List of Grand Designs Australia episodes

After spending 2 years building his dream home in Callignee, Victoria, the worst bushfires in Victoria's history (Black Saturday) burnt the home of Chris Clarke to the ground. After recovering from the shock, Chris decides to rebuild his home on the same site, and the idea of Callignee 2 is born. Follow Chris on his journey to build his spectacular new home in the Australian bush.

Architect Domenic Alvaro and his partner Sue Bassett purchase a tiny corner car park (7m x 6m) and turn it into 220 square metres of fantastic living space. Despite a rapid pace of construction using prefabricated concrete components, their vertical build faces many interesting challenges. The design won a 2011 World Architecture Festival award

Jan and Ed Gillman painstakingly restore a tumbled-down weatherboard (one of the oldest homes in the region) in Southport, to its former glory.

Julie and Patrick Eltridge purchase an asbestos-riddled house in Sydney's beachside Clovelly and in its place build a modern architecturally designed home using a Melbourne firm of 'pre-fab' builders, who custom build them a modular home that is trucked to Sydney and assembled on site.

Trevor and Francoise Sullivan (and their friends) build a cyclone proof tropical tree house that is windowless and based on the shape of a 50 cent piece.

On their 4,000 square metre block, Steve and Lisa Morley live the American dream and build a Hampton's style home in the Gold Coast hinterlands.

Engineer Peter Riedel and his wife Mary purchase an 1870s church for $20,000 and re-build it into a beautiful home.

Drew Muirhead builds a spectacular Balinese resort style mansion in leafy Cottage Point. The end result has a private beach with boatshed and speedboat, but the journey to the finish line isn't easy with the slope of the block and access to it posing a number of building challenges.^[2]

Ian McDonald and Rob Wilhelm build a spectacular $1.8 million dollar home overlooking Port Phillip Bay on the Bellarine Peninsula.

Over the years, Nick and Anna McKimm have almost made a hobby of renovating, selling and moving on. But with three young children, they're ready to lay down permanent roots and build their dream home. A sleek, modernist, 60's inspired family residence on a large, half acre block in Melbourne's bayside suburb, Brighton.

Ten years ago retired Civil Engineer Bernie Ryan and his wife Ruth, packed up their three kids and moved to Paynesville, a charming seaside town in Victoria's popular Gippsland Lakes region. Bernie's a tinkerer with a huge shed filled with crazy projects started in a flurry, but left unfinished.

Anne Potter loves all things retro – the fashion, the cars... even the hairstyles. So ten years ago, it was no surprise that she and husband Michael snapped up a modest 60's bungalow overlooking the harbour in Sydney's Five Dock.

Kyneton, a country town in Victoria's Macedon Ranges, is known for historic architecture and bustling farmers markets. It's the perfect place for foodies Rod Moore and Di Foggo – who are embarking on a huge life change. They're farewelling a classic Victorian home with traditional furnishings and building a brand new, cutting edge flat pack house on a rugged escarpment overlooking the racecourse.

Daniel Leipnik and Andrew Preston have long cherished the dream of a laid-back, barefoot life in the tropics. And they have found the ideal location at Trinity Beach near Cairns in Far North Queensland. Their ambitious new home will grace a hillside block bordering a World Heritage rainforest and overlooking the Coral Sea.

For nine years, Michael and Sandy Rutledge have been making the weekend pilgrimage to their lush 20 acre property in Gladysdale, an hour east of Melbourne. Now they're leaving the city for a permanent tree change and building a new family home on their acreage.

Life in Adelaide, the driest capital city in Australia, has made Mike Dare and wife Lowen Partridge passionate about conserving water. Like many people, they decided to put a couple of water tanks in their new house. But these are tanks with a difference.

Art teacher and sculptor Laurie Smith and his wife Renee Hoareau, a trained artist turned web designer, are both zealous art lovers; so joy of joys when, after years of searching they found the ideal block to create their 'sculpture in space'.

Adventurous, outdoorsy types, Greg Kay and Trish Knight, live in the ideal spot to enjoy nature – right on the waterfront in Hobart's exclusive Battery Point. The plan is to subdivide, sell the heritage cottage at the front of the block and build a new house at the back, facing the water. But councils have a way of altering even the best laid plans – and after several set backs and a re-think, Greg and Trish find themselves embarking on an epic upsizing adventure.

