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Grand Designs NZ (2026) S10E07
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00:02There are certain fundamentals that all buildings must provide.
00:07Practical things like shelter, functionality, durability.
00:11But add the overlay of great architecture.
00:14And some buildings can become powerful tools for artistic innovation and cultural expression.
00:23This is Te Oror, a music and arts centre in East Auckland.
00:27Bold, surprising buildings like this inspire curiosity and connection.
00:32They become iconic landmarks, enhancing the identity of local communities.
00:40This kind of visionary approach works really well with public buildings.
00:44But when you're making a bold statement with your own home, it can be risky.
00:49What you hope might become an inspiring landmark could just as easily be seen as an eyesore.
00:55And you may find yourself struggling to win the affection of your neighbours.
01:19And you must be bound to be a very common spot for you.
01:20And you may find yourself that most otherwise...
01:20That's concerning the impostors.
01:20I was a good friend.
01:20Or you'll be the only one who's made a mess.
01:21It's the only one who's made a mess.
01:22It's a great way to keep your favourite.
01:25It's the only one who's made a mess.
01:30mark and Lisa Darrow had been searching for a quiet coastal retreat within an
01:36easy drive of Auckland for months until they finally came across a site on the
01:40sparkling white court sands of Ormaha
01:46it was magical it was like being in Hawaii for mark and Lisa romance first
01:54blossomed 37 years ago in an accountant's office in Palmerston north i broke the photocopier
02:02she came over and fixed it the rest is history that was the lightning bolt moment so i still remember
02:08that i think we make a really good team he's extremely hard working extremely loyal and he
02:19don't say for me so that's lovely despite struggling with photocopiers mark now sits on
02:28the boards of eight large organizations i don't know how he keeps it all organized up here
02:36it's the old energy if you want something done ask a busy person and that's kind of keeps me energized
02:44mark may be busy but he and Lisa always have time for their kids jordan troy and brooke who've all
02:51left
02:51home but often return for catch-ups at the family home in remuera my life revolves around my family
03:01family is everything it's the reason for for being i suppose and the kids have a lot of time for
03:08their
03:10parents very generous people so whether it's time whether it's advice whether it's helping people
03:18in the community mark and lisa plan to downsize their auckland home so soon ormaha will become
03:25the primary family hub first and foremost it's a sanctuary but it's also for families so all the
03:33chaos that comes with that and the chaos is fun good wine and games and movies and it's that base
03:44ormaha has some of the most expensive coastal properties in the country sites are highly prized
03:50and hard to come by and it seems in mark and lisa's case hard to locate
03:58the address has taken me to the bins behind the dairy i've been assured there's a lovely seaside
04:05section here somewhere but this is all pretty industrial isn't it although that's more promising
04:14how are you nice to meet you welcome to my house and lisa hi so well this this is lovely
04:20isn't it a
04:21really nice winding strip of grass so what's happening here tell me about your section well
04:26this is i'm going to be our driveway this here is a midden which is quite special so that that's
04:32protected that's protected with the local iwi nati monohedi so it's it's pretty special to have
04:37this actually on your property that's incredibly special the section goes all the way from from
04:42there all the way to the well the dunes right yeah it's it's actually the largest beachfront section
04:46in omar house it's over 1800 meters the site which has been vacant for years is in a prime
04:53beachfront spot but it does come with some significant drawbacks there's a surf club and
05:01there's a the public car park here yeah so how does the house address that being next to a public
05:08space and it's north facing too so we've got to build for the east which is the view okay straight
05:14down there that's right we're going to build for the west for the beautiful sunsets you get here
05:18and then build in from the privacy from the public space so i think that's probably the reason um no
05:23one's ever built on the site before just those interesting challenges yeah fortune favors the brave
05:29the house takes up almost the entire width of its site plenty of room then for a three car garage
05:36and grand double height entrance next to which is a media room also on this level there's a laundry
05:42and bathroom a bunk room and two guest bedrooms a living area and kitchenette means that guests can
