Grand Designs NZ (2025) S09E03
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00New Zealand's love affair with the beach embraces many things,
00:07but traditionally, architecture hasn't been a priority.
00:11The classic Kiwi batch is pretty basic, but that's always been okay.
00:17What more do you need when you've got all of this?
00:22Increasingly, however, the humble batch is being replaced with what some might call
00:29the boastful beach house.
00:32And so I wonder, is architectural ambition to blame?
00:42Here at Pihar on Auckland's rugged west coast is a standout piece of unapologetic,
00:48robust architecture that in its planning caused quite a stir.
00:54Critics claimed surf lifesaving tower Tepai, the perch, would be a militaristic blot on the landscape.
01:01Today, though, Tepai is admired for its functional sculptural form and perfect colour match to the Black Sand Beach.
01:09So while Tepai is undoubtedly a success, is this always the case?
01:15Is our precious coastline the right place for bold architectural statements?
01:21My Rangi Bay is one of the coastal jewels on Auckland's North Shore, once a hideaway holiday haven.
01:36But nowadays built up and sought after with beach houses, not batches, and prices to match.
01:55Never get tired of that view, would you?
01:58No.
01:59Beautiful.
02:00You can go for a swim.
02:01Good.
02:02Mark and Sherilyn Rice have lived here since 2018 and appreciate the beauty and balance it brings to their busy lives.
02:13It's a wonderful village.
02:15It kind of still has that small village vibe, still an active surf club which gives the beach a real great vibe.
02:21It's amazing, yeah, it's just a beautiful, beautiful part of Auckland.
02:27The couple have been married for 30 years and have three children.
02:32Sherilyn keeps the home fires burning and looks after Mark who's flat out managing and co-owning a big consumer brands distribution company.
02:43I'm very busy but, you know, that's life and I love it that way.
02:47So mixing work and family and pleasure is always a balancing act.
02:54Every now and then you've got to stop and reflect but I don't do that very much.
02:59It's also fair to say that Mark Rice doesn't do anything by halves.
03:06Mark is a very high achiever and does 110% of whatever he's aiming to do.
03:13Mark and Sherilyn have had several houses built over the years.
03:17But this time, with an empty nest and retirement years in mind, the beach house they've been planning will be the last.
03:26We wanted to live on the beach but not on a cliff.
03:28So that kind of, you know, whittled down the amount of properties that you could get.
03:32We also wanted to be more at this end of the bays because of north facing.
03:37Property at Mairangi Bay is tightly held and the couple look for two years without success.
03:44And when the right place finally did come up, they didn't hesitate.
03:48We walked in and Sherilyn kind of gripped my hand and it was like, shh, don't be too excited.
03:55Don't be too excited.
03:56Don't be too excited.
03:57And within about two hours we'd bought it.
04:02But we knew instinctively that we were going to need to rebuild it.
04:08We were buying a location.
04:09Yeah.
04:13Mark and Sherilyn lived in the original house for three years, experiencing the site firsthand while planning their dream home.
04:21Now, well underway.
04:26Hi.
04:27Hi, Tom. How are ya?
04:28Very good.
04:29And would you look at that?
04:31An epic start.
04:33Yep, there's a big hole.
04:34Yes, a very big hole.
04:35Yep.
04:36We've been piling for about five months now.
04:38Well, I'm really itching to see what you've done so far.
04:41Okay. Well, let's go have a look.
04:42Yeah.
04:43This way.
04:44Yep, this way.
04:45Yep.
04:46Okay.
04:47Those are substantial retaining walls and foundations.
04:50In fact, it looks more like they're building an apartment block, not a house.
04:55That's a hole.
04:56Yeah.
04:57Sure is.
04:58And so was this a surprise?
04:59The size of this thing?
05:01Well, the depth of it.
05:02The depth of it, yeah.
05:03Yeah.
05:04Like anything, you wish you'd made it a bit bigger though.
05:06Oh, really?
05:07Yeah.
05:08It actually feels like we're witnessing the construction of a concrete citadel commanding
05:13the beach.
05:14An imposing statement by a well-resourced and capable couple.
05:19So you're all about the nitty gritty, Mark?
05:23Oh, yeah.
05:24Love the details.
05:25Very detailed.
05:26Wanting to understand everything that's going on at every point in time.
05:30And where does that come from?
05:32Oh, I think it's just a bit of who I am and how I run my world.
05:35Yes.
05:36So not just in building, this is you.
05:37This is me, yeah.
