The long-running British TV show, Grand Designs, first aired in 1999 and it wasn't long before it was franchised. In 2010, Grand Designs Australia hit our screens, following ambitious self-builders from across the Land Down Under, as they constructed their dream homes. After 11 seasons, the programme is moving to ABC and will have a brand-new host after it was revealed long-time presenter, Peter Maddison, wouldn't be involved. To celebrate the show, we decided to look back at some of the grandest designs so far, starting with this clever rainwater-harvesting build...
Known for its mild winters and warm, dry summers, Adelaide doesn't see a great deal of rainfall. As long-time residents, Mike Dare and Lowen Partridge had become passionate about conserving water, so they decided to self-build a house in the foothills of the city, around two giant rainwater harvesting tanks – and the results are truly spectacular.
As a structural engineer, Mike took on the task of drafting up plans for the house. He chose to place the custom-designed, 50,000-litre water tanks at the heart of the home, hidden inside internal walls. While the tanks support the house and elevate it off the ground like stilts, its inverted roof acts like a giant funnel, capturing any rainwater. As well as providing the couple with a water supply for their appliances and garden, the tanks also even out the home's internal temperature, helping the couple to reduce their energy bills.
However, thanks to the home's gorgeous design you’d never know the water tanks were there. Light-filled and modern, the house is defined by organic materials and earthy hues – think natural wood, stainless-steel benchtops and frameless glass. In fact, if Mike had his way, the whole house would have been grey. Wanting to maintain control over the project, he acted as engineer, architect and project manager, arranging to have many of the structural elements built off-site in nearby factories.
Laid out over two separate wings – one dedicated to the main bedroom and the other housing the remaining two bedrooms and living areas – the house is free-flowing and comfortable. There's a north-facing lounge, dining room, sunroom, kitchen and a home office with bespoke cabinetry, while the master suite comes with an ensuite and walk-in closet, as well as full-height windows that frame the garden outside.
After overcoming numerous obstacles, including issues with the weather and the build schedule, not to mention Mike's business going broke, the couple finally finished their dream home. Presenter Peter Maddison described the couple's achievement as “a fabulously experimental and brand-new way of living in a house in Australia", stating that he had "never seen anything else like this done before”. After 10 years, the couple decided to wave goodbye in June 2021, selling the house for £909,400 (AUD$1.7m).
The Graceville Container House featured on season five of Grand Designs Australia, back in 2014. Yet despite all the time that has passed, the episode remains one of the most popular of all time. In fact, it was named the 21st best episode of the show, by users of Episode Ninja – not just because of its beauty, but because of the story behind the build.
Todd and Diana Miller already owned a property in Graceville, which they’d bought in 2011. They planned to renovate the house, but not long after moving in, the structure was significantly damaged by the 2011 Queensland floods. The duo then discovered their home insurance didn’t cover the total cost of the damage. They attempted to repair what they could but soon came to the realisation that they needed to start from scratch.
Todd was drawn to shipping containers, due to the speed with which they could be installed, their strength and durability, and their affordable price tag. They wanted to create a spacious home with enough space for their children to play and grow, as well as open areas for entertaining. They worked with Ziegler Build to design and construct the 6,000-square-foot property and opted to incorporate not one, but 31 shipping containers, which cost around £2,100 (AUD$4k) each.
To help render the house flood-proof, the couple decided to install 10 shipping containers on the ground floor, which act as stilts and elevate the property off the floor. On this level, you'll find the garage, a home office, art studio, workshop, gym, bathroom and playroom, while the two upper floors house the open-plan living room, kitchen, three bedrooms, a bathroom, laundry room and study.
There's also an outdoor pool, which can be accessed via sliding glass doors, as well as distinctive details throughout, such as indoor and outdoor graffiti pieces and exposed corrugated walls. Eco-friendly, the property boasts a rainwater collection system and plenty of recycled building materials, such as wood and glass. In total, the couple spent just £214,000 (AUD$400k) on the house, but not long after moving in they decided it was too big for them. They off-loaded the property in June 2014, for £759,600 (AUD$1.4m).
Not all Grand Designs have to be big. This timber-clad, Japanese-inspired home is pared-back and in many ways, simple, but that doesn't mean it isn't impressive. In fact, the uniqueness of the property is what sets it apart, but it's also what made it such a challenge for couple Jenny and Brett.
The couple already owned a Californian-style bungalow, located in Hampton, a suburb of Melbourne, but they soon decided to replace it with something a little bolder. The duo hired architect Tim Jackson of Jackson Clements Burrows, who happens to be Brett’s cousin, to design the wonderful wooden house. "Tim came up with the design concept and what’s great is that Tim understands our easy-going lifestyle and how we live," Brett said of the project.
