IF YOU GOT THE CHANCE TO BUILD IN A MUCH-CHERISHED AND PROTECTED HERITAGE AREA FULL OF PRETTY VICTORIAN VILLAS, YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO UPSET THE NEIGHBOURS, WOULD YOU? YOU'D WANT TO FIT IN, TO BUILD SOMETHING ORNATE, SOMETHING ENGLISH EVEN, WOULDN'T YOU? 'GRAND DESIGNS' THEME CAPTIONS BY VIRGINIA PHILP. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2016 BIRDS CALL AUCKLAND IS A LONG WAY FROM PARIS, BUT THAT HASN'T STOPPED KIWIS FROM BRINGING SOMETHING OF THE FRENCH WAY OF LIFE BACK TO THEIR CITY. SHALL WE GET SOME, UM, FRESH VEGETABLES AND FRUIT AND STUFF FOR SOME JUICE? SARAH AND PHILIPPE LODS ARE SELF-CONFESSED FRANCOPHILES WHO VISIT PARIS AS OFTEN AS THEY CAN. UH, WE LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT FRANCE ` THE FOOD, THE WINE, THE LANGUAGE, THE ARCHITECTURE, THE ATMOSPHERE, THE HISTORY. ALL OF IT. FOR ME, IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE KIND OF HAVE A HERITAGE IN IT. I'M HALF-FRENCH ANYWAY, SO, UM, I'M DRAWN TO IT NATURALLY. YOU SEE IN MAGAZINES THE FRENCH STYLE. YOU SEE, UM, SNIPPETS OF FABULOUS WOMEN LOOKING GORGEOUS. I MUST SAY, WHEN YOU'RE THERE, IT'S NOT LIKE THOUSANDS OF THEM ARE WALKING PAST YOU. IT'S LIKE ANYWHERE. IT'S FULL OF REAL PEOPLE. IT'S JUST THOSE REAL PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING FRENCH, WHICH MAKES THEM A WHOLE LOT MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN IF THEY WEREN'T. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO GET? A COUPLE OF DANISHES? IT'S CERTAINLY A TRICK THAT WORKED FOR SARAH. 25 YEARS AGO, IT WAS THE SOUND OF PHILIPPE'S FRENCH NAME THAT MADE HER SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE. FUNNY LOOKING BACK ON IT NOW, BUT THE FIRST TIME I WAS INTRODUCED, AND PHILIPPE WAS INTRODUCED AS PHILIPPE, I MUST ADMIT I WAS SLIGHTLY MORE INTERESTED THAN IF HE'D BEEN INTRODUCED AS PHIL OR PHILIP. I WAS, LIKE, 'OH. PHILIPPE.' THE LURE OF PHILIPPE'S FRENCH HERITAGE LED TO MARRIAGE AND TWO NOW-ADULT SONS. BUT SARAH AND PHILIPPE HAVE NEVER LOST THEIR FASCINATION WITH PARIS. WHEN WE STAY IN PARIS, WE NORMALLY ALWAYS ORGANISE A FLAT ON THE VERY TOP FLOOR. THAT VIEW LOOKING OUT OVER THE CITY IS JUST AMAZING. THE ROOFTOPS AND THE DISTANCE IT TRAVELS. YOU'VE GOT YOUR BEAUTIFUL ZINC ROOVES WITH ALL THESE CHIMNEY POTS. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT LOOKING OUT AT THE SEA OR A MOUNTAIN, BUT IT'S, IN ITSELF, AN AMAZING OUTLOOK. SARAH, A STYLIST, AND PHILIPPE, A COMMERCIALS EDITOR, PLAN TO BRING SOME PARISIAN ARCHITECTURE TO INNER-CITY AUCKLAND. IN THE PAST, THEY'VE RENOVATED HOUSES, AND THEY'VE JUST SOLD THIS ONE IN ST MARY'S BAY. IT'S STILL A GREAT PLACE. IT IS. THEY'RE NOW RENTING WHILE THEY PREPARE TO BUILD THEIR FIRST HOME FROM SCRATCH. THIS IS ACTUALLY THE TIME THAT OUR DECISIONS AND TASTES ARE ON THE LINE. TO BE ABLE TO NOW HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE'VE GOT A BLANK SECTION AND WE CAN ACTUALLY GO AND STAMP FROM GROUND UP OUR FEEL AND LOOK IS PRETTY AMAZING. THEY LOVE THIS AREA, WITH ITS OLD VILLAS AND SENSE OF HISTORY. BUT THE PROBLEM IS SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE. EMPTY SECTIONS IN INNER-CITY AUCKLAND ARE AS RARE AS HEN'S TEETH, BUT 10 MONTHS AGO THEY FOUND THE HOLY GRAIL AFTER AN ORIGINAL VILLA BURNT DOWN. SO, CHRIS, HERE WE ARE. THIS IS IT. THIS IS THE SECTION. GOSH, IT'S HUGE. IT'S MAGIC. IT'S PRETTY COOL. WOW. RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF PONSONBY. I MEAN, YOU'RE LITERALLY A STONE'S THROW FROM PONSONBY RD. IT COULDN'T BE BETTER. SO, WHAT HAVE YOU GOT PLANNED FOR HERE? UH, WE'VE GOT A REALLY REALLY SIMPLE GABLE STRUCTURE, UH, BUT VERY CONTEMPORISED, IF THAT'S THE WORD. UH, MADE OF CONCRETE. LIKE A MONOPOLY HOUSE. REMEMBER THOSE WHEN YOU USED TO PLAY THAT GAME`? A MONOPOLY HOUSE? YOU KNOW THE LITTLE WEE CUBES? YEAH. JUST LIKE THAT BUT WITH A FRENCH EDGE. A FRENCH EDGE? OOH. YEAH, WHY NOT? WE WANTED SOMETHING THAT FELT LIKE IT'S ALREADY BEEN HERE FOR 100 YEARS. THAT'S KIND OF THE WHOLE REASON THAT THE FRENCH IDEA CAME INTO OUR HEADS ` TO KIND OF EARTH IT. SO THE EXTERIOR'S CONTEMPORARY, AND THE INTERIOR, YOU SHOULD FEEL LIKE YOU'RE AT HOME AND IT'S NOT ALL SHINY AND NEW AND SHARP; IT'S ALL... IT'S TIMELESS. ...TIMELESS. SARAH AND PHILIPPE WANT TO CREATE A HOME THAT IS MODERN BUT TIMELESS. WALLS OF PRECAST CONCRETE WILL FORM TWO PENTAGONS, LIKE GIANT MONOPOLY HOUSES. DOWNSTAIRS WILL BE FLOORED IN PARQUET OAK SMOKED TO MAKE IT LOOK OLD BEFORE ITS TIME. AN OPEN-PLAN LIVING AREA WILL INCLUDE MARBLE WINDOW SEATS AND A COURTYARD WITH A SUSPENDED FIREPLACE AND POOL. ON THE SECOND FLOOR, SARAH AND PHILIPPE'S BEDROOM OPENS TO A JULIETTE BALCONY, PROVIDING A PLATFORM FOR A HANGING GARDEN. A GABLED GREY ROOF WILL RESEMBLE THE ZINC ROOFTOPS OF PARIS. BUT THE PIECE DE RESISTANCE WILL BE THE STEEL JOINERY. SARAH AND PHILIPPE ARE SPENDING $300,000 ` THE COST OF A SMALL PARISIAN APARTMENT ` ON STEEL WINDOWS, INCLUDING A WALL OF GLAZING WHICH ILLUMINATES THE DOUBLE-STOREY VOID ABOVE THE DINING AREA. THE RESULT, THEY HOPE, WILL BE A FUSION OF VILLAS, MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE AND FRENCH APARTMENTS. BONNE CHANCE! GOSH, SO, ACTUALLY THE WAY YOU'RE GOING TO DO ALL OF THIS, IT'S GONNA HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF GLAZING, ISN'T IT? IT'S` YEAH, IT'S GOT A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, UM, AMOUNT OF GLAZING. SO, THE