Edd & Amanda lost everything when bushfires swept through Steels Creek. Determined to stay with the land they love, they're building a concrete bunker embedded in the landscape with one side facing the outside world.

Victoria's high country is the idyllic location of Pamela & Stuart's quaint little weekender but with a permanent move here looming, it's time to upsize. Will their new outward focussing house, have the same charm?

Jenny & Brett are replacing their loved Californian Bungalow with a sculptural, Japanese style all timber house with wrap-around pool. Pure dedication ensures this uniquely challenging build triumphs despite the challenges.

Eco conscious entertainers Claire and Lisa adore their hobby farming lifestyle on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, but the cute 1930s beach shack they've long shared with two pugs has lost its once savoured charm. They're upgrading and building a sustainable, modernist, entertainers' home that blends sophisticated design elements with rammed earth, recycled materials and raw finishes. It all sounds glamorous and straightforward but with a zero contingency budget what happens when a wet winter meets an insidious clay soil?

Tyrone & Hailey follow the advice of a feng shui expert or 'energy ecologist' throughout construction of their new house. An owner-built labour of love, their passive solar building has a curved living roof planted with native grasses.

Max and Mariella have been planning to relocate to Bryon Bay since the birth of their daughter Ruby. As successful property developers, an ambitious build shouldn't be a problem – but handing over control to a local building team is harder than they thought. From the outset they make fundamental changes to the design making it a headache for the builder and for Max. Something has to give – especially when the bank learns the house they're loaning money on isn't quite the house being built.

Brett and Rees are the proud parents of three young boys and desperately need more space. They love their inner west community in Sydney's Annandale, so the plan is to build on the small empty allotment behind their apartment. The first sod has barely been turned when one of the heritage buildings on their boundary is in danger of collapsing. Exhausted by ongoing battles and a build that's months behind schedule – will Brett & Rees have enough grit and determination to see their project through to completion?

James & Helen plan to capture breathtaking Barossa views in their elegant new home. 60 metres long, 1 room wide and virtually all glass, it looks straightforward on paper. The complicated part is building it.

There's nothing flimsy about Brunella & Carlo's contemporary home in Ocean View. It's 'semi brutalist' architecture designed to last and driven by Brunella's passion for concrete.

After eight years of planning, Melbourne couple Glenn and Kate Morris are finally making a start on their striking, sustainable 'sand dune' house near Inverloch on Victoria's Gippsland coastline.

Greg and his partner knock down their old brick home to create a new one, with each brick being individually coloured.

A multi-million dollar mansion built on a difficult hillside block of land.

Kerri and Judi want to construct an adobe style building with clay rendered walls and exposed timber in Hornsby Heights, NSW.

An inner city house on a hidden block of land with no street frontage, built behind terrace houses.

Chris and his family bought a 4.9m wide spot of land next to their existing house on which to expand onto to create a sustainable inner city home.

The Bayfields build a house for their family of 6 on the highest point on their 1000-acre property.

A family of 3 knock down their house in the prestegous Sydney suburb of Hunters hill to, at the surprise of their neighbours, build a smaller house. The house will feature a large floating concrete slab with hanging gardens.

A couple move from their home in Northern Australia to build their new home in the harsh environment of King Island in Bass Strait.

Self confessed hippies Cole and Jane Bradshaw bought a thin sliver of land on an exceptionally steep site only a landscaper could love, in the hilly suburb of Dynnyrne in Hobart …… a place they chose as much for the tight knit community it sits in, as for the location itself.

An experimental three storey house made entirely from 31 new shipping containers.

The single longest build in Grand Designs Australia's history. This 6 year build was all about getting their dream house absolutely perfect.

An architect, Ariane Prevost, at the peak of her career, puts it aside to design and build a house for herself and her husband Neil.

After 30 years as a civil engineer, Joe Cato sells his building business to spend more time with his kids and build a new house. This house will be completed entirely by rammed earth construction.

Some people have the ability to see beyond the function of an object – to see it as a work of art – and it is that premise that has driven Melbourne doctors, Ian and Ann Howard, to create a home like no other. Their plan is to build a 3-storey house clad entirely with water tanks – massive 2-metre-high H-shaped black plastic beasts that will form the skin of their new house.

