Grand Designs NZ container home on Waiheke Island selling months later

One of the most interesting and controversial projects to screen on Grand Designs NZ last season has been put on the market.

Tony Hodge has listed his two-bedroom container house on a steep, bush-clad site at Rocky Bay, Waiheke Island. And listing agent Matthew Smith of Ray White Waiheke says Hodge is selling because he is considering doing another development up in Mangawhai.

“He says he enjoyed the [build] process and might do the whole thing again. But I am not sure if it would be another Grand Designs project.”

However, on the show, when the experience was still “raw”, Hodge told us he was glad it was over and didn’t think he would repeat it. He had wanted to do “something different”, but he didn’t anticipate just how complex a cliff-hanging container build would be.

The house comprises five 20ft containers and two 10ft ones, with the containers on the upper level offset at angles – just to add to the complexity.

He teamed cedar cladding with the exposed steel of the containers, which can also be seen inside the house, creating a semi-industrial look that is tempered by the visual warmth of the timber.

Viewers were fascinated by the way the builders had to solve structural rigidity problems as the containers were sliced into at different angles. And Hodge admitted there was an engineering overspend he hadn’t planned – to provide structural strength – bringing the build cost to $800,000.

Grand Designs NZ presenter Tom Webster said in his summary, “This is not a house that celebrates the structural properties of containers; it’s one that celebrates their aesthetic qualities.”

“It always had to be a container house,” Hodge said. “You’ll never sway me from that. It’s more than just a house. It’s more like an art form to me. I spent so long looking at it, and now it’s complete, I’m happy with what I’ve achieved.”

The house, designed by architect Chris McCarthny, is defined by the natural light that floods in from glazed walls, skylights and clerestory windows, and is designed to direct the eye to the beautiful native bush and sea views. The top floor accommodates the large open-plan living area, while the two bedrooms are positioned within containers on the lower level.

Hodge also requested a “living roof” garden above one of the bedrooms, which is planted with grasses.

Smith says the quality of the build stands out: “It’s not all containers, but you can see them as you move through the house. It is very, very clever.

“Tomik Architectural Builders are very high-end builders here on Waiheke, and work on architecturally significant homes.”

The property, at 14 Okoka Road, Omiha, Waiheke Island will be auctioned by Ray White on August 12, 2023. Matthew Smith is marketing the property with Shelley Dewar.