05:49be semi-self-contained and if they're lucky they might be granted access to mark's wine cellar tucked
05:55away behind a steel framed crittle glass wall outside a steel spiral stair leads up to the west deck
06:02a perfect spot for sunsets and perhaps a tipple from mark's collection the upper level contains the
06:09primary living spaces with windows that stretch along the entire north facade illuminating the oak and
06:16stone kitchen and elegant open plan dining area whilst cleverly screening the car park below
06:24but facing east expansive ocean views can be enjoyed unhindered from the east deck and mark and lisa's
06:31bedroom which adjoins another guest room the exterior is bold and unrelenting with huge scalloped glass
06:38reinforced concrete panels that provide a buffer from the very public site these are softened by
06:44sections of cedar including an elegant curved wall on the eastern facade a slim subtly pitched roof
06:51settles lightly on top of this bold sculptural home that's most definitely not your typical beach house
07:00well there are many things to be impressed with here and it's such a special section
07:06presumably an expensive section yeah you're paying more than you know four million dollars now for a
07:11beachfront section so that's a pretty big number to start with and the cost of the house will be
07:16what do you know look i think if we get all done um under 10 million i'll be very happy
07:23oh my god no that's a it sounds like that's a surprise to you that figure 10 million it's a
07:30big
07:30figure that was including including the section yeah how long will this project last we're hoping to
07:36do it within 18 months okay so that's the target 18 months to 10 years it's got to be good
07:42and we're
07:43putting our heart and soul into this so um this has to be right this has to be a great
07:47house yep you know
07:48building anything's really exciting and you've got to you've got to enjoy it so that's how it feels
07:52you got the excitement it's exciting it's really exciting yeah yeah
07:59i really respect mark and lisa's ambition for this special and significant section what they're trying
08:05to build is something that is bold different but there's a clash here isn't there i mean this is public
08:12domain there's lots of foot traffic which means babies boats surfboards rowdy teenagers and yet at
08:20the same time they want this to be their quiet retreat away from the city so my question is are
08:27they really ready to have the most impactful building at the very heart of this coastal community
08:33and everything that comes with that
08:44just a few doors down from the site are a couple of people
08:47who know this coastal community extremely well mark and lisa's architects mother and son lindy and luke
08:54loiska hey hey hey hey lindy they built this home in 2010 but when designing their place they didn't
09:05have to contend with a public car park we had to do a lot of analysis around that and we
09:10we did a lot
09:11of cross sections showing if there's one here yeah yeah it's really interesting to see that but what
09:20strikes me you know is a proximity here is activity public and noise and cars yes and here's a private
09:26home so two meters from the burnout yeah yeah yeah yeah right so your solution is this great wall the
09:35great wall of omaha yeah a story and a half tall yes and that could be potentially quite oppressive
09:41yes and so what did he do what's the well it's treated it's treated softly that's like a motif
09:47for you know i guess scalloping scallop shell or you know the how the wind would affect the sand
09:54that sort of organic form the roof also offers a counterbalance to the great war
10:02the roof has got very very narrow little edge so it's it's very delicate so it's like a sort of
10:08like
10:08a tent sitting on the fortress in a way yeah yeah so could this house happen anywhere else if there
10:14wasn't the car park next door you wouldn't have this response there you go so this is very much
10:20of its section yes yeah and its place definitely yeah
10:28as dawn breaks in omaha on a crisp august morning a group is quietly gathering on mark and lisa's site
10:37we're doing a karakia this morning by one of the local kamatua before we start building on the site
10:45we're doing it just out of respect for the land which we which is pretty special
10:58with the centuries-old protected midden on the site the blessing is all the more significant
11:11is
11:21thank you
11:23we appreciate it
11:30It's not until mid-summer, a full six months after the karakia, that work begins on site.
11:38We had some issues with council around the consents for the geotech.
11:43The original foundation design made of 120 driven piles wasn't approved by the council.
11:50So we've taken the path of least resistance, we're just digging out the whole site.
