(REFLECTIVE MUSIC) I'm often struck by how much work has been done in the Christchurch earthquake rebuild, but there's still so much to do ` new buildings going up and old ones being restored, sometimes even on the same site. Now, that can be really tricky. (SIGHS) Whatever your grand plans are, we'll help get you home. ANZ, proud sponsors of Three's Grand Designs New Zealand. (THEME MUSIC) Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2018 (BIRDS CHIRP) (REFLECTIVE PIANO MUSIC) When the Christchurch earthquake hit in 2011, Johannes van Kan and Jo Grams and their 4-year-old daughter, Ida, were living in Lyttelton in a historic building that used to be the local library. Look. This is where our house used to be. IDA: Yeah. Then we could see right out to all the boats. (SHIP HORN BLARES) Do you remember the lounge? How big was the lounge? That big? JO: (CHUCKLES) This big? What did you see from the windows? You used to ride your pushbike around the lounge room, Ida, cos it was so big. Johannes and Jo were both busy professional photographers. They had their studio and offices downstairs and used their creative flair to transform the upstairs into a vibrant family home. But their building was so badly damaged in the earthquake it couldn't be saved. We could see the big pincers going in and pulling out bits of our furniture and stuff that we'd left in there and crushing them up and throwing them in a pile. It's quite sad being on-site. I, um... Cos I suppose I had so many visions for, you know, Ida growing up and living here and how that would have been for her, and that obviously can't be. (PENSIVE MUSIC) (ANTICIPATIVE MUSIC) (DUCK QUACKS) After the earthquake, the family took a break overseas. But when they returned, Johannes and Jo fell in love with another historic building ` the Red House on Cranmer Square in central Christchurch. For the last 50 years, this was the home of the Cranmer Bridge Club. The original brick part of the building, dating back to 1864, collapsed in the quake. The timber house, built later, in 1899, survived largely intact. Enter Johannes and Jo, with a vision to restore the Red House and build a brand new house alongside. Hey, Chris. We're up here. Come and join us. What are you guys doing up there? Oh man. JO: (CHUCKLES) Come on up. It's quite spectacular up here. This is crazy. (LAUGHS) This is where it all started. We had our first meeting with our architect in this tree. We didn't want somebody who was thinking in ordinary ways. So you dragged your architect up here, and then what did you ask him to do? We've got this heritage building, and we're building this brand new building next door to it. We wanna keep this old building ` preserve it ` and we're adding on this new part, which is more of an expression of ourselves that respects the old part but has its own identity. The main entrance to this unique property is through the Red House. Here, just like Lyttelton, the couple will have their own professional photography studio. Business space continues with an exhibition gallery showcasing photographs, plus a client entrance and a front office. There's also living space, including a state-of-the-art kitchen opening on to decks and a private garden. On the first floor, across a suspended walkway, is a spacious lounge on one side and, on the other, bedrooms and bathrooms. An elegant spiral staircase leads up to a private art gallery, outdoor living space and a cosy little reading nook. Windows feature dramatically in the new build, flooding the interior with natural light. Facing Cranmer Square, the curved timber facade reflects the shapes of nearby trees, and running through the middle, a blade wall gives each building its own space while at the same time juxtaposing old and new on the same site. What you guys are planning here, it astounds me. I mean, how are you finding it with council, with neighbours and so on? It polarises people. And there'll be people who love our design, and there'll be others who really hate it. I think the idea of this building is it's about us. It's a building that says, 'Some people live here, and there's something not normal about them.' LAUGHS: Most of our friends have told us that we're absolutely crazy; we'd be far better in pulling our money out and going and building a little bach on the beach and living a very healthy, sustainable life, but, um, what's the fun in that? (ANTICIPATIVE MUSIC) While I admire Johannes and Jo's enthusiasm, I'm picking it won't be fun trying to get the necessary building consents for this landmark property. The Red House is part of Christchurch's cultural heritage. It was designed and originally owned by one of the city's pioneering architects, Samuel Hurst Seager. It's a very mysterious front door. It is. Like, there's all this wall, and then there's a door,... There's no windows. ...and you can't see in. Yeah. Welcome. Oh, this