Meet the Grand Designers
11.00am Thursday 7th May
Grand Theatre, ExCel Centre, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL
Free with Grand Designs Live London ticket, prices from £12, book tickets here.
Next Thursday, I’ll be reunited with Periscope House client (and friend) Natasha Cargill and Kevin McCloud at Grand Designs Live in London for a one-off ‘in conversation’ event and public Q&A.
Since the buzz-word ‘sustainability’ stole the show in the 2000’s, there has been a dangerous categorisation of ‘sustainable’, ‘green’ or ‘eco’ architecture. This new vernacular has too often been defined by the adornment of solar panels, wind turbines, rammed earth walls or green roofs. It is fair to say that some examples of the typology provided little more than highly insulated scaled-up shoe-boxes with very little in the way of spatial excitement or material consideration. We believe there are however few examples of designers and architects like us whose architecture is environmentally ‘(sub) conscious’; where designs evolve through a knowledge of environmental principles without neglecting the poetics of space, or the narrative of the everyday. Along with Studio Bark, practices like Alma-nac, Feilden Fowles and Architecture 00 prove that through re-imagining technical detail and materiality, truly inspiring and elegant environmental architecture can still prevail.
Come join me next week for the ultimate post-occupancy evaluation! I’m looking forward to talking with Natasha and Kevin about making houses more environmental without skimping on design and ambition.
Photograph © Paula Beetlestone for Grand Designs
