Grand Designs' Kevin McCloud gives glimpse at future of home-building
The presenter introduces us to what could be the future of housing.
A brand new season of Grand Designs premiered last week, with Kevin McCloud returning to our screens to give us an insight into the most exciting left-field home-building projects in the UK.
In an exclusive RadioTimes.com clip, McCloud teases that "change is coming" to Britain's construction industry, which he says is "notoriously slow at embracing change".
The second episode will see the beloved presenter meet Kate and Rob, who live in a home prefabricated by Rob's grandfather in the 1940s. Though originally designed to be lived in for just 10 years, the factory-built home has lasted well past its sell-by date.
When McCloud meets them, Kate and Rob are looking to replace their home with a bespoke, modern version, also prefabricated. Just like the home Rob's grandfather built, the couple's new home will be designed and put together in a factory.
However, some interesting new techniques will be used. Thanks to volumetric modular construction, their home will take just six weeks to build – that's the plan, anyway.
In the clip below, McCloud visits high end volumetric modular construction company TopHat, which serves as the inspiration for Kate and Rob's Derby home, and seems very excited about the atmosphere and the "perfectly accurate" engineering.
Speaking to Radio Times magazine, McCloud had previously opened up about whether the current housing crisis has affected the show.
“It’s about the third time around that we’ve had a big jolt to the economy,” he said. “All our contributors are thinking hard, and they’re working with people who are brilliant. If they’re faced with a real difficulty, they will think of a cheap and clever solution to get out of it.”
It seems like volumetric modular construction could be just that.
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Grand Designs season 23 continues on Wednesday 7th September at 9pm on Channel 4. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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