THERE'S AN OLD PARABLE THAT SAYS IT'S A FOOLISH MAN WHO BUILDS HIS HOUSE ON SAND. BUT WHAT WOULD YOU CALL A MAN WHO BUILDS HIS HOUSE ON SAND ABOVE SINKHOLES IN AN EARTHQUAKE ZONE? CAPTIONS BY ALEX WALKER AND SHRUTIKA GUNANAYAGAM. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2016 SOFT GUITAR MUSIC THE CHRISTCHURCH SUBURB OF SOUTH NEW BRIGHTON IS BUILT ON A SANDSPIT THAT SEPARATES THE AVON HEATHCOTE ESTUARY FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN. AND WHEN THE DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE STRUCK FIVE YEARS AGO, IT WAS ONE OF THE CITY'S WORST-AFFECTED NEIGHBOURHOODS. MANY RESIDENTS HAVE FLED, BUT THE MARTIN FAMILY IS STAYING PUT, DEFYING ONGOING AFTERSHOCKS AND POSSIBLY COMMON SENSE. YOU'RE ON THE DOORSTEP OF A BEACH AND AN ESTUARY, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GET RESERVES. AND IT'S PARADISE. PARADISE ON THE EDGE OF A CITY. WE DON'T HAVE TO HOP IN THE CAR. WE CAN JUST WANDER. WE CAN JUST WALK. IT'S JUST` IT'S EASY. ANDRE, A PROJECT MANAGER WHO'S RECENTLY SET UP HIS OWN BUILDING COMPANY, WAS LIVING IN THIS COTTAGE WITH WIFE ABBIE, THEIR DAUGHTER, ALICE, AND DOG MILO WHEN THE QUAKES HIT. THE FORCE WAS INCREDIBLE. AND SHE HELD UP EXTREMELY WELL. IT'S STILL HERE. IT'S JUST A BIT, UM, NOT AS STRAIGHT AS IT USED TO BE, AND, YOU KNOW, 3000-ODD AFTERSHOCKS AFTERWARDS, IT'S STILL MOVING. SO, UNFORTUNATELY, SHE'S GOTTA GO. THE COTTAGE IS NO LONGER STRUCTURALLY SOUND. BUT THERE ARE OTHER CHALLENGES WITH THEIR 65M2 HOME. THERE'S NO STORAGE. I HAVE TO HAVE A PANTRY IN THE GARAGE. AND IT WOULD BE NICE WHEN YOU HAVE TO COOK A MEAL NOT TO TAKE ALL YOUR APPLIANCES OFF AND PUT THEM ON THE FLOOR. (CHUCKLES) I'D LIKE THAT. (LAUGHS) IT'S EASY. WHILE ABBIE'S NEEDS ARE SIMPLE, ANDRE HAS A GRAND VISION ` TO BUILD A BEAUTIFUL BESPOKE HOME FOR HIS FAMILY THAT WILL ALSO ACT AS A BLUEPRINT FOR A BETTER WAY TO LIVE AND BUILD IN POST-QUAKE CHRISTCHURCH. OUR IDEA IS THAT WE CAN MAKE A HOUSE THAT'S QUICK TO BUILD, WARM, RESILIENT. YOU KNOW, IF WE GET ANOTHER EVENT, THE HOUSE CAN DEAL WITH IT. THAT'S THE IDEA. AND YOU CAN HAVE A KITCHEN BENCH. THANK YOU. (CHUCKLES) HEY. HEY, NICE TO MEET YA. LOVELY TO MEET YOU TOO. HI. HI. GOSH, WHAT A CHARMING HOUSE. BUT SAD, I GUESS, THAT IT HAS TO GO. YEAH, DEFINITELY. I MEAN, THIS HAS TAKEN US THROUGH EARTHQUAKES AND BRINGING UP A CHILD. YEAH. SHE'S JUST A BIT BROKEN. WHAT'S THE PLAN? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? PRETTY MUCH, THE LAST FIVE YEARS IN CHRISTCHURCH, YOU'VE SEEN THIS MASS GROWTH IN NEW HOUSES AND STUFF. THE REALITY IS WE'RE STILL BUILDING THE SAME` WHAT WE CALL 'CODE MINIMUM' HOUSES. IT'S THE WORST HOUSE YOU CAN LEGALLY BUILD IN NZ. SO THE IDEA IS ` HOW CAN WE DO IT BETTER? SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU'RE FACED WITH? YEAH, WELL, BUILDING ON A SAND DUNE ` YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T DO IT IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO. BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME NICE BIG HOLES UNDERNEATH OUR HOUSE. LIKE, HOW BIG? OH, IT'S ABOUT 5M OR 6M IN LENGTH. IT'S JUST LITERALLY SUBSIDED UNDERNEATH THE HOUSE. DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU'VE COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO DEALING WITH ALL THESE CRAZY PROBLEMS? YEAH, WE'RE GONNA TRY IT. (CHUCKLES) (LAUGHS) 100 TIMBER PILES WILL HELP SPREAD THE LOAD OF ABBIE AND ANDRE'S HOME EVENLY OVER ITS DELICATE SAND DUNE SITE, AND STRUCTURALLY INSULATED PANELS WILL FORM A LIGHTWEIGHT YET SHAKE-RESISTANT SHELL THAT WILL BE DIVIDED INTO TWO PAVILIONS. ONE WILL CONTAIN A LIVING ROOM AND MASTER BEDROOM, AND THE OTHER WILL INCLUDE ALICE'S BEDROOM, A GUEST ROOM AND STUDY. LINKING THE PAVILIONS WILL BE A GLASS-ENCLOSED KITCHEN WHERE THE INDOORS AND OUTDOORS MERGE. REFLECTING ITS BEACH ENVIRONMENT, RUST PATINA CORTEN STEEL PANELS AND SUN-BLEACHED TIMBER WILL FORM THE EXTERIOR CLADDING. AND TO AVOID BEING LEFT WITHOUT POWER DURING POTENTIAL FUTURE QUAKES, THE MARTINS ARE USING SOLAR PANELS ON THEIR INSULATED STEEL ROOF. A RESILIENT YET BEAUTIFUL MODERNIST HOME THAT APPEARS TO FLOAT ABOVE THE CHALLENGING SITE IT'S BEEN CAREFULLY TAILOR-MADE FOR. IS THERE AN AMBITION TO BUILD A BRAVE NEW WORLD? SO, YEAH, THIS IS A PROTOTYPE FOR WHAT WE CAN DO ON ALL HOUSES. SO WHAT WE CAN DO HERE, EVERYONE ELSE CAN DO AS WELL. SO HAVE YOU SET YOURSELF A TIMELINE? YEAH. WE'RE HOPING FOR AROUND ABOUT FIVE TO SIX MONTHS. I'M GONNA HOLD YOU TO THAT. YEAH, I KNOW YOU ARE. MR PROJECT MANAGER. YEAH. THEN THERE'S THE BUDGET. WE'RE PUTTING A LOT OF EXTRAS INTO THIS HOUSE BECAUSE WE WANNA USE IT AS A CONCEPT, SO A TARGET IS AROUND ABOUT THE $600,000 MARK. RIGHT. SO YOU'RE THE PROJECT MANAGER. WHAT'S YOUR ROLE IN THE BUILD? PRETTY MUCH JUST SUPPORTING ` MAKE SURE THE COMPUTER IS CLOSED AT NIGHT, MAKING SURE HE LOOKS AFTER HIMSELF. YEAH. I MEAN, ONE OF THE CURVEBALLS THAT WE'VE BEEN DELIVERED OVER OUR LIFE IS IN SEPTEMBER 2012, I GOT, UM, DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. OOH. THEY TOLD US AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS TERMINAL, WHICH IT IS. SO, YEAH, BIT OF A` BIT OF A BLOW. BOY, A LOT TO TAKE ON. 