Presenter has Grand Designs of his own
Chris Moller has a collection of toy cars and an assortment of shells he has found on the beach. He’s very down-to-earth. As an architect who spent nearly two decades in Europe studying the tradition, it’s no surprise he landed the role of presenter for Grand Designs NZ, which is now in it’s third season.
What are you plugging right now?
For me, affordable housing is a very big issue globally. In New Zealand, it requires commitment from government to shift industry away from only market-focused solutions that are focused on maximising profit. Instead, we need an industry step change to embrace digital prefabrication to enable a step change at the scale necessary to deliver both quantity and good quality.
What’s your idea of perfect happiness?
I live a very happy life with my wife in a magical place close to friends and family and just a walk to the village, the bush or the beach which allows a wonderful daily rhythm. So I have the time to wander the hills to contemplate the genius of nature, cycling, sailing and designing and making things.
Which living person do you most admire?
Brian Eno. His ideas about society, creativity and culture are thoughtprovoking and enlightening. I love being immersed in his musical landscapes.
What’s your most embarrassing moment?
Being caught on Christmas morning opening presents – which my brother and sister have never let me forget!
Ever stolen anything?
A bunch of good ideas!
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
No complaints, happy as I am.
If you could time travel, where would you go and why?
On the one hand, I’d love to dial back to the dawn of human existence and see how we lived in tune with the planet. On the other, I’d love to go to 1000 years into the future to experience how we get through today’s challenges. Is there a hitch-hikers guide?
What life lesson would you pass on to your children?
Travelling opened my mind to the world and other ways of thinking about things – it reminds you of how fortunate and fragile we all are, and to respect and look after our planet and to be generous with one another.
What job would you do other than your own and why?
Craftsman – I love working with my hands and get immense satisfaction from making things.
If you were given three wishes that you could fulfil by a magic genie, what would they be?
This is a great question, because now I get to time travel to both the dawn of human existence and 1000 years into the future! My third wish would be to find a radically different and better way to house humanity. ❚ Grand Designs New Zealand screens on Tuesdays at 7.30pm on Three.