CAPTIONS BY ASHLEE SCHOLEFIELD AND DESNEY SHAW. SHIPPING CONTAINERS HAVE BECOME ICONIC IN CHRISTCHURCH, INITIALLY FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS. SINCE THE EARTHQUAKES, THEY'VE BEEN USED FOR DISASTER RELIEF, EMERGENCY SHELTERS AND THIS MUCH-LOVED RE:START MALL. BUT NOT SO MUCH FOR FAMILY HOMES. BRING YOUR GRAND PLAN TO LIFE WITH ANZ, PROUD SPONSOR OF 'GRAND DESIGNS NZ'. 'GRAND DESIGNS' THEME CAPTIONS BY ASHLEE SCHOLEFIELD AND DESNEY SHAW. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2016 BIRDSONG SOFT AMBIENT MUSIC THE CHRISTCHURCH EARTHQUAKES OF 2010 AND 2011 DROVE THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS TO LEAVE THE CITY IN SEARCH OF STEADY GROUND. BUT FOR DAVID FITZMAURICE AND HIS WIFE, JOYCE WEE, THE SEISMIC ACTIVITY DREW THEM TO THE CITY. AS A CIVIL ENGINEER, DAVID'S SKILLS WERE IN HIGH DEMAND TO REBUILD THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE, AND HE WAS LURED HERE FROM AUCKLAND FIVE YEARS AGO. WE THINK CHRISTCHURCH HAS GOT A BRIGHT FUTURE. I THINK OVERALL IT'S QUITE OPTIMISTIC. IT'S ALMOST A CLEAN SLATE TO BUILD SOMETHING NEW. WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE ELSE. WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO GROW UP HERE, AND WE WANT THEM TO LIVE HERE. DAVID, JOYCE AND CHILDREN AIDAN AND SARI ARE RENTING A HOUSE WHILE THEY MAKE PLANS TO BUILD AN UNCONVENTIONAL NEW HOME. FOR SOME REASON, I THINK IT JUST CAME TO, LIKE, HOUSES BUILT WITH SHIPPING CONTAINERS, AND I THOUGHT, 'OH, NO, I QUITE LIKE THEM, AND I LIKE THE LOOK OF THEM.' AND WE WERE TALKING ONE DAY, AND WE JUST CAME TOGETHER AND SAID, 'OH, WE QUITE LIKE SHIPPING CONTAINER HOUSES,' LIKE, ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME. SO... AND THEN WE GO, 'OH!' JOINT AGREEMENT THERE. AHA! DING, DING! YOU KNOW, LIKE` LET'S GO FOR IT. YEAH. LET'S GO FOR IT. THEY WORKED OUT THE HOUSE DESIGN WHILE PLAYING WITH THEIR SON'S BUILDING BLOCKS. YEAH, WE THOUGHT WE'D PLAY AROUND WITH DIFFERENT, UH, SHAPES AND CONFIGURATIONS AND SORT OF SEE WHAT WE COULD COME UP WITH. DAVE BEING THE ENGINEER, HE'LL SAY, 'IS THIS WORKABLE? IS THIS NOT? DO WE NEED EXTRA BEAMS?' AND HE WENT ON TO MAKE A MODEL. HE STARTED MAKING A MODEL. BY THE TIME WE WENT TO THE ARCHITECT, THE ACTUAL DESIGN, ROOM LAYOUT, A LOT OF THE WORK HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE. IT'S OUR FIRST EVER NEW HOUSE BUILD. MM. HOPEFULLY OUR LAST. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE DO IT RIGHT FIRST TIME. DAVID AND JOYCE HAVE BOUGHT A 4HA LIFESTYLE BLOCK IN WEST MELTON, 30 MINUTES' DRIVE FROM THE CITY, WHERE THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED A GARDEN FOR THEIR NEW HOME. LOVELY SITE, GUYS. GOSH, IT'S REALLY A CLASSIC CANTERBURY LANDSCAPE, ISN'T IT? AND A BIG, SPACIOUS SITE FOR THE KIDS, I GUESS? YEAH. AND I THINK WE ALWAYS WANT TO OWN SOMEWHERE WITH LAND, SOMEWHERE FOR THE CHILDREN, BIG PLAYGROUNDS, YOU KNOW, PLAY OUTSIDE. AND I'VE GOT MY GARDEN. YOU CAN'T GET BETTER THAN THIS. WE ARE VERY LUCKY, YEAH. YOU'VE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH IT, HAVEN'T YOU? (CHUCKLES) YEAH. EVERY DAY. YEAH. SO, IT'S A NOVEL DESIGN, ISN'T IT? YES, I SUPPOSE IT IS. WE LIKE THE, UH, SORT OF UNCONVENTIONAL LOOK AND STYLE OF A SHIPPING CONTAINER HOUSE. BUT IT WILL NOT LOOK` FROM THE OUTSIDE, IT WILL NOT LOOK LIKE IT IS MADE OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS. OH, REALLY? COS YOU HAVE TO CLAD IT. THERE'LL BE SOME FEATURE WALLS INSIDE, WHICH YOU CAN, UH, SEE THE BARE BONES OF THE SHIPPING CONTAINER. BUT CERTAINLY ON THE OUTSIDE, UM, WE'RE CLADDING IT,... RIGHT, OK. MAKING SURE THAT IT'S A WELL-INSULATED BUILDING. DAVID AND JOYCE WANT TO CREATE A 420M2 HOME USING 16 20FT SHIPPING CONTAINERS. EIGHT CONTAINERS WILL FORM THE GROUND FLOOR, WITH TWO BEDROOMS, A KITCHEN AND TWO LIVING ROOMS WITH HEATED CONCRETE FLOORS. ANOTHER EIGHT CONTAINERS WILL BE STACKED ON TOP TO FORM A SECOND STOREY, WITH FOUR MORE BEDROOMS, BATHROOMS AND A STUDY. A VOID ALLOWS A TWO-STOREY HIGH CEILING OVER THE LIVING AREA AND A LIGHT-FILLED SPACE OPENING TO VIEWS OVER THE LAND. BUT THIS IS A CONTAINER HOUSE WITH A TWIST. INSTEAD OF EXPOSING THE CONTAINERS, DAVID AND JOYCE PLAN TO WRAP THE BUILDING IN INSULATED METAL PANELS THAT LOOK A BIT LIKE THE OUTSIDE OF A FRIDGE. THE ONLY NOD TO THE MATERIAL'S MARITIME PAST WILL BE PORTHOLE-LIKE WINDOWS ABOVE THE ENTRY. AN UNUSUAL FAMILY HOME ON THE CANTERBURY PLAINS, BUILT FROM MATERIALS CREATED FOR THE SEA. SO WHY SOMETHING SO UNCONVENTIONAL? JUST BECAUSE WE CAN DO IT. WE'VE LIVED IN CONVENTIONAL HOUSES BEFORE, AND WE THINK WE CAN BUILD SOMETHING BETTER AND MORE UNIQUE. AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. WE LIKE BIG, OPEN SPACES, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE NEW LOFTS AND THAT SORT OF OPEN PLAN, WHERE OUR CHILDREN CAN RIDE THEIR BIKES INDOORS FROM ONE END OF THE HOUSE TO THE OTHER. IF YOU CAN DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN LIFE, WHY NOT? YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE, DON'T YOU? SO HOW MUCH HAVE YOU GOT TO SPEND? WE THINK WE CAN BUILD THE HOUSE FOR $450,000. WHOA. FOR HOW MANY SQUARE METRES? BOTH: 420. THAT'S OPTIMISTIC. WE'LL DO AS MUCH STUFF AS WE CAN PRACTICALLY OURSELVES DURING THE BUILD. WE WILL TRY AND KEEP THOSE COSTS DOWN. COSTS DOWN. AND YOUR TIMEFRAME ` WHAT ARE YOU HOPING FOR THAT? WE THINK WE CAN GET IT TO THE STAGE WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY MOVE IN` WATERTIGHT WITH A ROOF ON. ...TO BE SIX MONTHS. SIX MONTHS? SIX MONTHS. NOT FINISHED, THOUGH. NOT, LIKE, 100% FINISHED. RIGHT. BUT JUST TO MOVE THE FAMILY IN. YOU MUST BE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. YEAH, WE ARE. PEACEFUL MUSIC GROWING UP, YOU KNOW, IN SINGAPORE, WHERE PEOPLE LIVE IN APARTMENTS, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE GARDENS. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I LEARNED WHEN I CAME TO NZ, IT'S SOMETHING NEW TO ME, BUT I DO ENJOY GARDENING. IT'S JUST SOMETHING FOR MYSELF. YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT DOING IT. YOU GROW YOUR OWN VEGES, YOU EAT YOUR OWN VEGES. IT'S A LIFESTYLE` IT'S A LIFESTYLE WE WANT, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE HERE, AND WE WANT TO LIVE THIS LIFE, AND WE WANT TO BUILD THE HOUSE OF OUR DREAMS. I'M GUESSING DAVID AND JOYCE ARE GONNA HAVE TO DO A LOT OF WORK ON THEIR OWN TO BUILD THEIR HOME ON A BUDGET OF JUST $450,000. I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S REQUIRED TO TURN THESE STEEL BOXES INTO LIVEABLE SPACES. AHH, SO THIS IS WHAT YOU WANNA LIVE IN. IT IS, YES. IT'S BIG AND RUGGED AND... THUD ECHOES ...ROBUST. IT'S LIKE A BIG, DARK TUNNEL, YOU KNOW. AND I'M KIND OF THINKING, 'WHY? WHY WOULD YOU WANNA LIVE IN ONE OF THESE?' YOU'VE GOT TO USE A BIT OF VISION ` IF YOU CAN IMAGINE WINDOWS BUILT INTO THE WALLS OF THESE AND SOME OF THE CONTAINERS BEING ATTACHED TOGETHER AND HAVING THE WHOLE WALL OPENED UP. SO WE'RE NOT JUST LIVING IN SQUATTY SINGLE 20FT CONTAINER. AT ABOUT $3000 A CONTAINER, I DO UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE THINK THIS IS AN ECONOMIC WAY TO CREATE INSTANT SHELTER. SO, STEVAN, SINCE THE EARTHQUAKES, HAVE YOU REALLY NOTICED THAT THERE'S BEEN A BIG TAKE-UP IN DEMAND? PARTICULARLY FOR HOUSING? YES, DEFINITELY. FOR BOTH TEMPORARY, SORT OF, BUILDING SOLUTION, AS WELL AS WE'VE HAD A FEW ENQUIRIES FOR PROJECTS LIKE DAVE'S, UM, WHERE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO ACTUALLY BUILD OUT OF THESE THINGS. YOU KNOW, IN MY VIEW, CONTAINERS ARE GREAT FOR SHIPPING. I MEAN, THEY'RE RUGGED, THEY'RE ROBUST, THEY'RE VERY STRONG. GREAT AS A STORAGE UNIT. BUT TO TURN THIS INTO A NICE, COMFORTABLE HOME AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT, UM, IS NOT QUITE SO BRUTAL, BOY, THAT'S A CHALLENGE. WE WANT THE CHALLENGES. THERE'S NO HANDBOOK OR GUIDE TO BUILDING HOUSES OUT OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS, SO THERE WILL BE A LOT OF TECHNICAL CHALLENGES ON THE WAY, WHICH WE ENVISAGE. THE LOGISTICS OF CONVERTING 16 OF THESE CONTAINERS INTO A FAMILY HOME ARE NOT DAVID AND JOYCE'S ONLY CHALLENGES. BUILDING IN CHRISTCHURCH FOLLOWING THE EARTHQUAKES IS PROBLEMATIC, EVEN WITH A STANDARD HOME. THERE'S HUGE PRESSURE ON SUPPLIERS, SUBBIES AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES. 7 TONS OF STEEL IN OUR FOUNDATIONS. (GRUNTS) SO THERE'S A FAIR BIT TO SHIFT. BUT WITH DAVID'S SKILLS AS A PROJECT MANAGER AND ENGINEER, I'M PICKING THAT THEY'RE ALREADY AHEAD OF THE GAME. WHAT'S MORE, HE PLANS TO DO A LOT OF THE BUILD HIMSELF AFTER HOURS AND AT THE WEEKEND. I'D LIKE TO GET A LOT OF THE MANUAL WORK DONE MYSELF, FAMILY, UH, ALLOWING. I'VE ALWAYS, UH, DONE A LOT OF MY OWN DIY AROUND THE HOUSE, SO I WANTED TO CONTINUE THAT THROUGH THE BUILD OF OUR OWN HOUSE. COS IT'S OUR HOME, I WANT EVERYTHING TO BE DONE 100%. TO DO THAT, I FEEL I HAVE TO OVERSEE AND WANT TO DO AS MANY OF THOSE THINGS AS POSSIBLE. I LOVE SEEING PEOPLE NOT ONLY CREATE THEIR OWN HOME DESIGNS BUT ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND BUILD IT THEMSELVES. BUT BUILDING A 420M2 HOUSE IN SIX MONTHS, EVEN USING SHIPPING CONTAINERS, IS A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME. I'M A LITTLE INCREDULOUS ABOUT DAVID AND JOYCE'S CONFIDENCE THEY'LL BE FINISHED BY NEXT SPRING. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ INTRIGUING MUSIC IN CHRISTCHURCH, DAVID AND JOYCE HAVE RECEIVED THE FIRST DELIVERY OF THE SHIPPING CONTAINERS THEY WILL USE TO CREATE THEIR UNUSUAL HOME. FOR THE LAST SIX WEEKS, DAVID, A CIVIL ENGINEER, HAS BEEN SPENDING HIS NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS PREPARING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR A CONCRETE SLAB. I'M USUALLY INSPECTING SOMEBODY ELSE'S WORK, SUPERVISING SOMEBODY ELSE, BUT, NO, THIS TIME I'M DOING THE HARD WORK MYSELF. I GOT VARIOUS QUOTES, FOUND THE COST TO BE QUITE HIGH, SO BY DOING ALL THIS WORK MYSELF, I SHAVED PROBABLY ABOUT $20,000 OFF THE ACTUAL COST OF THE FOUNDATIONS. MOODY HARMONICA MUSIC EVERY HOUR COUNTS. SO IF I CAN DO STUFF IN THE EVENING AFTER WORK, THEN I'LL STICK INTO IT. I'VE BEEN OUT HERE MANY A NIGHT, TYING STEEL, LAYING PLASTIC SHEETING AND, UH, BREAKING BITS OF CONCRETE. IT'S LONELY WORK. (CHUCKLES) TOOL WHIRRS MELLOW GUITAR MUSIC DAVID IS TRYING TO BALANCE ALL THIS WITH HIS DAY JOB, REBUILDING POST-QUAKE CHRISTCHURCH. MY TIME IS SPENT, UH, AT WORK DURING THE DAY, SO TO TRY AND FIT IN THAT