11:54Instead of piles, they're having to use a concrete slab, which entails removing over 70 truckloads of sand and replacing
12:03it with hard fill.
12:06I can't let it bother you. It is frustrating, but you've got to get it right.
12:12This change has delayed the build's original start date by three months, yet Mark seems remarkably calm.
12:28Mark's unflappable demeanor could be due to the fact that he's built five houses before this one.
12:33Plus, he has a very experienced project manager, Brad, who's already constructed several high-end Omaha homes.
12:42Mark's a very astute businessman. He's very direct. He knows what he wants.
12:48We're going to have to be on our game as far as budget, timing, quality, which is a great challenge.
12:57Beginning the build three months behind schedule is a great way to ramp up the challenge.
13:03We were trying to get closed in possibly before winter, but there's no chance.
13:18The winterless north is earning its name on a glorious June morning.
13:25Perfect conditions for laying a concrete slab.
13:31I think we're up to, like, the third or fourth track out of maybe about eight.
13:41Good foundations set you up. So, yeah, they're doing a great job.
13:48For years, this site has effectively been a thoroughfare between the ice cream shop and the beach.
13:54So, today's activity has been attracting some interest.
13:59We've definitely had a lot of questions from the public about what's going in here.
14:03Shop fronts and bars and, yeah, there's been a few wild guesses.
14:07No one's actually hit the mark with just a house so far.
14:11Even once complete, it won't look like a regular house,
14:15because it will be clad in unique glass-reinforced concrete, or GRC, panels.
14:21Today, Lisa's brought colour samples for those panels to site.
14:26How did you come up with the colour?
14:29We were going to go with the pearl, which looked like the seashell.
14:32When we got the sample here, it just was blinding.
14:36Like, the residents in the area would need sunglasses to be able to even walk past our house.
14:44Instead, they're going for a greyer shade.
14:47But grey or pearl, these panels are going to stand out,
14:51because there won't be anything else quite like them in Ormaha.
14:58Glass-reinforced concrete, or GRC, is not often used in residential buildings in New Zealand.
15:04But there are great examples in other building typologies,
15:07like this office building, Cumulus, in Auckland.
15:10Now, GRC is concrete, but it's reinforced with very fine glass fibres rather than heavy steel cages.
15:17And so, it can be cast much thinner.
15:22GRC is also lightweight, typically 75% lighter than a traditional panel.
15:28And so, we can see here, the panels are literally hung upside down, wrapping the whole building.
15:35And it can be cast in incredibly fine textured sculptural forms.
15:42This building shows us that, at scale, on an office building in the city,
15:47GRC can make for a striking piece of architecture.
15:50The question is, by the soft sand dunes of Omaha Beach, on a house,
15:55is it the appropriate choice?
16:04By late winter, a forest of framing has sprung up on site.
16:12And today, the steel for the ground floor is being installed.
16:18After the significant delay getting the house started, it's great to see this positive progress.
16:25We were, we are.
16:27Definitely miles behind schedule, but we will make it up, hopefully.
16:31We're in the winterless north.
16:35As the ground floor of Mark and Lisa's house begins to take shape,
16:39their son Troy, who's also a furniture designer,
16:41is finalising drawings for one of the rooms there.
16:46As well as the bunk room, Troy's designed two sofas for the upstairs living area.
16:51The desire to build and make things is in the blood.
16:57My grandfather could always have a garage that was pristine,
17:01with all of his tools, and they were just divine things that he cherished a lot.
17:08When his health was failing, Troy's grandfather gifted him his prize tools.
17:15There's a lot of pride when I do use them, when I can use them properly.
17:18Like my Vernier Vernier Calipers, I use them every day for work,
17:22because they are so, so great.
17:25The house Mark and Lisa are building is all about family.
17:29So it's fitting that Troy is contributing to it.
17:33My whole life is going to be devoted to making things,
17:37and being able to make something for my parents is doubling up on that fulfilment.
17:44Maybe the bunk room is Lisa and Mark's way of future-proofing the house for more family.
