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Grand Designs NZ (2026) S10E04
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00:02We humans are social animals.
00:05Most of us, at least, want to belong.
00:08Now, sometimes that's characterized as belonging to a tribe,
00:13a group of people with common interests and shared beliefs.
00:18Often, the tribe is made up of people related to each other,
00:21but that's not always the case.
00:23There's always a strong sense of family.
00:26I'm talking about this because, as an architect,
00:30I've noticed a growing interest in multi-generational living.
00:34Now, there are many good reasons why you might want to do that.
00:38But the question remains,
00:41no matter what your love and connection for your extended family,
00:45why would you want to live with them?
01:11It's easy to appreciate the appeal of central Otago,
01:15breathtaking natural beauty, invigorating outdoor adventure,
01:19and a rich history of opportunity and aspiration.
01:25So the Pinot Noir looking good for us here?
01:28It's definitely looking good.
01:32At Moco Hills Vineyard in Bendigo,
01:34the same promise is embedded in the new growing season
01:38for Andrés van de Westhuyzen and his son Donald.
01:41Luckily, we've had low wind this spring, which is always good.
01:45Andrés and his wife Izette bought 40 hectares here in 2017
01:50with the dream of establishing a vineyard.
01:53It wasn't easy.
01:56There was no fences, run out over by rabbits, overgrazed by sheep.
02:02We took out 7,000 tons of rock.
02:05The rest is history.
02:09The van de Westhuyzen family emigrated from South Africa
02:13in the late 1990s and settled in Auckland.
02:16Andrés worked as a project manager
02:18while young Donald was passionate about marine biology.
02:23His dad, though, had other ideas.
02:25He said, why don't you study viticulture?
02:27I said, mate, you are dreaming.
02:30That's never, why would I study viticulture?
02:32We're never going to have a vineyard.
02:34Fast forward a few years,
02:35now Donald and his partner live in a house on the estate
02:38where he is, indeed, the winemaker.
02:41It's not easy.
02:43By no means easy.
02:45But it is extremely rewarding.
02:50Donald's sister DeLint and her husband Sam
02:52live with Andrés and Izette in Auckland
02:54but have now also relocated down south.
02:59It will be good for the kids to grow up here one day.
03:02Yeah.
03:02Get them dirt bikes.
03:05Can I get a dirt bike too?
03:06Yeah.
03:07We all knew eventually we will all move down here.
03:11So Donald was the first one to move
03:13and then we slowly all started migrating down.
03:16DeLint is on maternity leave from her teaching job
03:18and Sam is a supply chain manager.
03:21He's also a very welcome visitor to the vineyard.
03:25I'm more the muscle.
03:27If there's manual labour to be done, I'm that guy.
03:33And now there are plans to build a new house here
03:36so that the rest of the family can live amongst the vines too.
03:41It's important for me, the family, to stay together.
03:45For us to live here in the same vicinity,
03:49I think it is any grandparent's dream
03:53to see the grandchildren growing up.
04:00But hang on, there's someone missing.
04:03Someone whose absence is felt very much indeed.
04:08Morning, morning.
04:10Family matriarch Izet has lived with Parkinson's disease
04:13for the past 14 years.
04:15It was being well managed.
04:17But seven months ago, an E. coli bacterial infection
04:20put her in Dunedin Hospital, dangerously ill.
04:23I'll go through your list again.
04:25Take it off.
04:26Izet is now in a rehabilitation unit
04:29and Andres shuttles between the family home at Warrington
04:32just north of Dunedin.
04:34The hospital in the city and the vineyard at Bendigo,
04:38another three hours' drive away.
04:40If it wasn't for Andres coming every day,
04:43I think I would have sat in a corner and cried every day.
04:47Because he's the highlight of the day,
04:49to hear his footsteps coming down the corridor.
04:51I know exactly his footsteps.
04:53But while Izet's desperate to leave hospital
04:56and be back with her loved ones,
04:58she needs a house set up with her welfare and independence
05:01first and foremost.
05:06That's going to be my safe haven.
05:08That is going to be the place where I'm with my family,
05:11the people that's the closest to my heart,
05:13that means everything in my life.
05:15You know, have a life with them that's still worthwhile
05:18and, you know, can still contribute and spend time with them.
05:29This is the heart of gold country.
05:32150 years ago, you wouldn't have seen vines here.
05:36Instead, this would have been the centre of prospecting,
05:39people labouring and dreaming.
05:43And I suspect we're going to see a bit more of that here soon.
05:49With no time to waste getting Izet home,
05:51the build is already well underway
05:53for what will be a multi-generational house.