After years working abroad, Sarah and English born husband Alistair Brodie-Fraser decided to relocate back to Sarah's home town of Toowoomba in Queensland. This time the move will be permanent – close to Sarah's extended family. But with Sarah's father being German, her mother Scottish and Alistair's connection with the UK, memories of Europe were bound to have some influence in the design of their new house.

When Jason Bretell and Jennifer Pancari first set eyes on a dilapidated old bluestone cottage in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Williamstown, it was love at first sight. The 150-year-old derelict structure was left almost frozen in time with decaying tools, utensils, and other remnants amongst the ruins – bits and pieces Jason and Jen hope to salvage as they bring the cottage back to life.

The brief to their architect was simple. A home that not only makes the very best of its location, but is truly unique. In short, as different as possible from the traditional ranch style and Queenslander neighbours.

Like many people, Dean and Sherril Lamb yearn for a simpler existence, for them and their three children. But unlike most people, they're actually going to try to make it happen. They've sold their successful fruit shop and home in Warragul and bought 40 acres in Pipers Creek in country Victoria; all in the pursuit of total self sufficiency.

Before Matt McLelland's wife Anne died six years ago, they'd been looking for a rural property to build on – a place to call home for them and for their four adult children to come to visit. So when Matt stumbled across 40 acres in central Victoria with spectacular views to Mt Alexander's granite hill side, he knew he'd found the spot.

Artistic brothers bond over a spectacular one bedroom creation at Yackandandah.

Art and Troy are swapping out their life running a grand old Bendigo bed and breakfast for a bold new and dramatically modern enterprise.

A couple who are building a fire proof, sustainable, non toxic house at Kinglake, an hour out of Melbourne.

While in the inner city suburb of East Melbourne in Victoria, a very small block is set to make way for a three storey totally green home with geo-thermal heating and cooling and a rooftop garden and spa. Photographer Ralph Alfonso has a very strong sense of how precious our environment is and how little space we really need to live in. His downsized style of living focuses on being as frugal as possible, using a ground-breaking and innovative environmental design. The thing is… the house footprint measures just 5 × 4 metres, making it grand in design, although miniature in size.

Mark and Karen Bartkevicius spent two years pursuing the sale of an old electric substation in Launceston, Tasmania, which they then renovated into a modern home, whilst still keeping the charm of the original building intact.

One of the most distinctive builds of the season takes us to a beautiful vineyard setting just over half an hour from Adelaide. Tailored specifically for new winemakers – opera singer Cate Foskett and her husband Nick, a Silicon Valley whiz kid – the Max Pritchard designed home is in the shape of a leaf, curved on both sides with a spine stone wall running through the middle. A two story 'song tower' with a library on the ground floor and a singing studio on the top floor formed the genesis of the design.

Set in an average suburban street in North Balgowlah, this Jetson's worthy pad – with diagonal structural steel base, floating boxed bedroom, concealed garage, crazy paving, and Tex Mex-meets-Palm Springs inspired garden, promises to push the boundaries.

Draftsman Nigel Eberhardt is a conservationist at heart – a passion he shares with partner Nina, a school teacher. Their love for the natural environment saw them purchase one of the last remaining native bush blocks in Turners Beach, a beachside suburb brimming with neat houses and manicured lawns, on Tasmania's north coast, where they build a house around the already established trees.

Canberra couple Barbara and Bill Coyle have been lucky enough to live in houses designed by Australia's best known architects. They love modernist architecture so they engaged the right architect to design them something 70's. Bill an orthopaedic surgeon, has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Their new house with its curved roofline and glass entrance is designed for the future when he'll be in a wheelchair.

In the Melbourne suburb of Northcote, the Skipping Girl Vinegar Factory was a siren call for sustainable architect, Adrian Light. But old buildings have a way of resisting change and this one is no exception. Adrian has big plans to turn what is essentially a four storey red brick warehouse with 20 huge concrete vinegar vats into a four bedroom sustainable home for his family. At every stage he is confronted with the realities of reworking a stubborn old, wet factory. As the months turn into years this really is a question of who will win?

