Back by popular demand for the fourth year, ‘Kevin McCloud’s Green Heroes’ will return to Grand Designs Live London, sponsored by Anglian Home Improvements this May. The handpicked selection of the best eco-innovations will sit at the heart of the exhibition providing a platform to un-sung designers to showcase their designs and inventions.
As the face of the Grand Designs brand, Kevin McCloud has documented hundreds of buildings over the past two decades. This has given him an enormously wide knowledge of materials, the latest technologies and new sustainable practices in the construction market, making him a touchstone for inventive products and ideas. Building on that experience in 2010, Kevin decided to launch Kevin McCloud’s Green Heroes, inspired by his passion for innovative eco-friendly product design and green building products.
Please see below for this year’s list of brands that have been curated by Kevin to appear in the ‘Green Heroes’ feature at the show taking place 3-11 May at London ExCel.
Kevin’s 2014 Green Heros
3D Wall Décor Bamboo Wall Panels
3DWalldecor is a young design company which focuses on the development of three dimensional wall decorations.
Wall Panels by 3DWalldecor are a unique wall covering which is modular, easy to apply and paintable. The panels are made of environmentally friendly bamboo pulp and suitable for decorating walls and ceilings in in residential and commercial environments.
Bio – Bean
Bio-bean is an innovative green energy company that collect waste coffee grounds and turns them into fuels.
Bio-bean has a patented technique to process waste coffee grounds discarded by coffee shops, roasters and instant coffee producers, into biodiesel and biomass pellets.
Drum Lamp – William Heffer
Used washing machine drums are given a new life with this up-cycled product which is founded on three principles:
1: locally sourced and recycled materials
2: handmade to the highest standard
3: transforming or reinventing to something which totally disconnects from its past use
The drums of washing machines are salvaged from local recycling centres to give them a second life which makes products like these lamps 90% recycled.
Groundshield Foundation System – Floating System
The established Swedish engineering company ADZMedia has designed and created a robust and adaptable, green foundation product called Groundshield.
Groundshield components work together to give an energy efficient, self-shuttering and lightweight foundation system that is quick and easy to install and requires the minimum amount of excavation work.
Innotherm Insulation
Innotherm insulation is an environmentally responsible eco-insulation which delivers fuel-saving thermal performance. It can be used for both thermal and acoustic insulation along with building insulation for wood frames, roofs, floors and sarking.
The insulation is made from 85% recycled denim/cotton which has a low embodied energy and is recyclable when removed. It also has the quality that allows the reduction of stud sizes in timber frame construction.
Isocrete Green Concrete Screed from Flowcrete
The Isocrete Floor Screeds is a green concrete which incorporates a number of heavy-duty, self-smoothing and environmentally friendly surface underlayments, along with resin bonded systems, surface treatments and damp-proof membranes.
The Isocrete Green Screed range has been designed to be as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible, from the moment of manufacture through transportation, instillation and even during the lifetime of the building.
Ting London Flooring and Panels
TING’s luxury leather flooring re-works vintage leather belts to create a beautiful, glossy and hardwearing surface. As well as floors, the patterned material is also suitable for walls, table tops and feature areas.
Each belt is hand selected to ensure a high grade of leather and durability; the belts are then stripped of their metals, hand cleaned and prepared for processing. The composition for each tile or panel is carefully created in-house to assure the correct pattern and colour balance for each installation.
William – Wrought Iron & Brash Bed co
All beds are hand made to order in Norfolk and are guaranteed for the buyer’s lifetime.
As all the beds are handmade, each bed offers complete flexibility in both design and style to suit each customer’s personal style. Made from old scaffolding and railing these contemporary bed sets are made using one of the best low Co2 powder coat to help ensure these are both robust and the greenest bedsteads.
Grand Designs Live is the ultimate destination for home owners and self-builders and returns to London Excel for the 10th year from 3-11 May – www.granddesignslive.com