05:59You're all going to be living here together?
06:01Yep.
06:02We're the lucky ones to be able to come in
06:04and move in with the oldies.
06:07So how does this work as a team?
06:09Do you all sit together and decide?
06:11Or is there a leader?
06:13Oh, there's a leader.
06:14Yeah?
06:15The leader's not here.
06:16Oh, yeah.
06:17So this is Izet.
06:19Yeah.
06:20She has the final say in all of the bits and bobs.
06:23We come up with the ideas and then she will agree to it.
06:26I'm just meeting with the minions today.
06:27Yeah, just a minute.
06:28Right, yeah.
06:29We'll pick up with Izet, I'm sure.
06:31On this rocky, windswept site,
06:34the house is designed for two families living separately
06:37and together around a large central courtyard.
06:41Enter across wide wooden decking,
06:43straight ahead to the courtyard,
06:46right into the main house or left into Salmond de Lint's pod.
06:49Here, three bedrooms and a family bathroom
06:52surround a kitchen bench and lounge.
06:55Next door, a broad walkway leads down to the courtyard,
06:59whilst the adjoining pod contains a wine cellar, storage
07:02and a self-contained guest bedroom, en suite and deck.
07:06The southern side of the house is Andrés and Izet's master bedroom,
07:11dressing room and en suite,
07:13kitted out to cater for all of Izet's needs.
07:17A private deck links to the living pod featuring a generously sized lounge,
07:23kitchen with scullery that Salmond de Lint will also use.
07:26A dining room with family sized round table, small office and a powder room.
07:31The largely open plan courtyard is sheltered within the house with long wide eaves
07:37and a feature specimen tree providing shade and extra protection from the elements.
07:42Arranged around the front of the house, three different patios,
07:46all with easy wheelchair access, means there's always a protected option wherever the wind is blowing from.
07:53Black steel cladding helps the low slung, flat roof house blend into the landscape,
07:59while extensive glazing takes in the expansive views
08:03and completes a multi-generational home of strength and purpose.
08:11I love this team effort, building a house together.
08:14But I wonder, Sam, what's it like being the in-law, you know,
08:18coming into this family and being part of it?
08:23Oh, I didn't win a lotto ticket there, did I?
08:27We have a close relationship, so we want to keep that tight family unit.
08:32So it's clear it's been tried and tested then?
08:34Trial, tested, and yeah, we can do it.
08:37This is the way it should be, maybe?
08:40We think so.
08:41Yeah, and so you're heading towards something.
08:43How long will it take to get a finished house and be in that dream?
08:46It will take about a year to bolt.
08:48Yeah, it's more just timing, trying to make sure it's really in time for mum
08:53when she gets out of rehab, that it's really for her,
08:57that she's not sitting in limbo, not waiting where we are, where is she going to go?
09:02Yeah, so that's the concern.
09:04Yeah.
09:05And budget?
09:06As low as possible.
09:08Always?
09:09It's 2.1 million for the whole bolt, architect cost, utilities.
09:15Yeah, okay.
09:16Yeah, 330 square metres, it's okay for a bespoke architectural house.
09:22Yep.
09:22But it's still a chunk of money.
09:24When we sell the property in Warrington, that will also go against that house budget,
09:30and the rest will be a small mortgage that they need to serve.
09:35So you guys will take a mortgage for the rest of it?
09:37A small one, I hope.
09:39Yeah.
09:39Right.
09:39You said small, right?
09:41That's it.
09:41You must be really looking forward to it.
09:43Yes.
09:44You can't wait.
09:45Yeah?
09:46Fingers crossed that there won't be any delays.
09:55Forget about creating a sexy piece of architecture in a stunning location.
10:01Construction woes, budget worries.
10:03Okay, so those might be factors.
10:05But what's important here is that this building is going to be a home for an extended,
10:12multi-generational family to live together in harmony in one place.
10:17And what's more, it's got to suit Izette's needs.
10:20It's got to allow her to live freely.
10:22And that is what this house has to deliver on.
10:39During autumn, the priority on the build is getting the framing and roof trusses up,
10:44before the bracingly cold central Otago winter arrives.
10:50Lead builder Ben and his team fully back the family's goal of moving in with Izette by Christmas.
10:57This Christmas, a few short months away, a massive challenge, especially here.
11:04It's one of those places that we get extreme heat and then extreme cold.
11:08So yeah, we want to sort of beat the elements and get tighter,
11:12nice and so we've got some nice warm winter work.
