Grand Designs Shipping Container House New Zealand

TV3

Grand Designs - Container House

This review was first published in November, 2016, after the first screening of the Grand Designs NZ "container house" build. The episode screened again last night on Three and remains one of the most interesting builds we have seen.

Stuff heard from the owners David Fitzmaurice and Joyce Wee two years after the show aired. They said they were still working through their "to do" list.

"Having settled in, as a family we are just enjoying living in the space we created," Fitzmaurice said. "The open-plan layout is exactly how we envisaged things right back at concept.

MEDIAWORKS

Built from 20 shipping containers, the latest Grand Designs build in West Melton, Christchurch, suffered a major budget blowout and copped some criticism from host Chris Moller.

"Initial concerns in design around moisture issues, have been shown to be a non issue because of the open space. The interior is actually a very dry environment. Power bills are very low for a large house."

READ MORE:
* Grand Designs NZ: Castle rises above ruins
* Grand Designs NZ: The French connection
* Grand Designs NZ: Ode to classic Kiwi bach

THE REVIEW:

What were they thinking? That's a question we've heard from Grand Designs NZ host Chris Moller several times in this new series. Ambitious, even crazy ideas are embraced because that's what makes great television.

MEDIAWORKS

Owners Joyce Wee and David Fitzmaurice, shown here with Grand Designs host Chris Moller, moved into the house with children Aidan and Sari.

But the question seems even more justified in this episode featuring a Christchurch-build made from shipping containers. So much so, you wonder just how much research this couple did before setting out.

Engineer and construction project manager David Fitzmaurice (good credentials there) and his wife Joyce Wee love the idea of building something "unconventional". But mostly, they want a home of their own, and like most young couples there's that economic question – how do you get more bang for your buck?

And their answer is, buy cheap containers at $3000 each and do it yourself. If you want a bigger house, you just add on a couple more. "We would like a loft-style space where the children can ride their bikes from one end of the house to the other," says Wee. But this couple learn the hard way that designing and building a house isn't as straightforward as it looks when you're designing it with the kids' Lego blocks.

MEDIAWORKS

On the inside, the containers and structural elements are exposed.

Their ideas are interesting. As architect Moller points out, in Christchurch shipping containers have been used for post-earthquake disaster relief, emergency shelters and a container mall, but not so much for family homes. But Fitzmaurice and Wee are nothing if not optimistic – Wee has even established a garden on their West Melton plot.

In order to keep the family together while Fitzmaurice is working long hours into the night preparing the foundations, the family move into temporary containers shipped to the site. So they get a taste of life in containers, which unsurprisingly turns out to be very narrow. cluttered and claustrophobic. They end up having to survive two freezing winters like this, because of serious delays.

BUDGET BLOWOUT

And this is where it gets interesting. The budget blowouts pile up quickly. Firstly, there are problems with the foundations and the concrete pour, which may be a knock to Fitzmaurice's confidence. As Moller says, "So far, building himself has proved a false economy."

This is where the costs come in: They call in the professionals to help; they decide to make it bigger, using 20, not 16 containers; they need more structural steel than planned (an extra $100,000); and then they change their mind about the insulated cladding that was going to wrap the entire house. Which is good, because hiding the containers wasn't the greatest plan, architecturally. "Surely, you would want to celebrate them," says Moller.

But when you change your mind during a building, costs ramp up. The decision to change the cladding means a new set of drawings from designer James Kohler. It's just not that simple. All the door and window detailing has to be redesigned. And then they have to wait, and wait for a new building consent.

There's also the cost of the insulation, which was developed by NASA for the space shuttle programme. It's a clever polyurethane foam that expands and completely seals the inside of the containers. But as Moller rightly points out, they don't have NASA's budget.

STILL NOT FINISHED

Not surprisingly, they don't get it finished before they move into the ground floor. Moller turns up for the reveal one day later and is less than enthusiastic about the green-painted exterior. "It looks more like a warehouse than a family home. I do think shipping containers should be celebrated as raw-found objects rather than camouflaged like this."



But it's all OK on the inside. Here, the containers can be appreciated for their raw beauty. The couple have exposed the cross bracing and the steel joints between the containers, and they look amazing. And it is huge.

With more costs to come they have almost doubled their $450,000 budget. But, despite huge sacrifices, they are in their own house and they seem happy. "You only have one life," says Wee.

Weirdly, as a viewer, you don't know whether to feel sorry for this couple, or thrilled for them.

The final shot shows the children on their wheels riding from one end of the house to the other. Another box ticked.



Grand Designs Shipping Container House New Zealand

Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/86113672/grand-designs-nz-shipping-container-house-proves-ambitious

Share this post