looks interesting. (CHUCKLES) It's a wee bit of a project. This room here is intended to be one of our lounges and also a guest bedroom. Gosh, this is beautiful. This is really stunning. I mean, the combination of all of this built-in joinery and furniture, the fireplace... I think it's the ceiling height as well, the windows. A lot of rooms you walk into, they've got low ceilings, and you already feel a little bit inhibited. This one ` you feel free. It's great. Let's go through to the other room. Yeah. The other room's super cool, because it's going to be my office. What's with this fireplace? It's awesome, isn't it? It's Celtic, we believe. Celtic? Celtic carving. It's quite a rough carving, actually. It's quite lovely, cos it feels authentic. It doesn't feel manufactured or anything like that. We're keeping it. What I would love is... Because we have to take all the bricks out of here, I would love that we could actually have this as, like, a secret panel to the gin bottle. (LAUGHTER) But this is Jo's office. This is Jo's office, and she... You're funny. (LAUGHS) (LIVELY MUSIC) The Christchurch Council has to approve any plans to restore the Red House. But not only that ` if the Council considers the new build to have a negative impact on the heritage values of the Red House, then the whole project is doomed. There are generally three options when you're designing an extension to a heritage building. The first is something like this, which is literally to copy it, but councils generally don't like that, because it's pretty confusing which one is the original. So there's a second, sympathetic, approach, which takes its cues from the original ` things like the slope of the roof, the proportion of the windows ` and it's often seen as the safe option. And then there's a third option, which is much more radical ` something like this, which clearly shows that each building is its own personality, and supports and embraces the original while at the same time doing something completely different for the new build. It's a creative risk. It's by far the most problematic and the hardest to argue with council. I'm incredibly excited by the fact that Johannes and Jo have chosen for this, because it's certainly what I would do. Johannes and Jo are currently living in the Christchurch suburb of Fendalton in a house they bought to renovate and sell. They're banking on a healthy profit to go towards the Red House restoration and the cost of the new build. What is the budget? It's going to probably cost us close to two million. So that's both for the restoration of the old building and also the new build? BOTH: Yep. And all of the unknowns? Mm. Hopefully. Hopefully. Hopefully, yeah. It was... Yeah, that's very hopeful. And does that cover the land cost as well? No. We already own the land. We already own the land. Right. So what was the land cost, then? It was 650. And some. 655, we bought it for. So that included the old...? Yeah. Yep. Yup. And what's the restoration gonna cost? That will probably cost us somewhere between $400,000 and $450,000. That's with no surprises? That's with... ...a couple of small surprises. Yeah. Yeah. $2.65 million could buy you an amazing property anywhere, probably with an awesome view to boot, so why are you so dead set on this project? Uh, becau` Well... Why? (LAUGHS) Why? We're nuts. No. Um, if you look at any other city in the world, I mean, the investment, in comparison, is quite small, really. Like, if you look at a house that I was looking at in Melbourne, for example, it was $4 million, so comparatively, you know... ...it's a bargain. LAUGHS: It's a bargain. 'Well, yes, but only if everything goes to plan.' One important early step in the consent process is a geotech survey to determine the composition and hardness of the ground on the site. If it's found to be soft, the foundations will have to be much deeper, and that's expensive. Yeah, it's definitely on slightly the softer side,... Yup. ...but can't make any official calls just from what I'm seeing here. OK. (CHUCKLES) Should be OK. Thanks. We've got a good engin` Really reassuring. Yeah. ...good engineers that'll work something out for you anyway. (CHUCKLES) It could be worse. Could it be worse? Oh yes. (OMINOUS MUSIC) In a very short time, Johannes and Jo find themselves consumed by the consent process and overwhelmed by its complexity. Their initial excitement is fading fast. Um, we've been having lots of delays, so I really just wanna get on with the project, and there's always a hold-up. So ` excited? I will be excited, probably, in a couple of months, when I see some dirt lifting up. It's always just a little bit... until you're on the receiving end. One times gold-coloured necklace and pendant. She was alive when I got there. Maybe they'll find a few less K's would've saved her. Imagine having that on your shoulders. (ALARM