The BEST episodes of Grand Designs New Zealand
Every episode of Grand Designs New Zealand ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Grand Designs New Zealand!
Architect Tom Webster meets people all over Aotearoa who are challenging architecture, geography, sustainability, technology, and even standard building practices to create innovative, cutting edge homes.
#1 - Dunedin Glasshouse
Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/7/2023
Eternal globetrotter Tessa Kingsbury’s dream is to convert an old Dunedin Sunday school into her forever home, but it comes with a twist – she’s incorporating a glasshouse into the heart of it.
#4 - Mahurangi Pohuehue
Season 8 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/21/2023
On a steep site in the wilds of Mahurangi, just north of Auckland, architect Felicity Brenchly is prepared to do whatever it takes to get their family home built.
#5 - Suspended Glass House
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/18/2019
A site with a river running through it would put most people off. But not Harlem and Nicola who attempt to build a glass-house on a bridge over the water.
#6 - Queenstown: Modern Day Castle
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/30/2016
Christchurch earthquake refugees Andy Macbeth and Jo Denton build a modern-day fortress against the elements in alpine Queenstown.
#7 - 45° House
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/1/2015
Chris meets architect Nic Ballara, who's planning to build a house on a steep 45-degree slope overlooking Wellington. Nic Ballara clearly has a head for heights as he starts to build a family home for him and his wife Callie and their 12-year-old daughter. Nic's site in the earthquake prone city of Wellington is so steep that it looks virtually impossible to build on, however Nic is convinced he has a solution and is determined to build his first home there. A logistical nightmare lies ahead as this Grand Design looks to be an uphill battle throughout.
Watch Now:Amazon
#8 - Grand Tearooms Penthouse
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/14/2020
Auckland couple Bridget and Steve Varney take on the challenge of converting Farmers' grand tea rooms built in 1930 into a New York style loft.
#10 - South Brighton: Earthquake Rebuild
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/13/2016
A terminally ill Christchurch man and his family are determined to stay in South Brighton despite on-going earthquakes, and the fact their house is being built on a sand dune.
#11 - Point Chevalier: The Concreteologist
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/25/2016
Ross plans to create a towering home for his family on the cliffs of Point Chevalier. But after living on site for nearly 10 years, his family is now wondering if he'll ever get their home finished.
#13 - New Plymouth: Hemp Home
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/2/2016
New Plymouth couple Greg and Gayle build one of the first hemp homes in NZ, and spend thousands shielding themselves against what they believe are the ill effects of electromagnetic radiation.
#14 - Waitaki Valley
Season 8 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/12/2023
In the Waitaki Valley, Michael and Olivia Pavelitch discover they have their work cut out for them when they embark on breathing life into an historic rabbiters' cottage.
#15 - Burnt Timber Pavilion
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/11/2019
Shane and Tina Nicholls design a unique family home using Japanese burnt timber and Scandinavian brick, a special memorial garden, views over the gulf, a wine cellar, a pool, and much more – it’s a truly international affair.
#16 - Kapiti Coast: Stilt House
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/16/2016
Predicted sea level rises are not stopping architect Guy Marriage and his extended family from building a DIY Bach, only metres from the high tide mark on Wellington's Kapiti Coast.
#19 - American Barns
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/22/2015
The series finale sees Marty import two old American barns from New York valley, which are raised by heritage builders and merged with a design for a modern home. Timber merchant Marty Verry and his Venezuelan wife Morella have imported two historic New York barn frames that could be considered the oldest buildings in New Zealand. With plans to assemble the barn on the couples' rural site on the outskirts of Auckland, they intend them to become part of a modernist mansion acting as a tribute to the different timber Marty loves. But will the new homes honour the history they are built on or is this Grand Design set to take on a life of its own?
Watch Now:Amazon
#21 - Mangawhai Danish
Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/31/2023
Matthew and Rosemarie Dunning are putting down roots in Mangawhai and have decided to throw convention out the window by embracing their son's intriguing concept of a brick house in a sand dune.
#24 - Northland: Rusty House
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/2016
Steve Wilson and Wendy Grell move from Auckland to the Northland beachside where they plan to build an architectural marvel of corten steel in an unassuming seaside community.
#25 - Ponsonby: French House
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/23/2016
Philippe and Sarah Lods hope to create a modernist home based on Parisian apartments on a rare empty site in the heart of Auckland's historic Ponsonby.