Set in historic Homewood House in Surrey, England, Grand Designs Australia host Peter Maddison and Grand Designs host Kevin McCloud sit down with a cup of tea and an old fashioned slide slow to reminisce about the design features of each of the ten homes, selected from the past six seasons. The design gurus talk cladding, tiles and form, and with whiskey in hand, engage in some gentle banter over each other’s take on the architecture of their favourite builds. While the special looks over the past, it also serves as a teaser for the upcoming seventh season.

Brendan and Penelope have dreams of a multi-tiered, multi-million dollar home, complete with infinity pool on the side of a cliff in Bondi. But when they constantly change plans mid build, will it ever be finished?

Sydney couple Phil and Ariana want an adventurous house, something cutting edge that hasn't been done before. This special house will cantilever out from their block and overlook the water at Maianbar.

Inland from Noosa in a lush tropical landscape sits Nick and Nicole's sail house. They have a daring design which they hope will look like a yacht moored on dry land and provide them with a true adventure in paradise.

Anglican Reverends Neil and Ruth have long harboured a desire to build their own home in the style of a Tudor farm house featuring timber boards and a church-like interior of hand-crafted exposed structural beams.

GP Zewlan and her electrician husband Tom, want an architect designed home in a great location on shoestring budget. Working within a tenuous loan framework, what they create is inspiring.

Architect Tim Hill has made his name designing small, radically shaped, timber houses. Now it's time for Tim's family to up-size to a new house that will be curvaceously shaped like a foot.

Set on a small block overlooking the Southern Ocean, this three-pod home straddles a pair of four-meter high sand dunes on the protected Aldinga Scrub conservation area on the South Australian coast.

Six years ago Louise and Steve bought two acres of a rambling English garden in the Adelaide hills. Using the local stone their dream home will be a rustic two storey stone farm house with a modern twist.

Steve Minon has a fascination for things Japanese. He fell in love with the work of an iconic Japanese architect Yo Shimada, who he contacted to design a house for him.

Brisbane based architects Donovan Hill, helped Trace and Ronnen create the most original grand design, incorporating a giant greenhouse that encloses a house, garden, stables and animal pens.

Doug and Yvette have lived on their idyllic 10 acre property in the Gold Coast for the last two years. On a whim they bought a 100 year old house, that will now make the 130 km journey to its new home on the back of a truck.

With his own machinery and help from family and friends, Mike plans to build a large spotted gum clad home, in an off grid, koala filled paradise. However, he faces the challenge of transporting the materials via barge.

Phillip lives in a quirky cluster of buildings -a shed and a heritage listed windmill. With the help of his architect friend Greg, they will link the historic structures into a contemporary, cohesive whole.

When it comes to his family home, IT engineer Damien wants it filled with every hi tech feature. Computer controlled blinds, a two storey spiral glass staircase, and a custom air powered laundry chute.

In the bush ranger territory of the Strathbogie Ranges, Eddie and Dot dream of a home with a magnificent 360 degree view. Can they work around the huge granite boulders to achieve their dream?

Lori and Morgan are building a funky modern house on a tight suburban site. This family home will have a lot fun elements including a trapeze net, car parking stacker and a paper plane garden sculpture.

Stephen has spent the last 15 years at the helm of his own construction company building homes for other people. Now with his first child on the way, he's finally building his own, and the plan is to make it grand.

Tony and Tania want a million dollar house on a $400,000 budget. Working off handshake deals with the architect and builder, will their dream home be finished?

Alice is a long term fan of the small house movement and on a sloping site facing the Southern Ocean. She's creating a petite 40 square metre pod, offering all she needs and nothing more.

Tabitha and Chris always dreamt of living in the forest. They bought 120 acres of rainforest in Toolangi and are building a farmhouse that will be a sustainable, economical, fire-proof and completely off grid.

Peter is building an underground eco bunker that's self-sufficient, sleek and completely one of a kind. From the outside it will eventually look like a bush garden, but below ground, a man cave.

Mike and Megan, a passionate pair of creatives are attempting to build a modernist house on a modest footprint. Mike designed the house himself to include only what they need, and only what they use.

David and Sarah are in love with Mt Tamborine, the place they were married 22 years ago. They're now about to build a long-awaited home-away-from-home there, on lush mountain acreage boasting a rainforest and creek.

Barbara and Craig have built two companies from the ground up, so when they decided to embark on their dream home, it wasn't surprising they threw out the rule book and decided to do it their way, with a building system that's untested.