BEEPS) Everyone thinks they drive well. (HELICOPTER WHIRRS OVERHEAD, INDISTINCT POLICE COMMS) But I've never seen anyone crash well. (WOMAN CRIES) FEMALE OFFICER: Is there anyone we can call for you, Mrs Woolford? (SOBS) MAN: Well, this speed's fine along here. I know these roads. I know these roads pretty well too. And I'm doing everything in my power to stop you from seeing the things I've seen on them. (THOUGHTFUL MUSIC) It's been almost a year since I first met Johannes van Kan and Jo Grams to discuss their ambitious plans to restore the landmark Red House in central Christchurch and build a modern house right alongside. They want a fresh start after losing their home in Lyttelton in the 2011 earthquake, but the new project has been held up by a very complicated consent process, and keeping motivated is very tough. Someone asked me the other day, you know, 'Is this your dream house?' And at first, I struggled to answer that, cos... I already had a dream house in Lyttelton. That was our dream, and that was, obviously, taken from us. I never wanted to build. I never saw myself building a house, but I'm forced to, so I'm trying to make that into the best possible thing I can. (REFLECTIVE MUSIC) Although letting go of the past is an important part of moving forward, the couple are holding on to a few things from their old house. We have the doors from the Lyttelton building, which somehow I want to incorporate into the interior of the building. But there's lots of bits and pieces in here that we were able to salvage, which, yeah, we'll use in some form. (REFLECTIVE MUSIC) What I think will help Johannes and Jo a lot in this project is their passion for heritage buildings. For the last two years, Johannes has been employed as an official photographer documenting the restoration of the Christchurch Arts Centre, a hub of heritage buildings smashed in the earthquake. Well done. Thanks. Looks amazing. Whoo-hoo! (CHUCKLES) The thing about old buildings is they do come with their own stories and their own past. The more you, perhaps, reveal different layers, the more the stories become important and the more interesting they are. I love those stories. Without knowing your history, you really don't have anything, do you? (PENSIVE MUSIC) Part of the process of getting consent for the Red House restoration is taking photographs of the existing features in detail. Of course, Johannes can do this work himself, with the advice of heritage architect and consultant Dave Pearson. Oh, I think it's very brave of Johannes and Jo to take on a project like this. They should be applauded for what they're doing. This, to me, is a really important building in Christchurch. It is a really significant building, and I think it's... I'm really pleased that it will be restored and reused. Dave's preparing a report to Council on the proposed Red House restoration and, crucially, on how its heritage values could be affected by the completely different new build alongside. My first reaction was... I was a bit surprised, I have to say. I guess I probably would have expected something to be more akin to the original building. But as I got into it, I could see why they want to do it, and, yeah, they were making a clear statement. Dave sounds encouraging, but his report could make or break the whole project. (PEACEFUL MUSIC) (DUCKS QUACK) When Dave's report is complete, Johannes and Jo get a copy and invite their architect, Max Capocaccia, around to the Red House to hear the good or bad news. So, these ones are the plans of the resource consent. Max trained and worked in Rome, obviously on buildings a lot older than the Red House, and he thinks his design is fine. All good, but does Dave, the heritage expert, agree? So I think the best line that he's used is, 'Overall, it's considered that the work will have a positive effect 'in that it will enhance the heritage values of the Red House. 'It will also ensure its survival by enabling it to have a new viable use.' So I think we're right. We're gonna get through. MAX: Let's hope so. Let's hope so. (CHUCKLES) Dave's positive report should go a long way towards getting the necessary council consent. But then a bombshell ` Johannes and Jo scrap the design of the new build and put the whole project on hold. (REFLECTIVE MUSIC) Tell me, guys, what has happened? Why have things changed? Money. Yeah. That's the main reason. The architect did come up with a fantastic design. It was beautiful. It was stunning. We'd been caught up in the beauty of it and the design of it and the architecture of it, and it had so many interesting elements in it, but we weren't going to be able to afford it. It was probably double the budget, really, and I suppose we just... we ran scared... and... (SIGHS) just stopped. We stopped. So where to now, then? We're just going to take a break. Take a break. We'll just have some time, reflect, and