competition
Could you design the ultimate ‘flexible’ self-build starter home that can be constructed for £40,000?
he organisers of the 2015 National Custom & Self Build Week are launching a unique ideas competition – open to anyone – to design an innovative 'self-build' starter home that can be con- structed for less than £40,000. The home must have one bedroom, a living room, kitchen and bathroom, and be capable of being easily expanded as the family grows. Later on, it could grow again to provide a multi-generational home, or contract as the family downsizes, or even be split into two. The first two ‘Self Build on a Shoestring’ competitions attracted
T
lots of entries and both the winning designs are expected to be built – a number of houses based on the 2013 winning design have now secured planning permission in Scotland and Wales, and the team behind last year’s winning entry is currently evaluating a number of potential sites in London to build it on. This year’s competition has been designed to showcase
innovative designs that will provide an adaptable home that will last a family a lifetime. The focus is on delivering a ‘modular’ solu- tion that can either be fully self built, or part-built in a factory (to provide a watertight shell) that the self builder can then finish off. The judges will be looking for clever approaches and innovative use of materials to keep the costs down, and they also want the homes to be sustainable and attractive. Full details of how to enter – including a comprehensive Competition Brief – are available on the NaCSBA website (
www.nacsba.org.uk/selfbuildonashoestring). The judges will include Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud,
serial self builder Geoff Stow and the chair of the Royal Institute of British Architects’ self build committee, Luke Tozer.
The timeframe for the competition will give entrants until 18th September to submit their designs, with the winners being revealed at the Grand Designs Live exhibition at the NEC in early October. There is a £5,000 prize fund. NaCSBA Chair Michael Holmes said: “Self build doesn't just
happen on television. Every year more than ten thousand of us com- mission a new home for ourselves, or build it with our bare hands. The National Custom & Self Build Association is dedicated to mak- ing that easier, cheaper and more accessible – which is why we're running this competition again to shine the spotlight on affordable self build. We're looking for ultra-flexible designs for a simple-to- build home that can be ‘grow’ or ‘contract’ throughout the lifetime of the occupants. This competition will appeal to all those brilliant architects, building companies and offsite manufacturing firms who believe that the future of housing is self build. “The potential market for the winning design could be enormous.
A recent Ipsos MORI poll suggested there are around six million people currently investigating the feasibility of undertaking a self build project, and one million of these are searching for or trying to acquire a plot of land. “In the 1970s and 1980s, the UK led the way when it came to innovative, low cost self build homes, and hundreds of very inex- pensive, simple-to-build homes were constructed. We believe there is a huge appetite in Britain, especially from young families on mod- est incomes, to build a truly affordable home for themselves. And we are confident we will get some wonderfully innovative designs.” The competition will require the design to meet current UK
Building Regulations. All entrants will have to include a detailed cost report that itemises the materials used and their cost.
grand designs live Grand Designs Live – show round-up A
s the eleventh Grand Designs Live London, sponsored by Anglian Home Improvements closed its doors; Media
10, the event’s organisers, celebrated a hugely successful show, with over 100,000 visitors and over 500 exhibitors attending the event, to affirm the event’s position as the UK’s number one contemporary home show. Show host Kevin McCloud was on hand to
greet the visitors, before cutting the ribbon and declaring the 2015 show officially open. Welcoming visitors across nine days; the scale of the show has expanded to house more features in both Grand Technology and Grand Kitchens sections. Grand Technology featured a new interactive walkthrough experience, ‘The Green House’ showcasing the latest in innovative gadgets and eco-technology – and Grand Kitchen introduced visitors to the “Miele Live Kitchen Seminar Stage” which hosted a busy schedule of informative kitchen design talks. Visitors arrived early, eager to get home ideas, inspiration and advice from the show’s
experts, which included Kevin McCloud, George Clarke, Wayne Hemingway, James Alexander-Sinclair and Charlie Luxton, amongst others, who hosted a series of talks and workshops over the course of the show. Commenting on the 2015 event, Show
Director of Grand Designs Live, Nathan Garnett said: “Over the course of the 11 years Grand Designs Live London has been at London ExCel both the exhibition and exhibitors continue to grow and push the boundaries of home development. The fact we’re able to introduce new features to the show each year has enabled us to increase the variety of the exhibitors, and reach out to a much wider and diverse level of consumer. Not only has the show continued to attract local visitors, but we’re also seeing those from further afield come to explore the latest trends in home design and seek advice from the top experts in the business.” Some of this year’s key highlights included
the announcement of the Garden Designer of the Year Award winner, who was selected
during a live judging event with Kevin McCloud and James Alexander–Sinclair presenting the award to Mark O’Neil for his stunning ‘WILD LIFE’ Garden. Another exciting highlight of the show was the exclusive launch of ‘George Clarke’s Amazing Sheds’ which brought together the build and design talents of architect and TV presenter, George Clarke, and master craftsman William Hardie of Studio Hardie. Natural Building Live also proved to be a
big success with the visitors who attended, by showcasing natural building techniques which can be applied to new build projects, retrofit, extensions or restoration to create healthy natural homes.
12
selfbuilder & homemaker
www.sbhonline.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68