He designed a home formed from three interconnecting pods, with a pool wrapping around them, giving the impression that it's floating. However, water ended up playing a greater role than anyone expected. After work began, the couple discovered a billabong underneath the foundations. They hadn't known it was there, until the site flooded, following prolonged wet weather. But after a four-month delay, the installation of agricultural drains to divert the water and an outlay of £54,000 (AUD$100k), the project was back on track.
Although they originally planned to clad the house in concrete, the couple soon decided to switch to spotted gum timber. The wood was chosen to enable a double layer of fibreglass insulation, that would keep the home cool during summer and warm throughout winter. In fact, the house is insulated, ventilated and fully-clad in spotted gum. Inside, there are soaring vaulted ceilings, huge expanses of glass and a combination of cosy living areas and vast spaces for entertaining.
There's a broken-plan living area with a snug living room, dining space and gourmet kitchen, five bedrooms and four bathrooms. Outside, the pool takes centre stage, but there's also a lovely pool house and a north-facing deck. The house also boasts hydronic heating, solar-assisted hot water and electronic skylights fitted with rain sensors. In total, the couple spent £917,800 (AUD$1.7m) on the project, moving in in 2012. In March 2020, they decided to say goodbye to the house and sold it for a cool £1.5 million (AUD$2.8m).
When hoteliers Ian McDonald and Rob Wilhelm decided to undertake a self-build, they planned to create a weekend getaway from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne. Their dream was to own a place by the sea, where they could entertain guests without compromising on all the modern conveniences of city living. So, they snapped up a plot in the coastal town of Indented Head, on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula.
The build took place over a 15-month period and their progress was captured on the inaugural series of Grand Designs Australia, back in late 2010. The couple had a construction budget of £971,800 (AUD$1.8m) and with their money, they built a palatial waterside home, defined by its box-like levels and distinctive floating wings. Long-time host, Peter Maddison, said that the couple wasn't "building an understated new home" and that their project was "a Grand Design in its most literal sense".
The incredible Australian home extends almost 6,800 square feet and comes complete with sleek, open-plan living spaces, seven bedrooms and six bathrooms. Many of the rooms open up to exterior patios and balconies, allowing for unobstructed views across Port Phillip Bay. Modern and sleek, the duo chose a simple, metallic colour palette, with plenty of white, grey and charcoal tones, as well as endless windows that allow for light-filled spaces that frame the scenery.
Of course, the couple was keen to entertain at the property, and not wanting to miss out on the luxuries they had come to expect from their Melbourne residence, they decided to kit their new home out with plenty of bells and whistles. There's an underground wellness hub, complete with a resistance swim pool, a hot tub and a sauna, a swanky bar and a 15-seat cinema, all of which can be accessed via a glass elevator.
There's also an incredible rooftop deck, which allows for 360-degree views. Once the house was complete, Ian and Robert decided to turn it into a luxurious holiday home, which they called Starhaven Retreat. In fact, it's now one of Australia’s top bed and breakfasts. In early 2022, the couple opted to sell up and it instantly became the area's most expensive residential home. If you've fallen in love and fancy snapping the place up, then it's still for sale right now for offers over £2.1 million (AUD$3.9m).
This inspiring concrete home was constructed by Sal and Fiona Ribbera, during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic. Opposites in every sense, they struggled to decide where to build their new house. While Sal loves the beach, Fiona confessed to hating the sand. Needing to compromise, Sal was tasked with choosing the location, while Fiona took responsibility for the design. Their progress featured on season 11 of Grand Designs Australia, which aired in February 2023.
The couple bought a bush plot less than two miles from the beach, in the enviable seaside town of Torquay, Victoria, which lies on the iconic Great Ocean Road. Then Fiona hired architect Lachlan Sheppard and worked with him to design a one-of-a-kind, modern retreat formed entirely from hand-poured raw concrete. The brutalist, bunker-like aesthetic divided viewers, but there was a reason for its clean and practical finish. Legally blind, Fiona was keen to create something that was easy to navigate and live in.
The concrete finish also divided the couple and viewers watched as Sal grew increasingly concerned, fearing the house would look like "a giant crypt". He even called it “an above-ground mausoleum”, but Maddison described it as having an ethereal quality – something that we can't help but agree with. Aside from battling with the location and look of their home, the couple also had to contend with Coronavirus setbacks, which expanded their timeline and budget.
Far from being harsh and uncomfortable, the property is decked out with everything the couple could need. There's an open-plan living room, a sleek kitchen with a concealed butler's pantry, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. There are plenty of high-end design details, too. In the lounge alone, there’s a suspended fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows that open the room up to an alfresco dining area. Here, you’ll also find a built-in barbeque and an in-ground swimming pool.
