0:00:02 > 0:00:06I've been picked up from airports in taxis before but never had to go to a jetty to be picked up by a boat.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14'He's Piers Taylor, an award-winning architect.'
0:00:14 > 0:00:19This building is so tactile and just rich, materially.
0:00:19 > 0:00:20Woo-hoo-hoo!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22'And she's Caroline Quentin,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25'acclaimed actress and passionate property developer.'
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Ah, I've been expecting you, Mr Bond!
0:00:29 > 0:00:34'We've been given the keys to some of the most incredible houses in the world...'
0:00:34 > 0:00:37It's chock full of surprises, isn't it?
0:00:37 > 0:00:38SHE SCREAMS
0:00:38 > 0:00:40'..to discover the design, innovation,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44'passion and endurance needed to transform architectural vision
0:00:44 > 0:00:46'into an extraordinary home.'
0:00:46 > 0:00:49If this was Hollywood, I'd be snogging you now.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53'Together, we'll be travelling the globe...'
0:00:53 > 0:00:56- Oh, look down there!- I would, but I'm trying not to kill us.
0:00:56 > 0:00:57You look ahead.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01'..meeting the architects and owners who have taken on the challenge of
0:01:01 > 0:01:04'building unconventional homes in demanding locations.'
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Just another day on the wing of a 747.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11'Whether it's navigating the logistics of constructing a house on top of a
0:01:11 > 0:01:13'remote mountain...'
0:01:13 > 0:01:18Why would you build a house where you can only get there by cable car?
0:01:18 > 0:01:21'..negotiating the ancient trees of a fragile forest...'
0:01:21 > 0:01:23You never see a building this close to the trees.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25That's six inches away.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27'..having a sea view whilst perched on the edge of a
0:01:27 > 0:01:30'dramatic coastal shoreline...'
0:01:30 > 0:01:33I'd love to know how you actually built this on what appears to be a sort
0:01:33 > 0:01:35of vertical cliff face.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39'..or excavating the earth to build a home deep underground.'
0:01:39 > 0:01:41There is always a moment when you feel fear.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Nature is never to come back the same way.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46No-one had ever built something like this before.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47It's a tightrope you walk.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49It can go spectacularly wrong.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01Soaring high above sea level, remote mountain living offers peace,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04tranquillity and stunning vistas.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07You don't come across views like that more than once in a lifetime.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11It is somewhere that, once seen, it would never be forgotten.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14But building a home at altitude exposed to the elements,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17often with no running water or even roads,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20is an endurance test only the bravest take on.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22How on earth did you get...
0:02:23 > 0:02:25..this house up a mountain?
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Piers and I will be travelling from the Southern Alps of New Zealand to
0:02:30 > 0:02:32the peaks of the Swiss Alps.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37This is a building that you need to be able to batten down the hatches of.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42- It's an antidote as well to the frilly oompah houses all round, isn't it?- Yeah, I think so.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46And from the heat of the desert ranges of Arizona
0:02:46 > 0:02:48to the coastal mountains of California...
0:02:49 > 0:02:51..discovering what it takes to design,
0:02:51 > 0:02:56build and live in the world's most extraordinary mountain homes.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59At any point, did you think, I've made a terrible mistake here,
0:02:59 > 0:03:00- I've employed a madman?- I did.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Did you? Did you?
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- Did you?- At which point?- When it was too late.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07THEY LAUGH
0:03:16 > 0:03:18The first stop on our mountainside adventure
0:03:18 > 0:03:20takes us to the City of Angels.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27But we're not here to see the sights.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Piers and I are leaving Downtown LA behind and winding high into the
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Santa Monica Mountains,
0:03:36 > 0:03:41where one home owner built her dream home from the most unthinkable reused
0:03:41 > 0:03:42building material.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52OK, hang on. Oh, no.
0:03:52 > 0:03:53That's wrong.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54California, we're here.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57Or over here?
0:03:57 > 0:04:00You're looking at Arizona, aren't you?
0:04:00 > 0:04:03The woman who owns this house and has built this house
0:04:03 > 0:04:06spent years looking for the right plot of land.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08- She did.- I mean, 15 years.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11- 15 years.- But she did look all over the world.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13All over the world, as long as it was within an hour of a city.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16She obviously thinks she's found the place to be,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19with views of the sea and the mountain.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21- It's living the dream, isn't it? - Living the dream.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27The owner of our first mountainside retreat wanted a building with
0:04:27 > 0:04:32feminine curves that would sit lightly on this coastal mountain range.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39So her architect looked to the skies and found inspiration in the most
0:04:39 > 0:04:40unlikely of places.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45The house we're going to see is a proper statement.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49It's a proper statement and, what's clever about it
0:04:49 > 0:04:53is that it's crazy but it's still, I think,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55architecturally really fascinating.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01And when it comes to making a statement, it doesn't get any bigger than this.
0:05:03 > 0:05:04# All the leaves are brown
0:05:04 > 0:05:06# All the leaves are brown
0:05:06 > 0:05:09# And the sky is grey... #
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Built from the wings and tail fins of a disused Boeing 747,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17this award-winning house is one of a kind.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20# On a winter's day
0:05:20 > 0:05:22# I'd be safe and warm... #
0:05:22 > 0:05:24- There it is. - SHE GASPS
0:05:24 > 0:05:26# If I was in LA
0:05:26 > 0:05:28# If I was in LA
0:05:28 > 0:05:30# California dreamin'
0:05:30 > 0:05:32# California dreamin'... #
0:05:32 > 0:05:34You've got to be happy with that.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- Extraordinary!- Let's have a look at this.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40Oh!
0:05:43 > 0:05:47SHE LAUGHS
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- I think we're here. - Yeah. Are you impressed?
0:05:51 > 0:05:54I think I'm awed by how beautiful it is being here.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- Yeah, yeah.- This is so quirky.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01It's lovely seeing the wings against the sky, the thin edges.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03- It's outrageous, actually. - It is, it is.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09So, how does an architect go about acquiring a disused Boeing 747?
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Well, in the middle of the Californian desert, there's a graveyard of
0:06:15 > 0:06:16retired aeroplanes.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Once her architect had convinced her, Francie,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24a retired Mercedes-Benz dealer and the owner of this house,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28spent less than 50,000 on a decommissioned Boeing 747.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Using precision laser technology,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36the wings were then removed and used to create the roofs of this
0:06:36 > 0:06:37unconventional house.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42I like being under the wing.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- Me too.- I think it's really comforting.- Yeah.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47It is like a bird's wing, in a way, isn't it?
0:06:47 > 0:06:50This would also encourage the breeze across it.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53You could open those windows at the back on a really hot day because
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- aircraft wings are designed to bring air under them.- Yeah, yeah.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- So this would be naturally ventilated.- Yeah.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02And actually, planes, remember, are the best engineered things in the world,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05so everything is beautifully made, beautifully put together,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08incredibly durable, the best materials.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11I mean, architects are obsessed by nuts and bolts and fixings and how things
0:07:11 > 0:07:14are made. It is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17But, at the same time, it looks quite home-made, doesn't it?