11:17Although momentum must be maintained to have any chance of finishing by Christmas,
11:22this is a big house with lots of detail needing close attention.
11:28Was that the shoe rack?
11:29There's your seat and that.
11:31I hope that one's a seat.
11:32Yeah, that one's a seat.
11:33Architectural designer Adam Schell is keenly aware of his responsibility
11:37to design a house appropriate to this amazing site.
11:42I kind of wanted it just to nestle itself into the landscape
11:44because it is all about the surroundings.
11:47It's kind of less about the house in a way
11:48and more about how the occupants connect to this.
11:55Adam's also had to consider additions and modifications for Izette
11:59as someone living with Parkinson's.
12:01This low window in the master bedroom, for instance,
12:03is designed so that the view can be seen from the bed or a wheelchair.
12:10That's pretty lucky.
12:11That's perfect.
12:13So yeah, I'm stoked with that.
12:14That's awesome.
12:16Your client is always at the centre of your projects
12:18and so the fact that it's going to be long term for them,
12:21it's not going to be something that's going to be sold in a year,
12:24you know, they're going to be in this house for decades
12:26and it's pretty special for sure.
12:29That overlap, so will it be flushed?
12:33Andries is so often on the road,
12:35travelling between the family home in Warrington,
12:38visiting Izette in Dunedin Hospital and the building site in Bendigo.
12:42He's determined progress here is never held up waiting for decisions from him.
12:48Rather than have one drawer going out, it needs to be two separate drawers.
12:54But while he's heavily involved in the build, his focus is on Izette,
12:59who the hospital now says has recovered enough to be discharged.
13:04She can't go to the family home in Warrington though.
13:06It's not wheelchair friendly and simply not safe.
13:10For Andries, it's an increasingly stressful and emotional situation.
13:16We're trying to get her accommodation.
13:22It's close by, but she can be a bit more part of us.
13:29It's tough on her.
13:32She would love me to be there every day.
13:36But she understands that I've got things to do here.
13:40We've been married for, what, 41 years?
13:44And you get used to somebody next to you.
14:03On site in Bendigo, in central Otago,
14:07the big push is on to get the van der Vesteisen family build watertight
14:11and locked off with the official start of winter only days away.
14:16The roof is on and everything's nearly ready for the glaziers to install the windows.
14:21Andries, however, has his mind on a feature of the house
14:25he has challenged designer Adam to get exactly right.
14:29When I spoke to Adam to look at the site,
14:33I said to him, I want a place in the middle that you can use year-round
14:39irrespective of the weather or the wind.
14:42And I think from that, the courtyard just evolved.
14:47Everything revolves around the courtyard.
14:50It's easy for Izet to get to and use.
14:52It's a space for family and friends to enjoy.
14:55And it brings natural light and ventilation deep into the house.
14:59Literally and socially, the courtyard is the centre.
15:10A few weeks later, progress in Warrington.
15:13Andries is packing up the old family home.
15:20We've sold, so it's another chapter that we close.
15:25He's also found a rental for Izet and himself about 30 minutes drive from Bendigo.
15:30It's not completely set up for Izet's needs, but it will do for now
15:35and allow her to finally leave the rehab unit at Dunedin Hospital.
15:40A bit of a relief.
15:42If a house didn't sell and the rental, we still need to pay for a rental,
15:48so it's two houses that we need to maintain.
15:53But now, things start to fall in place.
16:02Delint and Sam and their two young children are still in their rental in nearby Cromwell.
16:07And the cramped conditions are wearing pretty thin.
16:11OK, you need to eat, because you don't have a lot of time left here.
16:15Five-year-old Taysa's happy wherever her arts and crafts are.
16:20But her mum has more practical considerations.
16:23Her room is extremely cold.
16:25And space, as you can see, when she gets creative,
16:28it's feathers and buttons and crayons and everything, everywhere.
16:37Baby Brendan is bright as a button,
16:40which is surprising, since he's had very little sleep.
16:43Something that thrilled his parents sharing the same bedroom.
16:50Frankly, for this family too,
16:54moving into the new house in Bendigo will be the Christmas present they really need.
17:03Isette is now out of hospital and with Andris in their new rental.
17:07It's also a new space for her and Taysa to paint together.
17:16Isette's determined that despite her Parkinson's condition, nothing will get in the way of these special times.
17:23Let the paint do the work.
17:26However, she has had to change from her beloved pastel painting to another medium altogether.
17:32First day at rehab, I said to them, I want to try pastels.
17:35And I cried, because I draw a picture like a two-year-old.