'ANDRE'S BEEN RECEIVING GROUNDBREAKING BUT EXPENSIVE TREATMENT FOR THE CANCER 'IN MELBOURNE.' WITHOUT US KNOWING, UM, MY SISTER, SHE, UM` SHE STARTED A GIVEALITTLE PAGE, AND, UM... YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY CHIPPED IN, AND... YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT, UM` AND JUST COMPLETE STRANGERS, YOU KNOW? CHIPPED IN AND, YOU KNOW, GAVE ME MY LIFE BACK, SO IT'S HUGE. ALL RIGHT. NOW I'M UNDERSTANDING WHY YOU GUYS HAVE DUG IN AND YOU WANNA STAY HERE, COS YOU'VE GOT AN AMAZING COMMUNITY AROUND YOU. YOU KNOW, WE'RE SO GRATEFUL. THREE YEARS LATER, WE'RE STILL HERE, AND... WE PLAN TO BE HERE A LOT LONGER AS WELL, HOPEFULLY. INTRIGUING PIANO MUSIC SHORTLY AFTER I MEET ANDRE AND ABBIE AND BEFORE WORK ON THEIR HOUSE GETS UNDERWAY, ANOTHER DISASTER STRIKES. CHRISTCHURCH IS ROCKED BY A 5.7 MAGNITUDE QUAKE, THE LARGEST THE CITY HAS EXPERIENCED IN CLOSE TO FOUR YEARS. REPORTER: THE LUNCHTIME QUAKE ON A PICTURE-PERFECT CANTERBURY SUMMER'S DAY TAKING EVERYONE BY SURPRISE. UNBELIEVABLE. JUST... JUST THE NOISE AND THE RATTLE AND WHAT IT DOES TO YOUR HEART AND TO YOUR STOMACH. UM, IT'S THE FEELING OF DREAD JUST ALL OVER AGAIN. JUST REINFORCES THE FACT THAT WE'RE BUILDING IN AN EARTHQUAKE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE HOUSE HAS TO BE READY FOR IT, WHICH IT WILL BE, SO WE'LL HANG IN THERE. RELAXED GUITAR MUSIC IT'S SIX WEEKS SINCE THE EARTHQUAKE. THE FAMILY HAS RELOCATED TO A NEARBY RENTAL AND ARE THROWING A FAREWELL PARTY FOR THEIR COTTAGE. YEP, SO THERE'S CRAYONS AND PAINT, AND YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO ALL OVER THE HOUSE. IT'S JUST NICE THAT EVERYONE CAN WRITE THEIR FINAL FAREWELL MESSAGES OR JUST SEND IT OFF PROPERLY. SOME OF THE GUESTS ARE FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS WHO THE MARTINS OFFERED SUPPORT TO IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE QUAKES. ANDRE AND ABBIE HAVE BEEN A REALLY GOOD STRENGTH FOR US. UM, ANDRE'S HELPED US A HUGE AMOUNT IN THE PROCESS OF, UM, SETTLEMENT OF OUR HOME, FOR OUR REPAIRS. THEY'VE BEEN REALLY, UM, IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMUNITY, BUT THEY'RE ALSO IMPORTANT TO` TO HELP US TO MOVE ON AS WELL. YEAH, NOT VERY HAPPY ABOUT THE OLD HOUSE GOING, TO BE HONEST. I THINK, UH, WE WERE A BIT MORE WORRIED ABOUT ALICE, HOW SHE WOULD TAKE IT. I THINK IT'S PROBABLY HARDER FOR US THAN HER. BUT WE KNOW IT'S THE START OF A JOURNEY AND SORT OF THE END GOAL OF WHY WE'RE DOING THIS, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SET UP OUR FAMILY AND SET UP OUR LIFE MOVING FORWARD. I THINK DEFINITELY DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE. YEAH, WE'RE READY, I THINK. MAYBE. (CHUCKLES) (CHUCKLES) CHUCKLES: I'M NOT READY. READY OR NOT, ANDRE HAS BOOKED A BUILD TEAM AND LOGGED IN A SCHEDULE, SO HE HAS TO GET STARTED. TROUBLE IS, THERE'S ALREADY A SETBACK. I MEAN, THE GAME PLAN WAS TO BE DONE IN ROUGHLY FIVE, SIX MONTHS, WASN'T IT? YEAH. WE'RE` WE'RE ABOUT A MONTH BEHIND SCHEDULE. ALREADY? YEAH, ALREADY. WE'RE STRUGGLING TO FIND A CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM IN NZ THAT COULD DO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO. SO WE MADE THE HARD CALL OF, UH, CHANGING HOW WE'RE GONNA BUILD IT. OH. YEAH. ANDRE HAS CHANGED TO AN AUSTRALIAN STRUCTURALLY INSULATED WALL PANEL SYSTEM, WHICH MEANS THAT HIS BUILDING CONSENT APPLICATION NOW NEEDS TO BE REDRAFTED. HURRY UP, CHRIS. WE'RE BEHIND SCHEDULE. (CHUCKLES) IT WAS YOUR IDEA TO DO IT IN A NICE... ORDERLY FASHION. INSTEAD OF DEMOING THE COTTAGE, ANDRE AND HIS TEAM ARE CAREFULLY DECONSTRUCTING IT WITH THE AIM OF SAVING AS MUCH AS 80% OF THE MATERIALS. THIS IS BEAUTIFUL RIMU THAT'S, UM` WOULD BE GREAT FOR MAKING SOME TABLES OR MAYBE SHELVES IN THE NEW HOUSE. ALL THIS STUFF HAS GOT ANOTHER LIFE. I THINK IT'S FANTASTIC THAT YOU'RE REUSING ALL THIS STUFF. DEMOLISHING THE COTTAGE WOULD JUST TAKE HALF A DAY WITH A DIGGER. TO DECONSTRUCT IT WILL TAKE ANDRE'S TEAM AROUND 10 DAYS. YOU KNOW, LAST TIME I WAS HERE, YOU MENTIONED TO ME THAT THERE WERE SOME CRAZY SINKHOLES IN THIS PLACE. ONCE THE HOUSE IS GONE, WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING TO FIND? WORST-CASE SCENARIO, WE HAVE TO EXCAVATE AND PUT IN PROPER FILLER AND STUFF, WHICH WILL BE A BIT OF A NIGHTMARE, BUT THAT'S THE REALITY OF EARTHQUAKE CHRISTCHURCH. WELL, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW YOU DEAL WITH IT. YEAH, ME TOO. BOTH CHUCKLE IT'S AUTUMN, AND ANDREI IS STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT IF HIS CONSENT WILL BE APPROVED. BUT HE'S MAKING A START ON HIS FOUNDATIONS REGARDLESS. AND THERE'S STILL A QUESTION MARK OVER THE STABILITY OF THE SOIL THAT WAS UNDER THE OLD COTTAGE. YEAH, THIS SORT OF SAND, AND IT'S DEFINITELY THE SOFTEST PART OF THE SECTION. SO THIS IS WHY WE'LL HAVE THE EXPERTS HERE TO DO SOME TESTS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE OK TO KEEP BUILDING HERE. BUT, YEAH, DEFINITELY A LITTLE BIT WORRIED ABOUT THIS. YEAH, GO FOR IT. DING! IT'S THE FIRST TIME GEOTECH ENGINEERS HAVE HAD ACCESS TO THIS GROUND, AND THEY'RE TESTING IT USING AN INSTRUMENT CALLED A PENETROMETER, WHICH INDICATES THE RESISTANCE OF THE SOIL. THAT'S... ONE. ONE TO 400. YEP. DING! ALL RIGHT. BIT SOFT? YEAH. FLUFFY SAND. FLUFFY SAND. TENSE MUSIC IF THE SOIL ISN'T FIT TO BUILD ON, ANDREI MAY BE FORCED TO HAVE IT REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH HARD FILL, A COSTLY AND TIME-CONSUMING PROCESS. UH, NO, NICELY FIRMS UP. YEP. SWEET. WE HAVE, ESSENTIALLY, 1M OF VERY LOOSE SAND, AND THEN THE STIFFNESS OF THE SAND INCREASES RAPIDLY TO THE REQUIRED LEVELS. YEP. THAT'S GOOD. (CHUCKLES) WITH THAT WELCOME NEWS, ANDREI CAN NOW START DRILLING THE PILE HOLES FOR HIS FOUNDATIONS. EXPECTANT MUSIC TO PREVENT THE HOLES FROM COLLAPSING, CARDBOARD TUBES ARE PLACED INSIDE, WHICH DOUBLE AS