0:07:17 > 0:07:18It does. All the little squares.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20- Yeah, surprising.- What's the metal?
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- Aluminium.- So little squares of aluminium just sort of riveted together?
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Yeah, well, it would have been patched, actually, and repaired over the years.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28They were used for 40 years or something.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32The concrete in this, and the metal, going up to the wing.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34That works.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38It does. I mean, it's designed so that the glass is the thing that, by and large,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40touches it, so you always see the shape.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44At ground level,
0:07:44 > 0:07:49this eccentric building blends seamlessly into the mountainous landscape.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52But, from the air, the shape of the wings is clearly visible.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58There was a real risk that pilots could confuse it for a downed plane.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03So the project had to be registered and cleared with 17 government
0:08:03 > 0:08:07agencies, including Homeland Security.
0:08:08 > 0:08:09I want to go on that wing now.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10I think we should.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- I'm going to leap up.- Show-off!
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Here we go. Just another day on the wing of a 747.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Just enjoying ourselves.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- Taking flight.- Striding out.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Cor!
0:08:23 > 0:08:25It's quite spectacular, isn't it?
0:08:25 > 0:08:27I mean, this is incredible, really.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30And actually... Oh, wow, it's quite bouncy here.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32SHE LAUGHS
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Piers, stop it!
0:08:36 > 0:08:37SHE SQUEALS
0:08:37 > 0:08:38We're going to have to get in sync.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39SHE SQUEALS
0:08:39 > 0:08:41THEY LAUGH
0:08:42 > 0:08:48With two wings, two tail fins and a 55-acre plot to play with,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51the architect was able to create a main house and a guesthouse
0:08:51 > 0:08:52for the owner.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57The 747 wings are the perfect curvilinear design to float on top of the
0:08:57 > 0:09:02two buildings to maximise the views while providing a roof which requires
0:09:02 > 0:09:03minimal structural support.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Concrete rear supporting walls were built into the hillside and enclosed
0:09:12 > 0:09:15with panoramic glass facades,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18allowing light to enter the living spaces throughout the day.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24The wings were then positioned on top of steel frame supports and secured
0:09:24 > 0:09:26where the engines were previously mounted.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33I love it outside but, Piers, let's go in.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35- Let's go.- Let's go in!
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Stepping inside this two-bedroom home,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49you immediately get a sense of how effective the wings really are.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52- It's great.- Yeah.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54It's actually almost better inside
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- cos its reads as an abstract bit of art up there.- Yeah.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01That's a great view up there, isn't it?
0:10:01 > 0:10:03- It's lovely, yeah. Lovely.- Like a mini...
0:10:03 > 0:10:07like a little mini invitation to go upstairs and see up there.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15And there's more creative use of recycled plane parts.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18This section of the fuselage has been turned into a hatch,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20through from the study to the kitchen.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- It's nice from the back, isn't it? - Very nice.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Seeing all those rivets, and so on.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Heading upstairs takes you above the wing to the master bedroom.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33- It's beautiful. - This is my best bit.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35- Me, too.- Is it?
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Well, you get a view, and the plane,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40and you're right under these two tail fins.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47- Look at this.- Yeah!
0:10:49 > 0:10:51It's a set, isn't it, really?
0:10:51 > 0:10:53- Yeah.- It's not actually real mountains.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57It's a very well painted backdrop from a Hollywood movie.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00It is, and looking out, and seeing the wing at the end,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02it's so surreal, isn't it?
0:11:02 > 0:11:06I don't think I'd ever tire of looking at those mountains.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- Hi, hi, hi! - Lovely to meet you.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Lovely to meet you. Thank you so much.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19After interviewing over a dozen architects,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22the person Francie entrusted with building on her mountainside plot
0:11:22 > 0:11:27was Californian architect, and now friend, David Hertz.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31So you've been having some fun here.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33We have.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37Francie's brief was to create a tranquil eco-friendly home.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41And the inspiration for the design came to David at 30,000 feet.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47I was flying and I was looking out at the wing and thinking about
0:11:47 > 0:11:50what to do to float a roof
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and then it occurred to me why try to build a wing,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56when you could appropriate a wing.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I wanted something that was feminine
0:11:59 > 0:12:04and it seems that having a wing is not feminine at all.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08However, once it's detached from the plane,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11it becomes an entity unto itself
0:12:11 > 0:12:14and there's beautiful curves to it.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15They're very subtle.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18It's a brave leap, though,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22to have the idea but to actually in reality then say to someone,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25"OK, David, go and bring those wings up the mountain."
0:12:25 > 0:12:29At any point did you think, I've made a terrible mistake here,
0:12:29 > 0:12:30I've employed a madman?
0:12:30 > 0:12:31- I did.- Did you?- Yeah.- Did you?
0:12:31 > 0:12:33At which point?
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Er, when it was too late!
0:12:35 > 0:12:36THEY LAUGH
0:12:39 > 0:12:42The biggest challenge Francie and David had to face was transporting
0:12:42 > 0:12:47the wings of the 747 on to the remote mountainside location,
0:12:47 > 0:12:481,000 feet above sea level.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52The majority of the journey was by road,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54which required a state patrolled escort
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and the closure of five freeways.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02But the roads to Francie's mountain retreat were too small for trucks,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04so the final leg of the journey
0:13:04 > 0:13:07had to be one of pure military precision.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16One of the largest cargo-lifting helicopters in the world
0:13:16 > 0:13:19was drafted in to airlift the wings up on to the mountain.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22There was a lot of risk with the helicopter.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26I mean, they made it very clear that if in any way
0:13:26 > 0:13:28that it started to turn, or catch too much wind,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31they were just going to drop it.
0:13:31 > 0:13:32- They were going to drop it?- Yeah.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35What was it like as it loomed across, hanging from a helicopter,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37- coming here?- Well...
0:13:37 > 0:13:41It was quite a challenge to realise that part of my budget would go
0:13:41 > 0:13:44towards hiring a sky crane helicopter.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I was like, "Oh, my God!"
0:13:46 > 0:13:50With all the unknowns, there was huge financial risk.
0:13:50 > 0:13:56There was. It was a hell of a lot more than initially I was expecting.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59No-one had ever built something like this before.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02We are talking about millions of dollars, aren't we?
0:14:02 > 0:14:03You are.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Millions and millions of dollars?
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Let's just leave it at that.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11There were a lot of surprises
0:14:11 > 0:14:14that brought the cost to the point that it did.
0:14:14 > 0:14:20I use the analogy, as when you're three-quarters of the way ready to give birth,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23you can't turn back.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27- Absolutely.- You can't turn back and you just keep going.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30I mean, it sounds exhausting, for everybody involved,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34but is it worth it, Francie, to go through what you've gone through,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36to live here?