then come up with option B, whatever that may be. It's hard to see Johannes and Jo so low, so stunned, really, by the decision they've had to make. Just like the Lyttelton house, another one of their dreams has fallen apart. I wasn't sure if I'd ever hear from them again,... (UPBEAT MUSIC) ...but a year later they're on the phone, inviting me back to Cranmer Square. They've got something new to show me. Wow. Finally, things are starting to happen. Like, from this bathroom to` Oh! Oh! Hello. (CHUCKLES) Hi. Hi. I remember you, yes. (LAUGHTER) CHUCKLES: Hi, Chris. Seeing you guys finally in the ground, for me... I just can't believe it. The fact that you've managed to be stubborn enough to stick to it. LAUGHS: Stubborn. Yes. Some people, at a certain point, just go, 'Oh, it's all too hard.' Mm. Well, we always had the goal that this is where we wanted to live. How we were going to do that, well, we've just been on a longer adventure to discover what that meant for us. Boy. So what have you changed? A lot. I can see there's something interesting going on with the foundations, and I'm keen to have a close-up look. But first we adjourn to the Red House to study the new design. So things have changed quite considerably, looking at this. Oh yeah. Yeah. But it's the same shape and about the same size. (CHUCKLING) For me, we almost get back what we had in the Lyttelton building, with big open spaces and the ceiling heights and just that whole kinda entertainment feeling that we really enjoyed about the Lyttelton building. You didn't leave the old house; you've brought it with you. Totally. It's a larger version of its lovely historical neighbour, so it's like, 'Whoa! Big brother's arrived.' There is a lovely reference to the... Um, hence the roof patch. Yeah. It also feels very mid-20th century modern, you know, Cantabrian. You know? It's a very, kinda, classic Christchurch form, this. Yep. Yeah, true. So what is your budget now? It's much less than it was previously. Yeah. Starts with a one. Yeah, it starts with a one this time. It's somewhere between one million and two million now ` that's what I'm guessing. Yup. Yup. That's a good guess. That's a good guess. So if it hits two,... That's it. ...are you still smiling? No. I have to say I loved Max's original design. It was distinct and exciting. By contrast, this new one is quite conventional, and there's a lot of open space that will need clever and bold interior design. It's a canvas, if you like, for this creative couple to express themselves. I know they have no shortage of bright ideas, but what they have to do is focus on turning them into reality. Then this project will be really special. They've already been clever in their choice of foundations. This is a system developed in Christchurch that sits above the ground, not in it, and can be re-levelled if, for instance, it's earthquake-damaged in the future. What I'm standing on is a new jackable slab. So there are actually two concrete slabs. The lower one sits on a metal foundation on these spongy Christchurch soils, and if there's a future event, the top one can then be jacked up using these things, and additional material can be pumped in between the two to stabilise the building. Apparently, you can keep doing it. (ANTICIPATIVE MUSIC) With the first slab already in place, the second slab is being poured. This slab also contains the underfloor heating pipes. In fact, another big advantage of the jackable slab system is that it offers a high level of protection to services, such as electricity, water and sewage. Do you know when this roof got put on it? I'm also really pleased that Johannes and Jo have found the right builders for this special project ` a father-and-son team right into restoring heritage buildings. With the owners, you know, we just clicked straight away, really. Yeah. It's funny. Some people, there's a bit of distance before you get warm to them, but they're warm, passionate people, and we felt that, and they felt that from us. So, what are some of the challenges that you see in this build? I'm really looking forward to doing the finishing on the heritage part. Heritage... I love heritage stuff. You know, it's got old skills ` old joining, old finishing. As far as a builder, you know, these are the jobs that you dream of, you know. This is my dream job. This is really,... yeah, tickles my fancy. (UPLIFTING MUSIC) By the end of summer, the ground floor internal framing is in, and it's full steam ahead. It's great to have the framework up and start to see where the spaces are in the rooms and how it's feeling, and it feels, um,... feels right, feels really good. Um,... yeah, feels great. We got room. It's great seeing Jo so enthusiastic. Clearly, she's fallen back in love with the project. It's all coming alive. Holy moly. The space up here is... it's gonna be quite open. Kinda almost get back what we