MOULDS FOR THE CONCRETE THAT WILL BE POURED AROUND EACH PILE. OH, LIKE A BOUGHT ONE. THAT'S GOOD. HEY. PERFECT. RIGHT. FIRST PILE. ONE TO GO. (CHUCKLES) 99 TO GO. (LAUGHS) THERE'S A WEE BIT OF UNKNOWN WITH THIS GROUND, WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. BUT EVERYTHING'S DOING WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WOULD, AND OUR PROCESS OF USING THE TUBES AND EVERYTHING IS MAKING IT ALL WORK. VERY VERY EXCITING. HERE WE GO. WE'VE STARTED. ANDREI STILL DOESN'T HAVE BUILDING CONSENT, BUT HE'S NOT LETTING THAT STAND IN THE WAY OF PROGRESS. SO WE'RE GONNA, UM, PRE-DRILL AND PUT ALL THE CARDBOARD TUBES IN THE 100 PILES IN THE GROUND, GET THEM ALL BRACED UP, READY TO GO. BUT WE CAN'T POUR THE CONCRETE UNTIL WE GET BUILDING CONSENT. SO, UM, HOPEFULLY MR COUNCIL COMES THROUGH. SO IT'S A BIT OF A RISK. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT SAVES TWO TO THREE WEEKS BY DOING THIS. IT'S A NO-BRAINER WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY BEHIND SCHEDULE. ANDREI IS CONFIDENT HIS CONSENT WILL BE SIGNED OFF WITHIN TWO WEEKS. I JUST HOPE HE'S RIGHT, BECAUSE LEFT OUT IN THE ELEMENTS, THESE CARDBOARD TUBES COULD START TO DETERIORATE. HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN THE RECONSTRUCTION OF CHRISTCHURCH, I KNOW HOW LONG THE CONSENT AND BUILDING PROCESSES CAN TAKE. THERE ARE HUGE PRESSURES ON SUPPLIERS AND RESOURCES, MEANING DELAYS AND FRUSTRATIONS. BUT ANDREI IS DETERMINED TO PROVE THAT HOMES IN CHRISTCHURCH CAN BE BUILT QUICKLY AND CLEVERLY. SO DOES THIS KINDA GET YOU UP IN THE MORNING? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS MASSIVE LIFE TRANSFORMATION YOURSELF. THERE'S A COUPLE OF MOTIVATIONS THERE, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THINGS LIKE THE HEALTH AND NOT REALLY KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE FUTURE, BUILDING A HOUSE THAT I KNOW CAN BE SELF-SUFFICIENT AND SAFE FOR MY FAMILY. LIKE, I KNOW IF I'M NOT AROUND, THE HOUSE WILL LOOK AFTER THEM, WHICH IS REALLY NICE. AND THEN THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, I WANT A LEGACY, MAN. I WANNA` I WANNA CHANGE SOME FAMILIES AND CHANGE WHAT WE DO THAT WE KNOW CAN CHANGE OTHER PEOPLE. AND, YEAH, THIS IS PERSONAL. IT'S NOT JUST A HOUSE. SO, IN A WAY, YOU'RE TURNING IT INTO AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFORM NOT ONLY YOUR OWN LIFE BUT AS MANY OTHERS AS YOU CAN AS WELL. WELL, THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS WHOLE CITY. YOU KNOW, TO` WHEN DO YOU GET A CHANCE TO REBUILD A CITY OR RETHINK HOW YOU DO THINGS? LET'S MAKE A DIFFERENCE. LOVELY. IT'S TWO WEEKS SINCE THE PILE HOLES WERE DRILLED FOR ABBIE AND ANDREI'S FOUNDATIONS, BUT THEIR BUILDING CONSENT STILL HASN'T COME THROUGH. THERE'S NO WORK ON-SITE, BUT ANDREI IS BUSY IN AUSTRALIA. THE STRUCTURALLY INSULATED WALL PANELS HE SWITCHED TO ARE READY TO BE SHIPPED ACROSS THE TASMAN. THE AUSSIE SYSTEM HAS NEVER BEEN USED IN NZ, BUT ANDREI'S CONVINCED THAT IN AN EARTHQUAKE, THESE PANELS WILL SHAKE BUT NOT BREAK. WE'RE EIGHT TIMES AS STRONG IN LOADING, UM, COMPARED TO A STANDARD FRAME. WE'RE 500 TIMES THE STIFFNESS OF A STANDARD FRAME. THE OUTER CLADDING OF THE PANELS IS MAGNESIUM OXIDE BOARD, WHICH IS LIGHTWEIGHT YET EXTREMELY STRONG. SANDWICHED IN THE MIDDLE IS POLYSTYRENE, AND PLYWOOD PROVIDES BRACING ON EACH INTERNAL WALL. I WOULDN'T BE PUTTING MY FAMILY IN A HOUSE OR INTO A PRODUCT THAT I DIDN'T THINK WAS GONNA SUPPORT US AND KEEP US SAFE. YEAH, YEAH. CHOOSING TO SHOP AROUND HAS GIVEN ANDREI PEACE OF MIND BUT NOT A LOT OF TIME. I'VE GOT A FIVE TO SIX MONTH SCHEDULE. WE'RE NOW LOOKIN' AT A FOUR MONTH SCHEDULE. OUR GUYS HAVE GOT OTHER PROJECTS TO GO ON TO, AND WE'RE GONNA PROVE THAT THIS SYSTEM CAN BE BUILT QUICKLY. THERE'S NOTHING LIKE PUTTING THE PRESSURE ON. AS WELL AS TACKLING HIS OWN BUILD, ANDREI, ALONG WITH HIS BUSINESS PARTNER, LOGAN BERGS, IS MANAGING SIX OTHER HOUSES WITH HIS NEW COMPANY, WHICH, FOR NOW, IS OPERATING FROM A SPARE ROOM IN ANDREI AND ABBIE'S RENTAL. FITS TO... A COUPLE OF THE CONNECTIONS. SOFT PIANO MUSIC ABBIE TAKES CARE OF PAYROLL AND ACCOUNTS WHILE ALSO ATTEMPTING TO ENSURE HER SINGLE-MINDED HUSBAND ISN'T OVERDOING THINGS. I DO WORRY ABOUT ANDREI. IT'S A MATTER OF, EVERY NOW AND THEN, JUST CHECKING IN AND GOING, 'ACTUALLY, I CAN PUT THAT ASIDE, AND, HEY, LET'S GO FOR A WALK.' BUT THE FLIPSIDE IS THIS IS WHAT HE'S ALWAYS WANTED TO DO. I MEAN, THE PASSION FOR THIS STEMS BACK YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS. AND HE THRIVES ON IT BECAUSE HE LOVES IT. WHEN YOU ACHIEVE WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO, WELL, YOU JUST KEEP GOING. NOTHING WILL STOP HIM. IT TAKES ALMOST FOUR WEEKS FOR ANDREI'S BUILDING CONSENT TO BE SIGNED OFF ` TWICE AS LONG AS HE EXPECTED. IN THAT TIME, CHRISTCHURCH HAS EXPERIENCED SOME HEAVY RAINFALL, AND THE CARDBOARD TUBES HAVE TAKEN A BATTERING. IT'S BEEN A FEW NERVOUS MORNINGS COMING DOWN AND CHECKING, MAKING SURE THE HOLES ARE ALL STILL HERE. THE CARDBOARD WAS IN THE GROUND FOR PROBABLY A WEEK OR TWO LONGER THAN WE EXPECTED. HAVING CONSENT APPROVED SIGNALS THE OFFICIAL START OF THIS BUILD. LITTLE BIT WORRIED ABOUT THE CARDBOARD HOLDING ITS SHAPE FOR US IN THE HOLE. CAN YOU RAM DOWN THE SPEED A LITTLE BIT? KEEP IT OFF THE EDGES AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. I HAVEN'T DONE IT BEFORE IN SAND LIKE THIS, SO, YEAH, THE TUBES ARE A NEW PROCESS. BUT, UM, SO FAR, SO GOOD, AND IT'S HOLDING UP. BECAUSE HE'S DETERMINED TO COMPLETE HIS HOME IN FOUR MONTHS, ANDREI HAS BEEN TAKING GAMBLES. BUT SO FAR, THEY'RE PAYING OFF. IT'S WORKING REALLY WELL, SO, UH, REALLY PLEASED. ANOTHER WEEK, IT MIGHT'VE BEEN A DIFFERENT STORY. ALL PRETTY QUICK NOW. IT'S GOOD. YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING TOMORROW? WHAT? WE'RE GONNA START BUILDING OUR HOUSE. DOES THAT MEAN I CAN HELP? YOU CAN HELP. 