakfast i would like to have some eggs james has been living on site most of the
36:41time anyway but this unplanned trip and the ballooning budget has magnified the pressure on rita
36:50being on my own managing the home and the kids and my job has been a little bit trick and the animals
36:57has been a little bit tricky we running out of money running out of time it's been really really
37:05difficult for for me to manage on my own but now on top of that we keep getting more animals aren't we
37:14hey when we're leaving for school everything's kind of like a rush and i often forget things and like
37:20oh my homework oh what a shame you know um because we're kind of always brushing around because my dad's
37:26not here i guess it has been really tricky especially for seller too and of course i'm going to get
37:34emotional and not um being able to do the things she usually likes to do like being in her room and
37:46being dragged to come and i don't know why i got emotional um i keep telling the kids it's all worth
37:57it at the end of the day all this hard work is going to be really really worth it
38:06come june it's still hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel
38:11reality waved goodbye to the spreadsheet's initial eight month schedule ages ago
38:18but with the chocolate business back on track james has been relentlessly grinding on
38:23finishing the wood panels and installing double glazed windows
38:29today a new chapter cladding the house in corrugated iron it will finally be watertight
38:36and for the first time in months dad's army is back on deck with all of its members exciting news is
38:44that italo is back from ecuador i think he would probably say i dragged him out but truth be told
38:52he he was just uh raring to come back and uh it's pretty exciting to have the team back again it's so
39:00great to be back this second time and i am happy because i am sure that i am helping james rita and
39:07my grandchildren to build their their dream they say that so if i am part of building the dream that's
39:15very good for everyone like everything with this house james has done his research he's found special
39:24corrugated iron panels that will elevate the home from shed to chic normally with corrugated iron two
39:31sheets meet at a corner leaving a gap this new invention is a clear case of simple brilliance
39:38have a look at these beautiful curves that's the bend that's what we're all excited about um
39:45it's uh yeah got this beautiful wavy look down the corner of the building on each corner and it's not
39:52just beautiful but it's very functional it uh makes sure that if we have a bushfire there's no embers
39:57that are gonna get in uh no gaps uh also keeps the creepy crawlies out which uh everyone's happy about
40:04so um yeah it's beautiful i'm really really excited to have it on the manufacturers borrowed from origami
40:12to pull off this little trick believe it or not they're the first in the world to manage it
40:18the only shame is it doesn't put itself up
40:28a month on now 12 months into the build it's a mud bath here today james is still working on the panels
40:35like everything on this job it's taking much much longer than he thought
40:39grab one side of it the labor of love has become a daily grind
40:47feels like it's taking forever to get get a few things done but yeah i mean i think getting the
40:53cladding done is going to be um a big milestone okay thanks that looks cool here we go good we're ready
41:02to move in almost never been closer truth is they're not close not by any stretch of the imagination
41:14the earthen floor isn't done the insulation isn't done it's not even close to livable and frankly won't
41:22be anytime soon this bold attempt to build a super cheap super green healthy house might just be an
41:31impossible dream we're kind of running out of money so we're really trying to find ways to save money
41:39with the rent with the bills petrol and time so yeah definitely ready and we need to move
41:58james is feeling the stress too when not on site
42:02the forest surrounding it is proving a refuge to calm his anxiety
42:11i guess as time goes on i'm finding now there are more and more moments of stress anxiety overwhelm
42:21when's this going to finish have we got enough money we you know really hit a brick wall with finances
42:28right earlier and had to take some tough decisions to you know um sell a little
42:38apartment we had in ecuador that we thought was sort of part of our retirement one of the big things
42:44here was not just that it's a a healthy home but that you're trying to do it in a budget which is
42:50really it's microscopic compared to a standard build in australia right now that to me has always
42:56been a massive challenge you've set for yourself yeah yeah my estimate is that it'll be closer to
43:04the 350 mark so time wise when we first met you said this is going to take eight months you're pushing
43:1313 months now where are we at i've been trying not to focus too much on the time frame
43:20that's a lie i'm thinking about it all the time that's all you think about that's all i think right
43:27um yeah i'd say we are another four to six months away from the finish line 130 000 over budget and