05:38This is me, yeah.
05:39Pretty sure I drive the builders absolutely nuts.
05:42And it feels like, well, you're talking a lot here, Mark, is this a combined dream?
05:47Oh, absolutely.
05:48Mark's very creative.
05:50Yeah.
05:51And I do trust his judgement.
05:53Mark and Sherilyn's home is flanked by massive retaining walls, which support four levels
06:00up the hillside.
06:02The basement has a plant room for all of the home's electronic systems, plus a sauna and gym.
06:09On level one, concrete and glass form bedroom one and ensuite in its own wing.
06:15The media room in the middle comes complete with a built-in bar for entertaining.
06:21Beyond the internal stairs and lift is bedroom two with ensuite looking out over an infinity
06:26pool to the sea beyond.
06:28A spiral staircase outside leads up to level two and an open dining area with an outdoor
06:34fireplace.
06:35This level connects to a three-car garage alongside the oversized front door, leading to an elegant
06:41timber joinery kitchen with scullery and laundry beyond.
06:45The master bedroom and ensuite occupy a whole wing while, on the other side, again set against a raw textured
06:52concrete wall, is a dining space and formal lounge.
06:57The double-height atrium extends up to the top floor.
07:00So, take the stairs or the lift up to an expansive home office, complete with fold-down bed, ensuite and deck.
07:08The exterior concrete walls combine with black-clad elements and floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding
07:15doors to create a home that fully embodies luxury living.
07:21It's going to be your house, a comfortable house, somewhere for the family to come to.
07:27Although, I wonder what the neighbours are thinking at the moment.
07:30It's a heavy-looking house and I think it'll be important that it settles nicely.
07:35It's quite exposed to the beach.
07:38So, as much as we want to enjoy it, we also want to make sure that it's not an eyesore.
07:42Yeah.
07:43I think that's really important to us.
07:44So, it's clearly a substantial investment here.
07:47What did you pay for this section?
07:49We paid $5.8 million for the original house.
07:53House, yep.
07:54House and site, yeah.
07:55Yeah, house and site.
07:56And at the time, that was probably over the odds slightly.
07:59Yeah.
08:00But, um, it's just not every day that you can buy a piece of land like this, so.
08:06Which is finding the right location.
08:07Yeah.
08:08Yeah.
08:09How much is the house going to cost?
08:11Um, well, the original budget was around $6 million.
08:15Well, you know, it better be good, right?
08:18Yes.
08:19Yeah, it better be good.
08:20About $12 million plus to finish.
08:23And when will that be?
08:25Two to two and a half years from where we are now.
08:28Okay.
08:29Is the current project timeline.
08:30Two to two and a half years.
08:31Yeah.
08:32Well, I wish you the best of luck and I, for one, am looking forward to being in that pool with a beer overlooking that view.
08:40Yeah.
08:41I look forward to joining you.
08:42If you're happy.
08:43Yeah.
08:44Absolutely.
08:45Yeah.
08:46I'm somewhat blown away by this project.
08:51But let's pause for a moment.
08:54What about the spirit of this place?
08:56In the past, you might have built a batch here.
08:58Something that treads lightly on the land.
09:00Flimsy, maybe.
09:01But something that allows a really visceral connection with this environment.
09:05The views, yes.
09:06But also the sounds.
09:07The smells.
09:08The light.
09:09The weather.
09:10The whole deal.
09:11This is different.
09:13More complex.
09:14More robust.
09:15More expensive.
09:16And I wonder, in building in that way, will Mark and Sherilyn miss out on a deep-rooted connection with this beautiful setting.
09:27Of course, all of that will only become clear in the fullness of time.
09:31Right now, with such high expectations and so much money on the line, the pressure's really on those charged with delivering.
09:40People like Mark Wilson, a designer specialising in large, expansive masonry homes.
09:46So we do quite a bit of contemporary work, but this one is certainly out there.
09:53All clients are very different.
09:54And Mark's a little bit out of the box, really, in that there's a lot going on in that brain.
09:59And he really understands the use of materials, the logistics and building, and just all of the technical aspects.
10:09Their willingness to explore far beyond what they thought they were going to is pretty exciting.
10:15It's allowing us to go for gold, essentially.
10:20Although Mark and Sherilyn are committed to their large concrete house and the big design statement it makes,
10:26they also want to be assured that it will be comfortable to live in.
10:31Does it feel too cold?
10:32Does it feel quite hard?
10:34You know, how do we soften it from a, you know?