0:14:36 > 0:14:38100%, yes.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Yes, it is.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43It's a phenomenal environment.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45It's so very, very beautiful
0:14:45 > 0:14:49and every day is a complete and utter joy.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51And I feel so lucky.
0:14:51 > 0:14:52- It is lovely.- Yeah.- It's lovely.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- Thank you.- We're not leaving!
0:14:55 > 0:14:58That's why I have only one guest bedroom!
0:14:58 > 0:14:59THEY CHUCKLE
0:15:02 > 0:15:05As the sun starts to drop behind the mountains,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09what better way to enjoy the view than a sunset wing walk.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13# Hey, sugar, take a walk on the wild side #
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Thank you so much for the most extraordinary day.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18It's been really wonderful.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20A toast, if I may, to the wing house.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22To the wing house!
0:15:22 > 0:15:24- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:15:24 > 0:15:25Cheers. Woohoo!
0:15:30 > 0:15:35I think what's really interesting is that despite it being quite a
0:15:35 > 0:15:38sensible house in terms of how they describe it, actually,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40it's really romantic.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42It is, sort of dream come true.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45- It is, it is.- By the mountains.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02The next stop on our architectural adventure
0:16:02 > 0:16:03takes us 500 miles south-east
0:16:03 > 0:16:06to the home of the old Wild West.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11We've swapped the lush coastal mountains of California
0:16:11 > 0:16:15for a rugged mountain range on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18It might look like a desert,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21but we're 2,000 feet above sea level
0:16:21 > 0:16:24and heading higher into the Tucson mountain range.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28In this high-altitude environment,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31temperatures can reach 100 degrees in summer
0:16:31 > 0:16:33and plummet to freezing in winter.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38So a house built in these mountains needs to be robust enough
0:16:38 > 0:16:40to withstand the unforgiving local weather.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44It's so hot, it's so dry.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Is your tongue sticking to the roof of your mouth?
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Yeah. I mean, I'm really hot.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52The owners of our next mountain home decided to build deep
0:16:52 > 0:16:54into this arid mountain range.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57And in order to deal with this extreme environment,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00used a building technique that's as old as the hills.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03It's very exciting, isn't it?
0:17:03 > 0:17:05The mountains are really rugged.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- There's nothing here. - No, that's just dry earth screed.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09- A bit of scrub.- Yeah, exactly.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- The odd cowboy, the odd outlaw. - It's getting a bit frightening.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15SHE SINGS: "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" Theme
0:17:15 > 0:17:17We're going straight to the mountain,
0:17:17 > 0:17:18then we have to go straight up.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Piers and I will be spending the night in this remote mountain home,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28to discover what it is about this location that made the owners
0:17:28 > 0:17:30go to the effort of building here.
0:17:33 > 0:17:39I cannot imagine choosing to build my dream home here in the mountains.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40Maybe you're just too English.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44For many people, this is super exotic and people fantasise about
0:17:44 > 0:17:49escaping to the desert and all that fragile beauty.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- It's actually getting wilder now, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53I think we're here.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56I've got a code for it.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Good. Let's get in. I'm so hot.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- I can see the building!- What?!- Look.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06Now a wilderness full of coyotes and rattlesnakes might not be
0:18:06 > 0:18:09everyone's cup of tea but homeowners and San Diego doctors
0:18:09 > 0:18:12David and Karen chose not only to build their home
0:18:12 > 0:18:14in this harsh location,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17they also plan to retire to these hills.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22I've got the key. I've got the key to our retreat.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Let's go. I want to get in!
0:18:24 > 0:18:26- Right!- Look, look, look!
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Check it out. It's the same colour as the earth!
0:18:34 > 0:18:36- It's good-looking, isn't it?- Wow!
0:18:36 > 0:18:38- Let's go.- OK, OK, OK.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41God, you're so impatient, honestly!
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Look at that.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Isn't it wonderful, the way you could hardly see it?
0:18:45 > 0:18:47- I love that. It disappears out of view.- Yeah, yeah.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Look at its setting.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51I would have just had you walk through the desert.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53But you can't, because of the scorpions and the rattlesnakes.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55You've got to have a path.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57I think we're being funnelled in to that point.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00So good buildings, you know instinctively how to get in.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02So I think THAT is the way in.
0:19:02 > 0:19:03I don't think you're right.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09The design for this award-winning house was heavily influenced
0:19:09 > 0:19:13by the most important elements of this environment - the weather.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18The structure was cleverly positioned on an east-west axis,
0:19:18 > 0:19:22to minimise exposure from the hot sun whilst allowing light and air
0:19:22 > 0:19:23to filter through the house.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30The floor plan consists of two main areas for living and sleeping,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33each of which opens out onto views of the landscape.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37As the house was built on a single storey, and with no connecting
0:19:37 > 0:19:40corridors, the only way to get between each room
0:19:40 > 0:19:43is to step outside into the desert.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47The whole design is tied together by this unusual,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49scattered cube staircase.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Check these out. These are lovely.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03It's quite graceful,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05shallow, slow steps.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Yeah, OK. All right.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08I mean, I can see they're beautiful.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10I can see they're really architectural.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12What do you mean by architectural?
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Well, exactly... How dare I?
0:20:14 > 0:20:16I can see they are quite beautiful.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20They are interesting but I'm not sure, I mean, you know,...
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Why wouldn't you? Why wouldn't you...
0:20:22 > 0:20:25I suppose, what I feel is, you know, I'm in my mid-50s
0:20:25 > 0:20:27and I'm not going to get any younger
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- and this is tricky to navigate. - Why? They're quite shallow.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32- Yeah.- They're quite generous.- Yes. - They're quite big.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35There are also places that would encourage you to sit.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37All right, I know, yeah. I'm hearing you.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40But the steps aren't the only design feature to
0:20:40 > 0:20:42immediately capture our attention.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44That's charred.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Oh, God. It is. I love that.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Do you know, rather tragically, Piers, can I tell you something?
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Rather tragically, I've actually bought wallpaper like this
0:20:51 > 0:20:54- for behind my bed.- Fake charred wood.- It's naff but I love it.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56- This is real charred wood. - I love the look of it.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58- God, that's beautiful. - He's very excited.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00- Check it out!- Yes, I'm checking.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05It's lovely. It's lovely.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Right, here we go. Head up here.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- It leads you in, doesn't it? Beautifully.- It does. I do see it.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12God, this is lovely. Look at this.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14This is a front door.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15Here we go.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17I'll give it a tug. Are you ready?
0:21:18 > 0:21:20- That's quite a door. - Oh, hang on.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22- OK. Hang on. - It's caught at the bottom.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26This is actually fabulous looking, but quite irritating.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Here we go. Here we go. It's going. That's it. I think...
0:21:31 > 0:21:33That is a beautiful door.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36- God, it's nice.- Wow, wow, wow! - I really love that.
0:21:36 > 0:21:37I hate ordinary doors.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40I love it. It's great, isn't it?
0:21:40 > 0:21:42- Isn't it beautiful?- Piers... - It's beautiful.