17:39My fingers couldn't cope with it.
17:42So I just thought about myself, stop this, Isette.
17:44You need to find a way.
17:46And then I thought about watercolour, because it's very sort of forgiving.
17:50You know, it's fluid and if you make a mess, you can cover the mess.
17:55And it was very good for me.
17:57It made me realise that there's much more I can do that I haven't thought about even yet.
18:05Isette's family has always looked to her to make the decisions and get things done.
18:10She is the leader.
18:13They rely on me, especially the colours.
18:16You know, I'm the colour person.
18:18I feel I own something.
18:20It's not that they just...
18:21Because like Andy said to me the other day,
18:23everything was sorted until I came out of rehab.
18:26And I changed everything.
18:27And I changed it a few times.
18:29And I might still change it.
18:32One thing I suspect won't change, though,
18:34is Isette and Tayce's determination to have their own art studio in the new house.
18:42I think we can spend many hours doing what we're doing now.
18:46You know, you think so, Tayce?
18:48The time you have no one in the house.
18:50No, just ours.
18:52Yeah.
18:52Just you and me.
18:54It's a dream come true.
18:55Honestly, it's a dream come true.
19:05By June, the pace of progress on site continues to exceed expectations,
19:10despite the freezing cold.
19:13It's good for us to keep warm.
19:14I smoke at times sitting next door and that sort of thing.
19:16But, yeah, don't want the board sitting there for too long.
19:22The glaziers are installing the windows so the house can be closed off
19:26and work can focus on the interior.
19:29Something everyone's looking forward to.
19:34This is the time when we all come in and we're punching details here.
19:37What colour scheme here?
19:38What are we going to put in this area here, this here?
19:41I'm not part of that discussion because I don't have the imagination
19:44and I just pull myself out of it.
19:47It's easier for me to just say,
19:50Mm-hmm.
19:51Yes, honey.
19:54One, two, three.
19:55One, two, three.
19:56One.
19:56One, two, three.
20:21One, two, three.
20:22This is the LVL.
20:23Yeah.
20:23This is expensive stuff.
20:25This is laminated veneered lumber.
20:28Yeah.
20:28Yeah.
20:29Instead of just...
20:30Well, I mean, the other materials are like pine and Oregon
20:33and that sort of thing.
20:34They just move too much down in central.
20:35Like we have days where it can get up to 30 degrees
20:38and the next day it might be 10 degrees.
20:40So, what this does essentially is it saves us time on site
20:43from having Australia on all the walls.
20:44Yeah.
20:45And I've just noticed like a wobble this wall.
20:47Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
20:47Don't lean on that one.
20:48Don't.
20:49Okay.
20:49That's to be fixed.
20:52Now Andres has sold the Warrington house
20:55and Izet has left hospital.
20:57I'm really hoping he can take a breath
20:59and take in what's happening here.
21:02Does it feel how you imagined it?
21:06I think the courtyard is, I would say, even better.
21:10Yeah.
21:12It's quite satisfying, isn't it,
21:13being able to see all of the house wrap around you.
21:16And it feels really protective.
21:17I guess that's the point, isn't it?
21:19Yes.
21:19With the little views you get,
21:20now framed, are lovely, really lovely.
21:26Before the bacterial infection dramatically worsened
21:29Izet's Parkinson's condition,
21:30the house didn't have so many modifications and additions.
21:34Now though, everything has to be usable, reachable,
21:38wheelchair friendly and safe.
21:42There will be a long rail there,
21:45and then there will be a bench on the side that you can open it.
21:50So you can sit on the bench and shower, have a seated shower?
21:53Yeah.
22:00At the stage of a build where most people would be absorbed by interior design and quality finishing,
22:05the focus here is firmly on Izet and her continued well-being.
22:10I'm genuinely astounded at the progress of this project.
22:15What's happening here is that the project has huge meaning.
22:19And the meaning is about getting Izet back with her family.
22:23That's what it's all about.
22:25And so the builders are going above and beyond to get there.
22:28And to see that is genuinely moving.
22:48July, an all-go inside the Bendigo build,
22:51with electrical, plumbing and heating installations fully underway.
22:55The builders remain laser focused on getting the families in by Christmas.
23:02At this stage we're hoping to have Jib go on next month.
23:06So, yeah, we're all working towards that target
23:08and that means that we've got a good back end to a bit of grace to get things done before
23:12Christmas.
23:13With the build racing ahead, Sam can start to visualize what his family's part of the house will be like.
23:20The first bedroom here, this is allocated for my daughter, Teisa.
