Grand Village

With the increasing pressure on eco friendly living and our homes being a major source of energy consumption, homeowners are becoming more conscious of the importance of eco-friendly buildings for the future, that will help to reduce our CO2 emissions and running costs.

This year’s GRAND Village sponsored by first direct will see four full-scale, building, within the exhibition hall where visitors will be able to walk around the properties and see their green credentials up-close. Constructed off-site and installed in Grand Designs Live for the duration of the event, these properties will demonstrate the groundbreaking alternatives for future living.

Here is a preview of the innovative energy efficient eco friendly homes and features hosted in the GRAND Village.

Pilotis House

A recently finished project by designers Gaukroger and Partners. The Pilotis forest classrooms were the first of their kind. Grand Designs Live London will see these low tech pods made from English Chesnut shingles and a ribbed timber frame constructed for the home market.

The Pilotis Pods are raised off the ground by Douglas Fir stilts which reduce heat loss in the winter and aids cooling in the summer. The buildings are highly insulated, reducing the need for heating. With the idea behind the pods being “up-cycling”, it is the way forward for future sustainable living. Taking buildings that are considered not worth saving and adding lots of insulation through sustainable resources, the Pilotis pod is the first of its kind, leading the way forward for “up-cycled” and “re-cycled” homes.

SIPS Industries Ltd

A new addition to the GRAND Village will be the SIPS Industries Ltd property.

SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels) offer a modern, cost-effective, environmental and energy efficient solution to property construction. The SIPS houses are pre-manufactured with insulation, removing the need for additional insulation and reducing the amount of timber used in traditional building methods.

This method of construction allows you to work with your architect to make the best use of space while keeping costs under control, not to mention being a faster method of construction.

SIPS Industries will showcase a duplex property complete with a gull wing roof. The internal area will also feature a mezzanine level.

SIPS industries ltd specialise in all aspects of SIPS building, from design through manufacture of the panels to on-site construction.

Cub House

Cube Housing Solutions will be presenting 'Cub' homes, the UK’s first ever detached Code 5, NHBC Building Regulation Type Approved modular housing solution at Grand Designs Live London. Matching its superior structural innovation with the ultimate in interior and exterior design, Cub homes are a show must-see.

Manufactured and built exclusively with Futureform, an exemplar exponent in the use of Modern Methods of Construction and volumetric building, and conceptually created and designed by Cube Housing Solutions Ltd, these unique, permanent homes have already earned themselves a coveted place at the BRE Innovation Centre following the show and could well provide the inspiration and template for future building.

Built off-site to ensure carbon footprint is kept to an absolute minimum, your turn-key home is fully fitted, interior designed and ready to move into on the day of delivery, just 12-16 weeks after placing an order.

Cub homes are available in 51m2, 102m2 and 153m2 - perfect for individuals with land or large gardens, looking to develop or re-house a family member, for those looking for simplistic solution to Self Build, developers and Housing Associations.

Eco Modular Living

Eco Modular Living Ltd are the first in the industry to recycle existing buildings to create stylish homes.

They are brand leaders in transforming buildings formally used as classrooms or office spaces into sleek, understated living spaces.

These homes and lodges are environmentally friendly and are available in 4 options starting with the eco base, which uses a small amount of energy, through to the zero carbon lodge that generates more energy than it consumes.

By reusing the basic components of a building, such as floors, roofs and steel structures, carbon emissions and energy use during construction are reduced.

Eco Modular Living homes could be adapted in the future for student accommodation, homes, hotels, apartments and lodges to rent or buy.

Archipod Garden Office

With advances in computer and networking technology, and ever increasing travel costs and road congestion, working from home is becoming a real alternative to commuting to an office everyday for many professionals.

Designed around the idea that a garden building should become part of the garden landscape, Archipod’s ‘pod’ office is unique in that it consists of a 3m diameter sphere rather than a conventional square box that sits in the corner of a garden.

Designed and manufactured near York by Archipod Ltd, the ‘pod’ is constructed predominantly from timber, the world’s most replenish-able construction material, and is insulated to a standard exceeding that of current Building Regulations. The structure is prefabricated in sections that are sized to allow all the parts to be carried through a house, so the pod can be easily placed in the garden.

GRAND Seminar Theatre sponsored by first direct

At the London 2010 show, the GRAND Seminar Theatre sponsored by first direct will take another step forward in influence and interest getting its teeth into the most pressing issues of the day.

Inspirational debates on housing, sustainability, innovation and regeneration mixed with celebrity designers and architects and solid practical information about your pet project. See website for schedules and more information.