had in Lyttelton, which I'm really looking forward to. Johannes and Jo told me the Red House restoration budget includes contingency for a couple of small surprises. Well, a very old roof is just coming off a very old wooden house. What's lurking underneath? What sort of surprise will that be? Shit. It's a moment of truth in the Cranmer Square project in Christchurch. The old roof is coming off the old Red House,... and they've found borer,... Shit. ...a nightmare in old wooden buildings. The little blighters eat straight through the wood, leaving it a crumbling mess. ALLAN: Kere, what do you think? KERE: Probably the ones that are really shot we can replace. All they can do is hope the damage is not too widespread. JOHANNES: The heritage principle is to do as much as is necessary but as little as possible. You need to know where to stop and where to start. (ALLAN WHISTLES) Fortunately, a careful check finds only a few boards needing replacement, and the work goes on. (ANTICIPATIVE MUSIC) The next stage of the new build sees the top floor framing and the rafters go in. The builders are making good progress but would be doing even better if it wasn't for Johannes and Jo making changes. We looked at the plans and said, 'Oh, that's not quite right; we just need to sort that out.' For example, above the window that's immediately above us here, we've put a little mezzanine floor. In my office, we've decided to put a lowered ceiling in there just to make it more... comfortable. We've revisited the kitchen. I think we've come up with a good plan. And I think it's because we're creative people that we're having to do this. For Kere, it's a little frustrating. Cos I need to get it finished, you know? It's a challenge. The clients are a bit more assertive or, you know, kinda... not demanding, but... they see what they wanna get finished, and you kinda have to give what they're wanting. Yeah, so in terms of me dealing with that, that's new for me. But Johannes is unfazed. He's determined to get what he wants. When you talk to people, they say, 'By the time you've built your fifth house, you'll get it right.' Well, we're trying to cut out a few of those builds and do it in this build. Even though it's taking longer and is a little bit more expensive to do it that way, we're ending up with more of the house that we want. The couple have now sold the Fendalton property they were renovating to raise extra money. But they're still paying rent, so they're very keen to move into Cranmer Square. So, yeah, we keep saying Christmas. We` This Christmas, yeah. (CHUCKLES) Johannes is splitting his time between the photography business and working on-site. Perhaps fortunately for the builders, he's usually busy in the Red House. JOHANNES: I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't my place, but I'm doing it because I love this building, and I love the timber, and I want it to be fantastic. And it's these things that make this building amazing ` the beautiful timbers, the stories behind it. That's drawn me to including much more timber into the new build so that the two can speak to each other in a good way. It's a great plan, because it will help tie the two houses together. But there's a problem. At the end of the 19th century, when the Red House was built, sourcing native timber was easy ` but not today. Johannes and Jo have had to look very hard for the wood they want for the new build, and they've finally found some on the West Coast. KEN: I think I've got the best job on the planet, and I don't have to chop them down any more. Timber miller Ken Griffiths has a permit to recover storm-damaged trees from native forest near Greymouth. KEN: This lovely specimen here, Chris ` about a thousand years old. What a beauty. Wow. Wind's snapped that off. Here's the remainder of it. That's a bit damaged, that one, but I'll still get a bit of recovery out of it. OK, Chris, we'll cut a wee biscuit off here for you. There you have it. It's been down a wee while, cos, look, she's not even bleeding. Usually it'll bleed just around there. Right. Sometimes, you can hear 'em screamin' when you're cutting 'em. You're a hard man, aren't you? (CHUCKLES) I love the texture of these trees ` you know, the way that it catches the light. It's just like gold, isn't it? Oh, I think it is gold, matai. Every now and again, Mother Nature gives up a little bit for us to take. (WHIRRING) Griff runs a mill nearby, and Johannes, Jo and daughter Ida have come over to the West Coast to see their timber being cut. IDA: It's quite noisy. It is quite noisy, isn't it? Incredible. It's pretty sharp. This is my kitchen floor, which... that's really quite cool. Yeah. It's nice to see the process of how the timber is milled and also where it's come from. I think that's really important to me. Watch your fingers. What a beast. You let it down. The family's also taking away