23:28Bedroom will be whatever she decides.
23:30Closet will be whatever she decides.
23:32And this area here is going to be a little desk area where she can do her work.
23:40She says art, drawing, painting, whatever.
23:43But yeah, that's what this area is dedicated for.
23:46And she's lucky she gets a big window.
23:48I don't know how she got that, but...
23:51The house is steadily taking shape.
23:54So I'm wondering what life will be like in this multi-generational home.
23:58Which begs the question, what actually makes a successful multi-generational design?
24:07Well, just outside Christchurch, I've come to visit a house that might provide a few clues.
24:15I'm about to show you a house unlike any you've seen before.
24:19A real architectural treat, but also a unique spin on multi-generational living.
24:25I mean, is that a house or is that a spaceship?
24:30This 80-metre long house is divided into two halves with Bridie and Hamish McKinnon
24:35and their three sons at one end and Bridie's parents at the other.
24:42I love this window.
24:43It links all the way along.
24:45The kids' desks there.
24:46Yeah, and big long hallway and everything comes off that.
24:51And every space, even though we're on this continuation,
24:54every space feels different as you move along.
24:56Yeah, yeah.
24:57Three bedrooms, two kids' bedrooms, and then there's us at the end.
25:00And this is you at the end.
25:02You've got your own cabin.
25:03Yeah.
25:04It's been quite a meander, actually, through your house.
25:06And this is only half of the hall.
25:08That's right.
25:11Down the other end, I find the older generation, Rob and Christine.
25:16Tom, nice to meet you.
25:17Tom, hi Tom.
25:17So this is a bit shorter, this side, so you don't have the kids' room.
25:21Slightly, we don't have the kids' room, one less bedroom.
25:23Yeah.
25:23We do get the pitter-patter of little feet some mornings.
25:27Ah, yeah.
25:27And then we knock on the door.
25:28Yeah.
25:29Isn't that nice, all those extra experiences that you wouldn't get
25:32when you even live a few doors up the road?
25:35Yes.
25:35And then you can give them back quickly as well.
25:37Yeah, yeah, that's right.
25:39We can lock and leave, which we do a bit.
25:42So, no, there's no downside for us.
25:46Perhaps the secret to success here is this house is designed to let the three generations
25:52connect easily, while still giving everyone the space to retreat when they want privacy.
25:58We can go weeks without seeing each other.
26:01And then sometimes we'll see each other every day.
26:03It's a deliberate choice, isn't it?
26:06I love having them around.
26:07And, you know, we get along really well, and it's, yeah, it's great to have them nearby.
26:14Multi-generational living, of course, has never completely gone away.
26:17However, longer life expectancy, the cost of housing and the increasing cost of living may all be factors in bringing
26:24it back.
26:25I think for people who are incredulous about it, it probably wouldn't work for them.
26:31But for us, we see lots of benefit for our kids and for us living so close to family.
26:37And it's a deliberate thing that we've chosen to do here, yeah.
26:40Yeah.
26:41The key here is thoughtful design.
26:44The owners knew what they wanted and what would work,
26:47and this stunning purpose-built house delivered.
26:52The question is, will a courtyard house be as successful?
27:03With the big move to the new house on schedule,
27:06Andres and Isette are getting on with their life in their rental just outside the town of Clyde.
27:13Hello.
27:14Hi, Isette.
27:15Hi, Tom.
27:15How are you?
27:16Good, and you?
27:18With so much upheaval and stress in the last year,
27:22I'm hoping life has settled down.
27:24Being here now, I'm closer to the family and I see the new house getting built
27:28and getting to a stage that I can move in, hopefully before Christmas.
27:32So, yeah, this is awesome, going to my happy place.
27:35Yeah.
27:35So, in fact, everybody should be living like this, extended family, together.
27:39Otherwise, you miss out on so many things.
27:42I mean, it will have its challenges because I sometimes see the old bull and the young bull.
27:46You know.
27:47There you go.
27:48Yep.
27:48Sort of coming together with the, bumping their heads.
27:51But I think we all, you know, recognize that and we all need to realize to give each other a
27:58bit of,
27:58you know, slack.
28:00Dilinta, you are now making decisions together about the interior of the house and so on.
28:04So, how's that going?
28:06It's actually going pretty well.
28:07Me and Dilinta are more like friends than mother and daughter.
28:10I think she's my best mate.
28:12And we've got a very, very good relationship.
28:15I mean, remember, I was the project manager and I managed huge projects and I had lots of people responsible
28:21for.
28:21And now here I am.
28:24I have to ask for help and say, you know, please help me.