17:50I get it every second week that they're looking for grandchildren,
17:55but I hope they haven't told me to design it just to also have grandchildren for them.
18:02I don't put it past them.
18:04But yeah, they will be a maid and grandparents, regardless whenever that time does come.
18:14It's spring and Mark and Lisa's house has significantly grown in stature.
18:21The upper floor steel structure is now almost complete.
18:25It's been a very long time.
18:27It's been a while.
18:28Things have changed, haven't they? Look.
18:30The house has arrived. It's visually quite imposing.
18:34It looks huge.
18:36Lisa and Mark chose to have their main living areas upstairs,
18:39to be above the dunes and capture the views.
18:44Ah, yes.
18:46Yeah, this works.
18:47Yeah.
18:48We got a better result on this floor than we were expecting.
18:52And we're above the car pot as well, which is really important.
18:55And then this lovely hill scape in the background as well.
18:58It's phenomenal. I'm really happy.
19:06This is a very well-considered house, with a lot of sophisticated elements.
19:12But that doesn't make for a quick build.
19:14Planning for this place began over two and a half years ago.
19:21The journey you're on at the moment is taking a while.
19:24You could have brought a house maybe here.
19:26There are a few of them around.
19:28Oh, that would have been so easy.
19:30Yeah.
19:31Yeah?
19:31Yeah, no turning back now.
19:32Yeah, yeah.
19:38How's the schedule tracking?
19:40I think the GRC panels are a month or two late.
19:42It's a long story, but the company changed hands.
19:46And they've gone back through redesign.
19:48Two sets of engineers peer reviewing it to get it absolutely right.
19:51And so it's probably the big risk that's remaining in the build.
19:54So that's when you have a slight sigh of relief when those panels are in.
19:59I'll be a lot happier.
20:01The GRC cladding was always a bold choice.
20:05Just getting it fabricated is a mission.
20:07And even once installed, I do wonder, will it provide both the privacy and the coherent interface between the beach
20:15and car park that Mark and Lisa are hoping for?
20:25A new year has rolled around and the subtle roof form of Mark and Lisa's house is emerging.
20:34It's slim profile that will counterbalance the fortress-like walls is largely achieved by the use of a bespoke membrane
20:42-covered gutter.
20:44It's been a bit of a bane of the builder's life, but they've done an amazing job getting all the
20:49falls correct to make sure it drains away.
20:52It is complex, with its undulating ply substrate feeding into multiple drains.
20:57But it's becoming clear to me that Mark isn't fazed by complexity.
21:03In fact, I think he embraces it.
21:08You don't get to see this from down below, which is a shame because it's a beautiful piece of architecture,
21:13a beautiful piece of building.
21:15While the roof may be progressing, there's still no sign of the GRC panels.
21:20But new shop drawings have arrived with a lot of extra engineering.
21:28It's probably 25% more work in that part of the job than was first anticipated anyway.
21:36Much of that extra work involves adding heavy-duty laminate timber nogs
21:41to ensure the panels won't get ripped off the building in high winds.
21:48So you're looking at probably the biggest nogs in history.
21:51There's about 48 nails going to every single one.
21:54And this has to go right round the whole house.
21:57And of course, this extra work means extra time.
22:03The schedule is out of the gate at the moment.
22:07We're at least two to three months behind.
22:12Mark and Lisa had been hoping that the house would be finished by October, but they've had to adjust expectations.
22:21We're going to be in by croissants, whether it's finished or not.
22:30The GRC panel delays are partly because they're a highly specialized product.
22:35In fact, there are only two main companies in the country that produce them.
22:42Accurately applying the very fine layers of concrete and exactly the right amount of strengthening glass strands requires a lot
22:49of expertise.
22:52The guys here are creating an outdoor table, but they have a much bigger challenge with Mark and Lisa's huge
22:59scallop panels.
23:01And today, the very first one of these is about to be lifted from its mold.
23:07This is a big day.
