Grand Designs Australia

Peter Maddison visits Chris in Callignee who sets out to produce a tough, resilient version of his original home which was destroyed by flood and bushfires.

Architect Domenic Alvaro and his partner Sue Bassett are urban animals who love the inner city suburb of Surry Hills in Sydney. However their dream location comes with a nightmare price tag. So they come up with a unique way of keeping costs down, by buying very small and building very tall. After purchasing a tiny corner car park measuring 7m x 6m they set out to create 220 square metres of light filled living space. Their vertical build comes together quickly thanks to prefab concrete panels which fit together like a Lego construction. The build itself is fast and efficient but there are interesting challenges on site. A miniscule block and two narrow cross streets won't submit to the needs of a gigantic crane in a hurry - and the crane is essential as it hauls the huge panels and windows into position. Basically something's got to give - and it does. Will the result be worth the hassle?

While most retirees are thinking about an easy life, Jan and Ed Gilman are planning their next adventure. They've already sailed the world on their yacht but are looking for a haven in the seaside location of Southport on the sunny Gold Coast, for when they drop anchor. They found the perfect block with a ramshackle old weather board 'Queenslander' fit for demolition. Their intention was to pull it down, split the block and build 2 new houses - one to live in and the other to rent. But on learning its unique history as the 1880's summer house of pioneer Sir Augustus Gregory, they decide to tackle a restoration...and do it themselves. The biggest problem is that the house is too small, so to increase the floor space the house has to be lifted and moved forward on the block. What follows is a painstaking restoration process - and with no official heritage guidelines in place, Jan and Ed are faced with a difficult choice - take the laborious path of restoring the house to its former glory or opt for the easier path and lose the history of the house.

Julie and Patrick Eltridge bought in Sydney’s beachside Clovelly three years ago, paying $1.6 million for an old house on a sloping block. It was the land and its sea views they wanted, not the asbestos-riddled house. With time a concern, they have to find a way to fast track a slick, uber modern, two-story residence in a matter of months. The solution comes from Melbourne and a firm of pre-fab builders, who custom build them four top end, architect designed modules in a highly efficient, regulated environment. On completion, the pods will be trucked to Sydney in a dramatic, oversized convoy and then crane lifted into position. Another challenging element of the build centres around the demolition and site preparation in Sydney. One of the site issues has more twists and plot turns than an Agatha Christie novel making the new modules look like a breeze.

For 17 years Trevor and Francoise Sullivan have lived with their two kids and numerous animals in an open sided shed on 33 bushy acres at Lake Bennett south of Darwin. With money tight they were sustained by thoughts of the beautiful home they’d one day enjoy – so they both nutted out a unique design. A cyclone proof, tropical tree house that is windowless and based on the shape of a 50 cent piece. With little or no funds, Trevor (a wood carver) is building it all himself (including furniture) with the help of generous mates. The going is slow but one of the first things finished is the magnificent central staircase, carved from a fallen Paperbark Tree. Will they get the roof on before the wet season? That is the question.

If ever there was an ideal place for a Hampton's house outside the Hamptons, the Gold Coast hinterland is it - wide open spaces, balmy sea-kissed air and a sense of prosperity. For Steve and Lisa Morley it's the American dream or nothing for their 4,000 square metre block. They like nothing about the blandness of the popular modernist box and love everything about the Hamptons style, from the warm timbers and the plethora of windows to the open plan seaside living, pavilion style design, parquetry flooring and classic, soft interior furnishings. Lisa's done her research, but struggles to convince the people around her that her vision can work. It's a battle to find a builder and then a war to see her dream materialise.