28:28I, can you tie my shoelaces for me?
28:31Parkinson's is not the end of the world.
28:32You know, there is something that you can still enjoy.
28:36It's harder.
28:38You're never going to get better.
28:39You just need to learn to manage it better.
28:41It feels like your motivation has kind of trickled out and percolated amongst your family and the whole team.
28:48You've, you've inspired them.
28:49And that's why I, I had to get better is for these guys.
28:53I had to get better because I couldn't just fall apart because, you know, they're too important to me.
29:01This, however, is clearly the calm before the storm.
29:05The fast approaching whirlwind of finishing the new home and making sure Izet is safe and well in her happy
29:13place.
29:24August on site in Bendigo.
29:26Only four months till Christmas when, hopefully, the house will be finished and the families can move in.
29:34It's a big day for Izet.
29:37But there's a sink bay, a veggie sink here.
29:41She's making a rare visit to site with her new support person, Liti,
29:45and can see the tireless work so many people have put in so far getting the house ready for her.
29:52We've widened this whole door so it's easy to come in.
29:56But she's also here on business, inspecting the custom-designed features to accommodate her needs
30:02and to sign off her interior colour choices.
30:07You wanted these walls painted like that.
30:10Yeah.
30:11It's a beautiful colour, but it's too dark.
30:13Yep.
30:13When people want to see it, it's just us, but so we need to be happy with it.
30:17Yep.
30:17Yep.
30:18It seems Andris has thought of everything, even Izet and Taysa's new art studio.
30:26The plan is to take it out there against the rocks.
30:30Okay.
30:31But it doesn't block the view, but it's easy, accessible for you.
30:35But don't go out there now.
30:37It might be wobbly.
30:39I might never come back.
30:40Yeah.
30:42Proud.
30:43Feel proud.
30:44This showed me that, you know, hanging in there, the dream comes true.
30:48I'm in my happy place.
30:56Rolling into November, and Christmas in the new house is now looking highly likely.
31:04Lead builder Ben and his team have moved heaven and earth.
31:07And the move-in date has actually been brought forward.
31:13We had a date of just around Christmas.
31:15We've pulled that forward, given a bit of time to prep for Christmas.
31:17So we agreed that the seventh was probably achievable for that.
31:23Hardly the time then, you'd think, for last minute design changes.
31:28However…
31:29We've got a core 10 steel pit that's going to go in.
31:32It's going to be a circular in the deck.
31:34So that's going to be Izet's tree.
31:36I don't know what tree it is going to be yet.
31:38But yeah, it's going to look really, really cool in the middle of the deck.
31:42But it's not just the builders feeling the pressure.
31:45Sam and DeLint are having some issues in their wing of the house.
31:48That's small.
31:50I told you that couch is massive.
31:51I think it's too big.
31:52I think you got the measurements wrong.
31:55Aye.
31:56Here.
31:57That is…
31:57There's no such couch that big.
31:59There is.
32:00We have to be out of our rental very, very soon, even before this house is done.
32:05So the pressure is really on to get it done because otherwise we're going to be homeless
32:09and nowhere to go.
32:11I want to have to go look at the shop and see if it's actually 3.150 that way and
32:16that
32:16way.
32:17And if it is, then it's a no.
32:19Then it's a no.
32:20Okay.
32:26The earlier move-in date had me scrambling to get down for my last progress visit and to
32:32catch up with Donald, the family member who's been quietly living here for some time already.
32:38Things are changing.
32:39Yeah.
32:40You were kind of in peaceful, a peaceful idyll.
32:44Yeah.
32:44On your own with the land and now you're being invaded by all of the family.
32:48Yeah.
32:49How does it feel?
32:50Ah, interesting.
32:51I'm seeing them definitely more and more often now, which is not a bad thing.
32:55It's good.
32:55They're all going to live together in this wraparound house.
32:59Luckily it's not me.
33:01Yeah.
33:01And you're, you know, a little bit away.
33:03Yeah.
33:03The outlier.
33:04Yeah.
33:04And as I keep saying, luckily there's at least two lock gates between us.
33:09And so there's a little bit more of a buffer as well.
33:12Does this mean that Sam and DeLint, they'll be working as hard as you do?
33:16Hopefully.
33:17Hopefully.
33:18Sam definitely helps a lot.
33:19He's the muscle.
33:20Usually I don't even have to lift it myself.
33:22He just picks it up.
33:23Get out of the way, Donald.
33:24Come on.
33:25You're going to hurt yourself, Donald.