23:09It's a big day. It's the most important part of the build, optically.
23:12It's the one thing that's kind of kept me awake at night going, we've got to get this bit right.
23:16Yeah, you're such a cool customer normally, so you've been worrying about it.
23:19It has had me a bit worried, yeah.
23:22The panels are also one of the most expensive elements of the build.
23:26This one alone is $20,000, so they really do need to look right.
23:37It feels like an incredibly delicate thing being hoisted up by these grunty machines.
23:44If it just gets too low to the ground or swings quickly onto the forklift or gets out of balance,
23:50that's where we run the risk of damage.
23:59So first panel, here it is.
24:01This is number one of 22, I think there are.
24:04So what do you think? Exciting?
24:06Just the magnitude of it is just epic.
24:08Perfect.
24:09And the finish? Yeah, there's a few marks here, aren't there?
24:13Well, it's just water coming out.
24:17So those will dry out?
24:18Yeah.
24:18You're told?
24:19I'm told, yep.
24:20But you also don't want these panels too perfect, because then it's going to look very plasticky.
24:24Ah, I totally agree.
24:25It's giving a bit of texture and it's not a bad thing.
24:27I'm very happy.
24:27Happy?
24:28Happy.
24:29Well, that's a relief.
24:31One panel down, 21 left to go.
24:41Winter has officially arrived in Omaha.
24:44The beach may be deserted, but there's plenty happening on site.
24:52Today, the temporary boxing is being removed from the in situ east facing concrete staircase.
25:01There's always a little bit of nervousness to see if it all turned out all right.
25:05So we'll see what it looks like.
25:06Hopefully no big holes in it.
25:10It's a significant moment for 20-year-old apprentice Lewis.
25:21It's turned out mint actually.
25:23This is a crazy house to be building, with curved walls and like these stairs.
25:28A big learning experience, like as an apprentice, I'm definitely loving it.
25:36The mastermind behind this unique build is architect Lindy Lojska, who's popped over to check out the newly unboxed and
25:44unconventional stairs.
25:46There are secret parts and open parts, so it's deliberately complex.
25:51It doesn't say exactly this is a staircase.
25:54So when you actually go to the bottom of it, then you see the staircase revealed behind the triangular wall.
26:03It's really exciting how the house is coming together.
26:05I'm just delighted.
26:08But there's a key feature that's still conspicuously absent.
26:12The GRC panels.
26:15When Brad test fitted one of the panel frames to the bracing on the side of the house, it didn't
26:20fit.
26:22I realised that the measurements are out in our shop drawings by sort of 10-15mm.
26:29So I put a bit of a stop to everything.
26:33The frame fixings are now having to be adjusted, which has knock-on effects.
26:38Until the panels are up, the windows along the northern wall can't be installed.
26:47Winter's here. We've already had two storms, so we've boarded up the exterior so we can keep all the framing
26:55and inside the building dry.
26:58And rain's not the only issue.
27:02Because we're so close to the ocean, the sea spray just sticks to everything, so we can't afford too many
27:08more delays.
27:10I feel for Brad. He has a lot on his shoulders completing this challenging build to the highest standards expected.
27:18And the public interest in this place must only be amplifying that pressure.
27:31In Omaha, it's a big day for the build.
27:34Adjustments to the GRC panel fixings have been completed, and the builders are hoping they'll finally be able to install
27:41them.
27:45But it's a painstaking process.
27:48Are we catching something? Hold on.
27:51We must be, yeah. Nah, it's got to come down.
27:54We haven't done this before.
27:56There's a bit of adjustment. There's zero tolerance in this stuff.
28:02It's a nervous time for Brad, who needs the panels to slot into the brackets and seamlessly interlock with each
28:08other.
28:13Yeah, we might need to take it back to where the bin is and chuck it on some tall saw
28:18stools.
28:19So far, every single panel has needed modifying in order to fit.
28:26The plan really was to pick them straight off the truck and straight in, but it hasn't worked out like
28:32that, so.
