"A weekend? A weekend is for wimps. For part timers. A weekend is so, well, last year. For 2008 Grand Designs Live London has been supersized – it’s grown from a weekend to nine whole days, from 3 – 11 May.
"There’s plenty to do as well as see. You’ll be able to get your hands dirty and have a go at a traditional build technique, like straw bale building or lime plastering. You can experience the future in a house kitted out with all the latest technological developments. You can find out how to use a four-metre square plot of land to grow fruit and vegetables all year round. You can have a one-on-one consultation with an architect, or with an expert in another field, like structural engineering, sustainable building, finance or interior design. You can attend seminars on all sorts of subjects, and there’ll be the usual plethora of exhibitors showing their wares in the six-part show; Build, Interiors, Kitchens, Bathrooms, Gardens and the Design Shopping Arcade."
Bricks, mortar, steel, glass – all building materials we’re used to seeing on Grand Designs. But they’re relatively recent developments compared to other techniques which are hundreds of even thousands of years old. At Grand Designs Live London experts in these traditional building skills will be giving demonstrations and letting visitors have a go themselves. There’ll be timber frame building, lime plastering, straw bale building and even building with earth.
Power House
Energy efficiency is a popular phrase at the moment, and there are many ways you can reduce the amount of power used in your home. Turning the heating down one degree and making sure appliances are turned off rather than on standby can make a real difference. Choosing A+ rated appliances and energy efficient light bulbs will do yet more. Visitors to Grand Designs Live London will be able to find out exactly how much difference each change can make to their energy consumption. Exercise bikes will be rigged up to meters, and pedal power will be used to measure the difference between low energy and traditional products.
Design Challenge
Empty sea containers no longer need to sit empty and rust away; they can be converted into homes and even office or studio space. At Grand Designs Live London visitors will see how these former shipping storage units can be given a new lease of life as they are fitted out by design experts from the likes of Grand Designs Magazine and mydeco.