Other highlights include the home's floating concrete beds, electronic blinds, underfloor heating and hand-poured concrete bathtubs. The house was budgeted to cost around £701,850 (AUD$1.3m), but Sal estimated the final figure to be closer to £1.1 million (AUD$2m) when filming wrapped in late 2021. In early 2023, the pair decided to leave Torquay behind and move to Melbourne. The house is now for sale via Aman Realty for £2.1 million (just under AUD$4m).
This compact cabin might be small, but it's certainly mighty. Not only is the property stylish and beautifully crafted, but it's eco-friendly, too. Known as Turners Beach Tree House, the property was crafted by Nigel and Nina Eberhardt, who share a love of the natural environment. Their passion saw them purchase one of the last remaining native bush blocks in Turners Beach, a small seaside town on the north coast of Tasmania. Work began in July 2014, with the Grand Designs Australia cameras capturing every moment.
Keen to ensure their new home complemented its location, the couple used the surrounding bushland to inspire the design, even opting to build it around a beautiful gum tree in the centre of the plot. In fact, the tree literally became the star of the project. As well as building a house that was environmentally sensitive and well connected with the outdoors, the pair also wanted to create a relaxed, beachy feel, which they achieved with natural materials and a free-flowing layout.
In order to protect the tree, Nigel decided to elevate the building off the ground using a series of stilts. This meant they could avoid digging into the roots below and the tree would have room to grow. An ultrasound survey would have been the quickest way to establish the position of the roots, but it proved too pricey for the couple's modest £144,400 (AUD£270k) budget. The only option was to excavate the soil by hand. After four long weeks and a lot of hard work, the timber frame was finally installed.
Spanning just 1,453 square feet, the home is formed from two pods, clad in sheet metal and spotted gum timber. One of the pods contains the lounge, kitchen and dining room, while the other houses three bedrooms and a bathroom. One of the most expensive elements of the project, at £8,560(AUD$16k), was the sliding door that connects the living room to the garden. Nigel described this part of the project as "the most exciting day on-site". To cover the extra costs of the glass, the couple chose to scale down the bathroom.
By September 2015, just a month before their first baby was due, the project was complete. Presenter, Peter Maddison, was highly impressed with the finished home. "This place is a cost-defined creation; a building that has forced its designer to be frugal on every front. They’ve been clever with materials and finishes and stayed within their own boundaries... It’s testament to what is achievable with vision, patience and a minimal budget." Today, the property is a successful Airbnb.
It might look like it was constructed in the 1950s, but this gorgeous mid-century-inspired home was actually built in 2017 by couple Mike and Megan Fishwick. The pair had always dreamt of building their own home and shortly after their third child was born, an incredible plot in Suffolk Park, near world-famous Byron Bay, provided them with the perfect opportunity. Their journey was captured for season eight of Grand Designs Australia.
The couple snapped up the plot, which lies at the base of a nature reserve, and began thinking about the design. The plot was of modest size, but they also wanted the house to be modest, too, since their budget was just £160,500 (AUD$300k). As professionals with creative jobs, the couple had the skills needed to design the property. "A house is sort of my ultimate design achievement. I figured, designing and drawing a house couldn’t be too different from designing a pair of shorts! In the end, I was right," Mike told Dwell.
The couple decided they wanted to include only what they needed and used their time living in a caravan as inspiration. In fact, the family of five even lived in one during the build. With a passion for mid-century design, they were also influenced by the less-is-more approach of German-American architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Amazingly, Mike undertook every element himself, from drawing up the plans, to creating the structural engineering drawings. He even built the home from scratch, without the help of a professional contractor.
The 1,600-square-foot house was designed around a pod and features no central walls, allowing for a light-filled and free-flowing layout. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house comes complete with a kitchen decorated in handcrafted tiles, a spacious dining room, a laundry room and a lounge with a central office nook. There are plenty of gorgeous design details throughout, too, including timber panelling, exposed sandstone rock walls, custom concrete wash basins and clerestory windows.
Another unique feature is the cantilevered main bedroom, which hovers over the main section of the house. Outside, there's also a pool, an entertainment deck and a carport. Presenter Peter Maddison called the house “a uniquely Aussie version of a modernist building,” and said the couple had "put so much energy into creating a most unlikely building given their budget." The house sold in August 2020, and while we don't know the exact sale price, we do know the original guide was £1.2 million (AUD$2.2m).
After 11 seasons, it was announced that Grand Designs Australia was moving from Foxtel to ABC, and that Peter Maddison wouldn't be going with it. The architect took to Instagram to share his top 10 favourite homes and told The Sydney Morning Herald: "I feel like the brand is tied to me, and leaving it is difficult. It’s lasted a lot longer than I thought it would. It’s been an incredible journey.” This amazing modern mansion was designed by the man himself and sold in April 2023 for around £3.2 million (AUD$6m). So, we can't wait to see what Maddison designs next. As for the show, watch this space...
Loved this? Follow us on Facebook for more amazing architecture