There is one member of The Block cast whose job is so fundamental to the project that, without him, there would be no show. He’s not a contestant, a tradie, or foreman Dan. He isn’t a judge or a host. He’s the man standing quietly at the starting line of every three-month build – the architect.

Julian Brenchley has been designing the houses for The Block since the series began in 2003. This year, he is tasked with creating five new homes in the blue-ribbon Victorian peninsula suburb of Mount Eliza.

“People are becoming more design-educated,” Brenchley says. “The calibre of their questions says a lot about their understanding of the building they’re working in. This year’s contestants certainly seem a lot more qualified than we’ve had in the past. Often, that makes it a better relationship. But sometimes it can get a bit weird and wonderful, too.”

This year’s “Blockheads” are Gold Coast fitness couple Chantel and Wyatt; South Australian cattle station managers Adam and Jolene; Perth paramedic Lisa and FIFO oil and gas worker Rosco; and Melbourne builder Rick and his daughter Tayla. The pair with the clearest construction credentials are Brisbane site manager Courtney and her bestie, commercial interior designer Sev.

“Their energy is fantastic,” says Brenchley of the latter pair. “They’re finding every angle and straightening out every fold in the design. I’m probably the problem, really. Crushing their ideas is the first step. I hate being a ‘no’ person.”

Despite interior design judge Darren Palmer’s brief for the area, which he decrees is Kardashian-inspired, “white, light and bright”, Brenchley believes in individuality.

“The houses have got to have their own points of difference … There’d be no point in five real estate agents selling five identical houses … And stick to your vision and explore that,” he says. “Don’t chop and change halfway through because you happen to land on a different Pinterest page that morning. Stick to your guns and really make a statement.

“One of the big things that I always tell clients is don’t rush into a decision. Think about the gestation period of an idea and give it time to bubble and ferment and get chucked out and start it again. Because if there are big, expensive decisions to make, the more time you can give it, the better the result will be.”

While butler’s pantries and en suites are still in vogue, Brenchley is noticing a preference for internal curves, and a greater emphasis on sustainability. But a timeless philosophy still applies – the floor plan can mean the difference between a happy household and an unhappy one.

“Bedroom spaces and secondary living spaces are becoming such an important part of house designs now, to make sure that a young family can grow into an older family without siblings killing each other or spouses getting divorced … Definitely, the pressure on young kids for affordability is keeping children at home longer.”

This season marks the 14th time in a row The Block has been filmed in Victoria, with Bondi, Manly and Vaucluse the only interstate locations to have had a look-in. According to Brenchley, it’s not personal.

“We look everywhere,” he says. “We had a good old sniff at Byron Bay for a while. We’ve looked at Perth. We’ve looked at Brissy [Brisbane]. It comes down to where we want to be in our aspirational space. So there’s nothing wrong with Bali or New Zealand, either. But Victoria is a good sounding board for what people aspire to with housing.”

When not sourcing future Block development sites, Brenchley and his Sydney firm design smaller house-and-land packages and hospitals. When he watches The Block, he prioritises his favourite parts of the show.

“My standout moment is seeing these houses come to life in their location and how successfully they sit in the environment,” he says. “[On set], I don’t get to see that much of the shenanigans and the drama. So I don’t love catching up with that. The Sunday night room reveals are the best.”

The Block returns at 7pm on Sunday on Nine, with episodes airing Monday-Wednesday, 7.30pm.

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