0:21:51 > 0:21:52Piers, it's so nice.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55It's so nice. God, it's nice! God, it's nice!
0:21:55 > 0:21:56God, it's nice.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01It's beautiful.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Do you know what I really love about it?
0:22:05 > 0:22:08You've got the desert and the mountains on either side and yet,
0:22:08 > 0:22:12this house just enhances it and doesn't take away from it.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15I think that's so wonderful.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Preserving the natural beauty of these mountains
0:22:20 > 0:22:22was key to the design of this home.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26The owners' desire was to embrace rather than exploit
0:22:26 > 0:22:28this fragile landscape.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36This is where the desert starts, here, you know.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38I'm in the house, I'm in the desert.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Oh, it's beautiful, Piers.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Because it's so hot here, Piers, I mean,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48I don't think I've ever been as hot as I am at this minute, actually.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51But when this is open, presumably the breeze just canters through the house.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Yeah, right the way through. But, also, things like this,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57so this is all about shade, so I guess this sun will never,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59ever get to here, ever.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04But it's not just the clever positioning of this house
0:23:04 > 0:23:08that makes living in these extreme temperatures bearable.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11The walls are made from rammed earth,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14a building technique which has been used for centuries
0:23:14 > 0:23:16as a way of naturally cooling houses.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21A wooden framework is built on site,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25then soil from the desert, combined with water and a small amount of
0:23:25 > 0:23:28cement, is poured into the wooden moulds
0:23:28 > 0:23:30and then rammed down to form a tightly packed
0:23:30 > 0:23:32series of solid layers.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39These high thermal mass walls absorb the heat during the day and release
0:23:39 > 0:23:43it at night, reducing the need for air conditioning or heating.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49It's always great to see how a building is made
0:23:49 > 0:23:53and this is so legible.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55I mean, you can see all the moulds,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57see where the moulds were plugged in,
0:23:57 > 0:24:02see the shape and depth of every lift of this rammed earth.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06I think for many British people, this is a slightly strange building,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09because it's so unlike the buildings that we know.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11But the buildings that we know in England,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15grew up out of a tradition of having parapets and roofs and gutters
0:24:15 > 0:24:17to keep the rain away from the building,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21and detail and ornament to add a certain kind of relief.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25But here, this is a building that totally makes sense
0:24:25 > 0:24:26for where it is.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28It's a building that's really tuned to its climate.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32It doesn't rain, so there's no need for any relief at all.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Any applied ornament would just be ridiculous, when actually,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38this building is so tactile and...
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Just rich, materially.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47The two bedrooms Piers and I will be staying in
0:24:47 > 0:24:50are to the left of the living area.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55But with no connecting corridor, there's only one way to get to them.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Right. OK.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Fabulous steps.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Um...
0:25:02 > 0:25:04This is form over function.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05I don't care what he says.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07This is just ludicrous.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Actually, this is too big a leap for me, this one, I think.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11Oh!
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Yeah, excellent.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15SHE GROANS
0:25:15 > 0:25:17It's actually like the Giant's Causeway.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Unfortunately, I'm not a giant.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35It's not like this house to have a stiff door, is it?
0:25:37 > 0:25:39It's nice.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Overlooking the mountains,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45this minimalist bedroom doesn't need any curtains
0:25:45 > 0:25:48but luckily for us, owners Karen and David
0:25:48 > 0:25:50have left us a gift.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52If the moon is too bright,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55please use the sleep mask.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58It may seem a bit creepy, sleeping in a fishbowl,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00but don't worry.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Nobody lives in the house up the hill!
0:26:03 > 0:26:05That's so sweet, because it's meant to be really reassuring,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07but it's actually made me really terrified!
0:26:07 > 0:26:11I didn't even know there was a house on the top of the hill.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21This is a truly stylish and beautiful bathroom.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25This has been chosen, I mean, very, very carefully.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26It's beautifully cut.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29It's so well tiled, this room, it's unbelievable.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31It's like glass.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34And then it mirrors the colour from outside,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38brings that landscape in and yet, I notice, if you want to,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40you can open that window,
0:26:40 > 0:26:45so you can be having a bath in the desert and the mountains.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47You can't really get a better view than that.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54As the sun starts to drop behind the mountains,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Piers and I get the chance to discover what it's really like
0:26:57 > 0:27:00to live in this extraordinary environment.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03I've got a little surprise for you.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Sounds ominous. Have you been hunting?
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Yeah! I'm going to skin a rabbit for you, boy!
0:27:09 > 0:27:11- I'll have my sandwich. - All right.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17The owners built this home looking for an escape from their busy working lives.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21And it's easy to see what's so attractive about this kind of
0:27:21 > 0:27:22mountain living.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Not many buildings allow us to be this relaxed in it, this quickly.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31I've lived in houses for years and felt less relaxed.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Me too, me too. Do you want another one of these?
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Please. No, it does.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39It really, it's very welcoming, very easy to use.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41- Really easy to use.- Yeah.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44This is their evening every day.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45I mean, how extraordinary is that?
0:27:45 > 0:27:49I've never been anywhere like this in my life. Have you?
0:27:49 > 0:27:52It's so different, yet, it fits in so beautifully.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55I love it and I think this is one of the finest houses
0:27:55 > 0:27:58I've ever seen and I'm very excited about staying here.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Oh, God! It's so nice!
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Ah, God, it's lovely!
0:28:24 > 0:28:26- Ah!- Bliss!
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Bliss!
0:28:30 > 0:28:35After our first desert shower, we're meeting the owners, David and Karen,
0:28:35 > 0:28:39to find out the challenges they faced building this mountain home.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Hello. How lovely to meet you.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43- I'm Karen.- So lovely to meet you. - Piers, hi.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46I feel like I know you already a bit because we've stayed in your house
0:28:46 > 0:28:48- and I think it must...- Hi, Karen, I'm Piers.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50..have something of you about it, I feel.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54David has had a lifelong connection with this mountainous desert
0:28:54 > 0:28:57and 12 years ago, found this virgin plot of land on which to build
0:28:57 > 0:28:59the house of his dreams.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02So I have been in love with the desert, having grown up here.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06And living in San Diego, I was driving back frequently
0:29:06 > 0:29:12to see my parents and I was driving to the beautiful Sorrel preserve and I said, I need to get some land.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15I visited a neighbour here, had dinner,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18and he realised how passionately I was attached to this land.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22He called me up one night and said, "Would you like to be my neighbour?"
0:29:22 > 0:29:24So I said, "Yes.
0:29:24 > 0:29:25"Is the lot as good as yours is?"
0:29:25 > 0:29:29It's better. I said, "Fine, I'll be over to buy it."
