Grand Ideas + Win Free Tickets
TV presenter Kevin McCloud talks basic building common sense as he prepares for Grand Designs Live London
Grand Designs is the TV show that made architecture sexy and Kevin McCloud is the face of sexy architecture. But what is it that has made the programme so popular and spurred thousands to undertake similar projects?
“Building design isn’t trendy. Rem Koolhaas, the architect, said that it takes so long to design a building that by the time you’ve finished, the trend you were aspiring to will have passed.
“The most important bit to ‘get right’ when undertaking a development project is to spend the money on the bones. Spend the money on the stuff that is there forever. Think of the architecture, glazing and core materials.
“To go about finding a good architect you ring up the RIBA; go on to their website www.architecture.com and they have a finding service to introduce you to architects in your area. The hard way is research architects websites, find out whose work you admire, but the most important thing is to meet them and make sure they can work with you and share your vision.
“Be brave – consider altering the layout of your home to suit your lifestyle. Most of our properties were built before the war, or are newer imitations of these pre-war builds, with layouts that don’t suit today’s open-plan living. If knocking out walls would improve the way you live, and you can afford it, then go for it.”
So what things are worth investing in a home? “If you ask any architect where the money on a project should go, they will tell you it’s worth investing in 1) the bare bones of the design and a good quality of construction and 2) the things you touch. Make everything you touch of the highest quality.”
Should we be making our homes in a sustainable way? “Sustainability is not a bolt-on, nor a government department, but a culture, a way of doing things. If you have yet to insulate your home you could, subject to approval from your local authority, consider waste wood wool [treated with borax as a human friendly fire preventative].
“My ancient home is single glazed – conservation officers do not like double glazing. Our buildings lose an embarrassing amount of heat through glass. If you haven’t got double glazing, then at least put in secondary glazing – a second frame of glass behind the first. It is a cheap solution. Or if you have old windows in a period house, as long as it is not listed, you could replace single panels of glass with ultra-high tech Slimlite double glazing panels which are just 12mm thick.
“You can upgrade your heating system. If your boiler is old, all it does is burn fuel and get hot. Newer models have a secondary heat exchanger in the outlet flue that absorbs heat from the hot gasses that leave the combustion chamber and are known as condensing boilers.
And you can fit insulated blinds. HeatSaver, an American firm with branches worldwide, makes insulated blinds from the multilayer thin insulation sold for roof spaces.
“Zero waste is not a fairy tale pie in the sky. With proper municipal waste programmes, thrift and prudence, it is possible. Compost! An average household that composts its kitchen and garden waste can prevent 13kg of methane per year (which would result from sending it to a landfill) equivalent to 280 kg of CO2 – just over a quarter of a tonne every year. That is the same amount of CO2 that a small car produces travelling 1,000miles.”
Are recycling networks, where you advertise your unwanted goods and possessions a good idea? “Yes. Upcycle instead of recycle. Turn the useless in to the useful. Tirex is a low energy and beautiful carpet made by minimally processing pieces of car tyre. We throw away 486,000 tonnes of tyres every year in Britain.
Tirex carpet tiles are recycled — with a minimum of processing — by slicing old tyres and rubber machinery belts into long French fries and then bonding them together side-on. The durable fabric webbing that is inside the tyre wall is exposed as the top surface of the carpet and the resulting texture is a revelation. Interface FLOR sell it as “entrance matting” but Tirex doesn’t look anything like a tyre. Its colours are grey and brown.
It is elegant and sophisticated and every office in the world and quite a few homes ought to be carpeted with it.”
How can we save energy?
“Buy power-measly appliances – this can make an enormous difference to your energy bill. A typical household might get through 3,700kw hours of electricity every year assuming gas heating. Lighting will gobble 750kwh. The rest goes on machinery. We need to be buying A rated appliances and in the A band, the most efficient machines we can.”
Kevin McCloud will be joined by a team of home development celebrities and experts at Grand Designs Live London, Saturday 30 April – Sunday 8 May 2011, at ExCel, London. The live show features seven section offering everything you need to build and furnish your home – all under one roof. Book tickets now and save £4. Book online at www.granddesignslive.com, or call the 24 hour box office on 0844 209 7349. Kids go free.
You can also get more words of wisdom from Kevin McCloud’s new book entitled Kevin McCloud’s 43 Principles Of Home (Harper Collins).
Win tickets to Grand Designs Live London!
We have 10 pairs of tickets to give away to Grand Designs Live London! For the chance to win, just tell us: How many sections does the show have?
Email your answer to competitions@thelatest.co.uk with ‘Grand Designs’ in the subject line and the answer to the question in the body of the email.?Don’t forget to leave your contact details. Alternatively, write to us at the address at the front of L7. Closing date for entries:?22 April 2011.
