'Home’ director Doug Pray puts innovation above luxury: 'It's about big ideas for a small planet'
Apple TV+’s latest docuseries ‘Home’ features some of the most extraordinary and incredible properties around the world. As much the visually stunning architecture of each property takes your breath away, there’s more to its making than pure art.
We got into a candid conversation with the minds behind the show and learned about their thoughts, visions, and what brought them together to do something so aesthetically remarkable.
In an interview with MEA Worldwide (MEAWW) ‘Home’s director Doug Pray, and executive producers, Matthew Weaver and Collin Orcutt took us through their individual perspectives on the show.
What was the thought behind creating ‘Home’?
Doug: It started with a simple idea; to make a series about innovative homes that wasn’t about luxury, but focused on big ideas for a small planet. Its goal was to be about the personal stories of homeowners just as much as it was about the homes themselves.
Matthew: The idea was to create a compelling, emotional character-driven show set against the backdrop of the most interesting architecture in the world. It was never about the biggest or the most extravagant, it was about the most compelling and interesting homes and the people behind them. We see many shows around exclusive, expensive properties around the world.
What makes ‘Home’ special according to you?
Doug: ‘Home’ is special to me because it isn’t about rich lifestyles, cribs, or how-to remodel. Rather, it is about the ones that have solved real problems and the people behind them.
Matthew & Collin: Quoting, Verlyn Klinkenborg, "Home is home, and everything else is not-home.” Though we have one or two of expensive, eye-catching properties, the goal was to go beyond that visual appeal. We wanted to explore what the concept of "home" means. It's not just the house, but the people that make them, and the amazing lives and stories that come from them, that make these homes special.
If you had to choose the best part of the entire series, what would it be?
Doug: When a group of families from Nacajuca Mexico, who’d been living in substandard, unsanitary, and impoverished conditions for years, see and walk inside the brand new 3D printed homes for the first time, it was a deeply emotional moment. It shows just how meaningful the idea of “home” can be.
Collin: There's no fair answer here; each episode has its truly magnificent moments. However, for someone who grew up in Maine, I found something nostalgic and comforting about the opening of the Soot House episode; it resonated with me the most, it reminded me of home.
Matthew: I love the idea of “family” and how we told some very emotional stories of families battling adversity with their homes, ultimately bringing them together.
Which one is your favorite home in the series?
Doug: I would love to live in all the homes on the show. But I think my favorite home is Chris Brown and Agi Rodriguez’s Edgeland house in Austin. It is no bigger than it needs to be and is absolutely gorgeous with huge, architectural windows that let in a lot of natural light, it has a lush, native-grass roof which makes you feel like you’re living in the woods. The house is really a work of science fiction and makes sense for a sci-fi writer (Chris Brown)
Matthew & Collin: It's not possible to pick one favorite. The home that may have inspired the most people on our staff, though, is Naturhus. A lot of documentary television makers are now considering something like what Anders and his family made.
How do you think this series will influence the future of architectural design and/or the construction space in general?
Matthew & Collin: This is a tricky question given the state of the world right now. Our goal wasn’t really to try and influence the broader design or construction community, but instead to shine a light on some powerful and inspirational stories. But we do hope that this series reminds people that home can be whatever you'd like it to be; whatever is important to you or brings you joy.
We believe our series shows that even the unimaginable is achievable and in these times and that’s reassuring.
Doug: Each home in this series is a successful example of intelligent, and sustainable design and construction. Not everyone can emulate or afford these exact ideas, but all viewers can take away something from these stories that might improve their home, their lives, and possibly the planet. I hope it will inspire future builders and architects to think positively about incorporating features that contribute to life, rather than deplete and if nothing else, it will drive people to take risks, and to quote Apple Inc “think different”!
To see these thoughts, ideas, and inspirations come to life, explore ‘Home’, now streaming on Apple TV+.