10:36Yeah, so concrete's obviously a pretty brutal product.
10:39What we normally do with a project like this, where we've got lots of hard surfaces,
10:44is bring in a lot of soft materials.
10:47Big, comfy sofas, lush rugs, maybe artwork that has acoustic properties.
10:53As many soft materials as we can get into the property,
10:56without turning it away from that sort of very contemporary, clean sort of look.
11:02Is it pretty low maintenance?
11:04Yeah.
11:05Absolutely no painted surfaces anywhere, if you're into that.
11:09Definitely into that.
11:10No plasterboard at all.
11:11No plasterboard.
11:12No.
11:13No paint.
11:14Why does that not feel like it's going to save any money though?
11:17Ah, yeah.
11:19Yeah.
11:24It's taken a year to excavate the site and construct the foundations, but now the house should steadily take shape.
11:34Beginning with a concrete pour on a crisp autumn morning with two nervous onlookers.
11:40No sleep.
11:41Looking at the iPad.
11:43Rain radar.
11:44You're just looking at the weather patterns and just hoping that it's going to be all right,
11:51because really if it was raining we'd still have to pour.
11:54You can't do it tomorrow, because everyone's booked out.
11:56The concrete layers are booked out, the concrete's booked out, the pump's not here.
11:59So it's got to go in.
12:01Mark and Richie know that good teamwork is at the heart of a successful build, and that goes for them too.
12:11Hard work.
12:16But while Richie is project manager, Mark doesn't hesitate to have his say.
12:22Have you seen that we're going to change that fireplace?
12:25Yeah.
12:26Did Mark talk to you about that?
12:28That was my idea.
12:29What, putting the hole in the end of it?
12:31Yeah.
12:33It's only cosmetic, it's not structural.
12:35No, it's structural.
12:36It's the actual fireplace.
12:37Yeah.
12:38Is it?
12:39Yeah.
12:40Oh, okay.
12:41Didn't know that.
12:42Yeah, no, it's structural.
12:43100%.
12:46Richie has worked with Mark before, so he knows to expect regular review and change.
12:52He also knows Mark will be particularly focused on the next challenge here.
12:56The creation of a seriously big, and I mean massive, textured concrete wall.
13:03That concrete will basically be visible for three floors, nine metres high.
13:08We have to make it so that it looks like it was one continuous port.
13:12And Richie's job is to make it look perfect.
13:14As we will.
13:16Is that sweat I see, Richie?
13:17Is that wet?
13:18Is that sweat?
13:19Yeah, a little bit, a little bit.
13:22All joking aside, I suspect things aren't going to get easier for Richie and the builders.
13:27Mark wants the best for himself and Sherilyn, and expects to get it.
13:31Maharangi Bay may be a great place for fun in the sun, but this build will be no holiday.
13:46Midwinter and a miserable day at Mark and Sherilyn Rice's build at Maharangi Bay on Auckland's North Shore.
13:53They were due to crane in steel beams and precast concrete floor slabs.
14:00But the plan's literally been blown away and Builder Richie is racing to reschedule.
14:06Another great Auckland morning.
14:08So we've just had to cancel the trucks and try and get them back tomorrow.
14:12Because obviously it's too windy to use the crane.
14:18It's going to put us back at least a day.
14:19Unfortunately, everyone else in Auckland will be in the same boat.
14:22So everyone will be cancelling stuff, concrete, everything.
14:26So, not good.
14:28With the storm forecast to blow all day, the crane won't be doing anything.
14:33But that's cold comfort for the team.
14:35There's still plenty of other work to do.
14:38We should definitely go ahead.
14:39Yeah, definitely go ahead.
14:40Yeah, keep putting that bolts in, mate.
14:41Yeah.
14:42Yeah, keep going.
14:43Yeah.
14:45Now I work in most weather.
14:46They're all young guys.
14:47So they're all pretty keen.
14:49They'll get soaking wet and probably go home early this afternoon.
14:52But they just keep going.
14:56While the young builders work on and the day goes to the dogs,
15:01the intricate design elements that make up this house are firmly on Mark's busy agenda.
15:06We're happy that we'll have a metallier finish on the lift shaft.
15:11Yes.
15:12Then you're going to have that black veneer wall.
15:14Yeah.
15:15There's quite a bit going on there.
15:17Clearly, there's no detail too small for Mark's laser-like focus.
15:23But given his personality, the size of the build and the money being spent,
15:27it's not surprising he's all over it.