43:39the schedule has almost doubled no wonder james needs the odd walk in the woods this actually you know
43:48brings things back to i guess like the simple pleasures and the reality that you know i'm trying
43:57to put my values into practice you know i'm trying to walk the talk if you like you know it's really
44:05for me about being authentic
44:07turns out that that is a lot harder than it looks
44:28it's now 13 months since i last visited james and rita and i'm afraid to say the past year has
44:40been even tougher for them
44:44on top of the very difficult build and financial worries
44:48there's been a family tragedy james's mother moira died unexpectedly after a short illness
44:55with all that going on i'm not sure what i'm going to find here
45:04oh that is such a relief it looks finished at least it looks finished from the outside
45:18well it's far more industrial looking than the shabby sustainable shack i was imagining
45:24this is going to be interesting
45:39congratulations guys hi anthony hi anthony this is extraordinary
45:45you got there didn't you thank you thank you
45:52do you love it we do so much so much so much so much
45:56she's a baby it's a creation yeah we're in love with each other so yeah it's so fantastic
46:02a big journey yeah yeah yeah and james i'm very sorry to hear about your mum
46:07thanks anthony yeah and that's relatively recent too so that would have put a whole
46:11different layer over all of this are you you guys okay yeah i think okay we feel her i think in the
46:18house yeah definitely her presence is definitely felt and we had a really really beautiful last
46:24week with mum and so that was something special the big ambition here too was to do the non-toxic
46:31fully sustainable as recycled as possible home that was the mission yeah we pretty much did it
46:38yeah yeah can i have a look yeah let's go okay show me
46:46while the landscaping is yet to bed in the completed house is modestly scaled and looks great
46:53enough for the family is enough
46:57its off-grid credentials are easy to see the water tanks the solar panels
47:01the whole thing wrapped in that cleverly folded corrugated iron this is no ordinary eco house
47:12and shoes off yeah shoes off if you want to enjoy the full benefits of the earthen floor i certainly
47:18do will my socks survive that is the question we'll find out of course we're in the welcoming space of the
47:24home the central part of the home and that courtyard with that view out there it's a really fantastic
47:30way to come in from a shaded sort of veranda space back into the light again yeah it really opens up
47:38but i want to get into the kitchen now because i know that there's a lot of detail that you've been
47:42thinking about in there so if we can look at that one of our favorite parts of the house i would love to
47:45see your favorite room in the house show me come come so so this is our living dining room the floors
47:55and oh wow this space suddenly from that compressed entry space in the middle of the house here all
48:00this sort of volume it's magic and then this ceiling with the baton panels up there uh these are the
48:07recycled panels you were always thinking about yeah soft plastics milk cartons cardboard etc and it's
48:14pressed into this board which we you know had to use a bit of muscle and balance to pin to the
48:20ceiling and then we covered it with a spray of cork paint and then these walls here same same same
48:26same material again and that was a really natural lime fresco that was trailed on so that's the result
48:33and then the tiles they made it to the kitchen don't they look fabulous they look great come have a
48:38little bit of moment of pride you know wonderful job well yeah they remind me of home a lot actually
48:43yeah right i mean all the textures in here are very warm have that kind of sense of earth earthiness
48:49about if you like i can't i have to mention the floor the floor though is like a whole other level
48:54of chocolate i know you know chocolate right it feels unreal i mean you're kind of curling up your
49:01toes all the time just sort of making sure you're grounded it's really lovely it's almost like walking
49:06outside i think you have that sensation the touch is like you're walking barefoot outside
49:13the floor is sealed solid and beautifully cool on days when the temperature rises
49:20it's a hot day outside today it's about 40 it's more than 40 degrees outside very hot but in here
49:24i'm gonna say you're wearing your jacket i've got a jacket on and i'm i'm i mean it's warm there's
49:28no ac we've only got ceiling fans that's what i was gonna say just the fans doing that work yeah
49:32and the insulation of course and the insulation so that's the payoff for all of this effort is
49:37actually you've got a really kind of minimal um you know heating and cooling system because it's
49:41all happening passively that's right speaking of cool every stick of furniture in here is recycled
49:50from the workbench kitchen island to the vintage stereo somehow everything works together and makes
49:58this brand new home feel cozy and lived in and welcoming
50:03same goes in the main bedroom and ensuite and the kids rooms