a lovely big slab of matai for their new kitchen table. Beautiful. Made for it. Wow. How does that feel, Griff? Off to a good home? Off to a good home. But you wouldn't just give it to anybody, would you? Oh, if the price is right. (LAUGHS) (CHUCKLES) (REFLECTIVE MUSIC) It's been a very wet few weeks in Christchurch, and that's held up the roof going on to the new build, and that's set the project back. I get frustrated with the rain, cos it's been raining a lot, and water gets in, into the wood, and I really want it all to be dry and closed in. I can't wait for that to happen, and I think it's probably about two weeks away. Yeah. Yeah. Or three. Maybe a month. I don't know. The weather compounds the problems facing the builders trying to cope with the creative demands of Johannes and Jo and facing delays on several fronts. Uh, well, engineer changes, uh,... hold-up at the council, just getting amendments, and, yeah, just a lot of little things adding up. What it adds up to is a standstill. The builders are forced to pack up and leave. When they'll be back no one can say. (PENSIVE MUSIC) The builders have been off the job at Cranmer Square for a month ` the knock-on result of several issues and delays. While everything's sorted out, there's only Johannes on-site, sanding the big slab of West Coast matai that's going to be the family's new kitchen table. JOHANNES: It's quite therapeutic. It takes over your head, you know. Like, you look at it, and then you just wanna go, 'Oh, I'll just do a little bit more,' you know? Jo is juggling her own work with looking after daughter Ida and sourcing interior fittings such as lighting. She's keeping the home fires burning in their rented accommodation while Johannes is either busy on-site or working in his photography business to pay their ever-mounting bills. JO: Johannes's been a shadow for probably the last six months. If he's not there, he's photographing. He'll come home and have something to eat. We'll water and feed him. (CHUCKLES) After a break of six weeks, the builders return, but has the damage been done? No, we're not on target on budget; we're not on target on time. And they've run out of cash. We had a little bit of a hiccup on the money side, and we had to, sort of, find some money somewhere, and we went looking for a mortgage. Um,... and we went to one bank, and they weren't very happy about the heritage aspects, and then we went to our own bank, and they weren't happy about anything. They said, 'We're not happy to give you a mortgage yet, 'but when you've finished, we'll give you a mortgage,' and we said, 'We can't finish without a mortgage,' so that was a little bit ambiguous, really. (DUCKS QUACK) After the wet autumn, it's been a mercifully dry winter and early spring. Johannes and Jo have raised some more money, so the new roof, complete with banks of solar panels, has gone up. But the couple's hope to move in by Christmas is looking pretty ambitious. I'm also wondering how the restoration of the Red House is going. Wow. It's been quite a while since I was here last. I can still see cobwebs. I hope they've made some progress. (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC) Hi. Hey. Welcome. Nice to see you. You too. Mwah. Welcome back. Yeah, welcome back. Mmm. 'Still looks like a bomb site, frankly, 'but they're doing wonders with the old doors from their Lyttelton building.' They're absolutely exquisite, Johannes. And the timber's lovely. They're... We've had them stripped back, and we're just about to do some oiling. I might need a hand. Now you're talking. (LAUGHS) Would you like a roller or a brush? Oh, brush. So there's... I'll let you start. I'm... I won't even give you instructions, because... (LAUGHTER) And it's... They said to do it very thin. I'm watching you closely, Chris. (LAUGHTER) Joking aside, it looks to me like they're behind schedule in the Red House too. I get they're being careful and creative, but is that getting the job done? This sense of contemplating each and every move you make... I mean, isn't that slowing you down? Well, it's annoying the hell out of our builder. (LAUGHTER) But we do think about this place a lot, because this is going to be a place for a long time. Yeah. And we didn't want to do it to sell; we didn't want to do it for somebody else; we did it for us. So when we see things, we want to be proud of them. Each and every nail? I might give up on a few nails, but... the ideas behind the nails. (CHUCKLES) Oh boy. I pity the builder. He's very, very, very patient. Yeah. And very, very busy. Things are really starting to move on-site. After six months of having to climb a ladder to access the top floor of the new build, the stairs are finally going into the atrium where the two buildings connect. Nice job. Just needs a little touch-up. I think my stairs are awesome. You just wanna polish them up now, make them all