15:29You're sort of saying that in that corner, that veneer is going to sit over the top of the concrete.
15:37Yes.
15:39I don't know that I'm treating it like a business.
15:42It's probably just the way I treat everything, to be honest.
15:44Make it external.
15:45Get everybody in the room, have the conversation.
15:47It's much easier to have smaller conversations down the track
15:50when the bigger conversations have been had collectively together.
15:54You want those doors to disappear and just be seamless.
15:57I need you to come back on that so that I can work that through with DBJ.
16:02My job is to make decisions in the middle so that the perfect design
16:06and the actual reality become a reality.
16:09On top of it and back down.
16:12There's no denying Mark's determination to build something amazing.
16:16With a complexity and intricacy more on the scale of a high-end commercial project like a hotel.
16:22But since this is a residential project, the house, is enough emphasis being placed on the softer, more inviting, more homely elements.
16:33Very difficult to determine at this stage of the project.
16:36But if we start to see them, then this project will be remarkable.
16:41A break in the bad weather allows concrete floor panels and now steel beams to be craned on site, where they are gently persuaded into position.
16:58It's easy down. Here, keep going.
17:01These beams will support the floor in the family living and kitchen areas.
17:05Everything's designed to go together perfectly.
17:07And it's a tough, demanding job to make sure it does.
17:15With all the focus on the build, you'd think Mark and Sherilyn wouldn't have time for anything else.
17:20But no.
17:24Isn't it looking great?
17:25Yes.
17:26Like, this is so good.
17:27This is so much better than what it was before.
17:31They've been overseeing new planting down the right-hand side of the property.
17:37We're on a walkway that runs down to the beach, really busy.
17:39The whole neighbourhood uses it.
17:40And we really just wanted to get this bit finished so that we sort of take away the construction site
17:45that it's looked like for a year and sort of return it back to the neighbourhood.
17:52The house will soon come up past this wall, so that will look very, very imposing down this wall,
17:59which is part of the reason that we're sort of getting this prepared now before the imposing house kind of takes over a little bit.
18:06You know, we obviously want it to look very natural in the landscape.
18:10We don't want it to be...
18:12An eyesore.
18:13An eyesore to anybody.
18:14Yeah.
18:15So this is all part of just giving it all back and letting it settle nicely over the rest of the construction.
18:28By August, the house has finally reached right up to the road and the living floor level two.
18:35Time for the team to build another large concrete wall.
18:38As always, a demanding and potentially perilous undertaking.
18:45Everything is triple checked.
18:48Just making sure nothing's moving or leaking out.
18:51I mean, if that happens, it's a disaster.
18:52Mark and Sherilyn have also chosen concrete for 11 of their internal walls, but nothing is standard here, of course, and a smooth finish simply won't do.
19:04Let's go up and put another 300 pils there on.
19:10They're using rough-sawn timber for the shuttering to create what's known as board-marked concrete.
19:17Dive under it up.
19:19Once the concrete is set, there's no going back.
19:23And there's a huge weight on Richie to get the pour exactly right.
19:28It's real important that we have a continuous flow of concrete, so we have no separation, no lines.
19:34The whole thing just gets continually poured top to bottom, bottom to top.
19:39Good sofa. Touch wood.
19:42But as more concrete flows in, there's more pressure on the complicated shuttering.
19:48Just a lot of weight up there.
19:52Probably about 22 tons of concrete in there.
19:55That weight has caused the wall to tilt.
19:58A little bit is okay, but no more.
20:06That's 165.
20:09It's about 5mm, isn't it?
20:11I think we're good if we change it, it'll bend it.
20:14That's within 5 or 6mm, which is not bad for that height of wall.
20:20I think we're pretty happy with it.
20:22So, a stressful day over.
20:24But there's no telling yet just what the surface of this wall will look like until the boards come off.
20:30You can bet Mark Rice will be here for that.
20:33And, as we know, he doesn't like to be disappointed.
20:44Can I get hold of these? Just hold of these.
20:46Over the last 6 months, Mark and Sherilyn Rice's new home, overlooking Auckland's Mairangi Bay, has been steadily taking shape.
20:55Good.
20:56Can you wait on, Cole?
20:58But not without a lot of effort going into the giant concrete walls, all cast on site.
21:08Each wall comes with its own challenges.
21:11None more so than the longest in the whole house.
21:18A staggering 23 metres long.
21:21The whole length of level 2, the living floor.
21:26Just getting the shuttering in place for the concrete pour took strength and ingenuity.