'COURSE YOU CAN HELP. ANDREI'S NOT ONE TO BLINDLY FOLLOW CONVENTION. INSTEAD OF OPTING FOR THE BUILDING GUIDELINES RECOMMENDED CONCRETE SLAB FOUNDATION, HE'S USING TIMBER PILES, WHICH HE BELIEVES ARE BETTER SUITED TO HIS SANDY SITE AND IN AN EARTHQUAKE WILL BE EASIER TO REPAIR. HOUSES ON PILES WORK. OUR IMPACT ON OUR SOFT SAND, WHICH WE KNOW IS A PROBLEM, IS NOTHING. ANYTHING ELSE HAPPENS, WE CAN JUST EASILY JACK AND PACK IT, ADJUST IT AND MOVE ON. SO IT'S, UM` IT'S THE CHEAPEST, AND IT'S THE BEST SOLUTION. ANDREI'S PUTTING SO MUCH THOUGHT INTO CREATING A HOME THAT WILL RESPOND TO THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF ITS ENVIRONMENT. OH, YOU'RE AN EXPERT, ALICE. BUT TODAY, THE CLOCK STARTS TICKING ON HIS FOUR-MONTH DEADLINE, AND TO BUILD A BESPOKE ARCHITECTURAL HOUSE IN THAT TIME FRAME IS A PRETTY BIG ASK. LAST PILE. WELL DONE. HEY! IN SOUTH BRIGHTON, ANDREI HAS THREE AND A HALF MONTHS LEFT OF HIS SELF-IMPOSED DEADLINE TO COMPLETE HIS FAMILY'S HOME, AND TO SAVE TIME, HE'S TAKING ANOTHER GAMBLE. HIS STRUCTURAL STEEL WAS MADE IN ADVANCE, RELYING SOLELY ON PLAN MEASUREMENTS WITH NO BACKUP CALCULATIONS TAKEN FROM THE FOUNDATIONS ON-SITE. WELL, WE'LL JUST SAY PROBABLY THREE WEEKS' TIME. IT'S JUST IT'S NOT THE EASY WAY OF DOING IT. IT TAKES MORE WORK. IT TAKES MORE COORDINATION. ANDREI SEEMS CONFIDENT, BUT THERE'S $30,000 WORTH OF STEEL HERE THAT HAS TO FIT TOGETHER PERFECTLY. OK, 9M, 850, SO WE JUST NEED ANOTHER 20 MIL, ISAAC. SHUNT IT 10 MIL THAT WAY, SO WE SHOULD BE FINE. I WAS QUITE SCARED ORIGINALLY WHEN ANDREI TOLD ME THAT, UM, I'M GONNA BUILD THESE OFF PLAN. UM, HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, UH, GOING OFF PLAN DOESN'T WORK. 'THERE'S ALWAYS CHANGES, AND IT'S LIKE A DOMINO EFFECT.' IS IT 100 MIL? LITTLE BIT NERVOUS. THINGS LIKE STEEL ARE NOT VERY FLEXIBLE, SO WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE'VE BUILT IT RIGHT AND IT'S MEASURED RIGHT AND IT ALL GOES TOGETHER. 830. BANG ON. YEAH, SHOULD BE FINE. (CHUCKLES QUIETLY) LET'S GO. THE FIRST ELEMENT TO GO UP IS THE CENTRAL PORTAL FRAME. ENERGETIC MUSIC ARE ALL THESE ALL CLEAR? ALL OF THE REST OF THE STEEL COMES OFF THIS PIVOTAL STRUCTURE, SO THERE'S A LOT RIDING ON THE ACCURACY OF THOSE PLAN MEASUREMENTS. ALL FOUR CORNERS OF THE FRAME NEED TO LINE UP PERFECTLY WITH THE SUPPORTS. STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, YOU ALWAYS GET THE FIRST ONE IN. YEAH. BOTH CHUCKLE MUSIC INTENSIFIES DRILL WHIRRS LIKE THAT? YEP. LOOKS LIKE ANDREI'S GOT LUCKY ` YET AGAIN. ALL FOUR HAVE GONE PERFECTLY IN PLACE. LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE REST OF IT GO UP NOW. THIS IS HOW WE CAN BUILD HOUSES AT THIS SORT OF SPEED. IT'S UNORTHODOX, YEAH, FOR SURE. BUT, UM, WORK WITH THE RIGHT GUYS, IT WORKS. SO... SO FAR. SO FAR. WE'RE` (LAUGHS) WE'RE ONLY A QUARTER OF THE WAY THROUGH. (CHUCKLES) YEAH. A FEW HOURS INTO THE STEEL ASSEMBLY, ANDREI'S LUCK TURNS. A FEW OF THE BEAMS AREN'T QUITE MEASURING UP AND ARE HAVING TO BE CUT TO SIZE. THE ADJUSTMENTS END UP COSTING TWO EXTRA DAYS. THE REALITY OF DESIGNING A STEEL STRUCTURE OFF SOME BIT OF PAPER. I'M NOT SURPRISED THIS HAPPENED. A BIT DISAPPOINTING, OF COURSE. YOU KNOW, I'M A PERFECTIONIST. I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO GO WRONG. BUT, UH, WE CAN WORK AROUND IT. BUT, UM, CAN'T AFFORD ANY OTHER DROPS LIKE THIS. SOFT INTRIGUING MUSIC JUST AS THEIR HOUSE STARTS COMING OUT OF THE GROUND, ABBIE AND ANDREI HAVE TO LEAVE IT BEHIND. IT'S BEEN NINE MONTHS SINCE ANDREI'S LAST CANCER TREATMENT IN MELBOURNE, AND HE'S RETURNING FOR A SCAN. SORTA TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT` IT'S SOMETHING I HAVE. IT'S NOT WHO I AM. SO COMING HERE MAKES IT REAL AGAIN FOR A SHORT PERIOD. I MEAN, IT'S A HUGE DEAL, AND, OF COURSE, IT WEIGHS HEAVY ON BOTH OF US AS WELL AS OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THINGS ARE GONNA CHANGE OR WHEN I'M GONNA FEEL WORSE, SO IT'S A MATTER OF CRAMMING AS MUCH INTO IT NOW WHILE I CAN AND ENJOYING THE LIFE THAT I HAVE. AND I'M FEELING GOOD. YOU GET ONE CHANCE IN THIS WORLD TO LEAVE YOUR MARK, AND I WANNA BE PROUD OF WHAT I'VE DONE AND WHO I AM AND... EH? IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. THE RESULTS OF TODAY'S SCAN WILL INDICATE HOW EFFECTIVE ANDREI'S LAST TREATMENT HAS BEEN. THE CANCER HE HAS IS A NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOUR, WHICH DOESN'T RESPOND WELL TO CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES. BUT AT THIS RESEARCH HOSPITAL, HE'S RECEIVING A PIONEERING ALTERNATIVE APPROACH. IT'S CALLED PEPTIDE RECEPTOR RADIONUCLIDE THERAPY, OR PRRT. AND IT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES THE QUALITY AND DURATION OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH THIS DISEASE. ANDREI'S DOING WONDERFULLY WELL. THE DISEASE IS STILL THERE, BUT HE'S WELL. HE'S ASYMPTOMATIC, AND THERE'S NO REASON TO TREAT HIM AT THIS TIME, SO WE'RE GOOD. WE'RE GONNA WATCH AND WAIT, AND HE'S GONNA FINISH HIS HOUSE, AND HE'S GONNA ENJOY HIS HOUSE. AND HE SHOULD GO ON LIVING LIFE LIKE HE IS. FOR THE TIME BEING, ANDREI'S CANCER IS STABLE, AND HE SHOULDN'T NEED ANOTHER CHECK-UP FOR FOUR MONTHS. NO, IT'S GOOD. IT'S, UM` IT'S A RELIEF THAT WE CAN PARK IT AWAY AGAIN FOR ANOTHER FEW MONTHS AND... GET BACK TO BUILDING THIS HOUSE. SOFT SERENE MUSIC ON-SITE, THE STRUCTURALLY INSULATED PANELS ARRIVE. AND WHILE CHOOSING THE AUSSIE SYSTEM HELD UP THE START OF THE BUILD, IN THE THREE WEEKS SINCE IT BEGAN, THERE'S BEEN IMPRESSIVE PROGRESS. SO EXCITING TO BE HERE. IT'S REALLY ROLLING. ALL AROUND THIS HOUSE NOW IS` IS OUR EXTERIOR, OUR INSULATION AND OUR INTERIOR WALLS. THEY'RE ALL SITTING HERE, READY TO GO. WE'VE JUST GOTTA PUT IT UP NOW. DO YOU THINK YOU'VE GOT EVERYTHING YOU NEED, THOUGH? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, TO SUDDENLY HAVE TO GO AND GET SOME MORE BITS AND PIECES FROM AUSTRALIA ` IT'S A` IT'S A LONG WAY, ISN'T IT? THERE'S THINGS THAT'LL COME UP DURING THIS PROCESS THAT WE JUST DON'T KNOW. WE'LL BE RIGHT. (CHUCKLES) I LOVE IT. 'SHE'LL BE RIGHT.' SHE'LL BE RIGHT. ABBIE, IS HE LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME? HE JUST KEEPS STRIVING FOR BETTER, AND THIS BUILD WILL BE BETTER. EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, IT'S JUST GROWING AND GROWING, AND IT'S` IT'S ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. ANYONE CAN BUILD... SIX MONTHS. (CHUCKLES) SO LET'S MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT HARDER AND DO IT IN FOUR MONTHS. ANDREI'S COUNTING ON GETTING THESE PANELS UP IN THREE DAYS. BUT THIS IS A NEW SYSTEM TO HIS TEAM AND TO NZ. SEEING... ALL OF THIS, YOU'VE GOTTA SAY, 'BOY, YOU'RE GONNA BE NICE AND TOASTY AND WARM IN HERE.' LOVELY. I'M A HUGE FAN OF PREFABRICATION, SO IT'S EXCITING TO SEE ANDREI EXPERIMENTING WITH A NEW WALL SYSTEM LIKE THIS. IT REQUIRES MORE PLANNING, BUT IT MAKES BUILDING TIME ON-SITE SO MUCH QUICKER. NEXT. THAT'S IT. IT'S` IT'S ACTUALLY TOO FAST. CHUCKLES: YEAH. I MEAN, YOU GUYS COULD STOP AT SMOKO. YOU'D BE DONE. IT'D BE NICE, WOULDN'T IT? IT'S VERY EXCITING. JUST WANNA GIVE IT A HUG, YOU KNOW? (LAUGHS) WELL, IT'S GONNA HUG US LATER ON, ISN'T IT? THIS IS THE THING THAT'S GONNA KEEP US WARM AND KEEP US SAFE AND STUFF, SO... YEAH. UM,... NAH, IT'S AWESOME. IT'S REALLY COOL. THE TEAM IS MAKING FANTASTIC HEADWAY WITH THE PANELS, BUT I'M HOPING ANDREI HAS MORE TIME-SAVING TRICKS UP HIS SLEEVE, BECAUSE HE NOW HAS ONLY THREE MONTHS LEFT TO FINISH HIS HOUSE ON SCHEDULE, AND BUILDING DURING A CHRISTCHURCH WINTER CAN BE BRUTAL. EXPECTANT MUSIC YEAH, SAME. 20 MORE` 20 MORE MIL AT THE TOP, PLEASE. IN THE THREE WEEKS SINCE ABBIE AND ANDREI'S WALLS WENT UP, THE WEATHER HAS BEEN KIND, AND THEY'VE REACHED A MAJOR MILESTONE. ROOF ON IS THE... EVERYONE JUST SEEMS TO RELAX A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW? YOU JUST... ESPECIALLY A BUILD IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. TO GET THIS ON, YEAH, IT'S A BIG RELIEF. ANDREI HASN'T OPTED FOR A CONVENTIONAL WOODEN FRAME AND TRUSS ROOF. THIS IS, UH, ANOTHER STRUCTURALLY INSULATED PANEL, BUT WE USE IT FOR A ROOF PROFILE, SO NOTHING CAN GET THROUGH HERE. IT KEEPS THE WARMTH IN AND KEEPS MOTHER NATURE OUT. QUICK, EFFICIENT AND REALLY WARM. WELL, THE SYSTEM'S BEEN AROUND FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT IT'S REALLY BEEN MORE OF A COMMERCIAL-BASED SYSTEM, AND NOW IT'S PUSHED INTO THE RESIDENTIAL. YOU CAN SEE INSIDE THE ROOF JUST THE` THE LACK OF TIMBER WOOD CONSTRUCTION THAT THE BUILDERS HAVE TO DO, WHICH JUST MAKES OUR LIFE EASIER AS WELL, PUTTING IT TOGETHER. ANDREI FACTORED IN TWO DAYS TO GET THE ROOF FINISHED, BUT THE FINAL PANEL IS GOING ON IN JUST OVER HALF A DAY. YEAH, IT'S EVEN QUICKER THAN I THOUGHT, TO BE HONEST. SO, UM, WE'LL TAKE THAT. AND THEN WE GET A DAY LIKE THIS IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. UM, YEAH, SOMEONE'S LOOKIN' OUT FOR US. ANDREI AND HIS TEAM HAVE MIRACULOUSLY MANAGED TO CLAW BACK THE TIME THEY LOST AT THE START OF THE BUILD. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S A CLOUD ON THE HORIZON. ONCE YOU ORDER THAT ALUMINIUM, HOW LONG'S THAT GONNA BE... AWAY BEFORE WE GET THAT? I'M JUST WARY OF TIME FRAMES AND THAT IF SOMETHING'S GONNA PUSH US OUT, WE NEED TO SORT OF, UH, KNOW. THE PLAN WAS TO HAVE THE HOUSE WATERTIGHT BY THE TIME THE ROOF WENT ON. BUT THE JOINERY FOR THE WINDOWS, WHICH WAS ORDERED TWO MONTHS AGO, IS STILL NOT READY. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THE SPEED THAT WE CAN BUILD AT IS` IS CONTRACTORS KEEPING UP WITH US. SO OUR WINDOW MANUFACTURER ` HE'S AMAZING. THEY DO SOME PHENOMENAL STUFF, BUT IT JUST TAKES TIME. SO WE'LL DO SOME TEMPORARY` TEMPORARY PROTECTION AND START BUILDING THE INSIDE AS WELL, BUT, UM,... NOT MUCH WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. ANDREI SEEMS DETERMINED TO STICK TO HIS INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING SCHEDULE, EVEN IF IT MEANS TAKING YET MORE RISKS. IN MIDWINTER, HE'S GOING TO START BUILDING THE INSIDE OF HIS HOUSE BEFORE IT'S CLOSED IN. THAT IS NOT A GAMBLE I WOULD TAKE ON. RELAXED MUSIC IT'S BEEN THREE WEEKS SINCE ANDREI AND ABBIE'S ROOF WENT ON, AND THE BUILD'S IMPRESSIVE MOMENTUM HAS ALMOST SLOWED TO A STANDSTILL. THE WINDOW JOINERY STILL ISN'T READY. SO SOME OF OUR GUYS ` I'VE PUT THEM ON TO SOME OTHER WORK, AND WE'VE GONE AHEAD AND FRAMED UP SOME DECKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WELL OUT OF SEQUENCE, JUST TRYING TO KEEP THINGS MOVING AS MUCH AS WE CAN. BUT,... YOU KNOW, TOO MUCH LONGER AND IT'S REALLY GONNA AFFECT US HERE. CHRISTCHURCH IS JUST TRICKY, YOU KNOW? THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO MOVE ON AND COMPANIES THAT ARE DEALING WITH FIXING THEIR OWN BUILDINGS, LET ALONE SUPPLYING PRODUCTS FOR PEOPLE TO BUILD THEIR HOUSES. AND IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH FOR A PROJECT TO SLIP. SO, UH, YEAH, WE'RE` WE'RE STRUGGLING. SOFT GUITAR MUSIC THE CHALLENGES OF POST-QUAKE CHRISTCHURCH ARE ALSO BEING FELT AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL, WHERE ABBIE IS A REGULAR HELPER. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE? (GASPS) NO. CHARLOTTE. MOUSE? YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE A MOUSE? IN THE EARTHQUAKE, THE SCHOOL LOST THEIR HALL, SO THEY NOW HAVE THEIR WHANAU HUI ASSEMBLY OUTSIDE. SOME OF THEM KNOW NO DIFFERENT. THE SMALLER CHILDREN ARE SITTING ON EITHER CARPET SQUARES OR CUSHIONS THAT WERE MADE BY LINWOOD COLLEGE FOR THE SCHOOL. IT JUST SHOWS YOU HOW TIGHT THE COMMUNITY IS AND THE EXTENDED COMMUNITY TO JUST` TO HELP OUT. COMMUNITY SUPPORT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR ABBIE AND THE FAMILY AS THEY COPE WITH THE UNCERTAINTY AROUND WHAT LIES AHEAD. WHEN ANDREI WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED, I WAS` ACTUALLY WENT HOME TO THE COTTAGE AND JUST SAT THERE AND REFLECTED. AND, LIKE, HE HAD DONE EVERY SINGLE THING IN OUR GARDEN. AND I ACTUALLY WAS QUITE` I WAS COMFORTED BY THAT, BECAUSE I THOUGHT, 'WELL, I CAN STILL BE HERE AND KNOW THAT EVERY SINGLE THING IN THAT GARDEN 'HAS BEEN CREATED AND TOUCHED BY ANDREI.' AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHERE ALICE PLAYS. I MEAN, THE NEW HOUSE ` I GUESS IT'S EVEN MORE SO, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN HIS IDEAS FROM THE GET-GO. THAT'S WHAT I FOCUS ON, RATHER THAN THE 'WHAT'S LIFE GONNA BE LIKE WITHOUT ANDREI?' HE WILL ALWAYS BE THERE, AND I THINK THAT'S` THAT'S WHAT I CHERISH. INTRIGUING PERCUSSIVE MUSIC THIS HOME WILL BE RESILIENT AND PRACTICAL BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF STYLE. ANDREI WANTS A SERIES OF CORTEN STEEL PANELS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE, AND THESE ARE HAVING DESIGNS CUT INTO THEM USING A PLASMA TORCH. SO IT'S A VERY CLEVER PROCESS. IT'S VERY ACCURATE, UM, AND IT CAN CUT REALLY THICK STEEL AS WELL. PLASMA TORCH BUZZES TODAY'S VERY MUCH ABOUT THE FUN PART OF THE BUILD. THIS IS THE BIT THAT STARTS MAKING IT LOOK LIKE A HOME. TRADITIONALLY USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS AND BRIDGES, CORTEN STEEL DEVELOPS A RUST-LIKE PATINA WHEN EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS. WE DIDN'T WANT SOMETHING THAT WAS TOO FLAT AND NEW-LOOKING. WE WANTED IT TO LOOK LIKE THIS HOUSE HAS SAT THERE FOR A LONG TIME. WHEN THIS ALL RUSTS OFF, IT GIVES US ALL THAT EFFECT. IT JUST HELPS MOULD EVERYTHING TOGETHER ` BLEND IN WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE BEACH AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF. SO, UH, YEAH, I LOVE IT AS A MATERIAL. IT'S REALLY COOL. SPRING HAS ARRIVED WITH AN UNSEASONABLY ICY BLAST, WHICH IS NOT GREAT FOR ABBIE AND ANDREI'S STILL-UNSEALED HOUSE. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS MOST OF THE DELAYED JOINERY HAS BEEN FITTED, AND SOME OF THE GLAZING HAS STARTED TO GO IN. TODAY, ANDREI'S HOPING THE GLASS FOR THE SLIDING DOORS AT THE FRONT OF HIS HOUSE WILL BE INSTALLED. THE 8M EXPANSE IS THE LARGEST OPENING STILL LEFT EXPOSED. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY, ANDREI (!) THE WORST DAY WE'VE HAD ALL YEAR, I THINK. GOOD DAY TO BE, UH, TRYING TO GET YOUR HOUSE WATERTIGHT. YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A LONG TIME FOR THESE WINDOWS. YEAH, ABOUT SIX WEEKS. I MEAN, SIX WEEKS ON A FOUR-MONTH PROGRAMME IS A BIG DENT. WE'VE HAD TO CHUG ON AND DO THINGS THAT YOU JUST DON'T NORMALLY DO. WE'VE BASICALLY PRE-WIRED THIS HOUSE. VENTILATION'S IN. THERE'S TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS HANGING UP IN THIS ROOF LINE WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, NOTHING STOPPING ANYONE COMING AND TAKING IT AWAY, SORTA STUFF, SO, UM,... YEAH, I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND IT. (CHUCKLES) NO, I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT. I THINK I'M GOING TO FEEL AS RELIEVED AS ANDREI WILL BE ONCE THE BIG GAP IS SEALED UP. BUT I'M WONDERING IF WORK SHOULD BE GOING AHEAD AT ALL IN THESE GALE-FORCE WINDS AND FREEZING CONDITIONS. MY CONCERN IS, IN THIS, THE SUCKER BEING SLIPPING ON THE BAR. GONNA GET WET. YEAH. YEAH, YEAH. IF IT'S GONNA SLIP, IT'LL SLIP ON THE VAN ANYWAY. YEAH. YEAH. OK. GIVE IT A GO. THE REAL PROBLEM FOR US IS THE WIND AND THE RAIN AND THE HAIL. THE WET, UH, ON THE GLASS MAKES IT MUCH HARDER TO LIFT, AND THE WIND, OF COURSE, WILL BLOW THE GLASS AROUND. THE SLIDING DOORS ARE MADE UP OF FOUR DOUBLE-GLAZED PANELS, AND EACH ONE WEIGHS AROUND 200 KILOS. SO IS IT GONNA FIT, ANDREI? UH, WE HOPE SO. THE PLAN IS TO CRANE THE GLASS IN AS CLOSE TO THE HOUSE AS POSSIBLE ` WHERE THERE'S SOME SHELTER FROM THE WIND ` AND THEN MANUALLY MANOEUVRE IT IN FROM THERE. WIND GUSTS, WHISTLES MEN CONVERSE INDISTINCTLY BUT THAT'S NOT EASY IN CONDITIONS LIKE THIS. WIND WHISTLES TENSE MUSIC THE NEXT HURDLE IS TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE GLASS MATCHES THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE WINDOW FRAMING. OH, LOOK AT THAT. LIKE A GLOVE. MADE FOR IT. 