PROGRAMMING AND SCHEDULING AND PLANNING AFTER WORK, IT'S QUITE CONSTRAINED. IT'S A NO-WIN SITUATION. I CAN FOCUS ENTIRELY ON THE BUILD, GET IT BUILT EARLIER AND SPEND NO FAMILY TIME; OR YOU CAN SPEND THAT FAMILY TIME, AND THEN YOU'RE IN TROUBLE FOR NOT GETTING THE HOUSE BUILT ON TIME. SO IT'S THAT FINE BALANCE IN BETWEEN AT THE END OF THE DAY. IT'S DIFFICULT TO MANAGE. IT CAN BE STRESSFUL AT TIMES, EVEN THOUGH I DON'T OFTEN SHOW IT. AFTER EIGHT WEEKS OF DAVID SPENDING EVERY SPARE HOUR, DAY AND NIGHT, WORKING ON-SITE, JOYCE HAS HAD ENOUGH. WANT TO MOVE OUT TO WHERE THE HOUSE BUILD IS. COS WE DON'T SEE HIM ANY MORE. I MEAN, HE COMES BACK FROM WORK AND HE HAS HIS QUICK DINNER. HE DRIVES OUT EVERY NIGHT, FIVE DAYS, YOU KNOW, AND SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. SO IF WE GO OUT THERE, AT LEAST WE COULD SEE HIM. THE CHILDREN CAN BE AROUND HIM. I MEAN, DAVE HELPS, BUT THEN HIS PRIORITY IS BUILDING THE HOUSE. SO WE SORT OF... HAVE A FEW ARGUMENTS, BUT (SIGHS), YOU KNOW, YOU JUST HAVE TO MOVE ON FROM IT AND JUST KEEP ON GOING. YEP. ALTHOUGH THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THEIR NEW HOME AREN'T EVEN FINISHED, THEY'VE GIVEN UP THEIR RENTAL HOUSE AND WILL LIVE ON-SITE. THEY'VE HIRED SHIPPING CONTAINERS SHORT-TERM, WHICH ARE ALREADY KITTED OUT FOR TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION. EACH OF THESE, UH, 40FT UNITS HAS GOT TWO HEAT PUMPS IN. THEY'RE FULLY INSULATED. SO IN THIS ACCOMMODATION HERE, WE'VE GOT FIVE HEAT PUMPS. IT'S ALL INSULATED. IT'S GOT DOUBLE-GLAZING. IT'S DOUBLE-GLAZED. YEAH. YEAH. IT'S PROBABLY BETTER THAN THE RENTAL, YEAH. THE ONLY DOWNSIDE IS YOU HAVE TO TRANSITION TO THE OUTSIDE WHEN GOING TO THE BATHROOM BACK TO THE BEDROOM. I'LL TAKE THOSE FROM YOU, YEAH. THANKS. THANK YOU. I THINK IT'LL BE FINE FOR A SHORT-TERM. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA STAY HERE FOR ONE YEAR, ARE WE? NO. (CHUCKLES) WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT THREE TO FOUR MONTHS. THAT'S WHAT HE SAYS. (LAUGHS) BUT WITH TWO MONTHS ALREADY GONE, I'M NOT QUITE SO OPTIMISTIC. DAVID STILL HASN'T FINISHED THE FOUNDATIONS, AND AS LOVELY AS IT MAY BE TO HAVE THE FAMILY ON-SITE, THERE MIGHT BE MORE DISTRACTIONS. I HAVEN'T TESTED THIS ONE, SO... IT'S A TEST FLIGHT, THIS ONE. BOTH CHUCKLE FAIL. (CHUCKLES) HYAH! AS THE SUN SETS, DAVID'S BACK ON THE TOOLS, AND HE CONTINUES LONG INTO THE NIGHT. TOOL WHIRRS I'M IMPRESSED WITH HIS COMMITMENT BUT WONDERING HOW LONG HE CAN KEEP UP THIS PUNISHING SCHEDULE. MOODY HARMONICA MUSIC THREE MONTHS INTO THE BUILD, WINTER BRINGS FREEZING CONDITIONS TO THE CANTERBURY PLAINS. LIVING ON A BUILDING SITE IS NOT VERY NICE ON DAYS LIKE THIS, WHEN IT'S COLD AND IT'S WET AND YOU'RE STUCK IN A TEMPORARY CONTAINER THAT'S REALLY NARROW. DESPITE THE SHORT, COLD DAYS, DAVID HAS WORKED UNTIL 2 O'CLOCK OR 3 O'CLOCK EVERY MORNING FOR WEEKS, TRYING TO FINISH PREPARATIONS FOR THE CONCRETE FOUNDATION TO BE POURED. VERY BIG NIGHT LAST NIGHT. NOT VERY EASY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT WAS RAINING FOR MOST OF THE NIGHT AS WELL. SO, YEAH, I'M PROBABLY NOT IN THE BEST MOOD THIS MORNING. (CHUCKLES) BUT IT SEEMS EVEN THIS HERCULEAN EFFORT WASN'T ENOUGH. THE CONCRETE TRUCKS ARE BOOKED FOR TODAY, AND THE CONCRETE COMPANY SENT AN ADVANCE CREW TO HELP DAVID GET READY. I WAS PROBABLY A BIT OVER-OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF WORK I COULD GET DONE OVER THE WEEKEND AND, UH, EVENINGS. SO I'M ACTUALLY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF CONCRETE COMING, AND LUCKILY THE GUYS HERE ARE ABLE TO GIVE ME A BIT OF A HAND. I THOUGHT I'D BE ABLE TO DO THINGS A LOT QUICKER, BUT, UH, YEAH, MY CARPENTRY SKILLS ARE PROBABLY NOT AS GOOD AS I, UH, THOUGHT THEY WERE. HE WAS UP FOR, I WOULD THINK, 24 HOURS, YEAH. FROM 8 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO THIS MORNING, YEAH. I STAYED UP TILL 2AM IN SOLIDARITY, BUT I DIDN'T DO ANY WORK. (LAUGHS) AND, UM, NO, YEAH, HE WAS WORKING PRETTY HARD. HOPEFUL MUSIC AS THE CONCRETE TRUCKS ROLL IN, DAVID AND THE HELPERS ARE STILL RACING TO GET READY. CONCRETE IS POURED INTO THE WOODEN FORMWORK WHICH DAVID HAS BUILT, AND IT SEEMS HIS RESERVATIONS ABOUT HIS CARPENTRY SKILLS WERE JUSTIFIED. TENSE MUSIC A SECTION OF DAVID'S TIMBER BOXING HASN'T STOOD UP TO THE PRESSURE OF THE CONCRETE AND HAS BLOWN OUT. WELL, THIS IS GONNA BE A DISASTER. CHUCKLING BECAUSE THAT'S BLOWN OUT THERE,... EVERYWHERE, MATE. OH, I SEE, YEAH. THERE'S NO POINT IN DOING WORK IF IT'S GONNA BE A LOAD OF REWORK LATER. THIS SECTION WILL HAVE TO BE DEMOLISHED AND REPOURED WITH STRONGER FRAMING. THAT'S A BUDGET BLOWOUT, BUT THE BIGGER KNOCK MIGHT BE TO DAVID'S CONFIDENCE. BIGGEST LEARNING CURVE SO FAR I THINK IS PROBABLY UNDERESTIMATING THE ACTUAL COMPLEXITY OF THE DESIGN. SO TO ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND EVERY SINGLE CONNECTION AND ARCHITECTURAL DETAILING ON A TWO-DIMENSIONAL DRAWING'S VERY DIFFICULT. AND I THINK ONCE YOU ACTUALLY START STACKING CONTAINERS AND BUILDING THINGS UP, UM, WE'RE GONNA FIND OTHER LITTLE, UH, FLAWS AND, UH, PROBLEMS AS WELL. POOR DAVID. HE HOPED THAT BUILDING HIMSELF WOULD SAVE TIME AND MONEY, BUT SO FAR, IT'S PROVED A FALSE ECONOMY. HALFWAY INTO HIS