21:30Take the weight up. Just take the weight up.
21:34The shuttering panels were just too heavy and unwieldy for the crane to lift, so the builders used chains and pulleys, carefully moving them into position, millimetre by millimetre.
21:44We all right, Ben?
21:47Make us move and move.
21:49You basically just got a pendulum, so you're just trying to angle it to go the right direction, a little bit at a time.
21:55You've got to push the bottom over.
21:57If it tips that stuff, you're not going to stop it. It's going to keep going.
22:00That's pretty vertical there, isn't it?
22:02The walls here are a major part of the overall aesthetic.
22:05Mark and Sherilyn are expecting that the board-marked concrete will create a seamless woodgrain texture.
22:16All will be revealed when the concrete's cured and the boards can come off.
22:21And that's today.
22:23It's hard to believe that it's almost been a year since I was here last.
22:26And now, look, the building's coming out of the ground.
22:30OK, it's been slow, it's been painstaking, but there's magic here and I've come to see it.
22:40This is a real moment of truth.
22:43And Mark is also here, full of anticipation.
22:48It's always exciting.
22:49Yeah?
22:50It's awesome, yeah.
22:51Do you consider yourself to be a concrete expert now?
22:53Oh, no, no, that's Richie's job.
22:56Right.
22:58I'm just the expert of whether I like it or not.
23:00Yeah, yeah.
23:02It took a little while to probably get used to the imperfections, but I think once you see it in the scale,
23:08you know, you start to understand the imperfections are part of the detail.
23:15Yeah, it takes on a sort of organic feel, doesn't it?
23:18You don't want it to be too perfect.
23:19You need some of that imperfection, but you want it evenly.
23:22You don't want to see mistakes, right?
23:23You don't want to see big bits of honeycombing.
23:26Correct, yeah.
23:27Aggregate coming out.
23:28It's the only wall in the house that really spans the entire length of the house.
23:32You see the whole wall all the way down to the lounge through that sea view there.
23:36So what happens if you pull off a plank and there's a big hole or, you know, you get fired?
23:45Fortunately for Richie's continued employment, it appears that the boards have lived up to Mark's expectation.
23:51But for the self-confessed details guy, who doesn't like surprises, does he actually like the look?
23:58A bit of an adjustment, just the rawness of it.
24:01Yeah.
24:02I think we always knew it would be, you know, an adjustment.
24:06Yeah.
24:07But it really grows on you.
24:10They said you'll love it or you'll hate it, so...
24:13So you're more loved?
24:14Oh, we're 100% in love with it.
24:16Yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:18While these interior walls won't be to everybody's taste, it's the bold vision they're part of that sets this house apart.
24:26What will be fascinating to see now is how the interior design will integrate with these imposing elements.
24:43A hot, still summer's day is just what the builders ordered for the safe and successful installation of a spiral staircase.
24:51The staircase has to be lifted up and over the build by the crane that's still on site.
25:00Mark Rice is away on business, so standing in is architectural designer Mark Wilson,
25:06who's made this sculptural stairway an important part of his design.
25:11This house has got so many hard edges on it, and I wanted to bring in something with a more organic form.
25:17And so that ribbon, it's just something that we needed to soften what is the, sort of, party end of the house.
25:22And I think it's going to work really well.
25:24Work, work, work, work!
25:28When it's hanging in mid-air off a crane, you're always wondering,
25:31have those guys stropped it on properly?
25:33You know, is it going to get into place?
25:35And then, of course, the pressure comes on.
25:36Does it actually fit?
25:38Yeah, just watch the pipe here, mate.
25:41The guys will give me a bit of a stick if it doesn't.
25:44Yeah, we're all right. We're just sneaking under the beam now.
25:48Yep. Yeah, you're clear now. Yep.
25:51Looks like Mark is safe.
25:53But unfortunately, the staircase has been scratched in the move.
25:57And while that might be an easy fix, it's best done before the boss gets back.
26:03It may be the dead of winter at Marangi Bay, but a beautiful sunrise rewards early rising locals, taking time out before the working day begins.
26:22There are builds that really stick in your head.
26:28And this one is one of them, not least because of the sheer scale of the thing.
26:32And also this giant crane which telegraphs its position.
26:35Now, I haven't been here for a while, but the crane's still here.
26:39So I wonder what's been happening.
26:41Mark's been in and out of the country for most of this year, but now he's back for a while and pretty happy with progress.
26:50I can see why.
26:52You can see the roof line now, but what's happening here?
26:55It's very grey at the moment.