0:29:29 > 0:29:32That was Thursday night. I'll be over to buy it on Saturday.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35David employed local architect Cade Hayes,
0:29:35 > 0:29:39who is passionate about building houses which respect the natural environment.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41It's a huge responsibility.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45I mean, this being untouched, virgin landscape,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49to put a building in here, that in theory, could spoil it.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52I said, I really want to keep this land, sort of like we've dropped
0:29:52 > 0:29:55the house down. I want it to fit perfectly into the land
0:29:55 > 0:29:57and I thought he got that perfect.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04Cade's plan took great care to cause minimal disruption to the fragile
0:30:04 > 0:30:07ecosystem that exists here and, during the build,
0:30:07 > 0:30:09only three cacti had to be moved.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Such is the importance of the natural vegetation,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17that a fine is imposed if any cactus is removed
0:30:17 > 0:30:19without carefully replanting it.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25The construction people were very careful about the environment.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29We tried to save every bit of native vegetation that we could.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31It's a large structure but the desert all around you
0:30:31 > 0:30:33is still very happy that you're there.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35If I did anything right...
0:30:36 > 0:30:38..finding a very...
0:30:38 > 0:30:43A brilliant young architect and then letting him do what he does.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Whilst Piers is getting the lowdown from David,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49I'm keen to find out from Karen
0:30:49 > 0:30:52the true cost of building a home in the desert mountains.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56I've renovated lots of houses with my husband and we've almost...
0:30:56 > 0:30:58- With your husband? - Well, you know, he...
0:30:58 > 0:31:01Like you agreed, like, "Honey, let's do this together
0:31:01 > 0:31:03"and we're going to agree on this?"
0:31:03 > 0:31:06We decide we are going to do a project and then we fall out.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08There are always things that drive me mad.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10Have there been problems like that with you and David?
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Well, there's a little pause of silence there,
0:31:13 > 0:31:16because I had to compose myself a little bit.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18OK!
0:31:18 > 0:31:22The house was completed, I think, 2013 and at that point,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26I stopped by to see it when it was all furnished and photographed
0:31:26 > 0:31:28and it looked really beautiful and then we went home
0:31:28 > 0:31:31and we kind of looked at the cheque book, and I went,
0:31:31 > 0:31:32"Oh, my God! What did we do?"
0:31:32 > 0:31:37So we didn't really come for a year. Then we finally had the energy...
0:31:37 > 0:31:39You didn't come because you'd overspent?
0:31:39 > 0:31:41We overspent. We just were exhausted.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44I'm quite interested. That's a long time not to come to a house.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47I was kind of thinking about killing my husband, but...
0:31:47 > 0:31:49OK, so you weren't angry with the house, you were angry with David?
0:31:49 > 0:31:52I was kind of, well, kind of angry in general.
0:31:52 > 0:31:53Yeah, yeah. I get it. I get it.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56I was going to kill him, but I needed... We were too much in debt,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59so we needed him to be able to continue to work and I was thinking,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02that it would also look better if I got the life insurance and then
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- I killed him.- And the house. It would look awful, wouldn't it?
0:32:05 > 0:32:08- Yeah.- So you didn't come, then you decided you had to come back?
0:32:08 > 0:32:10We just decided, OK, and we did it.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13We're going to make it work. We're going to come back and enjoy it.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17That was probably one of the low points of the house experience.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- Why?- Well, during the year we weren't coming,
0:32:20 > 0:32:24the door was open about this wide, the lights were popping on and off,
0:32:24 > 0:32:27the bugs were coming through the open door at night
0:32:27 > 0:32:28to feast on the light,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32and then there were some rodents that also found their way in
0:32:32 > 0:32:35to enjoy the toilet water. They love it in here!
0:32:37 > 0:32:39You have been through a lot.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42It's cost you a lot of money. It's been quite a journey for you but
0:32:42 > 0:32:46arriving here today, what do you feel when you see the house?
0:32:46 > 0:32:47Do you have any fondness for it?
0:32:47 > 0:32:51There are more ups than there are downs these days, which is really nice.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53The house is understated.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55It doesn't really...
0:32:55 > 0:32:59It's not flashy. It's not trying to impress you with fancy ornateness, this and that.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01It's just to blend in and be in harmony in this
0:33:01 > 0:33:04incredibly harsh environment.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06I think the beauty of the desert has just really,
0:33:06 > 0:33:08really started to take hold of me.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Thank you so much for looking after us.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18We have had the most wonderful time in your house.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21- It's been great.- It's been our great pleasure.- Take care.- Bye-bye.
0:33:21 > 0:33:22Bye, darlings. Bye-bye.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33It's an amazing house, but I don't think it's been particularly easily won.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39Do you think? I mean, cos David seems in love with it.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43I think he is in love with it but I think that doesn't necessarily mean
0:33:43 > 0:33:45- the journey's been easy for the whole family.- Mmm.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Do think it's been the problem child for them?
0:33:50 > 0:33:52Yeah.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54They've been through some stuff.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05Our next house takes us to the other side of the world and to a country
0:34:05 > 0:34:07famous for its rugged, mountain scenery.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16We've landed in the South Island of New Zealand
0:34:16 > 0:34:19and are heading to a home nestled in the wilderness,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22half an hour's drive from the nearest town of Wanaka.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29All my life, whenever people have spoken about the South Island,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32they talk about it as sort of a bucket list place,
0:34:32 > 0:34:34one of the most beautiful places in the world.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36- And it is.- It's extraordinary.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38The clouds on the top of the mountains.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41- And so little building, Piers, that's what I'm noticing.- Nothing.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is fiercely protected
0:34:47 > 0:34:49by New Zealand planning laws.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55So much so that any opportunities to build here are extremely rare.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00But, 12 years ago, when a plot of land came up for sale,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03home owners Mark and Susanna jumped at the chance to fulfil
0:35:03 > 0:35:07their dream of living in this remote mountain range.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13But the hurdle of securing the land was only half the battle.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17They had to find an architect who would embrace the challenge of designing
0:35:17 > 0:35:20them a home that will be camouflaged within their surroundings.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26It's a lot to ask of an architect, isn't it?
0:35:26 > 0:35:30To say, look, I've been in love with this thing for my whole life,
0:35:30 > 0:35:34this has been a dream for me and then to say to them,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38now create the perfect house for this environment that I adore.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41But if they can't do that, then, no-one should be building.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45People shouldn't be littering little houses in beautiful landscapes,
0:35:45 > 0:35:49they really should be understanding how precious this is.
0:35:49 > 0:35:50This landscape is so fragile,
0:35:50 > 0:35:54once you've spoilt it, it's gone for good.
0:35:54 > 0:35:55And we're here, we're here!
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Wonderful, isn't it?
0:36:10 > 0:36:14It's quite a subtle little thing, isn't it? Nestled down here.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16Which I'm pleased about.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20Because I was rather dreading it might be something rather big and ostentatious, but it isn't.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26That roof absolutely follows the line of the mountains.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29It's rather lovely, isn't it? It almost disappears, doesn't it?
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Taking on the challenge of designing a building to fit within the
0:36:35 > 0:36:38landscape, the architects took inspiration
0:36:38 > 0:36:41from the triangulated geometry reflected by the mountains.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48They combined that with the unusual sculptural forms found in origami
0:36:48 > 0:36:51to create this truly unique structure.