33:26The project, yes, really good for your mum to have a focus.
33:30It's also a thing that brings a family back together.
33:32Yeah.
33:33Yeah.
33:33Well, it requires, I think, collaboration within the family.
33:38Like, otherwise you'd never get anywhere with a project, either the house or the vineyard
33:43or any in terms of family projects.
33:46So it requires collaboration.
33:48And it just basically gets us closer, really.
33:56I'm sure the builders and Andres have a detailed plan for the final push in the next few weeks.
34:01But I tell you what, I can smell the Christmas roast already.
34:06Well, this is the family table room where we're standing.
34:10Yes.
34:11So are you already imagining that Christmas dinner, or is that a little bit too far off?
34:16No, no.
34:17I can imagine.
34:18I know Izet have already invited the world to a kind on Christmas.
34:26So it's great that we know, yes.
34:31Yeah.
34:31We will be ready.
34:33Well, I believe it.
34:35I can see the spreadsheet before me, planning out those days for the seventh.
34:39Pressure's on Ben.
34:41I believe I will make it.
34:47Andres exudes such confidence, doesn't he?
34:50And you know what?
34:52I believe him.
34:53They're going to be in before Christmas.
34:54People say it.
34:55These guys, I think, will do it.
34:57The only thing is, with this house, as has always been the case,
35:01there's a different story.
35:03Christmas isn't always that relaxing, despite best intentions.
35:08And here, at Christmas, is when the real test begins.
35:21It's remarkable that just 53 weeks ago, I was here, on site, first day, no house, and in that time,
35:29a house has been built that does so much more than most.
35:32All those overlays, two families, desets needs, built on a rock.
35:38And so, I wonder, what will we find?
35:41Will we find multi-generational, domestic bless?
35:44Will there be something else?
35:53And look, the house finally reveals itself.
35:56Could only just, I mean, it sits so quietly in this landscape.
36:07It feels like they've moved heaven and earth and giant boulders to make this place.
36:13Then these little glimpses of transparency through to the valley beyond.
36:17It's lovely.
36:21Andres, how are you?
36:24Welcome back.
36:25Hey, well, it doesn't feel like I've been away very much at all.
36:28I mean, the house was in pieces, but now...
36:30Yes.
36:31We sit through the boulder the 7th of December, and the 7th of December, we moved in.
36:37Fantastic.
36:38Please come in.
36:40Oh, now, look.
36:42You see, it's a courtyard house straight away.
36:44Yes.
36:45It's right there.
36:46Zet always wanted that tree in the middle, and she got it.
36:50Yeah, I can imagine a big tree there shading this courtyard.
36:53Yep.
36:54But at the moment, what you get is this lovely range of little views.
36:59It's a complex house, isn't it?
37:01Apparently simple as you approach it.
37:03Yep.
37:04But then, full of sophistication.
37:06Maybe a bit like you.
37:07Yeah, but I'm just plain simple.
37:14Oh, now, this is a treat.
37:16Oh, the vineyard view.
37:18It stretches right up beyond our eyeline, above the hills there, and then kitchens in the centre of the house.
37:27That's where all the different ages come together.
37:32You're not isolated.
37:33You can connect to the lounge through to the dining or when people's in the courtyard.
37:39See what everybody's doing.
37:40Yeah.
37:41Yeah.
37:44But while the house is designed to support what everybody's doing, its primary focus has always been on the wellbeing
37:50of one family member in particular.
37:54Hey.
37:55Hi, Tom.
37:56G'day.
37:56Hi.
37:57How are you?
37:58I'm spectacular.
38:00Really excited to be here and see you again.
38:02It's good to see you, too.
38:04And you look gorgeous.
38:05Yeah, I love the red hair.
38:07I love the red hair.
38:08Yeah, yeah, yeah.
38:09I'm on fire.
38:10And this house.
38:11I mean, you're finally at home.
38:13Yes.
38:13That's awesome.
38:14This is what we wanted.
38:16This is what we were dreaming about.
38:17It's real.
38:18It's real.
38:19And the house kind of reflects the outside as well, doesn't it?
38:23That's right.
38:24The colours, the timbers.
38:26Yeah, I mean, what we try to do is to get the central at all the colours through the house.
38:31And I think we achieved that.
38:39This is where it can sit in the afternoon.
38:43And this is where we will have the art studio.
38:46That's to come.
38:47It never stops, does it?
38:48No.
38:48You thought you'd finished.
38:49No.
38:51Also on the western side, the couple's master suite, including a large wardrobe and bathroom
38:56with the comfort and safety features that Izette needs.