26:56Yeah, that's the garage.
26:58But these blocks, presumably, there's something else going on in front of those.
27:02Yeah, they get clad in solid aluminium.
27:05That really frames the whole front.
27:12Once inside, the scale of the house is something to behold.
27:18This feels like I'm in a commercial build.
27:20There's certainly lots going on here, right?
27:22Yeah.
27:23Oh, look at these.
27:25That's amazing.
27:26Cantilevered.
27:27Yeah.
27:28Feels like you don't want to stand on them.
27:30Doesn't it?
27:31There's a bit of engineering there.
27:32Yep.
27:33Definitely.
27:34There will be a lift, but not yet.
27:36So up we go, up to level three.
27:41Oh, come on.
27:42It's incredible.
27:45And this is going to be your office?
27:46Well, it was going to be the office, but we've decided it's too good to have just as an office.
27:53I think you've made the right decision.
27:56This will now be the master bedroom.
27:58And frankly, I'm surprised it wasn't that in the first place.
28:01But that change is also a sign that the attention is now shifting to the interior design and fit-out.
28:07With the concrete walls staying as they are, it will take a lot of thought to work out how to soften their austere look.
28:14Making this house a home once the builders leave will be a big challenge.
28:19By October 2023, it's two years since I first visited Mark and Cheryl in sight at Marangi Bay, and three years since earthworks began here.
28:38The concrete exterior walls and the roof have now been completed, so attention can shift to getting the house closed in and watertight.
28:51Today, the sliding doors are going in, and like everything in this build so far, they're big, they're heavy and difficult.
29:04Three, two, one.
29:06Some panels weigh more than 300 kilograms.
29:11With the sliding doors safely installed, work can begin in earnest on the interiors and all the aesthetic touches that Mark and Cheryl have in store.
29:20Included is state-of-the-art technology that will transform the house at the flick of a switch.
29:26Building a home should be fun, shouldn't it?
29:33A true rollercoaster of challenges and excitement, bringing your dreams to life.
29:39But often in planning and in the hustle and bustle of construction, some elements are neglected, pushed to the back of the list.
29:48Elements like lighting.
29:51But the truth is, lighting is one of the fundamental factors in how we experience buildings and the homes that we live in.
30:05Understanding how light works can be transformative.
30:09Light adds drama, creates moods, adds a touch of excitement.
30:14Take warm hues, for instance.
30:19They invite intimacy and relaxation, making them perfect for cozy spaces.
30:25Whereas, on the other hand, cooler tones energize.
30:29They're perfect for working spaces, like offices and garages.
30:34Mark and Sherilyn haven't overlooked lighting at all.
30:37In fact, their lighting plan has been literally years in the making.
30:41In the hands of a man whose work combines light and architecture.
30:53Hey Sam, good to meet you.
30:54You as well.
30:57It's great to see quite a big drawing set here, Sam.
31:00And I've noted that actually there are 14 revisions on this one.
31:04Yeah, quite a lot of fixtures.
31:06But they've all got their unique story to tell.
31:08And we've tried to really be considerate about what specifications go where.
31:13Rather than just using a blanket, one light fitting does all.
31:17There's a lot in this, isn't there?
31:19For sure. I mean, take a close look at the drawings.
31:21You can really see how many individual groups and circuits there are.
31:26Some of the open plan and living areas, we might have a series of 10 scenes,
31:30which might span from breakfast, lunch, say dinner, a cooking scene,
31:35an entertaining scene, a party scene, a late night navigation scene.
31:40We also have a couple of other scenes as well, which would allow the night sky to open up.
31:45So there will be a starry sky visibility scene later.
31:49Right.
31:52With such an expansive brief, Sam has been able to design a lighting scheme for the whole house without constraint.
32:01Blows my mind, really, the level of complexity.
32:05What we're hoping to do is create a mirror to the sea at night.
32:09So we'll have the sparkling of the ripples on the sea and then a reflection of that up on the ceiling.
32:14So this will actually be programmed with a series of different layers.
32:18So we'll be able to fluctuate movement and scenes and brightness of it.
32:25The lighting design does, of course, present a significant installation challenge.
32:30And I shudder to think what's facing the electrical team.
32:33Do you know how much cabling you've got in here?
32:36Is that something you've ever thought about?
32:37I would chuck an idea in it, but it'd probably be well under the amount of cable that's actually been installed.
32:43Yeah. You must dream about this stuff, Sam.
32:46Can you step away? I mean, this is so involved.