0:36:55 > 0:36:56That's extraordinary, isn't it?
0:36:56 > 0:36:58- Yeah.- Hunkered down.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00It all kind of blends in, doesn't it?
0:37:01 > 0:37:05The architects carefully selected building materials with colours and
0:37:05 > 0:37:07textures which would disguise the house within its environment.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13The wooden cedar cladding and concrete window frames
0:37:13 > 0:37:16were inspired by the surrounding trees and mountains
0:37:16 > 0:37:19to create a weathered camouflaged.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21I mean, really beautiful.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Some of the nicest cladding I've seen, actually.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26So not too much glass, then. That was a stipulation.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30Not too much glass, no metal and the timber goes on the roof, as well.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33It is a very low-lying building.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36It probably is semi-invisible from a distance.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38I imagine it's almost completely invisible.
0:37:38 > 0:37:39I mean, it really does...
0:37:39 > 0:37:42It's camouflaged absolutely into the landscape.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Right, here we are, through the church door.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48This reminds me of Liverpool Cathedral, this door.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Inside, you truly get a sense that you're wrapped in a
0:37:54 > 0:37:57three-dimensional origami structure.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01There are unconventional angles almost everywhere you look.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04As well as creating a beautiful internal space,
0:38:04 > 0:38:06there's a real purpose to this innovative design.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11The angled roof juts out of the ceiling, allowing light to enter the
0:38:11 > 0:38:13building in a variety of ways.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Look at this.
0:38:17 > 0:38:18Look at the sun now.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22Here I am, right at the furthest point in the house from the light.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25And the sun is flooding in across the cedar.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28Look at it. It's beautiful.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29It changes it.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31- It does.- A lot, actually.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Not even subtly, the room changes quite dramatically.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Doesn't it? Because of the sunlight.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41- It's incredible.- It's lovely looking through into different spaces.
0:38:41 > 0:38:42That cut-out upstairs.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44- That's amazing!- It's great.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46I don't think there's any glass there, either.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50I think that's just another portal, another way in.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52Actually, you know what that's really about,
0:38:52 > 0:38:54that is about getting that view when you're upstairs.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02- Some view, isn't it, Piers? - It is.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04This is my favourite type of building
0:39:04 > 0:39:05that has daylight from the back,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08sunlight from the back and view that way.
0:39:08 > 0:39:13I really do feel protected from the drama and the weather
0:39:13 > 0:39:14by this big cut-out.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20This is a very cleverly constructed home built to protect its occupants
0:39:20 > 0:39:21from the blistering heat in the summer,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24and howling snowstorms in the winter.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28It's no wonder this house is christened The Cloak,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31or to give it its Maori name, Te Kaitaka.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36I can see why this guy fell in love with this exact piece of land
0:39:36 > 0:39:38because you don't come across views like that
0:39:38 > 0:39:40more than once in a lifetime.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42You would remember it, you would fall in love with it
0:39:42 > 0:39:46and you would want to come back and stay and raise a family here,
0:39:46 > 0:39:47which is what he's done.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51It is somewhere that once seen it would never be forgotten.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52I'll never forget it.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56The peace is lovely.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- Here we are, love. - Oh, God, shattered!
0:39:59 > 0:40:00Thank you.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Thanks.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07While Caroline takes in the mountain air,
0:40:07 > 0:40:10I want to examine how this house pulls off the difficult trick
0:40:10 > 0:40:14of bringing in light without relying on huge amounts of window space.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19This is an extraordinary site but, in many ways,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22it's quite a tricky site because the view is there
0:40:22 > 0:40:23and the sun is there.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26And, in this climate, you need the daytime sun
0:40:26 > 0:40:31so the section is the thing that tells you all about this building.
0:40:31 > 0:40:37What the section here is, is really just two beautiful pavilions,
0:40:39 > 0:40:41one sitting above the other.
0:40:41 > 0:40:46The problem with that is that the bedroom one is shielding
0:40:46 > 0:40:47the living one.
0:40:47 > 0:40:52All these architects have done is pick up a bit of roof, like this.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00And what that does is allow the sunlight to enter
0:41:00 > 0:41:03right the way into the heart of the house.
0:41:03 > 0:41:08What they've done at the view side is make a shaded
0:41:08 > 0:41:14veranda, really, to allow you to always see the view.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18That shows that architecture isn't about making strange shapes
0:41:18 > 0:41:20or trying to think of a concept,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24it's just looking really hard at the view and daylight and then
0:41:24 > 0:41:27making sense of it with a building.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32This house gives up more and more of itself as you delve into it.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36The internal use of concrete throughout creates a cave-like
0:41:36 > 0:41:38and remarkably cosy feel.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42This is a lovely room.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45A little den, study, or something.
0:41:45 > 0:41:46Little family room.
0:41:46 > 0:41:47More of this lovely concrete.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51I love the way you can see how the concrete was formed
0:41:51 > 0:41:53in the planks of wood.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55You still see the shape of it here.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57It looks just great with the mountains.
0:42:01 > 0:42:06This cedar staircase takes you up to the two master bedrooms, both with
0:42:06 > 0:42:08spectacular mountain views.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15There's no question that is the most beautiful view but, for me,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18one of the most exciting things about this house is the story of it.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Mark saw this land as a young man
0:42:21 > 0:42:24and he stuck with that dream
0:42:24 > 0:42:28and he's managed to build his house, his dream house
0:42:28 > 0:42:32right here looking at the view he's always adored.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35And that must be the definition of a dream home.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37Your dream come true.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41The two architects who designed this house are based in Auckland
0:42:41 > 0:42:43on the North Island.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45- Hi, guys.- Hey.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Gary Lawson and Nicholas Stevens are award-winning architects.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52How did you deal with the responsibility of building
0:42:52 > 0:42:54in this extraordinary place?
0:42:54 > 0:42:57I remember when we first came to the site,
0:42:57 > 0:42:59we actually came out on a boat.
0:42:59 > 0:43:05We saw this gorgeous landscape which reminded us of almost like fabric
0:43:05 > 0:43:07draped over rocks.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10In that, we saw an idea for the house.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14In the mountains, you see triangles. You don't see perpendicular angles.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17You don't see verticals and horizontals.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19So, we wanted to architecturalise that kind of idea
0:43:19 > 0:43:22and through origami is how we came to that.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26And the interior, particularly, feels like the most exquisite bit of furniture,
0:43:26 > 0:43:31which is crafted beautifully out of extraordinary materials.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33Tell me a little bit about that.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37Well, we wanted to create the sensation of being
0:43:37 > 0:43:39a little bit like being in a cave.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43We took the whole faceted geometry of the rocks around and we
0:43:43 > 0:43:47created an architecturalised version, especially around the fireplaces.