WINDOWS IN THEMSELVES EQUATE TO JUST UNDER A FIFTH OF OUR BUDGET. IT'S A PRETTY SERIOUS CHUNK. IT'S A REASONABLY SERIOUS CHUNK OF MONEY. SO, WHAT'S THE BUDGET FOR THE TOTAL, THEN? UH, WE'RE STILL KINDA TOSSING THAT AROUND. AT THE MOMENT, IT'S UPWARDS OF 1.5 MILLION. UH, AGAIN, A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY, AND YOU CAN'T GO AND PUT A SMALL DWELLING ON` I'M JUST` I'M GETTING IT NOW. YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING A DENT IN THE UNIVERSE, BASICALLY. (LAUGHS) OUR UNIVERSE. YEAH, YEAH. THIS SHOULD BE ONE OF THOSE HOUSES THAT JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER WITH AGE. IT'LL FEEL LIKE IT'LL BE HERE FOREVER, INSTEAD OF THIS SOCIETY WHICH SEEMS TO BE, YOU KNOW, FLICK IT OVER, BOWL IT DOWN, WHIP UP A NEW ONE, THROW IT AWAY. SO GENERATION OR TWO DOWN THE LINE, IT'LL BE HERE? OH YEAH. WOULDN'T THAT BE MAGIC? AND SO ON AND SO ON. FANTASTIC. NOW I'M EXCITED. (LAUGHS) 'SARAH AND PHILIPPE BOTH HAVE A FLAIR FOR DESIGN, 'BUT WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE HERE IS VERY TRICKY.' THEIR DREAM IS TO CREATE A NEW HOME FROM MODERN, INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS, LIKE CONCRETE AND STEEL, BUT THEY WANT IT TO BE REMINISCENT OF AN OLD PARISIAN APARTMENT AND TO FIT INTO A PROTECTED HERITAGE AREA FULL OF VICTORIAN TIMBER VILLAS. THAT'S A LOT OF CONFLICTING IDEAS. LET'S HOME IT'S A BEAUTIFUL FUSION AND NOT A BLOT ON A MUCH-LOVED LANDSCAPE. ENGINE RUMBLES, HORN SOUNDS IN AUTUMN, A STREET IN OLD PONSONBY RESONATES WITH THE SOUNDS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION. VERY EXCITING DAY TODAY. UH, THE BIG DIG. SARAH AND PHILIPPE HAVE CHOSEN A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY COMPLETE WITH FOREMAN STUART LEIGH, WHO THEY'VE WORKED WITH ON THEIR LAST RENOVATION. STUART KNOWS THE INS AND OUTS OF THE WHOLE BUILDING PROCESS, AND HE UNDERSTANDS WHERE I'M COMING FROM AND THE FACT THAT I WANT TO BE INVOLVED. ARE THERE A FEW TRUCKS LINED UP OUT THERE OR ARE THEY...? FIRST ONE WENT TO GET SOME METAL. OH. OH, HAS HE ALREADY FILLED ONE UP, HAS HE? YEAH. HE'S A LOT MORE INVOLVED THAN OTHER CLIENTS, AND HE DOES ALL HIS HOMEWORK. HE COMES UP WITH SOME GOOD STUFF. OH, IT'S GOOD TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY WANT AND HOW TO GET IT. SARAH AND PHILIPPE ARE HOPING TO HAVE THEIR HOME FINISHED IN 10 MONTHS. IT SOUNDS OPTIMISTIC. WINTER'S NOT THE IDEAL TIME TO BE BUILDING. BUT THEY'RE COUNTING ON BEING METICULOUSLY ORGANISED. LOVELY. THANK YOU, DARLING. THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEIR ARCHITECT, ROSS BROWN, TO PLAN DOWN TO THE FINEST DETAIL. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THE BEST-LAID PLANS. SIX WEEKS AFTER TURNING SOIL, THEY HIT A MAJOR HURDLE. PRECAST CONCRETE PANELS ARE BEING MADE EN MASSE FOR AUCKLAND'S CONSTRUCTION BOOM, BUT THE DESIGN FOR SARAH AND PHILIPPE'S PANELS IS UNIQUE AND PROVING DIFFICULT. WELL, THE ORIGINAL THOUGHT OF BUILDING WITH CONCRETE WE THOUGHT WOULD BE QUITE STRAIGHTFORWARD. ARCHITECT DRAWS PRETTY SHAPE, WE MAKE IT, THAT GETS HANDED TO A CONCRETE MANUFACTURER, THEY DRAW IT UP AND THEY MAKE A MOLD TO FIT IT AND AWAY IT GOES. BUT, UM, (INHALES) THAT'S NOT THE CASE. WHAT BECAME EVIDENT WHEN WE FIRST GOT THE SHOP DRAWINGS BACK WAS WE ENDED UP HAVING THESE LOCKING MECHANISMS ALL VISIBLE ON PANELS, OR, IN SOME SITUATIONS, PIECES OF THE PANEL CUT OUT TO ACCOMMODATE THESE LIFTING EYES, UM, WHICH, FROM A VISUAL POINT OF VIEW ON THE INSIDE OF OUR HOUSE, IS A NO-GO. WE'VE GOT OUR OWN SET OF REQUIREMENTS, WHICH IS TO KEEP THE PANELS COMPLETELY CLEAN. UH, WE DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY CUTOUTS, ANY LIFTING EYES, ETC. UM, AND THAT'S PROVING TO BE THE BIG ISSUE WE'VE GOT AT THE MOMENT. BUILT-IN HOOKS, OR LIFTING EYES, ARE CRUCIAL FOR ENABLING THESE HEFTY SLABS OF CONCRETE TO BE MOVED IN PLACE. SARAH AND PHILIPPE ARE DEMANDING THEIR PANELS BE PERFECTLY FREE OF MARKS AND HAVE NO VISIBLE HOOKS. I SEE THE PROBLEM ` WHAT THEY WANT IS POTENTIALLY AN ENGINEERING LOGISTICS AND SAFETY NIGHTMARE. SARAH AND PHILIPPE'S BUILDING SITE SITS DORMANT FOR EIGHT WEEKS WHILE THEY TRY TO NEGOTIATE THE DESIGN OF THEIR PRECAST CONCRETE PANELS. BUT IN AUGUST, THEY REACH A RESOLUTION. HERE'S A COUPLE HERE NOW. OK. OHHH, LOOK AT THAT. THAT'S FANTASTIC. TO KEEP PHILIPPE HAPPY, THE MANUFACTURERS HAVE AGREED TO USE SMALLER LIFTING HOOKS THAN USUAL AND, WHERE POSSIBLE, HIDE THESE IN THE PANELS. WE TRIED OUR BEST, BUT THESE WILL BE SOME WHICH WILL BE EXPOSED, AND THERE'S NO WAY OF GETTING ROUND THAT. THIS IS ONE WE'RE JUST ABOUT TO LIFT, AND PROBABLY THAT LIFTING EYE UP THERE IS THE ONE THAT WE COULDN'T HIDE. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THE PANEL COULD BE LIFTED WITH THE FUNNY, AWKWARD SHAPE AND CENTRE OF GRAVITY. SO THAT'S HOW IT HAD TO BE. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WE'RE KEEPING BOTH SURFACES EXPOSED, WE DON'T GET ANY, UM, MARKINGS. THAT'S ALL GOING TO BE OK WITH YOU? WE'LL DO OUR BEST. BUT THE COMPROMISE COMES WITH RISKS. EVERY TIME YOU PICK A PANEL UP, THE CHANCES ARE IT WILL GET DAMAGED, AND THESE ARE A PUMICE MIX CONCRETE, SO THEY'RE NOT AS STRONG AS ORDINARY CONCRETE, SO THEY'RE A LIGHTER, INSULATING TYPE PANEL. WE HAVE MORE CONTROL HERE WITH OUR OVERHEAD CRANES THAN THEY DO ON SITE WITH THEIR MOBILE CRANES. SO, THE THINGS ARE LIKELY TO SWING, AND IF IT HITS SOMETHING, THERE'S A CHANCE OF DAMAGE. SARAH AND PHILIPPE BELIEVE THE SUCCESS OF THEIR HOUSE LIES IN ATTENTION TO DETAIL ` SOMETHING THEY BOTH PRACTISE IN THEIR DAY JOBS ` PHILIPPE EDITING COMMERCIALS AND SARAH STYLING FOR HOME MAGAZINES. I THINK SOMETIMES WITH THE DETAIL THAT WE GET CAUGHT UP IN, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T SEE THAT, AND THAT'S FINE ` THEY DON'T HAVE TO ` IT'S JUST THAT'S, TO ME, WHAT MAKES THESE IMAGES JUST WORK. I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES BETWEEN MY JOB AS AN EDITOR AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE HOUSE. IT'S VERY DETAIL FOCUSED, IT'S BRINGING TOGETHER LOTS OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS, UM, AND COMBINING THEM TO GET A NET END RESULT. IS THAT WHERE WE ARE NOW? TO HAVE THE STEEL JOINERY THAT WE'VE LONGED TO DO FOR YEARS, THE CONCRETE, WHICH WE'VE NEVER WORKED WITH BEFORE, THAT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY AMAZING. HOPEFULLY WE GET IT COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY RIGHT. SOFT GUITAR MUSIC BUT INSISTING ON PERFECTION IS ALREADY COMING AT A COST. FOUR MONTHS AFTER STARTING THEIR BUILD, THEY'RE ONLY JUST GETTING THE WALLS UP. HOW DOES IT FEEL, GUYS? OH` EXCITED? FINALLY, YEAH. THIS IS IT ` THE NEXT THREE DAYS, POTENTIALLY, WE'VE GOT THE STRUCTURE OF OUR HOUSE. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, ROBUST, BRUTAL MATERIAL. YOU'VE CHOSEN FOR A VERY PARTICULAR FINISH, AND THE GUYS WHO ARE MAKING THE PRECAST PANELS WANTED TO HAVE THESE BIG LIFTERS ON THE SURFACE, DIDN'T THEY, AND YOU DIDN'T WANT THAT. NO. WHERE POSSIBLE, EVERYTHING IS HIDDEN. THE INTERESTING THING IS IT'S GOT TO BE LIFTED OFF THE TRUCK AND THEN ROTATED 90 DEGREES TO BE THEN UPRIGHT. THAT IN ITSELF IS QUITE TRICKY, COS THESE THINGS ARE HOW MUCH? UH, I THINK THIS ONE'S PROBABLY GETTING UP AROUND 8 TONS TO 10 TONS. YEAH, I WOULD THINK SO. I THINK THESE GUYS HAVE DONE ALL FOUR. WELL, I HOPE THEY HAVE. THIS IS QUITE A DANGEROUS PART OF THE OPERATION, STRAIGHTENING THE PANELS UP. MAINLY THE WIRES GOING UP THE SIDE OF THE PANELS DAMAGING AND DIRTYING THE PANELS. COS EVERYTHING'S THE THINNEST PRODUCT, BUT TO REALLY SAVE IT, WE NEED TWO CRANES, BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT, COS THE SITE'S SO SMALL. SO WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO IS TAKE THE STRAIN OF THE WIRES, LIKE THEY'VE DONE NOW, AND IF ANYTHING GETS CAUGHT, RYAN WILL STOP THE CRANE AND WE'LL LOOK TO TRY AND PROTECT IT A BIT BETTER. SARAH AND PHILIPPE HAVE INVESTED $200,000 AND MUCH ANGST TO ACHIEVE UNMARKED PANELS. BUT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, THE CHANCE FOR DAMAGE IS HIGH. TENSE MUSIC LOOK AT THAT. IT'S BASICALLY ROTATED. BRILLIANT. MUSIC SLOWLY BUILDS PHILIPPE HAS PLANNED HOW THESE 43 PANELS LOOK AND FIT TOGETHER METICULOUSLY. IS THERE MEANT TO BE A GAP BETWEEN THOSE TWO JOINTS? HM? THAT LITTLE BIT`? WELL, LIKE, WHEN THAT WENT DOWN, THIS END LIFTED, RIGHT? NOTHING GETS BY HIM, AND IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE HE'S TAKING ON THE ROLE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT HERE. PRETTY MUCH. I MEAN, HE'S BEEN THROUGH THESE PANEL DRAWINGS AND EVERY LITTLE PERMUTATION, EVERY LITTLE CHANGE, IF HE HAS FOUND ANY MISTAKE, ANY ERROR, HE'S GONE THROUGH THEM OVER AND OVER. THE FILE'S ABOUT THIS THICK, AND HE KNOWS IT INSIDE AND OUT. AND I DOUBT VERY MANY OTHER HOMEOWNERS WOULD BE THAT INVOLVED OR UNDERSTAND THEM, EVEN. INCREDIBLY COMPLICATED. TO ME, THEY LOOK LIKE RUSSIAN. YEAH. JUST CONCERN THAT SOMETHING HERE IS NOT LEVEL, BECAUSE THERE'S THAT CORNER, THE TWO PANELS WHERE THEY'RE JOINING, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN GAP. SO, YOU KNOW` IT'S PERFECT THAT WAY; IT'S PERFECT THAT WAY. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS ONE'S BEEN KNOCKED WHEN WE'VE BROUGHT THIS ONE IN. YEAH, COS IT'S GOT A VERY BIG CHIP OUT OF IT. PHILIPPE IS CONVINCED THAT SOMETHING IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT, AND I THINK HE'S GOT A POINT. THIS SMALL CRACK HAS A BIG STORY TO TELL. THIS SHOULD NOT BE SITTING ON THIS. THIS PANEL SHOULD BE SITTING ON ITS OWN FOUNDATION. PHILIPPE IS LOOKING A LITTLE STRESSED RIGHT NOW. IT'S BASICALLY NOT LEVEL. THE BUILDERS ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO REMEDY THE SITUATION, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER PROBLEM. USUALLY BRACING WOULD BE DRILLED INTO THE PANELS TO HOLD THEM INTO PLACE UNTIL THE FLOOR IS POURED. BUT BECAUSE SARAH AND PHILIPPE WANT UNMARKED PANELS, SPECIAL BRACKETS ARE BEING USED TO AVOID DRILLING INTO THE CONCRETE. THEY WORK FINE ON A STRAIGHT-EDGED WALL BUT NOT ON AN ANGLED ONE. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MEAT IN THERE TO FIX THE PROP TO. IT'S OK TO HOLD A BRACKET. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO END UP WITH IS LIKE A 18 MIL HOLE IF WE'RE STRATEGIC ABOUT WHERE WE PLACE IT. OH, IN THE FACE OF THE PANEL? YEAH. NO. ON A HORIZONTAL LINE. NAH. I'VE JUST SPENT THREE MONTHS GETTING THESE PANELS AND PUTTING IN THESE TINY LITTLE WEE LIFTERS, NEGATE ANYTHING THAT'S VISIBLE, AND YOU TURN UP, AND I KNOW FROM A HEALTH AND SAFETY POINT OF VIEW YOU JUST WANT TO DRILL A HOLE IN THEM. HOW LONG HAVE WE HAD TO THINK ABOUT THIS AND THIS PROPPING? OH` TWO MONTHS. I'M NOW GOING, 'YOU MAKE IT AN ISSUE RIGHT NOW AND PUT ME IN A POSITION WHERE I HAVE TO MAKE A CALL ON IT.' HMM. NOT HAPPY. THIS IS FRUSTRATING, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT THOUGHT ABOUT BY THE PEOPLE WHO WERE DOING ALL THE PROPPING. THE CHALLENGE OF BEING THE PROJECT MANAGER ON SITE. YEAH. PHILIPPE AND THE BUILDERS AGREE ON A COMPROMISE TO PROP THE ANGULAR PANELS. SO, THEY WILL DRILL A LITTLE HOLE TO ALLOW A BOLT TO GO INTO A REBATE AT THE TOP. AND, UM, WHEN IT COMES OFF, THERE'S ACTUALLY A PIECE OF TIMBER, FACING TIMBER OR A FASCIA THAT RUNS DOWN OVER THE TOP OF IT, SO IT'LL BE` SO YOU'LL NEVER SEE IT. NEVER SEE IT. SO, END OF DAY ONE OF GETTING THESE PRECAST PANELS UP. HOW DOES IT FEEL? UH, IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN QUITE AN EXHAUSTING DAY. WHERE HAVE WE LEFT THAT DETAIL THAT DIDN'T GET RESOLVED? THE FIRST PANEL THAT GOT PLACED? OK, TOMORROW THEY'RE JUST GOING TO LIFT THE BACK PANEL AND MOVE IT AND CREATE A BIT MORE OF THAT GAP AND, UM, STRAIGHTEN UP THAT PANEL WHEN THEY TAKE THE WEIGHT OFF. BUT WHAT THEY'VE PUT IT` LIKE THE FIREPLACE, THE TWO PANELS, THEY WILL MEET UP BEAUTIFULLY, ALL LINED UP, UH, THESE THREE THAT'LL COME ALONG HERE. THEY'RE ALL WORKING, THEIR SPACING. DO YOU FEEL THAT IT'S REALLY BEEN WORTH, YOU KNOW, THE HIDDEN DETAIL FOR THE LIFTING EYES? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. YEP, THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE A FEW AREAS WHERE THEY'RE VISIBLE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A FEATURE OUT OF THEM. BUT ON THE WHOLE, YEAH, NO, IT WAS WELL WORTH IT. YEAH, 100%. I'M IMPRESSED BY THE DEGREE OF PHILIPPE'S INVOLVEMENT WITH HIS BUILD, BUT I'M PICKING THAT PERFECTIONISM BORDERING ON OBSESSION WILL LIKELY MEAN MORE STRESSFUL DAYS AHEAD. UPBEAT PIANO MUSIC IT TAKES FIVE DAYS TO DELICATELY POSITION THE WALLS OF SARAH AND PHILIPPE'S PARISIAN-INSPIRED HOME ` TWO DAYS MORE THAN PHILIPPE EXPECTED. TO CREATE CLEAN, UNMARKED SURFACES INSIDE AND OUT, PHILIPPE HAS TAKEN RISKS AND FORCED THE TEAM TO CHANGE STANDARD BUILDING PRACTICES. BUT HIS OBSESSIVE PERFECTION SEEMS TO BE PAYING OFF, AS THE SIMPLE ELEGANCE OF THIS HOUSE BECOMES EVIDENT. WELL, THERE WE GO. OOH, YEAH. PRETTY COOL, EH? OH, IT LOOKS FANTASTIC. IT DOES. OH WOW. OH, IT'S QUITE AMAZING WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT LIKE THIS INSIDE. IT'S QUITE CATHEDRAL, ISN'T IT? YEAH. PRETTY SATISFYING, GIVEN WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH IN THE LAST, UM, THREE MONTHS TO GET TO THIS POINT. BUT DESPITE MONTHS OF METICULOUS PLANNING, ONE FEATURE HAS SLIPPED UNDER SARAH AND PHILIPPE'S RADAR. YEAH, I MUST SAY THAT DOES LOOK RATHER ODD. IT'S A BIT OF THE STONEHENGE PROTRUDING INTO OUR BEDROOM. THE PROTRUDING CONCRETE IS INTENDED TO FRAME THE DOORS TO A JULIETTE BALCONY. ARCHITECT TRIED TO CONVINCE US THAT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA. ONCE IT'S TIED INTO THE FLOOR UP THERE AND` YEAH. AT THE MOMENT IT LOOKS ODD, BECAUSE IT'S JUST HANGING THERE. THE THING ABOUT CONCRETE IS ONCE IT'S CAST, IT'S NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE YOUR MIND. THE ENTIRE DESIGN, WALL DIMENSIONS, FLOOR PLANS, WIRING AND PLUMBING MUST ALL BE LOCKED INTO POSITION BEFORE BEING ENTOMBED IN STONE. BUT THAT'S NOT DETERRING PHILIPPE AND SARAH. THEY WANT A HOME THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF A VERY LONG TIME, TO BE TOMORROW'S HISTORIC BUILDING. AND IN THAT REGARD, CONCRETE IS HARD TO BEAT. AND I'VE ALWAYS LIKED CONCRETE. IT'S SO PERMANENT. IT'S GONNA BE THERE FOREVER. PEOPLE GO, 'OH, YOU'VE GOT VILLAS AND EVERYTHING AROUND YOU.' WE'RE RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO PONSONBY, WHICH IS COMMERCIAL. IT'S A BIT OF EVERYTHING. SO, YOU'VE GOT BRICK, YOU'VE GOT ALL SORTS, SO I THINK` THIS, ACTUALLY, I PERSONALLY THINK IT SITS QUITE WELL IN ITS CURRENT SITUATION. PONSONBY IS MOSTLY A HERITAGE AREA LOVED FOR ITS VICTORIAN TIMBER VILLAS. I'M WONDERING HOW SARAH AND PHILIPPE'S HOME WILL GO DOWN WITH THE NEIGHBOURS, SO I'M HAVING A YARN WITH LOCAL PATRICK REYNOLDS, A PHOTOGRAPHER AND WRITER SPECIALISING IN ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN. THERE'S THIS SENSE, AND I'M SURE IT'S TRUE FOR MANY PEOPLE THAT WOULD LIVE HERE, IS THAT THEY'RE QUITE NERVOUS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BUILD IN THIS HERITAGE AREA, AND THEY'D JUST LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THE SAME, WOULDN'T THEY? UH, I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT WOULD THINK LIKE THAT. IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THEY THOUGHT IN THE WAY THAT THE PEOPLE WHO FORMED THIS AREA THOUGHT, THE VICTORIANS, WHO BELIEVED YOU COULD DO WHAT YOU LIKE WITH YOUR PROPERTY. THE BEST FUTURE HERITAGE IS GREAT CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE OR GREAT CURRENT ARCHITECTURE. IT'S ONLY DECLINING CITIES THAT DON'T CHANGE THEIR BUILT ENVIRONMENT. YOU WANT TO SEE CRANES ON THE HORIZON. SO REALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE PONSONBY TIMBER VILLAS. WELL, THE ONES THAT ARE THERE ARE GREAT AND WONDERFUL, BUT THE IDEA OF ADDING FAUX ONES NOW ACTUALLY PULLS A RUG FROM THE REAL HISTORICAL VALUE OF THE EXISTING ONES AND ALSO DOESN'T SUPPLY THE KIND OF DWELLINGS THAT WE NEED. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHAT PHILIPPE AND SARAH ARE DOING AND THE WAY THAT THEY'RE FITTING IN OR NOT FITTING IN? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY LOVELY HOUSE. IT SPEAKS MUCH MORE TO A DIFFERENT PLACE AND DIFFERENT TIME. IT'S MUCH MORE EUROPEAN STYLE. STEEL JOINERY. UM, IT'S ABSOLUTELY LOVELY, BUT NOT LOVELY BECAUSE IT'S ANYTHING LIKE A VILLA. SEVEN MONTHS INTO CONSTRUCTION BRINGS MORE CONCRETE FOR THE UPPER FLOOR AND STAIRCASE. TODAY THEY'RE BASICALLY GOING TO DROP IN THE MID FLOOR. SO, THAT'S MADE UP OF A BUNCH OF CONCRETE RIBS THAT GET INFILLED WITH SOME TIMBER, AND NEXT WEEK, THEY POUR A SLAB OVER THE TOP OF THAT. GUYS, JUST MIND MY WALLS. FOR A FIRST-TIME HOME BUILDER, PHILIPPE IS REMARKABLY CONFIDENT AND HANDS ON. DESPITE HAVING A FULL-TIME EDITING JOB, HE'S ON THE SITE EVERY DAY. IS IT TOO LONG? YEP. OH WELL. BETTER TOO LONG THAN TOO SHORT. WHILE STU IS OFFICIALLY PROJECT MANAGER, I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER CONTENDER FOR THE JOB. HAVE WE CHECKED THE OTHER ONES? STU'S BEEN IN THE GAME A LONG TIME. HIS TEAM ARE USED TO SOLVING ISSUES AS THEY ARISE, BUT PHILIPPE IS A METICULOUS PLANNER AND IS SHADOWING THE BUILDERS' EVERY MOVE. WHAT I DON'T GET IS WHY THEY'RE NOT MEASURING THEM BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY PUT THEM IN SITU JUST TO DOUBLE-CHECK. THERE IS NO FIXED-PRICE CONTRACT FOR THIS BUILD, SO ANY LOST TIME ALSO COSTS SARAH AND PHILIPPE MONEY. I LOOK AT THOSE HOLES, AND I GO, 'WHY ARE THEY ON THE LOW SIDE?' YEAH. BECAUSE THE SLAB IS GOING TO SIT OVER THOSE. IN OTHER WORDS, IS THAT BEAM UPSIDE DOWN? AH. IS THAT A QUICK UNSCREW IT, TURN IT AROUND? NO, IT'S A... AN HOUR. HM? A HOUR'S JOBBIE. AN HOUR. THEY JUST INADVERTENTLY PUT IT IN THE WRONG WAY UP, SO NOW THEY'VE GOTTA UNBOLT IT, TURN IT AROUND, OTHERWISE THE WAY IT IS AT THE MOMENT, WE CAN'T GET THE STAIR STEEL TO RUN THROUGH THE HOLES THAT HAVE BEEN PREPPED IN IT. WHILE THE BEAM IS ROTATED, THE STAIRS ARE CRANED INTO POSITION. THEY LOOK LONG. HOPE THEY'RE NOT. HMM. BUT ONCE AGAIN, THE BEST-LAID PLANS GO ASTRAY, AND THE STAIRS DON'T FIT. IT'S NOT GONNA GO IN, EH? HE'S ONLY GOT 30 MIL THERE, UNDER 30 MIL. YOU'VE GOT ABOUT 29, 28. AND WHAT'S MORE, THERE ISN'T A CONCRETE CUTTER ON SITE BIG ENOUGH TO CUT THEM TO SIZE. PHILIPPE IS CLEARLY FRUSTRATED. DON'T KNOW WHERE THE MEASUREMENT'S WRONG. I THINK A LOT OF IT HAS GOT TO DO WITH THE STEEL. BUT IN SAYING THAT, HMM, DON'T KNOW. WHILE THIS SORT OF PROBLEM IS NOT UNCOMMON ON A BUILD LIKE THIS, FOR PHILIPPE, IT'S MORE STRAIN ON HIS NERVES AND BUDGET. MEANWHILE, SARAH IS OUT SHOPPING AND BRINGING HER SKILLS AS A STYLIST TO THE PARTY. I LOVE THIS PART OF THE PROCESS. THIS IS, UM, I'M IN MY HAPPY SPACE, I S'POSE YOU'D CALL IT. UM, WE'VE DONE A FEW RENOVATIONS. THIS IS OUR FIRST NEW BUILD, SO THEY EXCITEMENT LEVEL HAS BEEN SORT OF RARKED UP BIG TIME. LIKE, BESIDE MYSELF. AND THIS KITCHEN IS GOING TO BE SERIOUSLY SEXY GORGEOUS. A TIMELESS HOUSE BASED ON A PARISIAN APARTMENT CALLS FOR SOME WINDOWSILLS AND A KITCHEN BENCH OF ITALIAN MARBLE. OOH. (CHUCKLES) THAT'S A PRETTY SEXY PIECE OF MARBLE. BEAUTIFUL, ISN'T IT? IT IS. IT'S A SERIOUSLY NICE PIECE. SARAH AND PHILIPPE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO BUILDING FROM SCRATCH, BUT THE SCALE OF THIS PROJECT IS TESTING THEIR METTLE. THERE'S NO AREA WHERE I'M FACED WITH THE KIND OF STRESS THAT PHILIPPE IS, COS HE'S DEALING WITH THE DAY TO DAY, THE ACTUAL BUILDERS ON SITE, AND SOME MIGHT NOT BE AS FAST AS HE'D HOPED. SO THAT KIND OF JUST WINDS HIM UP. THE ISSUES ON SITE THEN COME HOME. YOU JUST GO WITH THE ONSLAUGHT SO HE CAN VENT HIS SPLEEN, UM, TRY NOT TO TAKE IT PERSONALLY. TRY. AND THEN JUST` THAT'S THE GOOD THING ABOUT HIS FRENCH BLOODLINE IS THAT HE EXPLODES AND THEN HE MOVES ON. IT'S DONE. SO HE DOESN'T KEEP GOING ON AND ON. PEACEFUL, TRANQUIL MUSIC EIGHT MONTHS INTO THE CONSTRUCTION OF SARAH AND PHILIPPE'S HOUSE, THEY'VE MADE A BIG CALL. PHILIPPE IS REPLACING HIS BUILDERS. IT WAS VERY VERY HARD TO MAKE THAT CALL, UM, BECAUSE STU AND I HAVE WORKED ON A PREVIOUS PROJECT, AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY GOOD. WE NEEDED MORE PEOPLE. THE COMPANY COULDN'T SUPPLY. AT THE END OF IT, THE ONE THING THAT DISAPPOINTS ME THE MOST WAS HAVING TO LET STU GO. WITH AUCKLAND'S CONSTRUCTION BOOM, SARAH AND PHILIPPE HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO FIND THEMSELVES A NEW BUILDER. SO FAR, SO GOOD. UM, PHILIPPE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS AND, UM, THAT'S GREAT. HE'S ON SITE A LOT, AND SO THAT'S ALSO GREAT, BECAUSE WITH A BUILD LIKE THIS, THERE'S OFTEN A LOT OF DETAIL THAT'S NOT ON PLAN. YOU KNOW, ALWAYS COMING IN ON TOP OF SOMEBODY ELSE'S YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, BUT PREVIOUS BUILDERS HAVE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB. IT'S NOT AN EASY THING TO DO TO PUT HUGE CONCRETE PANELS UP ACCURATELY WITH A 100-TON CRANE. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS ROOF STRUCTURE, AS YOU SEE, IS PRETTY MAJOR. SOFT GUITAR MUSIC IT'S THREE MONTHS SINCE I LAST VISITED THE SITE, AND I MUST SAY THE QUALITY OF THE BUILDING SO FAR IS IMPRESSIVE. NOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON INTERIORS, SARAH'S COME INTO HER OWN, AND THE BUILDERS HAVE ANOTHER FORMIDABLE FORCE ON SITE. NICE TO SEE YOU. HI, SARAH. WHAT DO YOU THINK? GOSH. SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED SINCE I WAS HERE LAST, AND, BOY, TALK ABOUT SERIOUS TIMBER CONSTRUCTION FOR THE ROOF. YEAH, THERE'S BIG, CHUNKY BEAMS, ALL RIGHT. SO, THE ARCHITECT REALLY WANTS TO LEAVE THEM NATURAL, BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO PAINT THEM WHITE, COS WITH THAT LAMINATED WOOD, THEY'RE A BIT TOO BUSY, AND IT'S NOT KIND OF THE LOOK WE'RE AFTER. I'D CALL THIS MORE LOFTY IF WE LEFT THEM LIKE THIS, SORT OF NEW YORK LOFT. WHAT DOES PHILIPPE THINK? OH, HE'S DOING THE GOOD COP, BAD COP. SO WHEN THE ARCHITECT BRINGS IT UP, HE GOES, 'OH, THAT'LL BE INTERESTING. 