Grand Designs NZ

Kawau. A Hauraki Gulf island with an illustrious history looks to be an idyllic family retreat but building there proves a logistical nightmare.

Bendigo. A Central Otago vineyard is the breath-taking site for a multi-generational home bringing an extended family back together with the matriarch’s own journey front of mind.

Earnscleugh. A well-resourced couple who fall in love with a rundown Central Otago “castle” find restoring a heritage building is anything but romantic.

Tauranga Hilltop. In the Western Bay of Plenty, a Modernist-inspired house with its own art gallery is the brainchild of a cement industry veteran who came to architecture later in life.

Earnscleugh. A well-resourced couple who fall in love with a rundown Central Otago “castle” find restoring a heritage building is anything but romantic.

Whanganui Mid Century. Season Finale: a rambunctious retired bricklayer builds one final house, for himself and his ever patient wife on their farm near Wanganui.

Loburn Lifestyle. A couple with peaceful retirement in mind, plan a rustic retreat in North Canterbury inspired by a Stealth Bomber fighter.

An old tennis court in Paraparaumu is set to become a couple’s new family home but the project lobs up a series of backhanders.

Lake Tahoe. Two psychologists undergo their own stress tests building a Mountain Modern home overlooking Otago Harbour.

The dream of a sustainable rammed earth house at Waikanae risks crumbling in the face of building delays and steadily rising costs.