0:43:47 > 0:43:53Each of those fireplaces was cast in a precast yard in one piece.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57By going to a precast yard, we could ensure that the product
0:43:57 > 0:44:00would be top-notch and then transported to site.
0:44:00 > 0:44:06But transporting these huge concrete precast elements to such a remote
0:44:06 > 0:44:09location presented its own problems.
0:44:09 > 0:44:13Poor roads and bad winter weather caused huge delays.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17Gary and Nicholas employed a small team of builders who were willing to
0:44:17 > 0:44:20work in such an inaccessible location.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24Consequently, the house took three years to complete
0:44:24 > 0:44:28but the level of craftsmanship that these builders brought to it is second to none.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34In New Zealand, there is a real resourcefulness
0:44:34 > 0:44:37amongst builders and there is that...
0:44:37 > 0:44:40It is a bit of a cliche but there is a can-do
0:44:40 > 0:44:43Kiwi attitude to making stuff and, look...
0:44:43 > 0:44:47This builder would never have made a building exactly like this
0:44:47 > 0:44:48and he cared so much.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58I think for the last 150 years or so, we've really struggled to know
0:44:58 > 0:45:01how to build beautiful buildings in landscape.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05I think this building is a really good model in terms
0:45:05 > 0:45:08of how to do it. It's a complex building but, actually,
0:45:08 > 0:45:10it does some very simple things.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13It makes a series of spaces that are beautifully lit
0:45:13 > 0:45:15with fantastic atmospheres.
0:45:19 > 0:45:20I do love these materials.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24They're beautiful. This rock, look at it.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Only an architect would call grass "materials."
0:45:27 > 0:45:28THEY LAUGH
0:45:33 > 0:45:36The last leg of our architectural mountain discovery takes
0:45:36 > 0:45:37us a little closer to home.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48Piers and I are in the Swiss Alps,
0:45:48 > 0:45:50heading towards Mount Rigi
0:45:50 > 0:45:53where two architects took on the challenge of building
0:45:53 > 0:45:56a holiday home perched on the side of a mountain.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03Soaring at 1,665 metres above sea level,
0:46:03 > 0:46:07this house takes in breathtaking views but has to withstand
0:46:07 > 0:46:11some of the harshest winter weather Mother Nature can throw at it.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16I'm quite excited about how we're getting there.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23Do you know something? This is a first for me. I've never been in a cable car before.
0:46:23 > 0:46:24Have you not? Because you hate heights?
0:46:24 > 0:46:27Because I've never wanted to go in a cable car before.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30- You might love it. - I won't love it.
0:46:30 > 0:46:31- I will.- I don't know.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38Oh, here we go.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40Oh! That's the thing I don't like.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43- It's why don't on fairground rides. - I love this.
0:46:47 > 0:46:51Why would you build a house up a mountain where you can only get
0:46:51 > 0:46:55- there by cable car?- There's a sense of being away, being apart,
0:46:55 > 0:46:58being in nature that is really exaggerated
0:46:58 > 0:47:00when you can only get there by cable car,
0:47:00 > 0:47:04or, you know, a really inaccessible way.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08This was going to be the greatest view ever.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10There's absolutely nothing.
0:47:10 > 0:47:15It's like someone's smeared duck fat all over the windows.
0:47:21 > 0:47:22Made it!
0:47:24 > 0:47:26Here we are! It hasn't got any better, the rain, has it?
0:47:26 > 0:47:29This is just the beginning of our mountain journey, Piers.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31- Have you got some Kendal Mint Cake? - Of course I have!
0:47:31 > 0:47:33What sort of woman do you take me for?
0:47:33 > 0:47:36I've got Kendal Mint Cake and lipstick.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39That's all a woman needs up a mountain.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42It doesn't take us long to reach the remote mountain village.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47The house we're heading to is a contemporary take on the traditional
0:47:47 > 0:47:50chocolate-box chalets which sprinkle this area.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56This bespoke holiday home is owned by four friends
0:47:56 > 0:48:00who shared the cost of building on this steep mountainside slope.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Luckily, two of the owners are architects and embraced
0:48:06 > 0:48:09the challenge of building in this remote location,
0:48:09 > 0:48:13where the closest town is a 15-minute cable car ride down the mountain.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16What are your first impressions, Piers?
0:48:16 > 0:48:18I like it. It looks well made, well detailed.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21And really easy to use.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24While deceptively simple from the outside,
0:48:24 > 0:48:27this innovative house was designed with real purpose.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31Its unique hexagonal shape creates the stability needed
0:48:31 > 0:48:33to cope with strong winds.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38A two-storey prefabricated wooden structure sits on top
0:48:38 > 0:48:41of a deep, concrete foundation.
0:48:41 > 0:48:45A chimney with a steel core runs right through the centre of the building,
0:48:45 > 0:48:46anchoring it to the mountain
0:48:46 > 0:48:49and distributing heat throughout the house.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52The living areas and four bedrooms are uniquely shaped
0:48:52 > 0:48:54to fit into the six-sided structure.
0:49:00 > 0:49:01This is the front gate.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03Ah! There we are, Piers.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05- I love this.- Good man. - Watch the string.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08- That's electric.- The cows aren't allowed in but we are.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11I think that's the best gate I've ever seen.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13Are we going the right way, Piers?
0:49:13 > 0:49:16This is a building that you need to be able to batten down
0:49:16 > 0:49:20- the hatches of.- It's an antidote to the frilly oompah houses around it.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23Yeah, I think so. Yeah.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25Here we are.
0:49:27 > 0:49:28It smells nice.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31- It smells woody.- It does. - And it is warm.
0:49:33 > 0:49:34This wood is so beautiful.
0:49:34 > 0:49:39I mean, the lovely golden light you get, even on a grey day.
0:49:39 > 0:49:44I suppose that's the real proof of a good building,
0:49:44 > 0:49:48is can it look wonderful even when the weather is dismal?
0:49:48 > 0:49:50- And it can.- And it does.
0:50:01 > 0:50:02What a great space.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06I like it.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08- Like it.- What a beautiful space.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10I mean, that light is beautiful.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13- I love this.- I think it's almost better that it's misty.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15Oh, it's lovely!
0:50:18 > 0:50:22I do feel like I've been bathed in this honey-coloured glow.
0:50:23 > 0:50:27These prefabricated plywood walls are a clever touch.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30They're not only cost-effective but also enhance the light
0:50:30 > 0:50:32in every room throughout the house.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36It's very, very warm. Very relaxing. It's smells that...