32:50It is. And there's a certain magic to lighting where suddenly it becomes live
32:54and you start to see all of those years of work really start to come to play.
32:59And worth it.
33:00Yeah.
33:04This is an extraordinary project.
33:07A true one off really.
33:09The design, the materials, the technology, the detail, the work, the money.
33:13It's as far away as I can imagine from a batch at the beach.
33:18It's reassuring to know that some things in life never change.
33:27Like here on the beach. The tide comes in and goes out again.
33:31There's salt in the air. You can taste it on your tongue.
33:34There are many reasons why people come to the beach.
33:37But mostly I think it's just to be.
33:42And Mark and Sherrilyn feel that too.
33:45So what are this house they're building?
33:47It certainly draws a line in the sand right at the upper end of New Zealand's coastal-built environment.
33:53How will we describe it?
33:55It's going to be a statement, all right.
33:57But what's it actually going to say?
33:59It's a very fine morning on Auckland's North Shore.
34:11Perfect then, you'd say, for visiting what should be a very fine house.
34:16The only thing is, we haven't seen that yet, have we?
34:18We've seen the necessary collateral damage.
34:20We've seen a very ugly and imposing construction site.
34:23We've seen the promise of a technologically advanced house.
34:28But what we've yet to see is Mark and Sherrilyn's vision.
34:32A refined and beautiful home.
34:35This house looks like a computer render.
34:47Immaculate, crisp.
34:55No more scars of construction here.
34:57It's perfect.
35:00Of course, this is the tip of the concrete iceberg.
35:04The heft of this house lies beyond.
35:06And look at this board-marked concrete.
35:09With sun on it, this is where we can appreciate the texture.
35:20They let me in.
35:21Hi.
35:22Hello.
35:23Hi, Mark.
35:24Tom, how are you?
35:25Nice to see you.
35:26You too.
35:27You look amazingly glamorous.
35:28I'm glad I wore my jacket.
35:30Mark, you're obviously in beach mode.
35:32Beach mode.
35:33At home.
35:34At home, yeah.
35:35And what a home.
35:36I mean, I've seen about 1% of it and I'm excited.
35:37Oh, thank you.
35:38Yeah.
35:39I'm coming out a lot.
35:47This wall is monumental.
35:50As is the balustrade.
35:51It kind of dwarfs us, doesn't it?
35:53Top to bottom, that's about 10 and a half metres.
35:58Everything is the size.
35:59The boards and the steel and the concrete.
36:01All these junctions.
36:02They all just did an amazing job.
36:04Yeah.
36:05Yeah.
36:06And behind you, the ocean.
36:08Come, let's have a look.
36:09Yeah.
36:10You can't miss it, can you?
36:11No.
36:12No.
36:13It's right there.
36:19The ocean's kind of amplified here, isn't it?
36:21You're standing in quite a dark space.
36:23Yeah, I think it was kind of a Mark's vision to have this big picture frame of the ocean
36:30that every room kind of got.
36:32It almost feels like you can fall out into the sea there.
36:35I mean, what's stopping me?
36:36The pool is so dynamic, isn't it?
36:40That shape which echoes the geometry of the house.
36:43And inviting.
36:44It's just perfect.
36:57The concrete walls that dominated for so long now work harmoniously with glass, stone,
37:03precisely cut wall panels, beautiful joinery, and timber-lined floors and ceilings.
37:10Sam's lighting design here is more subtle than perhaps I expected.
37:14It's refined, sophisticated, and there's much more to come, I'm sure.
37:21One wing on this living floor contains an elegant formal lounge, while the home office
37:26has been moved into the other wing.
37:28There's a family bathroom here too, resplendent in stone and Venetian plaster.
37:34Time to head downstairs.
37:37Welcome to the media room.
37:39Oh, no, this is kind of super yacht glamour, isn't it?
37:43Are we bobbing around in the harbour of Monaco?
37:45You don't read where the glazing is, it's just sky and sea, and then you swim cool and...
37:50Beautiful.
37:51I just need a cocktail now.
37:54Let's open the bar.
37:59Ah, look at that.
38:01A backlit stone here.
38:04More of Sam's fine work.
38:06Probably one of our favourite hiding spaces in the house.
38:10I love seeing this staircase as well, that ribbon spiral.
38:14It's the kerb amongst the angles, isn't it?
38:16It's perfect.
38:17Of course.
38:18It had to be.
