Julian Brenchley designs new homes for 2026 season of Australian TV show The Block

Julian Brenchley, the architect who has been designing the houses for the reality‑renovation series The Block since its debut in 2003, is leading the build for the 2026 season. He is tasked with creating five distinct homes in the affluent Victorian suburb of Mount Eliza.

The 2026 contestant line‑up includes a Gold Coast fitness couple, South Australian cattle‑station managers, a Perth paramedic paired with a FIFO oil‑and‑gas worker, a Melbourne builder and his daughter, and a Brisbane site manager teamed with a commercial interior designer. Brenchley notes that the contestants are more design‑educated than in previous years and stresses the importance of individuality, pushing back against the judge’s “Kardashian‑inspired” brief for a white, light, bright aesthetic. He advises taking time on major design decisions rather than rushing them.