0:50:36 > 0:50:39That's smell of the wood is so lovely and I can imagine the smell
0:50:39 > 0:50:41- of a wood fire.- You know, as an architect,
0:50:41 > 0:50:45there are very few houses I can actually even bear to be in
0:50:45 > 0:50:49because I either feel claustrophobic, or I feel oppressed.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52But, actually, this is a beautiful house to be in.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56The simple combination of wood and concrete throughout this space helps
0:50:56 > 0:50:58give the house a unique atmosphere.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03There's often a sense that to make something good it has to be complex
0:51:03 > 0:51:09but this house is just a really good, well-structured space,
0:51:09 > 0:51:12made out of something beautiful and that's about it.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22I see the wood theme continues.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26I've never been in a room with as much wood in as this,
0:51:26 > 0:51:30unless there's actually been some burning coals in the corner
0:51:30 > 0:51:31and I've been sitting in a towel.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Because it is like a sauna.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36But it works here.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39And I don't know why it works, maybe it's to do with the light,
0:51:39 > 0:51:42maybe it's to do with the size of the spaces.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46You know, you're very aware when you're walking round that this is,
0:51:46 > 0:51:48sort of, ideal for where it is.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52This works a dream because the light bounces off all the different
0:51:52 > 0:51:54angles and it's beautiful.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58This angular aesthetic continues on the outside.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02The six-sided irregular shape creates a clever optical illusion
0:52:02 > 0:52:06to make it seem smaller than its 242 square metres.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09I think if you stumbled upon this building in the mist,
0:52:09 > 0:52:12you might think it was a Swiss mountain hut.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14And it looks tiny.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17I know it's a cliche to talk about buildings as sculptural
0:52:17 > 0:52:20but this one really is because, as you move around it,
0:52:20 > 0:52:24more and more of it is revealed to you and from every angle
0:52:24 > 0:52:26it's completely different.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31And, now, along the side, we can see its really beautiful shape.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37The only thing that's missing from this house so far is the view.
0:52:37 > 0:52:41So, I've come up with a challenge for my architect friend.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44Piers, I think we should have a little drawing competition
0:52:44 > 0:52:48to see who can most accurately predict what the view really is.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51You're going to find some brilliant way of doing it, aren't you,
0:52:51 > 0:52:54with just a single ballpoint pen and a bit of actorly charm.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56Yes, I am.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58So, get over it. Ready, set, go!
0:53:05 > 0:53:07- One minute left, Piers.- All right.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21- We're done.- What's amazing is we have drawn the same thing.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23We've drawn the same thing.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25- Basically.- I think mine's better than yours.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27I think this window is set up architecturally.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30- That's what I'm trying to show. - You've got a very jealous nature.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32It's just a better drawing. Get over it.
0:53:32 > 0:53:37This is an intimate-sized space and all there is is you and the...
0:53:37 > 0:53:40Piers, Piers, Piers. There's a bit of view coming.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45- Can you see it?- I can.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47- Just down there.- Just breaking. Just breaking.
0:54:07 > 0:54:08That's extraordinary.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10Can you believe it? After all this.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12Now the view is revealing itself to us.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15I'm glad it's now. Because we've loved the house already
0:54:15 > 0:54:17and now we can actually see why it was built.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21Do you think we would have loved the house as much if we'd seen this when we started?
0:54:21 > 0:54:22Yeah.
0:54:22 > 0:54:27- I do, as well.- And, now, spread before us, that's amazing.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31That looks like a Japanese watercolour, isn't it?
0:54:31 > 0:54:34- It's fantastic.- It is like some special effects thing that
0:54:34 > 0:54:36- Hollywood's putting on for us. - Yeah.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41I still think it looks more like my picture than yours, though.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Nonsense.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46Nonsense. PIERS CHUCKLES
0:54:46 > 0:54:48He's so competitive.
0:54:48 > 0:54:49Even about nature.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56Owners and architects, Andreas and Gabrielle
0:54:56 > 0:54:59created their mountain holiday home as a place to retreat to,
0:54:59 > 0:55:01high above the clouds.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05Rigi actually is like an island, the mountain.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08- Yeah.- The fog is like a lake, you know. Like a sea.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12And it's like you would live on the sea.
0:55:12 > 0:55:16Sometimes, people stay under the fog for weeks and,
0:55:16 > 0:55:19up here it's beautiful weather.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22We came up in a cable car.
0:55:22 > 0:55:27How on earth did you get this house up a mountain?
0:55:27 > 0:55:31In Switzerland, it's usual to build in such places with a helicopter.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34So, we decided to make a prefab house.
0:55:34 > 0:55:39When you prefabricate the house, they do it, this prefabrication,
0:55:39 > 0:55:44earlier. Then, in one day, they bring this whole element,
0:55:44 > 0:55:48the whole wall is one element, with the helicopter here.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50The house was done in one day, actually.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52The main house.
0:55:52 > 0:55:53- One day?- One day.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57Although this irregular-shaped house is a departure
0:55:57 > 0:56:00from the traditional chalets around it,
0:56:00 > 0:56:03Gabrielle and Andreas designed this structure to withstand
0:56:03 > 0:56:04the harsh winter weather.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08You can get really strong winds from here.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11And when you have only one wall,
0:56:11 > 0:56:15then it's quite difficult to stabilise the whole wall.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19But when you make it like this, you know, then it's stable.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22That was also a reason to do that.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24It's stabilised the whole house.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26It stiffens it. Yeah.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30Actually, the locals were very impressed about our entrance
0:56:30 > 0:56:33because it's very well protected.
0:56:33 > 0:56:38In winter time, the wind comes here and blows all the snow away.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40Even the way is always clean.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42- Is it?- Yes.- Because of the wind.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44That's the reality, dealing with weather.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47If you get that right, everything else is secondary.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51Do you ever find it hard, when you have guests to come and stay,
0:56:51 > 0:56:53is it ever hard to get rid of them?
0:56:53 > 0:56:55It is, yes.
0:56:55 > 0:56:56ALL LAUGH
0:56:56 > 0:56:59Because everyone loves the place
0:56:59 > 0:57:01and they don't want to leave.
0:57:01 > 0:57:02It's exactly like that, yes.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05There's no better place, I think.
0:57:05 > 0:57:06Yeah, I think that's right.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16- Thank you very much. - Thank you so much.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18- It was a pleasure. - Thank you very much indeed.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20- Thank you so much.- Thank you.
0:57:22 > 0:57:26I've learnt a lot today. I've learnt a lot about you, in a way
0:57:26 > 0:57:29because I've learnt a lot about architecture and I've learnt
0:57:29 > 0:57:32it's not about rooms, it's not about spaces,
0:57:32 > 0:57:34it's not even about where the windows are, or what
0:57:34 > 0:57:35the surfaces are like.
0:57:35 > 0:57:39It's how a place feels. It's about atmosphere.
0:57:39 > 0:57:43And that, really, more than anything, is what we all strive for.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45Everything else is secondary to that one thing -
0:57:45 > 0:57:47atmosphere.
0:57:58 > 0:58:02Next time, Piers and I will be exploring some of the most
0:58:02 > 0:58:05extraordinary forest homes in the world...
0:58:05 > 0:58:07You never see a building this close to the trees.
0:58:07 > 0:58:09I mean, that's six inches away.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12..to discover how architects have overcome the challenges
0:58:12 > 0:58:15of building homes in these fragile habitats.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18It's a tightrope you walk. It can go spectacularly wrong.