perfect, get rid of everyone's footsteps. But that's just being a bit precious. (CHUCKLES) The stairs are another opportunity to use wooden beams salvaged from their old house. They're just deep enough for us to make a decent stair tread out of. They're solid timber, and it's really nice for us to be able to bring in elements from our old building so that this house is a story about us ` where we've come from and where we're going to. The couple also want to elevate the stairs to a work of art, and Jo has asked the welder to save any leftover steel. So, I've asked him to collect a whole heap of scrap steel that's lying around, and then we're just gonna attach all these fins and such right up the staircase and on to this back wall here as well. It's just wicked. Wow. Moving into the new house for Christmas is still on the cards, according to Johannes and Jo. To be fair, no one else is quite that optimistic, but everyone is working flat out to make it happen. It's crazily busy here. It's nuts. Amidst the craziness, the Lyttelton doors that I helped stain arrive to be installed as internal doors in the atrium. We've had to trim a little bit off the top and the bottom to make them fit into the space. We had them restored. They were in quite bad shape when they came out of Lyttelton, because they'd been there for 120 years, so they'd been quite badly weathered, and they're really heavy. They're, really, really, really heavy, but, man, they're nice. Deliveries are coming thick and fast. Stove. Are you gonna be able to get it past the scaffolding, though? Jo's on a roll ` and loving it. So, we've got the range hood delivered with my kick-ass oven. So exciting. And now we've got the fridge to pull in. Yay. OK. Fridge. The new stairs are getting a heavy workout. (MAN SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) Is that the beer fridge? (INDISTINCT SPEECH) Johannes and Jo have decided to paint some of the walls in the new build black. It's even black here, in the master bedroom. Do it in single roll, continuous rolls going up and down so you've got no joins in it. Yeah. That's it. You got it. You're an expert. CHUCKLES: An expert. Do you think it's black enough? I am very happy. Very, very happy. It's a wicked colour. One of the inspirations for the black came from old photo albums. As photographers, we're always looking at these things. They have the black pages, and then you see the photograph, but you actually never see the page; you see the photograph itself, and that's what we're trying to achieve in here. We don't want you to see the walls; we want you to see what we're presenting on the walls. OK in theory. I look forward to seeing it in practice. Something I can appreciate right now, though, are the wooden features going into the new build, inspired by all the different timbers in the Red House. Watch out for the top. This is the huge block of matai they got from the West Coast, lovingly sanded over many hours by Johannes. Roll it over. Shiny side down. Shiny side down. Yep. (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) What else needs to be done to it? Uh, it needs a lot more sanding. I was still deciding whether I get rid of these black marks. These are all water marks. But it's a lot of work. You gonna help Dad, Ida? Do you like it? Yeah. Do you wanna scratch your name into it? Hmm. Maybe. (LAUGHS) No. (LAUGHS) The Christmas deadline is only days away, and so much still has to be done, but Johannes and Jo are determined to move in. They have to; they can't afford to stay in their rented accommodation. Budget ` we've blown budget. You try to make it not happen. However, things always cost a lot more money than you expect. I'm completely over paying rent, so we just need to draw the line and be here. Gonna be in here in six days. Christmas Eve will be our first night. It feels a little bit overwhelming, because not everything's going to be as perfect as one would hope when they make the decision to move in, but we've been trying to get in here since June ` every month since June ` and it's just been delayed, delayed, delayed, so we just need to draw the line and just go, 'We're coming.' We're gonna be on-site, and we're gonna live in a bit of chaos for a couple of months, then that's just the way it will be. So have you packed? (LAUGHS) LAUGHS: I haven't packed anything. (REFLECTIVE MUSIC) I first met Johannes and Jo when I started Grand Designs, about four years ago, and I didn't think their project would take anywhere near as long as it has, and, I'm sure, neither did they. But through sheer determination and a great sense of humour, they've managed to hang on to their creative vision. I wonder, though, will it all be enough? Well, we're about to find out. (ANTICIPATIVE MUSIC) First impressions ` two complementary houses, but still very distinct. You'd be forgiven for thinking they're not