39:02Oh, and Izette's here.
39:03You've beaten us to it.
39:04Always.
39:05Yeah.
39:05This is the very specialist window.
39:09Yeah.
39:09This is the...
39:10My height.
39:11Yeah, yeah.
39:12And then on that side, if you look out, you see the stars.
39:16And I have to say, the hardware in there, it's all really finely designed.
39:20And that's really difficult with an accessible bathroom.
39:22It is, but I wanted to make sure it doesn't look like the old glazed bathroom.
39:27Well, it definitely doesn't look like that.
39:29Yeah, I love it.
39:30Yeah, I do love it.
39:33Completing the western side of the house is separate guest accommodation and a well-stocked wine
39:38cellar.
39:38Hardly surprising for a house on a vineyard.
39:43Across the courtyard on the eastern side is the family unit for Sam, DeLint, Taysa and Brendan.
39:52So this is how it works, just a little short hop across, and you're in your own private
39:56area.
39:58Yes, it's great.
39:59Yeah.
39:59Like, we're close enough to do everything together, but then we also have our own private
40:04areas to do what we need to do.
40:05So you can slide the doors closed.
40:07Yeah, but that doesn't help.
40:09You still hear Dad on the TV.
40:11Ah!
40:12Right, and you can still see him.
40:13Yeah, so you know he's there.
40:15Yeah.
40:15Can you still maintain that family unit here?
40:18You know, can you be just you guys when you want to be?
40:21Yes, because obviously, Mum needs her quiet time, so we keep the kids here, they keep
40:26themselves entertained.
40:27Yeah, so you recommend it to anybody?
40:29Yeah, it's great.
40:30So, that's DeLint and her parents happy.
40:33But what about son-in-law, Sam?
40:37Everything's just different.
40:39More space, more time, bit of peace, but peace amongst chaos.
40:46Well, family life's chaotic, isn't it?
40:48You can't escape that, but you know, you don't want to, you're all here together.
40:52So does it make that easier, having everybody here now?
40:56Yeah, it draws you nearer.
40:58Just having family together, we can all work together and support each other.
41:02Myself and Izet, we just always say how lucky we are.
41:17This is a very cool house, and from where I'm sitting, spectacular views.
41:22I can say that about quite a few houses.
41:24What is remarkable here is that this house shows what a building can do to change your
41:30life.
41:31That's the idea, right?
41:32Well, it uplifts my spirit, I think.
41:34Exactly.
41:35Yeah, this is where I wanted to be, now I'm here.
41:37Should other people do this?
41:39It depends on the family dynamics.
41:42Yeah, because it can be kind of something.
41:44Yeah.
41:45Is that why Donald's slightly downhill?
41:47Okay.
41:592.1 million, I think, was the ambition here.
42:03Do you know how much the house costs?
42:05Yes.
42:06Of course you do.
42:08Are you going to tell me?
42:10Yeah, it's around, about, just over 2.2.
42:13Yeah.
42:14Well, that's very close.
42:15Yeah.
42:16Yeah.
42:17You had a remarkably fast construction process.
42:20You must be pretty happy.
42:21If you choose the right team, it makes life a lot easier.
42:32It's great to have the grandchildren here.
42:35We can hear little Brendan in the morning crawl all the way to our place.
42:43Some mornings, Taisa will come and just jump in bed and cuddle with us.
42:48And I think that's something special.
42:50And now I'm here, that just makes me feel like I need to be alive.
42:55I've got so much to live for.
42:59I have to pinch myself sometimes to realise that it's really, yeah, happened.
43:06Yeah, it's just amazing.
43:09So dreams can come true.
43:16This isn't a flashy house.
43:18Instead, it's one that sits quietly nestled in and connecting with this stunning landscape,
43:24whilst at the same time being quietly brilliant.
43:28Brilliant because it delivers on so many levels.
43:33It's given Taisa her freedom back, a freedom to enjoy being herself and living with extended family.
43:41And by having those extra considerations and dealing with them so effortlessly,
43:44this house isn't one that's compromised or adapted.
43:48It's one that is empowered.
43:51And isn't that what good design should do?
43:54Take challenge and create opportunity.
43:57And this is opportunity delivered.
44:27And this is opportunity to create opportunity.
44:29this story is an enormous amount of opportunity.
44:29And, you know, that actually stands for joy.
44:29And that's all just very interesting tones.
44:31And, there we have been an effortひとräl которой,
44:31townsman,ly MIT, and after that,
44:32accomplishment within jasimle,
44:33Natalie early.ructive
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