'YOU MIGHT NEED TO TALK TO SARAH ABOUT THAT.' FOR ME, THAT'S QUITE INTERESTING, BECAUSE PHILIPPE HAS BEEN SO HANDS ON THE BUILD SO FAR. I MEAN, I'VE SEEN HIM MOVE CONCRETE PANELS EVEN HALF A MILLIMETRE IN ORDER TO BE JUST SO. YES, THAT IS HIM TO A T. NOW I'VE GOT THE FEELING THAT YOU'VE GRABBED THE REINS. I SUPPOSE THIS AREA IS MORE MY EXPERTISE, BUT WE BOTH HAVE SIMILAR TASTES, SO IT'S NOT LIKE I'M BATTLING HIM. JUST THE ARCHITECT. CHUCKLES: YEAH. 'PAINTING THE RAFTERS IS NOT THE ONLY CHANGE TO THEIR PLANS.' WE WERE GONNA HAVE A BALCONY OUT HERE, A DECK, BUT WE REALISED THAT YOU JUST ACTUALLY LOOK INTO EVERYBODY'S BACKYARD, WHICH THEY DON'T WANT US TO, AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO. DO YOU ACTUALLY GO OUTSIDE HERE? UH, NO, THERE WILL BE A BALUSTRADE LIKE A JULIETTE BALCONY, WHICH, FUNNILY ENOUGH, PHILIPPE'S DONE A WELDING COURSE AND CHANCES ARE HE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BUILD IT HIMSELF. IN FACT, ALL OF THE BALUSTRADING. NO! REALLY? SO YOUR ROMEO IS GOING TO MAKE YOUR OWN JULIETTE BALCONY? HOW ROMANTIC. HE'S SO CLEVER. WE'LL GIVE THAT ANOTHER GO. SO NOW PHILIPPE'S HOLDING DOWN A FULL-TIME EDITING JOB, EFFECTIVELY PROJECT MANAGING THE BUILD AND LEARNING TO BUILD HIMSELF. BLIMEY. SURELY HE'S TAKEN ON ENOUGH ALREADY. FAST-PACED MUSIC SARAH AND PHILIPPE HOPE TO HAVE THEIR HOME FINISHED WITHIN 10 MONTHS, BUT THEY'VE NOW MISSED THEIR DEADLINE AND ARE FOUR MONTHS BEHIND SCHEDULE. THE LATEST HOLD-UP IS THE MOST DEFINING AND EXTRAVAGANT FEATURE OF THEIR FRENCH-APARTMENT STYLE HOME ` THE CRITTALL, OR STEEL WINDOW JOINERY. THEY SITE MEASURED BACK IN NOVEMBER AND WERE MEANT TO START MANUFACTURING IN EARLY DECEMBER. UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT DIDN'T REALLY HAPPEN. THEY WERE SO INUNDATED WITH THE WORKLOAD THEY HAD ALREADY. UH, CRAZY AUCKLAND BUILDING MARKET. SO, REALLY, THEY KINDA DIDN'T GET INTO GEAR ON OURS. THERE'S LITTLE OPPORTUNITY FOR VIEWS ON SARAH AND PHILIPPE'S SITE, SO THEY'RE SPENDING $300,000 ON WINDOWS WHICH WILL ESSENTIALLY BE THEIR VIEW. THE JOINERY IS KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF THEIR HOUSE, GIVING IT THE OLD PARISIAN-APARTMENT STYLE THEY'RE SO KEEN ON. THE IRONY IS THAT CRITTALL WINDOWS ARE NOT FRENCH; THEY'RE ENGLISH! THEY'RE CALLED CRITTALL AFTER THE ENGLISHMAN WHO BEGAN MANUFACTURING STEEL WINDOWS IN HIS ESSEX FACTORY BACK IN 1860. CRITTALL IS CURRENTLY ENJOYING A COMEBACK AROUND THE WORLD AND IS MADE LOCALLY IN SOUTH AUCKLAND. WE WANTED A PARISIAN-APARTMENT FEEL, COS WE CAN'T LIVE IN PARIS. UH, SO WE THOUGHT, 'I KNOW ` SHALL WE BRING PARIS TO US?' AND TRYING TO SORT OF COME UP WITH AN OVERALL LOOK FOR THIS HOUSE AND, YOU KNOW, RESEARCHING, WE KEPT COMING ACROSS CONCRETE AND STEEL JOINERY. UH, THAT AND WITH OAK FLOORING, THOSE THREE ITEMS, YOU KNOW` ELEMENTS. ELEMENTS. THEY PLAY REALLY WELL TOGETHER. UM, AND IT DOES GIVE THAT TIMELESS FEEL. WE KIND OF DON'T WANT IT TO SCREAM OUT, 'THIS IS A HOUSE OF '2015/16.' SARAH AND PHILIPPE ARE UNITED IN THEIR DISLIKE OF ANYTHING LOOKING NEW, SO WHILE THEY WAIT FOR THE JOINERY TO BE FINISHED, PHILIPPE IS PREMATURELY AGEING. WHAT ARE YOU UP TO? OH, I'M FIDDLING. I'VE JUST GOT THIS LITTLE PROCESS I'VE BEEN TRYING OUT, UM, FOR AGEING ALL OUR BRASS HARDWARE FOR THE DOORS AND WINDOWS. THIS PARTICULAR HANDLE, WHICH HAS BEEN TWO OR THREE DAYS IN ITS LITTLE WEE CONTAINER, HAS ENDED UP LIKE THAT. BUT ` IF YOU HOLD THAT ` IT STARTED LIFE LIKE THAT. OH BOY. SO THERE'S BASICALLY THREE DAYS, NEW TO OLD, INSTANT. (CHUCKLES) UM, BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY WE WERE GOING TO HAVE HANDLES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WITH? WHAT'S THE TREATMENT? UH, THIS IS, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, JUST SITTING IN VINEGAR. NOT EVEN SITTING IN IT; IT'S JUST THE VAPOUR OF THE VINEGAR THAT'S AGEING IT. WE COULD'VE, YOU KNOW` WE COULD'VE HAD THIS` ALL THIS HARDWARE SUPPLIED TO US AGED BY THE MANUFACTURER, BUT IT'S A MUCH MORE, UM, A FLATTER LOOK. IT LACKS TEXTURE. RIGHT. SO I KINDA WANTED TO HAVE EVERYTHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT RATHER THAN ALL JUST BEING PRISTINELY THE SAME. YOU KNOW WHAT AMAZES ME ABOUT YOU, PHILIPPE, IS YOUR INCREDIBLE ATTENTION TO DETAILS, YOU KNOW, TO THE POINT OF, UM` OBSESSIVE. BOTH LAUGH DID I SAY THAT? NO, I DID. BUT, NO, I DO GET KIND OF` REALLY KIND OF IN THE MOMENT, AND, UM, LOOK, DOING THIS ` IT'S A PASSION. PEACEFUL PIANO MUSIC IN FEBRUARY, THE FIRST DELIVERY OF CRITTALL ARRIVES, AND I'M KEEN TO SEE WHAT $300,000 WORTH OF JOINERY LOOKS LIKE. OOH, THERE IT IS. FANTASTIC. SO, THE FIRST ONE GOES IN. FITS PERFECTLY. HEY, IF IT'S ANYTHING LIKE THE WALLS, EVERYTHING FITS. MILLIMETRE PERFECT. MILLIMETRE PERFECT. ABSOLUTELY. YOU GOT ANOTHER ONE GOING IN DOWN HERE TOO. I BELIEVE SO. 