Grand Designs Australia

I like the bit where the house is way over budget and takes too long

Loved the house but my problem with the episode is in what was left out.

It was disappointing that in 2025 on ABC a big thing was made about the history of the family owning the block back to 1860. As if the land was Terra Nullius up to then. If you bring history into the story you need to offer more about what happened to the previous inhabitants? The land was evidently granted to the Irish settlers at the time. More than just acknowledgement of Country at the commencement of the episode is needed in this instance. First Nations peoples are owed the dignity of not being rendered invisible yet again. Here is the opportunity for some local truth telling. It wouldn't take much extra research to learn the fate of the Yaggera peoples who were forced to vacate that land and tell their story. Just two extra lines in the episode would contribute to some healing across Australia.

I am always wary of TV show Franchise's, Just look at Top gear UK turned into Top Gear Down under, or Kath and Kim Turned in to Kath and Kim USA.

When they decided on a Grand Designs Australia i was a bit worried... Do we build enough interesting homes to fill enough episodes? Who should host?

Essentially these are the only 2 questions one needs to ask.

The first question is fairly easy. Yes. Building seems like a national past time here, New house's, improving and renovating is a cornerstone of our culture i believe, We love our homes, and Surprising there has not been a similar show sooner. So finding the right homes for the show has not been a problem.

Secondly, The Host was chosen Wisely, Peter Maddison lets the pictures and owners tell the story with little interference only guiding it along and putting in his 2 cents only when it matters.

Overall a great show which i think Kevin Mc'cloud would be happy to have his Grand designs UK show associated with it. 10/10

As the title says, this is not a review about the show itself, but a warning for prospective architecture students.

Anthony Burke was the director and teacher at the faculty where I did my architecture degree. I have expressed multiple times about the poor quality of the course and subjective views of the teachers and total lack of real world applications the course content taught us. The course I did focused on unrealistic wild designs that could not be built in the real world, while also running a construction subject where we architecture students essentially had to self learn to be engineers, and didn't teach anything applicable like the techniques and methods shown in Grand Designs. The closest we got was learning about storing heat in the floor and gabions using thermal mass. We also didn't learn any ancient techniques or explore the various architectural design styles across the world. Finally after graduation, all work places require you to already know Archicad or Revit, neither of which were taught at the university, instead we were taught Rhino, the excuse was that we will learn Archicad and Revit on the job at work. The only think that "came true" was when he said that by the time we graduate, 3D printers will be available for individuals. Australia's architecture courses really suck, and I have since seen programs overseas. Total waste of time and money.

Disappointing that the show grand designs has nothing to do with designs any more, and is all about grand time and climate challenges and budgets.

Shame to lose the market it was targeting. Shame it's just another reality TV filler. It was, and could, be better and worth watching.

Getting back to actual Grand Designs with progressive and historical architectural design would be more enjoyable.