Grand Designs Live presenter and designer Kevin McCloud will be opening the live event at the NEC Birmingham (Photograph: David McHugh)
Grand Designs Live is based on the hugely popular Channel 4 TV show, Grand Designs, which has gained a vast following in the UK over the last 10 years.
TV broadcaster and live show host, Kevin McCloud will be at the Birmingham show next month meeting fans, chairing debates in the Grand Theatre and sharing his Grand Designs experiences with visitors. We found out more from everyone’s favourite design guru.
How did you get into design and architecture?
I started by pursuing a (terminated) career in music, and then I went to Cambridge to take a degree in languages, which quickly changed to philosophy, then finally to the history of art and architecture. I then retrained as a designer and led two weird, parallel lives designing both in the theatre and in people’s houses. I’ve designed exhibitions, graphics, product and spaces, settling eventually – for no particular reason other than people bought the stuff – on lighting and furniture. I really enjoyed it all and had some great experiences.
Why are you so passionate about design?
My passion for design really stems from the huge influence my father was on me whilst growing up. He was a rocket scientist and engineer, who taught me that there is no such thing as fear of technology, a man who believed in the power of science and invention. He was a man who strewed bits of car engine over the kitchen table every weekend. I appreciated how things worked and were put together and the intricacies of their designs.
What advice would you give to those considering a self-build?
Very easy – spend the money on the bones. Spend the money on the stuff that is there forever, not the frippery like kitchens and bathrooms which can be replaced. Think of the architecture, glazing and core materials.
Why is the environment important to good design?
Our houses and taps and spoons all form part of the environment we make to surround ourselves with. And that connects to the immediate local environment like our street or town, which in turn is part of a global environment. We’ve stopped appreciating the human energy and the valuable natural resources that go into making everything around us and think of most of our possessions as throwaway items.
This year we’ll be bringing Supersized Salvage live to the show. It’s hard to bring anything the size of an Airbus A320 to the show but we are going to use a scrapped one to build a piece out of. It will see us build a chair in 45 minutes with Harry Dwyer from the Aircraft Workshop.
I’m going to take my usual role as stooge while Harry does the hard work. It should be challenging and amusing and I am sure there will be lots of banter, but what’s important is the mission. The serious element of doing this is to share the message that you can make beautiful stuff out of rubbish and encourage people to think twice when they look at items for their homes or gardens.
This year designer and presenter Kevin McCloud will be bringing Supersized Salvage live to the show. complete with a scrapped Airbus A320.
Grand Designs Live opens from the 9-12 October at Birmingham NEC, what should visitors look out for at this year’s show?
The show gets bigger and better every year making it hard to highlight just a few features. Eco-conscious visitors should look out for the handpicked selection of Kevin’s Green Heroes, which include the latest eco-innovations and technologies, some of which are being exclusively launched at the show. Sustainable, eco-living should mean more choice not less, and each of the latest Green Heroes show case this with emphasis on value and craftsmanship.
Something really exciting this year is the new Urban Allotment feature. When chatting about the show last year, Richard, the show director, and I wanted to bring something new to the Grand Gardens section. We thought about bringing something of a harvest festival style to Birmingham, it’s the right time of year with apples on trees and plenty of fantastic produce around. After exploring various possibilities we finally formed the idea of the Urban Allotment.
Visitors can learn about having a productive garden in a limited space as well as looking at pollination, fruit and produce and how they contribute to biodiversity, something I consider important when designing a home. As part of the exhibition, we’ve got the British Bee Keepers Association giving advice on pollination and how to manage bees in your garden; we also have Poultry Talk, an organisation that will be giving advice about hen-keeping with some actual chickens at the show to demonstrate this.
We’re hoping Grand Designs Live might kick-start a new interest in veg growing and bio diversity in many visitors, particularly through the National Allotment Society which is on hand to give advice on growing veg and some of the eco and space friendly ways to do this.
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With over 50,000 consumers expected to visit the event over four days, Grand Designs Live Birmingham will offer visitors a great day out, 100’s of innovative ideas for the home, specialist exhibitors and FREE expert advice all under one roof – making it an invaluable and unmissable event for home lovers.
Grand Designs Live Birmingham sponsored by Anglian Home Improvements runs from 9 – 12 October at Birmingham’s NEC. Tickets are now on sale, book in advance and save £££s. Order your tickets online: www.granddesignslive.com or call the booking hotline on 0844 854 1348.
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