'THERE'S NO DOUBT IT'S A WHOPPING AMOUNT TO SPEND, BUT, TO ME, WITH THEIR FINE PROFILE, THESE FRAMES 'ARE BEAUTIFULLY ELEGANT AND OFFSET THE HEAVINESS OF THE CONCRETE PERFECTLY.' SO, HAPPY WITH THE WAY THE WINDOWS ARE SHAPING UP? FANTASTIC. LOOK AT THAT. YOU CAN FEEL IT. IT'S A LITTLE BIT MATTE, ISN'T IT? YEAH. YEAH AND STILL A LITTLE BIT OF TEXTURE LEFT ON THAT. YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN BEING ALL TOO, SORT OF, SHINY AND NEW. YOU GUYS ARE NOT SLIPPERY PEOPLE, ARE YOU? NO, WE DO NOT LIKE THE` WELL` YOU SEE, HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT? LOOK AT THAT HANDLE THERE. ISN'T THAT AMAZING? OH, YEAH, THAT'S GOOD. BEAUTIFUL. GOOD OLD-FASHIONED JOINERY THE WAY THEY USED TO DO IT. YEAH. BUT YOU DO REALISE THAT THEY'RE NOT FRENCH, DON'T YOU? YEAH, THEY'RE ENGLISH. INDEED. YEAH. BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE MANAGED TO INFILTRATE THE WORLD, SO, UM, THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE. AND CERTAINLY IF YOU GO INTO THE LITTLE BACK STREETS OF PARIS AND GO INTO THESE LITTLE BUILDINGS, UM, IT'S EVERYWHERE. THE THING I GOT WITH THIS HOUSE IS IT'S ALL ABOUT REALLY GOOD QUALITY BASICS. YOU KNOW, SO WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET ` NOT JUST ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT IT'S THE SAME THING ON THE INSIDE. SO LOVELY, BIG, RAW CONCRETE WALLS, THESE EXQUISITE WINDOWS, WHICH AREN'T CHEAP, AND SOLID TIMBER, EUROPEAN OAK. WONDERFUL. BUT WE KNEW WHEN WE SET OUT ON THIS LITTLE EXPEDITION WE WEREN'T BUILDING A CHEAP HOUSE. UM, YOU KNOW, BUT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, THREE COMPONENTS THAT ARE THE KEY TO IT. I LOVE THIS STAGE OF THE BUILD, YOU KNOW? ALL THE POTENTIALS ARE FINALLY COMING TOGETHER. THEY ARE, ACTUALLY. YES, AND TYING IT IN. I'M INTRIGUED TO FIND OUT IF SARAH AND PHILIPPE'S ABSOLUTE PERFECTIONISM WILL RESULT IN ABSOLUTE PERFECTION, WHETHER THIS HOME CAN ELEGANTLY BLEND PARISIAN-APARTMENT CHIC WITH MODERN ARCHITECTURE AND SIT COMFORTABLY AMONGST HERITAGE VILLAS. What?! What?! She was. No. She was. No. BOTH LAUGH I am the master of the way. BOTH LAUGH I am the master of the way. ALL CHATTER, LAUGH Hey! Over here, mate. (LAUGHS) ALL CHATTER, LAUGH Hey! Over here, mate. (LAUGHS) Thank you so much. See ya! Hey, thanks for driving tonight. Hey! Over here, mate. (LAUGHS) Thank you so much. See ya! Hey, thanks for driving tonight. You owe me. Thank you so much. See ya! Hey, thanks for driving tonight. You owe me. (LAUGHS) Fair enough. Kate was giving me the eye as well. What?! Kate was giving me the eye as well. What?! She was. No. She was. No. BOTH LAUGH What's that? BOTH LAUGH What's that? Oh crap. Don't worry about it. You're well under. Oh crap. Don't worry about it. You're well under. Yeah, but it's a lower limit now. Good evening. Any alcohol tonight? You're well under. Yeah, but it's a lower limit now. Good evening. Any alcohol tonight? Uh, just a couple... with dinner. Yeah, but it's a lower limit now. Good evening. Any alcohol tonight? Uh, just a couple... with dinner. Yeah. She's fine, eh. Stop. That's over 250 micrograms. I now require you to accompany me to the booze bus... Oh stink. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do say... It's a failed result, ma'am. ...may be given in evidence in court. You could ring a taxi and pick your car up in the morning. Let's call your mum and dad. They're, like, 10 minutes away. your car up in the morning. Let's call your mum and dad. They're, like, 10 minutes away. We're not calling my parents. Let's call your mum and dad. CHILDREN ARGUE We're not calling my parents. Let's call your mum and dad. CHILDREN ARGUE Please. Behave yourselves. No. In the car. INDISTINCT RT CHATTER UPLIFTING MUSIC SARAH AND PHILIPPE'S DREAM WAS TO BRING A TOUCH OF PARIS TO HISTORIC PONSONBY WITH A HOME THAT MIXED MODERN ARCHITECTURE WITH CLASSIC TIMELESSNESS ` THE CULMINATION OF LESSONS LEARNT THROUGH YEARS OF DESIGN WORK AND VILLA RENOVATIONS. WHOA. THE LIGHT ON THOSE BIG, MASSIVE CONCRETE WALLS, IT'S BEAUTIFUL. COMPLETELY TIMELESS. CAN'T WAIT TO GO AND HAVE A LOOK. AH. HELLO! HELLO, HELLO, HELLO. LOVELY TO SEE YOU. YOU TOO. HI, CHRIS. WELCOME. WOW. I'M BLOWN AWAY. IT'S MAGNIFICENT. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS SINCE WE'VE BEEN IN, AND IT JUST FEELS SUCH A COOL PLACE TO BE. THE ENVIRONMENT, THE FEELING OF IT IS JUST SO COOL. WITH THESE MATERIALS AND THE SIMPLICITY OF ITS FORMS, IT JUST HAS AN INCREDIBLY TIMELESS QUALITY TO IT. ALREADY IT FEELS LIKE THE OLDEST HOUSE IN THE STREET. I MEAN, IT'S EXTRAORDINARY. WE'RE IN A SUBURBAN AREA WITH LOTS OF VICTORIAN VILLAS, AND YET IT SITS VERY HAPPILY. YOU KNOW, THE PITCH OF THE ROOF ` IT'S ALMOST LIKE A KID'S DIAGRAM, BUT IT'S BETTER. NO, WE'RE JUST BLOWN AWAY AT HOW WELL IT'S ALL COME TOGETHER. SHOW ME IN! SHOW ME IN! COME ON, COME ON, COME ON. WELCOME. GOSH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DOOR. YES, ISN'T IT GORGEOUS? BIG, SOLID THING. MAGNIFICENT PIECE OF OAK. IT REMINDS ME A LOT OF JEAN PROUVE, YOU KNOW, THE MODERN FRENCH ARCHITECT. WOW. WHAT A WAY TO ARRIVE. GOSH, THE SENSE OF SPACE DOWN HERE AND THESE BEAUTIFUL WALLS. AND THE WAY THAT THE LIGHT IS COMING THROUGH INTO THIS SPACE ` WOW. YOU CAN FEEL IT, TOO. THE ACOUSTICS ARE CHANGING. OH, THIS IS WONDERFUL. THE WAY YOU JUST KIND OF, LIKE, COME INTO THIS BEAUTIFUL, BIG SPACE. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE WAY THESE MATERIALS HAVE COME TOGETHER ` YOU KNOW, THE CONCRETE AND THE STEEL ` AND I SUPPOSE THERE WAS ALWAYS A DANGER THAT IT COULD FEEL VERY HARD, VERY INDUSTRIAL. YET IT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT. IT HAS A WONDERFUL KIND OF SOPHISTICATION AND WARMTH TO IT. YOU ADD THOSE THINGS, TOGETHER WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL OAK TIMBER FLOOR. IT'S ALMOST LIKE THE OAK CHANGES EVERYTHING, TOGETHER WITH THE FURNITURE. WELL, I THINK THAT ADDS THAT SOPHISTICATION, DOESN'T IT? AND WARMTH. YES. THIS BEAUTIFUL LIGHT. WITH THE HEAT, IT SORT OF OSCILLATES. IT DOES THIS BEAUTIFUL MOVEMENT WITH THE HEAT. IT'S LOVELY. IT HAS THIS KIND OF BIG SOMBRERO KIND OF QUALITY TO IT, ISN'T IT? AH, CRITTALL WINDOWS ON THE INSIDE AS WELL. I KNOW. THAT WAS DEFINITELY A LITTLE PARISIAN DETAIL THAT I WAS REALLY KEEN TO INCLUDE. I LOVE BEING ABLE TO CLOSE OFF A ROOM BUT STILL BE CONNECTED WITH THE REST OF THE HOUSE. NICE TOUCH. YEAH. VERY NICE. AND THE STAIRS. THESE LOOK MAGNIFICENT. I'M JUST LOOKING AT THIS WONDERFUL OAK HANDRAIL. YEAH. REALLY SETS OFF THE CONCRETE. IT DOES. SO, SARAH, YOU GOT YOUR WAY WITH THE CEILING, I SEE. AH, YES, I DID. THE WHITE. I HAD TO, REALLY, BECAUSE IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE TEXTURES. IT WAS TOO DISTRACTING WITH THAT LAMINATE. OH MY GOODNESS. FOR YOU GUYS, DOES IT FEEL LIKE YOU'VE FINALLY ARRIVED IN YOUR PARISIAN APARTMENT? I S'POSE, IN A WAY, IT DOES, WITH THE VAULTED CEILINGS, THE TRUSSES AND, OF COURSE, THE JOINERY. IT'S ABOUT AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET` ...UNTIL WE GET THE ACTUAL THING IN PARIS. CHUCKLES: YEAH, THAT WOULD BE NICE. SHOW ME THE JULIETTE BALCONY. WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT. OH, THE LOVELY FRENCH DOORS. YES. OH, LOOK AT THIS. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BALCONY? UH, YES, THE BALCONY. UM, ROMEO RAN OUT OF TIME. ROMEO RAN OUT OF TIME. ROMEO IS VERY VERY BUSY DOING VERY IMPORTANT OTHER ROMEO THINGS. THIS HOME IS A TRIBUTE TO SARAH AND PHILIPPE'S SKILLS AS DESIGN COLLABORATORS. THEIR SHARED VISION HAS IMBUED IT WITH ELEGANCE, WARMTH AND PERSONALITY. THE THING THAT I THINK IS SO WONDERFUL ABOUT SITTING HERE IS THE MANIC COMMITMENT THAT BOTH OF YOU HAVE HAD TO THIS BUILD ` FINALLY HERE YOU ARE SITTING AROUND YOUR KITCHEN BENCH. HOW DOES THAT FEEL? PHEW. HUGE SENSE OF RELIEF. MASSIVE. YEAH. A SENSE OF RELIEF, BUT AMAZING TO ACTUALLY BE IN THIS SPACE NOW. 50M OR SO OFF PONSONBY RD AND WE HEAR NOTHING, REALLY, FROM THE OUTSIDE. SO IT JUST FEELS VERY RELAXING. I CAN'T BELIEVE, ACTUALLY, HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS. I ALMOST NEED TO PINCH MYSELF. IT FEELS VERY GROWN-UP. VERY GROWN-UP? AND WE DON'T FEEL VERY GROWN-UP. ALL CHUCKLE IT'S BEEN A FANTASTIC LEARNING CURVE. SARAH AND I, WITH RENOVATIONS AND THINGS IN THE PAST, IT'S USING MORE CLASSIC MATERIALS ` WOOD, AND IT'S QUITE BASIC, REALLY. YOU GET INTO DEALING WITH CONCRETE AND, FOR ME, IT WAS A WHOLE NEW LEARNING CURVE. I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THOSE PANELS ` IT TOOK A LOT MORE EFFORT AND CARE, PARTICULARLY ON YOUR PART, PHILIPPE. PUSHING THE ENGINEER TO GO, 'HANG ON. WE DON'T WANT TO SEE A 'WELD PLATE THAT'S HOLDING TWO CONCRETE PANELS TOGETHER. WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO HIDE ALL THAT STUFF.' AND EVERYTHING IS EXPOSED, AND THAT TOOK A BIT OF PUSHING, BUT IT ALL WORKED OUT. PERFECT. THE PLACING OF THE CONCRETE WALLS WAS DIFFICULT. THE ADDITIONAL FINISHES TOOK EXTRA TIME. HOW DID THOSE BIG ISSUES IMPACT ON THE BUDGET? (CHUCKLES WRYLY) YES, THEY HAD` BUDGET SCHMUDGET. (LAUGHS) YEAH. YEAH, NO, IT'S DEFINITELY HAD AN IMPACT. MOST OF OUR ADDITIONAL COSTS HAVE COME ABOUT FROM ADDING MATERIAL, ADDING TIME. SO, THE ORIGINAL BUDGET WAS` WHAT WAS IT? 1.6 MILLION. 1.6 MILLION, 1.7 MILLION. SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND WHAT DID IT COME OUT AT? QUITE A BIT MORE. WHICH WAS? QUITE A LOT MORE. (CHUCKLES) TWO MILLION? WELL, WELL NORTH OF TWO MILLION. WELL NORTH OF TWO MILLION? 2.5 MILLION? YEAH, PROBABLY CLOSE TO. YEAH. WOW. WE HAVE BUILT SOMETHING THAT'S PERMANENT. IT'S GOT LONGEVITY. UM, IT'S ALSO GONNA BE REASONABLY COST EFFECTIVE TO MAINTAIN. UM, IT'S NOT LIKE A VILLA. YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT A VILLA AND PAINTING IT, UM, EVERY 10 YEARS OR WHATEVER. YOU'RE BASICALLY SAYING THAT IT'S A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT. MM. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU END UP PAYING MORE UP FRONT. ABSOLUTELY, YEAH. THERE'S NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT. YOU CAN'T GO AND BUILD THIS CHEAPLY. WHAT DO THE NEIGHBOURS THINK? WE'VE HAD FABULOUS FEEDBACK. NOTHING BUT POSITIVE COMMENTS. LOVING IT. AND IT'S JUST AN AFFIRMATION, REALLY, OF WHAT WE'VE DONE AND HOW PEOPLE SORT OF SEE THIS SITTING IN THIS ENVIRONMENT IN THIS LOCATION. PRETTY MUCH WHAT YOU'D HOPED FOR. YEAH, YEAH. I JUST THINK THIS IS THE MOST INCREDIBLE SPACE FOR ENTERTAINING. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. IT IS. IT FEELS LIKE A GRAND FRENCH CAFE, TO ME. RIGHT. I JUST NEED A CHEF AND WE'LL BE FINE. ALL CHUCKLE THIS IS NOT A GIMMICKY, HIGH-TECH OR FASHION-CONSCIOUS HOME; IT'S THE OPPOSITE. SARAH AND PHILIPPE HAVE FOCUSED ON GOOD QUALITY MATERIALS, CRAFTSMANSHIP AND GENEROUS PROPORTIONS. THERE'S AN AMAZING SENSE OF SPACE, OF PERMANENCE AND TIMELESSNESS. THESE TWO PERFECTIONISTS HAVE ACHIEVED EXACTLY WHAT THEY SET OUT TO PERFECTLY. 'GRAND DESIGNS' THEME CAPTIONS BY VIRGINIA PHILP. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. CHEERS. CHEERS. CHEERS, GUYS. ALL: CHEERS. TO A FANTASTIC LIFETIME OF LIVING IN THIS HOUSE. YEAH. YEAH. BLOODY GOOD COLLABORATION. YEAH, IT HAS. GLASSES CLINK COPYRIGHT ABLE 2016