Grand Designs Live Builds a Sustainable House on TV
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05. 5.08
Grand Designs Live is a lifestyle t.v. show that features house construction and renovations being carried out, with comments by the proud owners and by Kevin McCloud, the presenter, on the taste and architecture. It is usually complimentary, sometimes grotesque and there is always some snag, but it's great fun for architectural voyeurs. All this week the show features the construction of Kevin McCloud's own sustainable house by a team of workmen, with a different aspect of the construction being shown every night. The materials will be sustainable and recycled, where possible, and a combination of traditional materials and cutting-edge technology.
Here's the schedule: foundations and structure of the ground floor in place by day two, using sustainable, prefabricated straw bales (which don't quite fit) and hemp cladding panels. Next: double height rammed earth wall-- 8 tons of earth are needed for this effort. Day three is high tech, using a "computer controlled flat-bed laser cutter to produce the internal and external structure and generate practically no waste." Day four: window frames from "Accoya, a timber that can stay in shape even if it was left in the bottom of the Thames for 10 years, and Nanogel, the lightest and best insulating material in the world for the roof lights." Can he do it? Follow their progress and watch the agony and the ecstasy as it develops. :: Grand Designs Live
I think the best design for housing would be a souterrain. It keeps in heat well and allows vegetation to grow over it to some extent. It has minimal visible effect on the landscape. I'd love to live in one.
This is a fabulous idea! Also check out how an entire city is getting built out using these same kinds of sustainable principles at Sonoma Mountain Village (www.somoliving.com).
Hi
I was part of the team that helped to build "The House That Kevin Built".
I note the comment from the original article above about the straw bale panels (which don't quite fit). Welcome to the world of celebrity TV. The straw bale panels are actually made by ModCell. They are usually prefabricated offsite by people who know how to make them. Check out their blog with a video of them being made at http://www.modcell.co.uk/blog/blog/item/52
The ground floor of the house was structurally installed in the first of hour of the first show. TV world wanted to show comedian Bill Bailey having fun and making mistakes instead.
Enjoy the rest of the blog as it tells a more detailed story of the build than was shown on the Channel 4 show.