SIX-MONTH BUILD, THE ONLY SIGN OF THEIR DREAM HOME IS A ROW OF CONTAINERS SLOWLY SETTLING INTO THE LONG GRASS. DAVID AND JOYCE HOPED TO BUILD THEIR FAMILY HOME OUT OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS WITHIN SIX MONTHS, WHICH WOULD MEAN THEY SHOULD'VE MOVED IN TWO MONTHS AGO. HI, CHRIS. HOW ARE YOU? OH, LOVELY TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, CHRIS. SO, WHY HAS IT TAKEN SO LONG? PROBABLY THE MAIN REASON WAS THE FACT THAT I DECIDED TO DO ALL THE CONCRETE WORKS MYSELF. IT TOOK MUCH LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED. WITH HINDSIGHT, I WOULD'VE PROBABLY DONE IT WITH A DESIGNATED SUBCONTRACTOR. NORMAL TRADIES WILL BE INVOLVED WITH THE REST OF THE PROJECT. SO FROM HERE ON IN, YOU'RE JUST PROJECT MANAGING? FOR THE REST OF THE PROJECT MY HANDS-ON WORK HAS COME TO A CLOSE. DAVID HAS HANDED THE REINS TO STRUCTURAL ENGINEER LANCE BARRY. BUT DESPITE 15 YEARS OF WORKING WITH STEEL, LANCE, LIKE DAVID, HAS NEVER BUILT A SHIPPING CONTAINER HOUSE BEFORE. THERE'S NOT MANY LARGE CONTAINER HOUSES AROUND, SO THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE I'VE DONE PERSONALLY. A LOT OF CONTAINERS GET CONVERTED FOR OTHER THINGS ` GARAGES AND SLEEPOUTS AND THAT ` BUT NOT AT THIS EXTENT. WE USED 20 OF THEM, SO THIS IS DEFINITELY A FIRST FOR US. THE APPEAL OF CONTAINERS IS THAT THEY SEEM LIKE INSTANT SHELTERS. BUT DAVID AND JOYCE'S PLANS MEAN SEMI-DESTROYING THEM TO REBUILD THEM. DOORS, WALLS AND FLOORS ARE BEING CUT OUT, MAKING THEM STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND. SO IRONICALLY, DAVID AND JOYCE WILL NEED TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON REINFORCING STEEL TO STABILISE THEM AGAIN. WE'VE BEEN REMOVING A LOT OF THE SIDES OUT OF THE CONTAINERS AND CUTTING OUT AND DOING A LOT OF THE STRENGTHENING. JUST PUTTING IN SOME SHS'S AND ALL THAT JUST TO TAKE THE STRENGTH WHERE WE'VE REMOVED IT. THEN LIKE THE TOY BLOCKS DAVID AND JOYCE USED TO DESIGN THEIR HOME, THE CONTAINERS ARE STACKED ON THE SLAB. SO, FIRST CONTAINER, GUYS. IT'S BEEN A VISION IN MY MIND FOR QUITE A LONG TIME. TO ACTUALLY SEE THE, UH... THEM ACTUALLY PLACED IN REALITY IS QUITE REASSURING. AS THE CONTAINERS ARE PLACED FOR THE GROUND FLOOR, THE SCALE OF THIS HOME BECOMES APPARENT. AND IT SEEMS TO HAVE GROWN. SO, IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE THERE'S 10 CONTAINERS HERE. ORIGINALLY THERE WERE ONLY EIGHT, WEREN'T THERE? THERE'S 10 CONTAINERS ON THIS FIRST FLOOR, AND ON THE SECOND FLOOR THERE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE 10 CONTAINERS. YOU'RE ADDING AN ADDITIONAL FOUR CONTAINERS? WE FOUND THE ECONOMICS ACTUALLY WORKED OUT IT WAS EASIER TO ADD THE CONTAINERS RATHER THAN SORT OUT ALL THE EXTRA COSTS FOR THE STRUCTURAL STEEL. DAVID AND JOYCE STILL HOPE TO BUILD THIS HOME ON $450,000, BUT ADDING MORE CONTAINERS TO SAVE MONEY SOUNDS ILLOGICAL TO ME. PART OF THE THRILL OF BUILDING YOUR OWN HOME IS BEING ABLE TO MAKE CHANGES AS YOU GO. BUT, OF COURSE, THIS USUALLY COMES AT A COST ` NOT JUST TO THE BUDGET BUT TO THE TIMELINE. TOMORROW WE MIGHT DECIDE THAT WE WANT TO CHANGE THE FORMATION OF THE HOUSE, AND THEN WE CAN JUST HIRE THE CRANE AGAIN AND MOVE THEM. MIGHT DECIDE TO HAVE ANOTHER STOREY. THEY'RE LAUGHING NOW, BUT THEY ARE ALREADY TWO MONTHS PAST THEIR ORIGINAL COMPLETION DATE. SO, THE BIG QUESTION IS ` HOW MUCH LONGER IS IT GOING TO TAKE UNTIL COMPLETION? WE THINK THERE WILL PROBABLY BE ANOTHER SIX MONTHS ON TO THE BUILD, MAKING IT JUST OVER A YEAR IN TOTAL. WE WERE PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT OPTIMISTIC WITH THE FIRST PROGRAMME WE CAME UP WITH. THE EXTENDED TIMELINE IS NOT THE ONLY CASUALTY OF DAVID'S EFFORTS TO DO THE FOUNDATIONS HIMSELF. HE SAVED HIMSELF A BIT OF MONEY. IT MIGHT'VE COST HIM A LITTLE BIT IN THE LONG RUN, BUT, UM, SIMPLE ANSWER IS THE FOUNDATION'S TOO SMALL. AT THE MOMENT WE'VE HAD TO OVERHANG THIS CONTAINER HERE ABOUT 50MM OVER THE EDGE OF THE SLAB IN ORDER TO CARRY ON WITH THE WORK. I THINK DAVE WILL HAVE TO EXTEND THE FOUNDATION A LITTLE BIT, SO THAT WILL BE A JOB FOR HIM TO DO IN THE FUTURE. THESE RENTED CONTAINERS WERE ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE A SHORT-TERM PROPOSITION. NOW THEY ARE LOOKING AT STAYING IN THEM FOR NINE MONTHS. BUT AT LEAST DAVID WILL NOW HAVE SOME MORE TIME TO SPEND WITH HIS FAMILY. CHEERFUL MUSIC WINTER HAS PASSED, AND WITH LANCE AND HIS TEAM ON THE JOB FULL TIME, DAVID AND JOYCE'S HOME IS HAVING A GROWTH SPURT. TOUCH AND GO, ISN'T IT? ALL RIGHT, HAPPY DAYS. ALL LOOKING GOOD, LANCE? YEAH, IT'LL BE ALL RIGHT. DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY? NO. WE'RE ACTUALLY PLACING THE CONTAINERS AT THE END OF THE HOUSE NOW. IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE YOUR BEDROOM. (GASPS) THAT IS SO AWESOME. WE'RE ALWAYS WONDERING AT VARIOUS STAGES IF THE HOUSE IS A BIT TOO SMALL OR BIT TOO BIG. BUT, YEAH, IT'S CERTAINLY NOT LOOKING TOO SMALL NOW. IT'S CERTAINLY LOOKING QUITE GRAND. BUT SUPPORTING THE EVER-GROWING STRUCTURE REQUIRES MORE STEEL. FIVE 11M STEEL BEAMS WILL BOLT THE CONTAINERS TOGETHER AND SUPPORT THE ROOF. AND WHILE THE RECYCLED CONTAINERS ARE RELATIVELY CHEAP, THIS CONSTRUCTION STEEL ISN'T. BUDGET ` THERE'S BEEN A BIT