'BUT WE MIGHT BE CELEBRATING TOO SOON.' I WAS A LITTLE BIT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE WEATHER WHEN WE PUT THAT PIECE OF GLASS IN, SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO IS STOP FOR A WHILE. SO WE'RE GONNA GO AWAY FOR A BIT, COME BACK, REASSESS THE CONDITIONS, AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE. THE WINDOWS MIGHT BE ON HOLD, BUT ANDREI HASN'T LET THAT PUT A STOP TO PROGRESS. INSIDE, UNDERFLOOR HEATING IS BEING INSTALLED. IT'S A EUROPEAN SYSTEM WHICH IS VERY LIGHTWEIGHT AND HAS ONLY BEEN USED IN A HANDFUL OF NZ HOMES. ANDREI'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, INTRODUCING ALL SORTS OF NEW THINGS, INCLUDING A FULLY VENTILATED, UH, SYSTEM IN THE CEILING, UM, WITH EXTRA-THICK INSULATION UP THERE, SO IT'S A SUPER-INSULATED BUILD. HE'S ALSO GONE FOR LVL, OR LAMINATED VENEER LUMBER, BECAUSE IT OFFERS A LOT MORE STRENGTH THAN TRADITIONAL TIMBER FRAMING. EVERY COMPONENT HAS BEEN CAREFULLY CONSIDERED TO GIVE THIS HOUSE THE BEST CHANCE OF STANDING UP TO EARTHQUAKES AND THE ELEMENTS. BUT BEFORE IT CAN DO THAT, IT NEEDS TO BE CLOSED IN. OK. GOOD TO GO, RIGHT? YEP. UP. FORTUNATELY, LATER IN THE DAY, THE WIND DROPS, AND THE GLAZIERS RETURN. EXPECTANT STRING MUSIC AND AT LAST, ANDREI AND ABBIE'S HOUSE IS WEATHERTIGHT. GUYS, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO FINALLY GET THE BIG GLAZING FOR YOUR LIVING ROOM IN PLACE? ON A CRAZY DAY, IT'S` IT'S HERE. IT'S` YEAH, IT'S BRILLIANT. I LOVE WHAT ANDREI AND ABBIE ARE DOING TO CREATE A HEALTHY, SAFE, STRONG NEW HOME FOR THEMSELVES BUT ALSO THEIR AMBITION TO SHARE EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE LEARNING WITH OTHERS SO THAT THEY CAN ALSO RECOVER AND REBUILD FROM THE CHRISTCHURCH EARTHQUAKES. BUT I DO WORRY THAT BY TRYING OUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT BUILDING METHODS IN SUCH A TIGHT TIME FRAME, ANDREI MAY HAVE TAKEN ON TOO MUCH. WITH LESS THAN A MONTH IN HIS SCHEDULE, IT WOULD TAKE A MIRACLE FOR HIM TO ACHIEVE HIS AMBITIOUS GOAL. You don't have a girlfriend. You don't need a lot of calls or text. You don't have a girlfriend. You don't need a lot of calls or text. You need data ` for dating sites, like Honey Badger. (LAUGHS) You do have a girlfriend. You need less data and more calls ` lovey-dovey calls. # You make me... # You don't have a girlfriend again. She won't return your calls. You need more text. Things change. Now your Prepay can too. Get more of what you need and less of what you don't with Vodafone My Flex Prepay. TINKLY MUSIC OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS, ANDREI AND ABBIE HAVE BEEN THROUGH SERIOUSLY TOUGH TIMES. OTHERS MIGHT HAVE CRUMBLED, BUT IN THEIR CASE, CRISES HAVE BRED AUDACIOUS INNOVATION. ANDREI HAS PUT HIS FOCUS INTO CREATING A LEGACY ` A PROTOTYPE HIGH-PERFORMANCE HOME THAT CAN TAKE ON EARTHQUAKES AND PROVIDE A HAVEN FOR HIS FAMILY. HE ALSO WANTED TO PROVE THAT GOOD-QUALITY HOUSES COULD BE BUILT SWIFTLY. BUT IF HE'S MANAGED TO FINISH IN THE MERE FIVE MONTHS SINCE HE STARTED, I'LL BE ASTONISHED. TINKLY MUSIC CONTINUES WOW. CAR DOOR CLOSES WHAT A GREAT RESULT. SO CLOSE. IT LOOKS AMAZING! YEAH. HOW YOU DOING? IT'S GOOD TO SEE YA. CONGRATULATIONS. WE'RE VERY CLOSE. THANK YOU. NOW, THAT IS WHAT I CALL A FRONT DOOR. YEAH. (CHUCKLES) (CHUCKLES) 8M FRONT DOOR, YEAH. WOW. AND JUST THE SHEER SCALE AND OPENNESS OF THIS LOVELY ENTRY. AND THE BEAUTY OF THE MATERIAL ` THIS LOVELY CORTEN. IT'S EXQUISITE. IT LOOKS GREAT. AND STUNNING AGAINST THE BLUE SKY. MM, ABSOLUTELY. SO, TELL ME, WHAT HAPPENED OVER HERE? (CHUCKLES) THE TIMBER THAT WE WERE BRINGING IN FROM AUSTRALIA GOT STUCK HERE IN CHRISTCHURCH. THE INSPECTORS WEREN'T OVERLY HAPPY WITH IT, SO, UM, YEAH. AND THAT'S THE CLADDING AND THE DECKING AND A FEW, SORT OF, FEATURE PIECES THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE, UNFORTUNATELY. IT WAS COMING FROM AUSTRALIA ` WHAT WERE YOU THINKING (?) (CHUCKLES) TO HAVE ACHIEVED ALL OF THIS IN FIVE MONTHS ` THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY. YEAH. YEAH. I KNOW. AND, I MEAN, WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF IT. THE GUYS HAVE WORKED FANTASTIC, AND YOU COULDN'T ASK FOR ANY MORE REALLY. COULDN'T BE BETTER. WOOD OR NO WOOD. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE INSIDE. COME IN. COME IN. GOSH, THIS IS REALLY SPECIAL. DOING THE OUTSIDE TO INSIDE LIKE IT'S ONE BIG SEAMLESS THING ` IT'S... IT'S MAGIC. WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? THIS IS BEAUTIFUL. IT'S NEAT, ISN'T IT? SO THIS IS FROM EVERY WINDOW OF OUR HOUSE. OH, SO THESE ARE ALL THE OLD, ORIGINAL TIMBERS? THERE'S A BEDROOM THERE AND A LOUNGE THERE AND A KITCHEN THERE. IT'S KINDA LIKE A PIECE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE IN ONE LITTLE TABLE, REALLY. SO SOME OF THESE NAIL HOLES MIGHT HAVE BEEN NAILS THAT YOU AND I PULLED OUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE... YEAH, DEFINITELY. YEAH. POTENTIALLY, AND THEN, PROBABLY, THE ONES WITH THE BIGGER CRACKS WERE THE ONES THAT YOU DID. (LAUGHS) PROBABLY. THERE'S A FEW LITTLE POCKETS OF THINGS THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE AS WELL. SO, YOU KNOW, WE, UM` THE BOYS MADE UP THE DOORS AND DID A DESK FOR THE OFFICE. AND THAT'S THE IDEA. THERE'LL BE LITTLE SNIPPETS OF THE OLD COTTAGE THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE WHERE WE NEED IT, AND... YEAH. AND WHAT ABOUT THESE? THESE ARE BEAUTIFUL TOO. WHERE DO THEY COME FROM? SOME YOUNG DESIGNERS IN` IN WELLINGTON. THEY'RE MADE FROM RECYCLED P.E.T. BOTTLES. JUST GOOD OLD KIWI PEOPLE ` BIT OF INGENUITY AND MAKING SOMETHING COOL AGAIN. BIT OF A TRANSFORMATION FOR