When Rob and Sally buy land for their new home, they are faced with endless challenges. The build must withstand the elements, celebrate the amazing views and blend effortlessly into the surroundings. Is it possible?

David and Jenny have a dream to live in a super-modern terrace house in a traditional suburb. But their daring plan to create a three-storey home really pushes stress levels and finances to the limit.

Matt and Eloise leave Melbourne for Tasmania. But the budget for their build means Matt has to do most of the work himself. An injury, pregnancy and a giant Great Dane puppy all add to the chaos!

Perth couple Angelo and Kasi love the bulky concrete buildings from the 1950s. But when they see the plans for their new family home, there are a few surprises. Will they embrace the unique design?

Simon and Lauren want to convert a tiny 150-year-old church into their family home. This means honouring the history of the church while creating a modern house – will they succeed?

Dion and Turi have big plans but a limited budget when they build a new, harbourside home. As the daring build, with a lap pool running through it, becomes all-consuming, there are doubts they will finish.

Joe and Hayley design high-end homes for others, but this is their chance to build their own. The curved, bold design includes a monumental staircase and a full-sized tennis court – but is it too ambitious?

Marc and Felicity have dreams of building a non-toxic, passive home and after years of work, the unthinkable happens – a fire sweeps through their beloved home just as they are about to move in. Will their dreams be shattered forever?

Trevor and Jeanette are looking to build a very special home close to nature in which Trevor can move about easily in his wheelchair. When a 15 acre block with river frontage comes on the market, they pounce.

After a fire destroyed the much-loved homestead on Alistair and Belinda’s dairy farm, they embark on a bold new project to create a comfortable home that looks like a dairy shed, complete with silos for bedrooms.

Building a big house in inner city Melbourne is a tricky business. But architect Annalise and project manager Kim have a plan to turn their 1850s terrace into a multi-storied modern home with a triple car-stacker.

Gary and Clare left the hustle and bustle of Sydney for a more peaceful pace with plans of building a spaceship-like domed house, reminiscent of the beautiful vaulted structures seen in Europe.

Lynne and Paul have found a beautiful stretch of coastal wilderness with panoramic views over the Tasman Sea. With plans to build a huge modern home, Paul will project manage while living onsite.

Retirees and childhood sweethearts Liz and Warren have taken on a hundred-acre Macadamia farm in Byron Bay hinterland, with grand plans to build an epic five-bedroom Mediterranean style villa-cum-castle.

Tani and Tim have plans to build a medieval 'earth castle' on their 60 acre property. Built into the sides of a man-made dam, there are plans for a drawbridge, turret, underground tunnels and even a moat.

Architect Ben and artist Tania decide to get creative with a tiny discarded scrap of land in one of North Melbourne's grittier back lanes. Can their grand dreams materialise from their not-so-grand budget?

Bel and John are building a radical underground house on 25 spectacular acres at Whittlesea, in Victoria’s Plenty Valley – so named for its fertile farmland and magnificent views.

Fiona and Sal are a match made in heaven. He loves the beach but she hates sand, but their biggest challenge to date is agreeing on the location and design of their new home!

For Anita and Kris, warehouse living was a dream after raising their children in Sydney’s South. So when a 100-year-old building known as the Newton Hat Factory comes to market, they jump in.

Dennis and Karen have long dreamed of living in the wilderness and in 2013 they finally bought their perfect bush block in Clarence, a tiny pocket of the spectacular Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. However bushfires are an ongoing threat and designing a house to withstand them is a challenge. He sets about refurbishing seven giant shipping containers into his and Karen's new home.

Having spent two years scouting Australia on the hunt for the perfect block, Catherine and Mick settle of 50 acres atop the spectacular rolling hills of South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula.

For Dr Shiva Gunapu and his psychologist wife Rima, incorporating rich colours of their Indian heritage is an essential element for their new home.

Electrican Mick takes on the challenge of a lifetime when he and artist wife Belynda decide to build their dream modernist home in the bucolic Dooralong Valley, on the NSW Central Coast.

Constructing and underground acropolis in the desert town of Coober Pedy is an ambitious undertaking, but when Paul’s parents retire, he wants to build them the ultimate 'underground Greek mansion'.