OF CREEP IN A FEW AREAS. THE STRUCTURAL STEEL IS MORE THAN WE ANTICIPATED. OVERALL, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT AN ADDITIONAL 100 K OVER. CHOOSING TO BUILD A SMALL HOUSE OUT OF CONTAINERS CAN BE COST-EFFECTIVE. WHEN GOING TO SOMETHING AT THIS SORT OF SCALE AND SIZE, IT'S A LOT MORE LABOUR INTENSIVE IN REFABRICATING THE SIDES, SO IT'LL BE VERY MUCH ON PAR WITH A TIMBER-FRAME TRUSS HOUSE. YOUNG AIDAN, WHO HAS CARRIED THE HOUSE MODEL AROUND WITH HIM FOR MONTHS, IS EXCITED TO SEE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF THEIR NEW HOME COME TOGETHER. IT'S PRETTY AWESOME. NOT REALLY MANY HOUSES ARE BUILT OUT OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS. WHILE THE LARGE-SCALE BUILDING BLOCKS ARE NOW IN PLACE, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE TO TURN THESE STEEL BOXES INTO A LIVEABLE HOME. I FEEL WE'LL GET IT DONE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. NAH, NAH. ACTUALLY, NO. THIS CHRISTMAS WILL BE A LITTLE ARTIFICIAL TREE IN THE TEMPORARY CONTAINER. BUT I'VE SAID NEXT YEAR IN THAT ATRIUM AREA, YOU CAN HAVE AN ENORMOUS CHRISTMAS TREE... CUT ONE OF THOSE DOWN. ...TWO STOREYS HIGH. YEAH. (CHUCKLES) ONE THING THAT'S ALWAYS PUZZLED ME ABOUT THE DESIGN IS THEIR PLAN TO COVER THE CONTAINERS WITH INSULATED METAL PANELS. I'VE USED SIMILAR PANELS IN THE DESIGN FOR THE NEW MT PLEASANT COMMUNITY CENTRE HERE IN CHRISTCHURCH. THE THING ABOUT THIS KIND OF MATERIAL IS THAT IT ALLOWS REALLY GOOD INSULATION SO THAT THE BUILDING IS LOVELY AND TOASTY WARM IN WINTER AND NICE AND COOL IN SUMMER. ALONG WITH THAT, IT HAS STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES AND IT ALLOWS A REALLY EFFICIENT AND QUICK CONSTRUCTION. AND IF IT'S ELEGANTLY DETAILED, THEN IT SHOULD LOOK SHARP TOO. BUT FOR DAVID AND JOYCE'S BUILD, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE THEY'RE DOUBLING UP. THEY'VE GOT BOTH THE CONTAINERS AND THE SIPS PANELS. THEY'RE ACTUALLY COVERING UP THE CONTAINERS. SURELY YOU'D WANT TO CELEBRATE THEM. IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS SINCE DAVID AND JOYCE HANDED OVER THEIR BUILD TO CONTRACTORS, AND I'M HOPING THEY'RE FINISHED OR AT LEAST CLOSE. THIS IS A SURPRISE. PHEW. 14 MONTHS INTO THE BUILD, THEIR SECOND DEADLINE HAS COME AND GONE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT DAVID AND JOYCE HAVE BEEN CHANGING THEIR PLANS AGAIN. WE'RE GOING FOR THE CONTAINER LOOK ON THE OUTSIDE NOW. SO THE CLADDING SYSTEM IS NOW GONE? YES. YES. WE WOULD HAVE LOVED TO USE THE CLADDING SYSTEM, BUT IT JUST COST TOO MUCH ` $125,000. OH, REALLY? YEAH. WE KNEW THE PRICE OF THE MATERIAL, AND WE'D MADE SOME ESTIMATES AROUND THE LABOUR TO INSTALL IT. I MEAN, USUALLY YOU PUT TWO OR THREE TIMES THE COST OF THE MATERIALS FOR THE LABOUR TO PUT IT, BUT THIS QUOTE IS COMING BACK, LIKE, FIVE TIMES MORE OF THE MATERIALS. YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT THAT. THIS CLOUD ON THEIR BUILDING SCHEDULE DOES COME WITH A SILVER LINING. NOW THEY'VE ABANDONED THE SIPS CLADDING, THEY WILL BE EXPOSING THE SURFACE OF THESE STEEL BOXES, WHICH, I THINK, IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO ON A CONTAINER HOUSE. BUT A MAJOR CHANGE LIKE THIS MEANS REDRAWING PLANS AND GETTING NEW COUNCIL CONSENT BEFORE THEY CAN RESUME BUILDING. WINTER'S JUST ROUND THE CORNER. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE IN FOR THIS WINTER. THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR,... YES. ...LOOKING AT THIS. THAT MUST FEEL PRETTY TOUGH RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO SAY I WON'T DO ANOTHER WINTER AGAIN, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THROUGH IT LAST YEAR, BUT IF WE REALLY REALLY HAVE TO, THEN WE HAVE TO, BECAUSE WHERE ELSE CAN WE GO? I JUST WANT TO GET ON WITH MY FAMILY LIFE. BUT NOT SO MUCH FOR FAMILY HOMES. (MOOS) 15 MONTHS AFTER SETTING OUT ON A JOURNEY TO BUILD A HOME OUT OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS, JOYCE AND DAVID'S BUILD IS AT A STANDSTILL. CHANGING THE CLADDING AND INSULATION HALFWAY THROUGH HAS HUGE RAMIFICATIONS. THE FIRST OF WHICH IS THAT THEIR PLANS NEED TO BE REDRAWN BY THEIR ARCHITECT. IT'S A MASSIVE SHIFT, ISN'T IT, AT THIS STAGE IN THE PROJECT? YES, IT IS. IT'S A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT FOR US. I CAN IMAGINE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE HAVING TO CHANGE. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THE DRAWINGS, REMOVE THE ORIGINAL CLADDING, RETHINK THE DETAILING AROUND DOORS, WINDOWS, THE INTERNAL INSULATION. IT'S ALMOST, YEAH, A NEW SET OF` FULL SET OF DRAWINGS AGAIN. START FROM SCRATCH? BASICALLY. THE REVISED PLANS TOOK WEEKS TO PREPARE AND HAVE NOW BEEN WITH THE LOCAL COUNCIL FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS. PROJECT MANAGER LANCE HAS HAD TO MOVE ON TO OTHER WORK WHILE DAVID AND JOYCE WAIT FOR CONSENT TO RESUME BUILDING. IT'S SO STILL. IT'S SO QUIET. IT'S BEEN ALMOST TWO MONTHS. TWO MONTHS. YES, WHICH IS VERY FRUSTRATING FROM OUR SIDE OF THINGS. THE LACK OF CONSTRUCTION GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO FULLY EXPLORE WHAT'S BEEN DONE SO FAR AND GET A SENSE OF THE HUGE LIFESTYLE HOME THAT IS BEGINNING TO EMERGE. BUT THERE IS STILL