YOU, ABBIE, FINALLY GETTING A DECENT KITCHEN. I KNOW. OH, IT'S ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. JUST THE SPACE TO BE ABLE TO SPREAD OUT, AND DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO A GARAGE FOR YOUR EXTERNAL PANTRY. AND... (LAUGHS) ...EVERYTHING'S JUST HERE. BUT THEN, ALSO, THE CONNECTION ` BOTH THIS WAY, TO PEOPLE TURNING UP, BUT ALSO OUT TO YOUR LOVELY GARDEN. AND SO WONDERFUL THAT IT'S ALL STILL HERE, FULLY ESTABLISHED. YEAH, THAT'S ALWAYS A KEY PART OF THIS HOUSE ` ITS INTERACTION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT REALLY. WOW. YOU JUST GET VIEWS THROUGH TO EVERYWHERE. OH, WHAT A LOVELY SPACE. AND WHAT'S THROUGH HERE? THAT'S OUR EN SUITE. OH, VERY NICE. LOVE THE WAY THE LIGHT IS CASTING DOWN THE EDGE OF YOUR TILES. BEAUTIFUL. THE MORE I LOOK, THE MORE I SEE HOW YOU'VE THOUGHT THROUGH EVERYTHING. I MEAN, NOT ONLY ARE THE WINDOWS FULL-HEIGHT, BUT EVERY DOOR. THAT'S THE WHOLE IDEA, THAT THE PLACE JUST FEELS OPEN. HIDING DOORS BEHIND WALLS AND THAT SORT OF STUFF JUST HELPS WITH THAT FEELING, REALLY. SO THAT WAS A REAL INTENTION FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT TRANSITION THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE HOUSE. ABBIE AND ANDREI ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING IN, BUT THEIR PERSONAL TOUCHES HELP GIVE THE PLACE A REAL SENSE OF HOME. AND FOR ALICE, WHO'S SPENT THE WEEKEND WITH HER GRANDPARENTS, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SHE'S SEEN HER NEW ROOM. WOW. WHAT DO YOU THINK, ALICE? COOL. 'INSIDE HER VERY OWN WONDERLAND, THERE'S A RATHER UNIQUE FEATURE.' DID THEY PUT A SPECIAL RABBIT HOLE JUST IN HERE FOR YOU? UH-HUH. SHALL WE HAVE A LOOK, SEE WHAT'S INSIDE IT? YES. 'IT'S THE ORIGINAL FOOD SAFE SALVAGED FROM THE COTTAGE ` 'ANOTHER LOVELY TOUCH THAT HONOURS THE MEMORY OF THE FAMILY'S OLD HOME.' COOL. I REALLY LIKE IT. DELICATE MUSIC ANDREI HAS MORE THAN FULFILLED HIS AMBITION TO CREATE A HOME FOR HIS FAMILY THAT'S ROBUST AND PRACTICAL. BUT HE'S ALSO MADE SOMETHING THAT'S INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL. SITTING HERE, FOR ME, IS A REAL PRIVILEGE. ALL OF YOU HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH HUGE, HUGE CHALLENGES, AND ANDREI, YOU'VE ALSO GOT YOUR OWN PERSONAL CHALLENGE. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY FEELS LIKE A PHOENIX COMING OUT OF DISASTER. HOW DOES IT FEEL FOR YOU GUYS? I MEAN, IT'S BEEN A MASSIVE TRANSFORMATION. I THINK DREAMLAND A LITTLE BIT, REALLY. 'WOW, THIS IS ACTUALLY OUR HOUSE.' WITH NO SINKHOLE UNDERNEATH. YEAH. NO, EXACTLY. SO YOUR ORIGINAL BUDGET WAS $600,000. HOW` HOW DID` HOW DID YOU DO WITH THAT? YEAH, NO, WE'RE NOT TOO BAD. WE'RE PROBABLY SITTING SOMETHING AROUND THAT SEVEN, PROBABLY GETTING CLOSER, MAYBE, TO EIGHT. WE KNOW THAT THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS WE CAN DO TO MAKE THAT A LOT CHEAPER. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S COST US MORE COS WE'RE LEARNING. WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY? UM, GET MY TIMBER HERE EARLIER. (GIGGLES) I DUNNO, YEAH, JUST SOME SEQUENCING STUFF AND THAT. THE HOUSE I LOVE. YOU KNOW, THIS IS` THIS IS MORE THAN WHAT I COULD EVER IMAGINE. SO, THE TIME FRAME, THEN ` MOST POLE JUMPERS KIND OF KNOW THE LIMIT. AND THE BAR WAS HERE, BUT YOU GUYS GO, 'OH, NO, LET'S JUST RAISE IT.' (CHUCKLES) 'WE CAN DO THAT IN FOUR MONTHS. NO PROBLEM.' YEAH. I'M STILL DISAPPOINTED WE MADE IT IN FIVE. YOU KNOW? IT'S NOT` I KNOW IT'S NOT A BAD EFFORT, BUT, YOU KNOW, TIME'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY PRECIOUS TO US. YOU KNOW, THERE'S LOTS OF LITTLE LEGACIES AND STEPS I NEED TO SET UP TO MAKE SURE THAT MY FAMILY'S SAFE AND TAKEN CARE OF AND... AND THAT I CAN BE PROUD OF WHAT I'VE LEFT BEHIND, SO... YOU'VE DONE IT, THOUGH. I MEAN, THE LOVE AND ADMIRATION THAT I HAVE FOR YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE CREATED IS` YEAH, IT'S INCREDIBLE. WATCHING YOU GUYS AND YOUR PERSONAL STORY IS... IT'S` IT'S INCREDIBLY INSPIRING. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE LEARNT AND WHAT YOU CAN THEN OFFER? WE CAN SHOW THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT WE KNOW'S GONNA BE HEALTHIER. IT'S GONNA BE WARMER. IT'S BETTER TO LIVE IN, LESS RUNNING COSTS, ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF, THE THINGS WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE IN OUR HOMES. WE KNOW WE CAN ONLY BUILD A FEW HOUSES A YEAR. WE'VE GOT NO AMBITION OF BUILDING HUNDREDS AND STUFF. THIS IS WHY THIS HOUSE IS MORE THAN JUST US. IT'S A COMPLETE OPEN DOOR, YOU KNOW? IT'S EDUCATION FOR WHOEVER WANTS TO LISTEN. LOVE THAT. LOVE THAT. I MEAN, INFORMATION IS POWER, AND IT ENABLES YOU TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. I FEEL CHRISTCHURCH IS IN GOOD HANDS. IT'S GOT A LOVELY FUTURE AHEAD BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU GUYS DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND IT'S VERY SPECIAL. IT'S VERY SPECIAL. CONGRATULATIONS. OH, THANKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HERE'S TO LIVING IN WONDERLAND. (CHUCKLES) CONGRATULATIONS. CHEERS. GLASSES CLINK THIS IS A RESILIENT HOME BUILT BY RESILIENT PEOPLE. IT TAKE GUTS TO DEFY BUILDING GUIDELINES, STANDARD PRACTICES, AND TO USE UNTRIED SYSTEMS AND MATERIALS. ANDREI MAY NOT HAVE QUITE FINISHED, BUT HE CAN FEEL VERY PROUD OF WHAT HE'S ACHIEVED AND THE QUALITY OF THE HOME THAT HE'S CREATED. CAPTIONS BY ALEX WALKER. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2016