28:37It's definitely frustrating. We'll carry on. We'll persevere. It is what it is.
28:49While the build team's full attention is on the exterior, Mark and Lisa are addressing details for the interior.
28:58This one is from Breville.
29:00That's very cool.
29:03Natural stone is going to be a key feature throughout the house.
29:08There's over 3,000 pieces just in this warehouse, so it's like kids in a lolly shop.
29:14Oh, wow.
29:16Mark and Lisa, who are tackling the interior design themselves, have chosen a court site from Brazil.
29:22This is going to look amazing. It's starting to feel more real now.
29:27And today they're selecting the specific slabs for the kitchen, bathrooms and wine cellar.
29:34I'm looking for slabs that have got quite a dynamic grain through them.
29:39Exactly how we want it.
29:41Mark, in particular, has very exacting standards for every element of this house.
29:48You've got to get it right.
29:50This is probably our last project, so we want to make this one a really good one.
29:54Last project.
29:56We'll see.
30:02Mark vowed that the family would be in for Christmas, which is now just three days away.
30:08So, sadly, that ship has sailed.
30:12Something bringing a little fist of cheer, though, is the arrival of the steel spiral staircase that will provide external
30:19access to the west deck.
30:22It's really functional art, and it's looking really good.
30:26Can't wait for it to get in the next few minutes.
30:37It's a huge piece of needle. Oh, my God. Take out two tons there? Like, I'm half a knot.
30:43I'm half a knot.
30:52The measurements are bang on, and the stair locks into place.
31:00Brooke, who's up from Wellington for the festive break, got to witness this milestone moment.
31:06My parents are definitely a power duo.
31:10Seeing my dad's vision just coming together with my mom has just been gorgeous.
31:16And I love the stairs.
31:18It just worked out better than I thought.
31:20It visually softens the whole side of the building now.
31:22Feels very integrated.
31:24It also has an industrial aesthetic that Lisa and Mark are aiming to achieve with the interior.
31:31And you can see that in the steel frame critical dividing walls that have been recently installed.
31:38The original concept inside was very, like, New York loft.
31:43Like the rest of this place, not your typical beach house.
31:48The place just looks so grand. I don't think there's any other way to describe it.
31:57But grand homes take time, and it could be months beyond Christmas before this one's complete.
32:04Fortunately, a very welcome distraction has come along.
32:09We have a new baby at home.
32:12Ten days ago, Troy and his partner, LJ, delivered the family's much-longed-for first grandchild, Theodore.
32:24We feel as though we've already had our Christmas gifts.
32:27You know, just having a happy, healthy baby.
32:31Mm. It was good.
32:32No, exactly.
32:33And then by the time the place is finished, hopefully Theodore will be able to come and enjoy it with
32:37us.
32:51Another new year has begun, and I'm eager to see how the final stages of Mark and Lisa's Omaha vision
32:58are coming together.
33:01So much thought and effort has gone into this house, making it a generational asset for the family, which, of
33:09course, has already begun to expand.
33:12So this is Troy's design work in progress.
33:15This is it coming to life.
33:16Yeah, you talk about that with your eyes lit up. Are you enjoying being a grandfather?
33:21Oh, it's fantastic. Yeah, one day they might have cousins and brothers and sisters, so it's a good place to
33:25get the kids down into a bit of a play area in a bunk room.
33:29This family story will expand and expand.
33:32Yep, I hope so.
33:35With swathes of the oak flooring now laid and tiling underway, Mark and Lisa's palette choice of soft, neutral tones
33:42is emerging.
33:43I'll be interested to see how well this integrates with the hard-edged, industrial look of the Crittle glazing.
33:50Now, remind me what this room was.
33:53This is our wine cellar.
33:55A little treat for me, really.
34:00It even has a small tasting area, which is receiving a bespoke plaster treatment selected by Mark and Lisa to
34:08create a cave-like feel.
34:10The way you've chosen to run this project is pretty hands-on.
34:14And so I just wonder how you find the time to do that, because this isn't a simple build.