SO MUCH TO DO. THIS LATEST DELAY IS A CAUTIONARY TALE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU CHANGE A MAJOR ELEMENT OF DESIGN MIDSTREAM. WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT WHAT DAVID AND JOYCE HAVE DECIDED TO DO IS THAT FINALLY THEY'VE COME TO TERMS WITH LIVING IN A CONTAINER ` A CONTAINER HOUSE. BUT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW CHALLENGES TO PULL THAT OFF. I MEAN, FOR A START, YOU HAVE TO PUT THE INSULATION ON THE INSIDE, THEN. AND... THERE'S ALL THIS TO DEAL WITH. ON TOP OF THAT, YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY DO THE SAME KIND OF QUALITY OF INSULATION ON THE INSIDE AS YOU COULD IF YOU WRAPPED IT ON THE OUTSIDE. SO THERE ARE ALL THESE CONUNDRUMS. ON THE SURFACE, IT FEELS LIKE IT'S SO EASY AND STRAIGHTFORWARD, BUT TO REALLY ACHIEVE A CONTAINER THAT IS CODE COMPLIANT, THAT IS WARM AND COSY, THAT IS GOING TO BE A HABITABLE HOME, STRUCTURALLY SOUND, YOU HAVE TO DO SO MUCH TO IT, AS THEY'RE DISCOVERING. CHEERFUL MUSIC FINALLY, IN JUNE, DAVID AND JOYCE RECEIVE THEIR BUILDING CONSENT, AND THE PUSH IS ON TO GET THEIR HOME FINISHED. AFTER ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF OF BUILDING, THEY'VE REACHED A MILESTONE. TODAY THEY'RE GETTING THEIR ROOF ON. I'M HAPPY THAT, YOU KNOW, FINALLY WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AND HAVING SOME PROGRESS. JUST HOPING THAT THIS GALE-FORCE WIND IS GONNA HOLD OFF, AS THE LAST THING WE WANT IS ANYTHING HOLDING BACK US AGAIN. FINGERS CROSSED THAT THE WHOLE CENTRAL BIT WILL BE DONE TODAY. DETERMINED TO KEEP THE PROGRAMME MOVING, JOYCE IS NOW GETTING HANDS ON, SAMPLING PAINT COLOURS. SO, WE'RE GOING FOR ONE OF THOSE SO-CALLED 'COLOURS OF NZ' PURELY TO BLEND INTO THE LANDSCAPE. SO WE'RE JUST GOING FOR, LIKE, A GREEN... GREENY SORT OF GREY. THE HOUSE IS QUITE DOMINEERING, SO I ACTUALLY WANT IT TO STEP BACK A LITTLE BIT AND JUST BLEND IN AROUND WITH THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE THAT WE HAVE HERE. I AM QUITE EMBARRASSED ABOUT THE SIZE WHEN PEOPLE ASK US HOW BIG THE HOUSE IS GOING TO BE. AND, YOU KNOW, AS ANY KIWI, BECAUSE WE CONSIDER OURSELVES AS KIWIS, YOU DON'T TALK BIG ABOUT YOURSELF, SO I AM EMBARRASSED WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME. BUT I THINK FOR DAVID IT'S, LIKE, IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A HOUSE, WHY NOT BUILD A BIG HOUSE? COS I THINK WE'RE NOT BUILDING ANOTHER ONE OF THESE. BIG HOUSES DO TAKE TIME. AND JOYCE AND THE FAMILY HAVE SPENT TWO WINTERS IN THEIR KITTED-OUT CONTAINERS. YOU KNOW, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE STILL IN HERE, JOYCE. STILL HERE. YEAH. SECOND WINTER. SO, THIS IS WHERE ALL OF YOU SLEEP? ALL FOUR OF US. BOY. ALL TOGETHER. PRETTY COSY. VERY COSY. LOOK WHO'S HERE. DAUGHTER SARI HAS SPENT ALMOST HALF HER LIFE LIVING IN A STEEL BOX. SHE DOESN'T KNOW ANY OTHER DIFFERENCE. SHE THINKS THAT EVERYBODY LIVES IN CONTAINERS. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT WE OWE IT TO THE KIDS TO,... YOU KNOW, GET THEIR, SORT OF, FAMILY ROUTINE BACK, YEAH. THIS IS WHERE WE DO OUR LIVING. WOW, THIS IS PRETTY COSY TOO. I KNOW. (CHUCKLES) THE MAIN PROBLEM IS EVERYONE'S STUCK IN THIS VERY LONG, NARROW SPACE AND SOMETIMES THERE'S NO ESCAPE. SO WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME, JOYCE, IS YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH. YEAH. I THINK WE'VE DONE OUR TIME IN HERE. READY FOR THE NEXT CONTAINER? READY FOR THE NEXT 20 CONTAINERS. (LAUGHS) YEAH, JUST READY TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STAGE OF LIFE. BY SEPTEMBER, A NEW BUILDING TEAM HAS MADE HUGE LEAPS FORWARD. THE CONTAINERS ARE PAINTED, THE WALL FRAMING IS IN PLACE, AND A CONCRETE FLOOR HAS BEEN POURED. THINGS ARE MOVING, SO WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS GETTING THE BUILDING WEATHERTIGHT. WITH THE ROOF NOW ON, THEY'RE PARTWAY THERE. BUT THE WINDOWS ARE NOT SO STRAIGHTFORWARD. THEY WERE MADE BEFORE DAVID AND JOYCE CHANGED THEIR CLADDING, SO NEW FLASHINGS ARE NEEDED TO MAKE THEM WORK IN THE SHIPPING CONTAINER WALLS. THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO HAVE TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION FOR. THERE'S BEEN A BIT OF TRIAL AND ERROR WITH THESE WINDOWS, SO WE'VE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERENT WAYS TO KEEP THEM WEATHERPROOF. PUTTING TIMBER WINDOWS ON TO A STEEL FRAME HAS BEEN A BIT CHALLENGING. TO MAKE MATTERS MORE COMPLICATED, JOYCE WANTS AN 11TH HOUR CHANGE TO THE SIZE OF A KITCHEN WINDOW. IT WAS GOING TO BE A NARROW VIEWING SLOT, BUT NOW SHE WANTS A MORE GENEROUS WINDOW. WE DECIDED TO INCREASE THE HEIGHT OF THE WINDOWS, SO IT'S A BIT OF A PATCHING-UP JOB NOW. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FORESIGHT TO SEE THAT WE NEEDED A BIGGER WINDOW UNTIL WE COME IN HERE, BUT THEN SOMETIMES IN A BUILDING LIKE THAT, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT WORKS. SO NOW WE JUST HAVE TO PATCH THIS A LITTLE BIT HERE, AND HE'S GOING TO TAKE THAT OUT. WE'LL TAKE THAT OUT. BECAUSE THAT'S ONLY TACK WELDED, RIGHT? NO, THAT'S SOLID WELD. IS THAT SOLID WELD, IS IT? OH. IT MAY SEEM LIKE A SMALL CHANGE, BUT CUTTING HOLES IN THESE STEEL CONTAINERS HAS IMPLICATIONS. AS SOON AS WE TAKE A PIECE OUT OF IT, UM, IT LOSES A LOT OF ITS STRENGTH SO WE'RE NOW GOING TO HAVE TO PUT A NEW STEEL STUD THROUGH, BUT THE CONCRETE FLOOR'S IN THE WAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CHIP A BIT OF THAT OUT SO WE CAN PUT A STEEL POST TOP TO BOTTOM. TIMBER'S A LOT EASIER JUST TO... WHACK A PIECE AND NAIL GUN. BANG, BANG ` SHE'S IN PLACE. WHEREAS WELDING A STEEL POST IN TAKES A BIT LONGER, SO, YEAH, NO, IT'S NOT A QUICK FIX. WITH SO MANY CHANGES, DAVID AND JOYCE'S INITIAL $450,000 BUDGET MUST BE TAKING A HAMMERING. WHILE THEY MAY HAVE SAVED MONEY ABANDONING THE SIPS CLADDING, THEY'RE LEFT WITH AN INSULATION DILEMMA. KNOCK ECHOES THAT'S THE THING ABOUT STEEL. IT CAN BE FREEZING COLD IN WINTER AND SURPRISINGLY HOT IN SUMMER. AND WITH 20 CONTAINERS MAKING UP THE STRUCTURE OF THIS HOME, A LOT OF HARD SURFACES TO DEAL WITH. IRONICALLY, STEEL CONTAINERS NEED TIMBER FRAMING IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE INSULATED ` IN THIS CASE WITH A POLYURETHANE FOAM THAT EXPANDS AND HARDENS WITHIN SECONDS. THE BIGGEST THEY HAVE WITH SHIPPING CONTAINERS IS INTERNAL MOISTURE, SWEATING ON THE INSIDE OF THE STEEL. BECAUSE THE FOAM EXPANDS, IT FILLS RIGHT IN, GETS INTO ALL THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES AND CREATES A MOISTURE BARRIER THAT ELIMINATES ANY OF THAT ISSUE. I BELIEVE IT WAS PIONEERED BY NASA. I BELIEVE THEY USED THAT FOR SOME OF THE INSULATION IN THE SPACE SHUTTLES. SO IT'S, YEAH... SO YOU'VE GONE SUPER HIGH TECH? YEAH. CERTAINLY A HIGH-TECH SOLUTION, YES. IMPRESSIVE. THEY MAY HAVE SPACE-AGE INSULATION, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY DON'T HAVE NASA'S BUDGET. IT'S ALMOST TWO YEARS SINCE THEY STARTED BUILDING THIS HOME AND WHILE THEY MUST BE DESPERATE TO SEE IT FINISHED AND MOVE IN, PROGRESS HAS COME AT A HUGE COST. BUT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD GO TO THE BANK AND ASK FOR SOME MONEY? OR DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD JUST SAY, 'THAT'S IT'? OUR INITIAL BUDGET WAS 450,000. THAT WAS, UH... YOU KNOW, IT WAS TOTALLY ON THE OPTIMISTIC SIDE. IT'S, UH, NOW AT THE SORT OF 750-PLUS, AND WE'VE STILL GOT SOME BILLS AND THINGS TO COME IN THERE. SOME OF THAT IS COVERED BY THE BANK. ALSO BORROWING MONEY FROM RELATIVES AS WELL TO FINISH THE BUILD. THEY DO WANT TO HELP US, AND PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY WANT... THEY PROBABLY JUST WANT THEIR GRANDCHILDREN TO MOVE TO A MORE COMFORTABLE PLACE. (LAUGHS) YEAH. WITH MORE COSTS TO COME IN, IT'S A HUGE BUDGET BLOWOUT. I JUST HOPE THE FAMILY GETS TO ENJOY THE HOME THAT THEY'VE DREAMED ABOUT FOR SO LONG. LOUD RUMBLING INDICATOR CLICKS RHYTHMICALLY (GASPS) SILENCE (EXHALES SLOWLY) Mate, I'm so sorry. I thought there was time. You just pulled out. I don't have time to stop. It was a simple mistake. LOUD RUMBLING Please. (VOICE TREMBLES) I've got my boy in the back. I'm going too fast. I'm sorry. (SOBS) SEAT BELT CLICKS EERIE CREAKING HARSH WHOOSHING INTRIGUING MUSIC DAVID AND JOYCE IMAGINED BUILDING WITH SHIPPING CONTAINERS WOULD BE A FAST WAY TO CREATE A UNIQUE FAMILY HOME. BUT BUILDING SUCH A BIG HOUSE OUT OF CONTAINERS IS VIRTUALLY UNHEARD OF. THEY'VE BEEN BLAZING THEIR OWN TRAIL WITH NO GUIDE TO SHOW THE WAY. OSCAR WILDE ONCE SAID, 'EXPERIENCE IS ONE THING YOU CAN'T GET FOR NOTHING.' AND LEARNING THE HARD WAY HAS COST THEM TIME AND MONEY. I JUST HOPE IT HASN'T ALSO COST THEM THEIR DREAM. OH BOY. 20 MONTHS AFTER EMBARKING ON WHAT WAS TO BE A SIX-MONTH BUILD, THE FAMILY HAS MOVED IN, BUT THEIR HOME IS STILL UNFINISHED, AND THE STACK OF PAINTED METAL BOXES LOOKS MORE LIKE A WAREHOUSE THAN A HOSPITABLE FAMILY HOME. I DO THINK SHIPPING CONTAINERS SHOULD BE CELEBRATED AS RAW FOUND OBJECTS, RATHER THAN CAMOUFLAGED LIKE THIS. I'M INTRIGUED TO FIND OUT WHAT DAVID AND JOYCE HAVE DONE TO THE INTERIOR. (KNOCKS ON DOOR) HEY! HELLO. NICE TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU. NICE SEEING YOU. NICE TO SEE YOU GUYS TOO. HOW'S IT GOING THERE, CHRIS? PLEASE COME IN. COME INSIDE. WOW. THANK YOU. WE'VE ONLY BEEN IN FOR ONE NIGHT. ONE NIGHT?! HOPE YOU CAN SEE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FROM WHEN YOU WERE LAST HERE, CHRIS. ONE OR TWO (!) WOW! WHAT AN AWESOME SPACE! WITH ITS SOARING, 8M-HIGH CEILING, THIS IS A WONDERFULLY LIGHT-FILLED ATRIUM. AND I LOVE THE WAY THE CONTAINERS HAVE COME UP. THEY LOOK REALLY REALLY BEAUTIFUL. AND THE DETAILING ALSO WITH YOUR CROSS BRACING AND YOUR INDUSTRIAL LIGHTS ` IT'S GREAT. I'M PLEASED TO SEE THEY'VE ACHIEVED ON THE INSIDE WHAT THEY HAVEN'T ON THE EXTERIOR AND ARE CELEBRATING THE CONTAINERS. AND I LOVE THESE COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED HUGE WINDOWS. I DON'T REMEMBER THOSE BEING IN THE ORIGINAL PLANS. NO, WE DID, UH, TWEAK THAT. THEY'RE GREAT. WOW. WHAT A` I MEAN, WHAT A PAINTING THAT'S MOVING ALL THE TIME. IT IS. YEAH. OH MY GOODNESS. I SEE, UH, THERE'S STILL A BIT TO DO. YES. YEAH, SOME OF THE UPSTAIRS ROOMS HAVE STILL GOT TO BE FINISHED OFF. WE DECIDED, BUDGET-WISE, OUR MAIN AIM WAS TO FOCUS ON GETTING ALL THE DOWNSTAIRS ROOMS READY, BEING ABLE TO MOVE IN, LIVE AS A FAMILY FOR A BIT, AND PHASE TWO WILL TAKE PLACE LATER. A HEATED CONCRETE FLOOR CONTINUES THROUGH TO THE ADJOINING ROOMS, WHICH OFFER A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SCALE. OOH, THIS IS A BIT DIFFERENT. LOVELY, INTIMATE SPACE. WHAT'S WITH THIS TABLE? IS THIS SOMETHING LEFT OVER FROM THE FOAM FROM THE WALLS? YES. AHH. THEY MADE A TABLE OUT OF FOAM IN NINE SECONDS. NINE SECONDS? YES. WAY TO GO. SO IT'S YOUR OWN PERSONAL BIT OF NASA SPACE JUNK, IS IT? IT IS, YEAH. ESPECIALLY FOR US. I LOVE THE CEILINGS THAT YOU'VE GOT HERE. THANK YOU. WE DECIDED TO LEAVE SOME OF THE, UH, JOINTS BETWEEN THE CONTAINERS, THAT WELD ALONG THERE, SORT OF, UH, AS A FEATURE. AND WE DECIDED WE'D GO FOR THAT SORT OF NATURAL, UH, TIMBER LOOK. THE WAY YOU'VE DONE IT IS QUITE BEAUTIFUL, BECAUSE IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE IT'S HOVERING THERE. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THESE KIND OF INDUSTRIAL ELEMENTS FLOATING AROUND LIKE MORE SPACE JUNK. YOU CAN LOOK AT IT THAT WAY, CHRIS. (LAUGHS) HELLO! WHAT ARE YOU TWO UP TO? UM, WE'RE DOING, UM, LIKE, OUR HOUSE (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY). SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE HOUSE THAT MUM AND DAD HAVE BUILT? I THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT WHICH BEDROOM YOU'D LIKE TO END UP WITH? UH, WELL, I KNOW WHICH BEDROOM I'M GONNA HAVE, AND I'M GONNA HAVE THE ONE ALL THE WAY` THE ONE AT THE RIGHT, WITH THE BALCONY, AND THEN SARI'S GONNA HAVE THE ONE ON THE LEFT WITH, UM` WITH THE BALCONY. WOW, THAT'S PRETTY EXCITING. MM. SO YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE UPSTAIRS EVENTUALLY. MM-HM. EXCEPT IT PROBABLY WILL TAKE, UM, UP TO ONE WEEK, MAYBE. A WEEK? SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE ONLY GOT A WEEK, DAVID. I THINK THAT'S PRETTY REALISTIC, ACTUALLY, YEAH. IF YOU'RE MAKING IT OUT OF LEGO. CHUCKLING UNFORTUNATELY, THE KIDS MIGHT BE SHARING A ROOM FOR A WHILE. DAVID AND JOYCE HAVE RUN OUT OF MONEY. THEY'RE HOPING TO SELL THEIR FORMER HOME IN AUCKLAND TO GET THEMSELVES OUT OF A HOLE. THE THING THAT I'M LEARNING IS THAT YOU GUYS ARE TIGERS FOR PUNISHMENT. (CHUCKLES) YOU'VE` YOU'VE GONE ON THIS EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY, AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE SO` BOTH OF YOU ARE SO STUBBORN IN YOUR VISION THAT YOU'VE STUCK TO IT. DO YOU THINK YOU BIT OFF MORE THAN YOU IMAGINED? YEAH, I THINK PROBABLY THE CHALLENGE WAS EVEN BIGGER THAN WE EXPECTED. I THINK JUST BUILDING A NORMAL HOUSE HAS GOT ITS OWN CHALLENGES. BUT BUILDING A HOUSE OUT OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS, AND EVEN THEN, FURTHER, A BIG HOUSE OUT OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS, YEAH, IT WAS` THE CHALLENGES WERE CERTAINLY MORE THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED. LOOKING BACK NOW, THE CHOICE, FOR EXAMPLE, TO MOVE THE FAMILY INTO THE SITE, DO YOU THINK THAT WAS STILL A GOOD DECISION EARLY ON? YOU KNOW, YOU START EVERYTHING WITH OPTIMISM, AND AS THE TIME PROGRESSED, YOU GET WEIGHED DOWN BY REALITIES. AT THE BEGINNING, THE BUDGET WAS 450,000. WE ADMIT THAT WAS A HIGHLY OPTIMISTIC FIGURE, EVEN BASED ON THE, SORT OF, COST PER METRE SQUARED. SO THE ACTUAL OVERALL COST IS PROBABLY DOUBLE OUR INITIAL FORECAST. MM. SO SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO A MILLION? IS THAT WHAT I'M`? SO 900-PLUS? UNDER. BUT, THEN, SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW, I'M JUST THINKING, WHO CARES? YES, IT MIGHT BE DOUBLE OUR BUDGET, AND (SIGHS) AND WE'RE STILL NOT DONE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHO CARES ABOUT SUCH THINGS? BECAUSE WE ARE IN HERE, AND THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS. AND WE'VE DONE SOMETHING WITH OUR LIVES. YOU KNOW, MAYBE AT A GREAT` I'M GONNA CRY. (LAUGHS) MAYBE AT A GREAT EXPENSE TO` IN TERMS OF MONEY OR... YOU KNOW, BUT YOU HAVE` YOU` YOU'VE DONE SOMETHING, AND I THINK THAT COUNTS. EMOTIONALLY: BECAUSE YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE TO LIVE. WE'VE PROBABLY UNDERESTIMATED WHAT WE'VE ACTUALLY ACHIEVED, AT THE END OF THE DAY. WE'VE JUST SORT OF TAKING IT FOR GRANTED, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'VE DONE. BUT IT'S` IT'S A BIG THING WE'VE ACTUALLY` ACTUALLY ACHIEVED. IT'S VERY EASY TO SAY THE` GO THE CAUTIOUS APPROACH AND, UH, BUY YOUR HOUSE ON THE MARKET AND MOVE INTO IT. WE REALLY WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND MAKE OUR MARK. AND I DO THINK WE'VE ACHIEVED THAT. SO WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT BUILDING WITH CONTAINERS? COME AND SEE US. BOTH CHUCKLE WE'LL TELL YOU HOW TO SAVE MONEY. AND TIME. AND GRIEF. THIS IS THE OPPOSITE OF A MODERN DESIGNER HOUSE. IT'S NOT GOING TO APPEAL TO EVERYONE. BUT I THINK IT'S REFRESHINGLY PLAYFUL, UNREFINED AND QUIRKY. WHAT WORRIES ME IS THERE'S STILL SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE TO TURN THIS INTO A FUNCTIONING FAMILY HOME. DAVID AND JOYCE'S INTERIOR IS SURPRISING AND INTRIGUING. THE OUTSIDE IS STILL RAW AND BRUTAL, BUT THEY ARE ON THE ROAD ` THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD ` TO ACHIEVING THEIR DREAM. 'GRAND DESIGNS' THEME CAPTIONS BY ASHLEE SCHOLEFIELD AND DESNEY SHAW. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2016