50:14ah look all the beautiful colors and this must be celeste's room sharks on the wall yeah
50:19which means this must be hugo's room all the dinosaurs are very happy
50:25and so then this another warm generous comfy space what are we calling this room our second
50:32yeah this is my study and our guest room so we're hoping to have a lot of friends and family come
50:38and stay a line of mattresses here right the bunkhouse yeah i also think this room must have a few
50:46difficult memories because i know referring to the brick wall exactly memories of endurance so much
50:54effort and work from your dads went into this particular brick wall right making these bricks one
50:59by one how hard really was it would you do it again no way we plan to make three brick walls out of our
51:06own bricks right we made one brick wall and then i've never seen that brick machine again yeah right
51:11don't know what it's so hard painful i'm thinking about your dad's now too though that they have been
51:16such a big part of this build i mean steve kind of giving you the i guess the advice and the confidence
51:22maybe to yeah lead into the project totally there's no way i would have even dreamt about building a
51:29house for the family if it wasn't for my dad being you know behind me supporting me and then uh italo
51:36yes he was going to come once how many times did he end up coming i mean he'd have some great frequent
51:41flyer miles yeah wouldn't he he came three times and even though he's not here today he has been
51:48part of this every single day even like italo gave me one of the most beautiful gifts i could
51:54have ever asked for he came back on the third visit and he said that he wanted me to be able to spend
52:03more time with mum yeah um and so he came back for a third visit to make that possible that's that's
52:11yeah which is an incredible gift yeah this house is greater than the sum of its parts
52:31james and rita's ambition for a clean green home elevated the humble materials they chose to build
52:37it with their efforts given buoyancy by the family and friends who helped make it happen
52:46it's a home that has really tangible and beautiful feels about it like it just feels
52:52very lovely and very welcoming and very warm and all those wonderful things what do you think makes
52:58it so special i think there's a real kindness to the house there's a reflection of that human experience
53:05you know which has come through all of the many hands and hearts that have contributed to the the
53:10build process rita are you proud of what james has created here yeah i don't even think proud is the
53:17word i'm just i don't know in all i have never met someone with such determination
53:27i usually call him very stubborn he's just so determined after a while i knew that is something we
53:34went wrong he'll fix it yeah but then you know rita's just held the fabric of the family together
53:41and i've i guess that's given me the privilege of being able to focus on the house when we first met
53:48you gave yourself eight months to do the whole house in fact you were adamant eight months that's it
53:53must have been my english
53:54no i think what happened it could three times over three times longer earthen floors massively more
54:05labor-intensive and time-consuming than we ever could have imagined yeah and then i think just the
54:10naivety to be honest i've never built a house before and so yeah there was just that you know innocence
54:16we'd never done it before i think you had an initial budget of 230 000. yeah i think i just confused
54:25the digits slightly so we pulled it off for 320 000. oh so just swap the first two around okay i feel
54:34like it's a really good outcome that's pretty remarkable yeah do you feel with all that being
54:41said then that this really is the dream it's our dream yeah it is a dream yeah it's better than a
54:48dream it's now you know it's so good yeah yeah i'm sort of really glad to hear that i'm also really
54:54glad that my socks are still quite clean actually the floors are doing really well who would have thought
54:59james and rita wanted a healthy home one that made their lives better
55:21finally finished and filled with goodwill and laughter and friendship
55:26this place just makes you feel so good i reckon they've done it what do you reckon about showing
55:34a little piece of chocolate to celebrate the end of the build sounds good guys all right we finally got
55:40there we did it this project has been a great teacher and the lessons bigger is not always better
55:53creating a beautiful and rich home is not about the money to create a sustainable home is not only
56:01about environmental considerations but about community and connection literally sustenance for the soul
56:09james and rita have created a home here that is chock-a-block full of all of that good stuff
56:15so here's to a sweet life ahead
56:31stream more of grand designs australia on abc iview or explore how design solves the pressing housing
56:37crisis in the home front with anthony burke on radio national and on the abc listen app
56:44so
56:48so
56:51you
56:53you
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