34:20This is technically ambitious.
34:22It is, and I'm busy everywhere else too, but it's just a special part of my brain that is dedicated
34:26to this.
34:28Generally, how are you feeling? Are you feeling punch drunk? This is Lisa as well.
34:32No, I think we're really excited.
34:34It's been a four-year project since we bought the land here, so I'm looking forward to having it done.
34:42It's tempting to think that this house is very close to the finish line, but of course, there's a lot
34:47still to do.
34:48And so we can't really judge Mark and Lisa's vision, can we?
34:51A house that's both grand in scale and ambition, and a house that sits right next to the public realm,
34:57but wants to be a private beach sanctuary.
35:00We'll just have to wait then, won't we, to see what the impact this statement piece of architecture will have
35:05on both the landscape and the community.
35:16Mark and Lisa definitely made a brave choice with their site in Omaha.
35:21It was one overlooked by many because of the challenges, the surf club, the public thoroughfare, the car park.
35:27To overcome those challenges, they chose a bold design.
35:32So I'm really curious now to find out whether the risks they took have paid off.
35:46Oh, the middle looks great. The planting's coming up.
35:50A very glamorous house sitting at the end of this sweeping driveway.
36:02I'm really interested to see this relationship between the car park, which is right here, and this glorious sculptural house.
36:11This kind of feels more like an art gallery than a house.
36:15Whatever it is, it's gorgeous.
36:19Oh, I love this.
36:21So the concrete has this sort of material-like feel, almost like curtains, and at this point here, they've been
36:28drawn open, revealing beautiful soft timber.
36:32Yeah, this is an entrance and a half.
36:36Hello. Hey, Lisa.
36:38Hi. Tom, how are you? Welcome.
36:41Yeah, I'm very good. Even better for seeing this place. I mean, this is amazing.
36:45Finally got there.
36:46Yeah, what a house. It feels so delicate and sculptural and welcoming and impressive and, ah, I could go on.
36:54Come on then.
37:02What a way to arrive in a house.
37:06And unlike some houses with big entrance lobbies, it doesn't feel empty.
37:11This is so full of things to look at, not least this amazing wine wall.
37:17I've been collecting wine for about 12 years, and I finally got a house I can do this in.
37:21Yeah. So a full wine cellar.
37:23Somebody should hide it all in one spot.
37:25Hide it in plain sight, though.
37:26Yeah.
37:28This has really affected the critical glazed wall up here for light and visual connection.
37:34It's a great way for bringing the light all the way down into the corridor.
37:44The rest of this lower floor is generously geared up for guests, in particular family, who will be regulars here
37:51now that this place has become the new Family HQ.
37:56And with Troy's bunk room complete, the Darrow clan can continue to expand.
38:06Ah, I like this. The glass all the way down to the floor, so you see the floor, but you
38:10sort of rise through it.
38:14Ah, it's so light and bright and transparent everywhere.
38:20Those windows are so effective all the way along the northern side, and so we're flooded with light, and only
38:27a tiny bit of car park, just a slither.
38:29Yeah, I don't really see the cars out there.
38:31Yeah, well, all right, so from your vantage point, Lisa, yeah, there's no car park, it's just green.
38:35Oh, it's gorgeous. We're so close to the public realm, and yet here it feels really calm.
38:41Mm-hmm.
38:42I think you've solved the problem here.
38:45Then kitchen in the middle. Ah, now this is your Brazilian quartzite.
38:49Yep. You've got the leathered look, which is very tactile.
38:52Yeah, it is, isn't it?
38:53It just feels beautiful.
38:54Yeah.
38:56So this is part of a project for you two, the interior design.
39:00So you took it on yourselves, this whole big house.
39:03Yep. We wanted the black and white crispness, then the warmth coming through the wood.
39:08I think it's worked really well together.
39:09It's cohesive.
39:11Yeah, I think you've done very well.
39:13Yeah, it's pretty good.
39:13I think we've done well.
39:15Yeah.