connected, but they are. Hello. Good to see you. (LAUGHS) Lovely to see you both. Hello. Mwah. Wowee. Congratulations, guys. This is gorgeous. Isn't it? I can't believe that I'm back here after all these years,... Oh. (CHUCKLES) ...but it's lovely to see the house in all its red glory. Glory. (CHUCKLES) CHUCKLES: Yeah. Come inside. Welcome. The main entrance is still through the Red House, but its back wall is gone, replaced by an atrium that seamlessly connects the old and the new into one house. The two Red House rooms have been transformed. One is the couple's photography studio, and the other is a guest bedroom. Gosh, this is lovely. I love the timber in relationship to dark colours. Yup. And where did the chandelier come from? That chandelier we rescued from our building in Lyttelton. The shakes were still happening, and we pulled it out. It was fantastic. (SERENE MUSIC) The staircase is a work of art. This is Jo's monster. (LAUGHTER) This is Jo's monster. It's an exquisite twist of the stair and the light together. I mean, it's a beautiful sculptural piece. I liked having random pieces of steel. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to make something random. (LAUGHTER) All the separations are individual, all the sizes are independent, and all the lengths are different. Cos you can't just put a standard staircase in here. No. No. I'm very pleased you didn't do that. Behind the stairs, on the ground floor, are the family rooms. The master bedroom is dark ` no surprise ` but wood is a star here too. There's light and shade in the bathrooms and his and hers showers. Nice. Oh boy. It's very cool. It's very cool. It feels like I've just entered a kind of cave. A cave? Yeah. In a good way? (LAUGHTER) The use of black in the kitchen is very bold, but it's Johannes and Jo's creative signature, and what it provides is contrast. It's all black, and yet there are these slices of sky and light, and then I love this dance with the timber. I mean, I assume that these are the timbers that we cut down on the West Coast, aren't they? Yes. This is the matai. Oh, and of course, that will be too. Yes. Yes. Yes. The lovely table. I just want to go up and touch it. I mean... Oh, please. Wow. It's just beautiful. Oh God, it's gorgeous. Wow. Wonderful. This is a living room just made for spreading out and relaxing. It's dark ` yes, of course ` but big and cool and charming. And what a view. This fabulous picture window sits exquisitely on that end wall. Well, this particular site, it's all about Cranmer Square and getting that view. It's one of the reasons we live upstairs rather than sleep upstairs. 'I really like the deconstructed bookshelf look. I wonder if it's deliberate.' Oh, you got a nice stack over here. (LAUGHTER) It's organic. There is a bookcase happening, but eventually. 'There's always fun and games with this couple.' Pretty serious office (!) Well, a lot of work goes on here. (CLINKING) Yes, this project has been a bit bumpy over the years ` the many years ` but the end result speaks for itself. This has been a huge journey for you two. A huge journey. Did you have any idea it was gonna be anything like this? It hasn't been an easy journey as such. I mean, would you do it again? Totally. Yeah. Yeah. You've both been, actually, quite stubborn through this process. (LAUGHS) LAUGHS: Have we? We've gotta stop. Absolutely. Oh dear. We were lucky to have a builder who was tolerant of our... let's call it evolving build, pushing for the things that we love and need. It meant that we owned it. Mm. Great thing for us is every now and then, unsolicited, Ida will say to us, 'I love my house. 'I love our house.' There have been a lot of twists and turns in this story as well, and often, they've been about, you know, the tough stuff, like the money. So what did the budget end up as? I don't know. (LAUGHS) I just know we're about 500 over... Yep. ...in the end. 500,000? Yep. And I'm OK with that, cos we've got the things in here that we wanted. All I can say is congratulations, guys, because I just can't believe that you've finally got here. I'd pretty well almost given up. (LAUGHTER) I think the greatest achievement of it is that it's what we wanted it to be. I feel this is our dream. We've made it into our dream. Absolutely. Johannes and Jo have had to cope with many twists and turns on their long journey to reinvent themselves after the Christchurch earthquakes. There have been false starts and dead ends, but they haven't been scared to make tough decisions. For me, though, it's their artistic flair which is what makes this ensemble of old and new so refreshing and such a wonderful place for Ida and her generation to grow up in a brave new Christchurch. (THEME MUSIC) Captions by Maeve Kelly. Edited by Tracey Dawson. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2018 (THEME MUSIC CONTINUES) (INDISTINCT CHATTER) (LAUGHTER)