38:19There are two bedrooms on this floor, one in each wing, both with ensuite, both a combination
38:29of concrete and glass, and both with unhindered access to the garden.
38:34And so down to the brains of the house, where all the technology behind the lighting lives.
38:42So this is the electrical plant room.
38:45So it's all controlled.
38:46This is just for the house?
38:47Yeah.
38:48This is controlling the rest of the village?
38:50No, this is just for the house.
38:52Wow.
38:53And now we're stepping into the nightclub.
38:55Yeah.
38:56Wow.
38:57We use it as a gym and a sauna.
39:00Okay.
39:01And a gaming.
39:02A gaming area for our son.
39:03It's a bit of fun, isn't it?
39:04Yeah.
39:05I feel like I'm in some kind of retro future movie set.
39:09No.
39:10It's amazing.
39:11You're at the basement.
39:12Yeah?
39:13Yeah, yeah.
39:15This is no soft, polite house.
39:18No shrinking violet.
39:20Built without compromise.
39:22Dazzling in its artistry.
39:24Faultless in its execution.
39:26And topping it off, the master bedroom.
39:30The best view in the house, right?
39:31Yes.
39:32Up here.
39:33Lots of dark timber, beautifully crafted.
39:35And these are hidden doors, right?
39:37Yeah.
39:38Where you've got these flush door handles.
39:41So what, I'm guessing this is a...
39:43Yeah, it's a wardrobe.
39:44It is.
39:45Which goes on.
39:46And I could run around here.
39:47His and hers entrances.
39:49Yes.
39:50Got it.
39:51Bathroom over there.
39:52Yeah.
39:53Yeah, yeah.
39:54But all discreetly hidden.
39:55Let's forget that though,
39:56because I want to see what this view is like.
39:59Okay.
40:02Great view of the islands here.
40:04Ah, it's amazing.
40:05Very good.
40:06It's magnificent.
40:07Good spot, eh?
40:08Yep.
40:09Pretty good.
40:10Not bad.
40:11Not bad at all.
40:19So I've had a little glimpse of the experience of being in this house, but what's it like
40:23to actually live here?
40:25It's been great.
40:26Yeah, it's been awesome.
40:27Yeah.
40:28Love hearing the sea.
40:29Changes every day.
40:30So, very fortunate.
40:31Yeah.
40:32You know, all these spaces actually, now that it's not just concrete.
40:36Yeah.
40:37They feel really homely.
40:38Yes.
40:39Very slick, highly finished, high-tech home, but still very homely.
40:44Very homely.
40:45Is that how it feels?
40:46Have you got it right?
40:47Yes.
40:48When they build the perfect house, we'll let you know, Tom.
40:50I thought, no, this is surely it.
40:51It won't be another house.
40:52This is it.
40:54To settle would be nice and enjoy.
40:57Yeah.
40:58And why wouldn't you?
41:00The location is perfect.
41:07At the beginning, it's 5.8 million for this house and section and an ambition to spend
41:136 million to build this new house.
41:15How did you end up?
41:18We came in pretty close to that.
41:21So, around the budget, around that 6 million.
41:23Around that number, yeah.
41:24Yeah.
41:25Still, you know, adds up to a bit of money, doesn't it?
41:27A huge amount of money.
41:28It's a big investment, but, you know, from our point of view, the value is less important.
41:32The permanence of our home and, you know, the fact that we're not really ever going
41:37to sell it's probably way more important than what we've invested.
41:40We've got our whole lives in front of us now, you know, our children are growing up and some
41:55at home, some left.
41:57And we're looking forward to spending more time together.
42:00And this was all very much part of that dream to be here.
42:04So, now we're ready to enjoy the benefits of all that work.
42:07It's been visually amazing, the transformation.
42:13Yeah, thank you very much.
42:14So then, to my original question, does this house, major construction, bold architectural
42:25statement, suit this location?
42:28Does it fit the spirit of this place, the beach?
42:31Well, perhaps that's the wrong question because, look around you, this is 21st century
42:37Auckland seafront.
42:39And this house has earned its right to be here because it's so good.
42:43And it's so good because it is Mark and Sherilyn's vision manifest without compromise.
42:51No detail unchecked, no stone unturned.
42:54And so, this now is a home for this age.
42:58And because it's so well designed and built, perhaps it's a building for the ages.
43:09Are you alright?
43:12Thank you so much.
43:13There are some amazing decisions.
43:18I think you're absolutely right here for the rzecz.
43:33I'm in the cutting process.
43:35I'm in the cutting process.
43:36To give terra.