39:20There's a soothing, understated elegance to the spaces here,
39:25from the upstairs guest suite to the cosy lounge that flows effortlessly out to the large west deck.
39:36So here you've got the same cedar cladding inside.
39:39Yeah, we've brought the outside cedar and just to have the two areas blend.
39:43And when the doors are open, it just acts as one space.
39:46Yeah, very effective.
39:47I like that.
39:48It also has a little surprise.
39:50Oh, yeah.
39:50You want to see?
39:51Yeah, I'm intrigued.
39:53A surprise.
39:55Oh, a hidden door.
39:57Yes.
39:57Very good.
39:58Look at that.
40:03Wow, the most cosy little bedroom here with the most amazing view.
40:08Yeah, it's a pretty nice view to wake up to in the morning.
40:10It's very, very special.
40:12Yeah, we have our little private sanctuary here away from everyone else.
40:15They can be doing their thing and then we can just hide away and look at that view.
40:21Yeah, yeah.
40:21Just you and the view.
40:25So only a couple of steps through a big opening and you're on a deck.
40:29Oh, what a place to be.
40:31Complete connection with the coast, the dunes, the landscape.
40:36That's really what this is all about.
40:39The complexity here is really working for me.
40:41There's a lot going on here.
40:42The curving wall, this staircase tucked away.
40:46And I love this, the over-sailing roof completely protecting us.
40:51It sort of compresses your view, which becomes very landscape in proportion,
40:56which is perfect for a stretch of water like that.
41:09I'm enjoying this sitting on Troy's sofas in your lovely house.
41:14Beautiful view.
41:15It's pretty good, isn't it?
41:17Yeah, this is probably the first time I've actually sat down and relaxed.
41:20It's fair to say there were some challenges with this section.
41:23A few risks building next to the car park and yet wanting a house that was a sanctuary.
41:28Do you get a sense of whether that's worked as well as you wanted it to?
41:33I think what we managed to do, which other people couldn't find a way to do,
41:36was unlock the magic of the site.
41:37The privacy that we've created within our own boundaries.
41:42Being able to pull off something pretty incredible.
41:45Fantastic.
41:53Great work by the architects, I have to say.
41:55Yeah, the architects done a great job and we had amazing builders.
41:58Brad's been really fussy and that's been great.
42:02Have you got a feeling from the community about what they think of this house and what you've done?
42:07The first 18 months, I think everyone wondered what the heck we were doing.
42:11The last six months, as it's come to life and got the character,
42:14people are just unanimously really, really positive and we're getting so many good wishes now.
42:25So when we met two years ago, you'd bought the land for $4 million
42:28and then you were going to spend $6 million to build this house.
42:33How did you go?
42:35Well, we ended up almost exactly on the number, so we've done pretty well budget-wise.
42:40And that wasn't because it hasn't cost a lot, because it has.
42:43I think we were just really realistic going into it, knowing how much it was going to cost.
42:47I have to say, this house is pretty remarkable.
42:51It's a landmark, isn't it?
42:52Looking up and down this bay, this is the house that people remember.
42:57It is. It's certainly unique.
43:00And we're just delighted the way it's turned out.
43:02There's a lot of both of us in this house.
43:05It's been a good team effort.
43:07It's been great.
43:10You made me cry.
43:20It's really pleasing to discover that Mark and Lisa's four years of hard work and home building
43:26have given them what they wanted.
43:28A beautiful home, a quiet sanctuary by the sea.
43:31But the big takeaway for me is that the public facing issues here have been solved with a clever, confident
43:39architectural solution.
43:41It's the architecture here that have made this home somewhat of a local landmark already.
43:47And I think in time, it's enduring quality will make this house iconic to Omaha.
43:56The people's about the past.
44:09The people sitting behind a certain corner.
44:18The people standing behind a certain corner, feel very grimly.
44:19They're the people standing behind the ceiling.
44:21The parents hitting the wall.
44:22You've got to kill them when they're everywhere and they're the people moving.
44:24Peace.
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