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Big Design Adventure

Tim Ross & Kevin McCloud

Two mates, Tim Ross — comedian, broadcaster, and self-described design nerd — and Kevin McCloud — pundit, writer and celebrated host of Grand Designs — have teamed up for a new podcast: Tim and Kev’s Big Design Adventure.

 

In this audio escapade, the architectural enthusiasts embark on a rollicking (and occasionally shambolic) journey, sharing their love of design by visiting buildings that inspire them, meeting the people who create or inhabit them, and diving deep into the places that shape and spark their imaginations.

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  • 24 episodes
  • Avg 45 min
  • English

Episodes 24

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  • S2 · E7
    March 17 · 42 min

    S2 Ep 7 - Patty Hopkins

    What happens when two young architects build their own home with little money but plenty of ideas? Tim and Kev head to London’s Hampstead to visit Patty Hopkins, one of Britain’s most influential architects and the co-founder of Hopkins Architects, the practice she started with her late husband Michael in 1976. For this very special interview she opens the doors to the iconic glass and steel home the pair designed for themselves that same year. It remains one of the most compelling residential examples of High-Tech architecture, a style that celebrates technology by exposing structural elements like steel frames, ducts and services as part of the design. In 1994 Patty became only the third woman to receive the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and in this intimate conversation she shares the story of her radical house, the practice she built with Michael, and the quiet wisdom that comes from a life in architecture. You can read more about the house here – hopkins.co.uk Here’s a great new book about High Tech British architecture: High Tech Britian – c20society.org.uk And the video Tim and Kevin talk about by Ned featuring Nick Grimshaw can be found via this link: Vimeo To view images from this episode, head to our Instagram page - @big_design_adventure And be sure to follow Tim Ross (@modernister) and Kevin McCloud (@kevin.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on hello@bigdesignadventure.com Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure. Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation) in Australia, Royal Institute of British Architects (@RIBA) in the UK and New Zealand Institute of Architects (@nziarchitects) in New Zealand. Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Guest: Patty Hopkins (@hopkinsarchitects) Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia. Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • S2 · E6
    March 10 · 37 min

    S2 Ep 6 - The Queenslander

    Tim and Kev head to Brisbane to meet architect John Ellway, who has quietly built a reputation for transforming one of Australia’s most iconic house types - the Queenslander. Working almost entirely in his own neighbourhood, John carefully adapts these classic timber-and-tin homes so they can handle contemporary living while still embracing the subtropical climate that shaped them. Recorded in his own inventive house, John is one of a number of local architects responsible for some of the most exciting Australian architecture of recent years. In a typically laid-back Brisbane manner, he unpacks the thinking behind his work and explains why relationships with clients are central to his practice. Follow John Ellway on Instagram @jellway and more details on his website jellway.com Other Brisbane architects doing interesting work include: Vokes and Peters – vokesandpeters.com Russell & Co – russelwith.co Owen Architecture – owenarchitecture.com.au To view images from this episode, head to our Instagram page - @big_design_adventure And be sure to follow Tim Ross (@modernister) and Kevin McCloud (@kevin.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on hello@bigdesignadventure.com Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure. Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation) in Australia, Royal Institute of British Architects (@RIBA) in the UK and New Zealand Institute of Architects (@nziarchitects) in New Zealand. Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Guest: John Ellway Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia. Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • S2 · E5
    March 3 · 46 min

    S2 Ep 5 - Ben Shewry’s Mid-Century Dream

    Tim and Kev head to Melbourne to visit Ben Shewry, the chef behind the world-famous restaurant Attica, who lives in the 1966 home designed by émigré architect Ernest Fooks. Ben, who has a deep passion for architecture and design, had long admired the house from afar, but he never thought he’d actually own it. In this episode, he not only flings open the door to his incredible heritage-listed home, but he shares the story of how he ended up living in his dream mid-century modern home. A natural storyteller, Ben effortlessly draws parallels between cooking and architecture, and reveals his long-standing passion for chair collecting in this wide-ranging chat in one of Melbourne’s finest houses. The Chef: Ben Shewry is a New Zealand–born Australian chef and owner-executive chef of Attica. Since taking over in 2005, he has made Attica one of the world’s most celebrated restaurants, known for native Australian ingredients and deeply personal storytelling. Shewry was featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table in 2017, which profiled his creative philosophy and journey. You can check out his restaurant website attica.com.au and get his best selling book here: Uses For Obsession Follow Ben on Instagram here: @benshewry The Architect: Ernest Fooks (1906–1985) was an Austrian-born architect who helped shape postwar modernism in Melbourne. Trained in Vienna, he fled Nazi Europe and brought continental ideas of functional planning and light-filled design to Australia. Fooks designed houses, civic buildings and synagogues, and later became a respected educator and town-planning advocate in Victoria. You can find out more about the house on Docomomo Australia. To view images from this episode, head to our Instagram page - @big_design_adventure And be sure to follow Tim Ross (@modernister) and Kevin McCloud (@kevin.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on hello@bigdesignadventure.com Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure. Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation) in Australia, Royal Institute of British Architects (@RIBA) in the UK and New Zealand Institute of Architects (@nziarchitects) in New Zealand. Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Guest: Ben Shewry Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia. Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • S2 · E4
    February 24 · 54 min

    S2 Ep 4 - House for Birds

    Tim and Kev head to the Sydney inner-city suburb of Marrickville to visit artist Leila Jeffreys and musician James Roden, who have spent a decade transforming a modest weatherboard cottage into a small but carefully considered home. Their dream? A small sustainable home that works for them and connects them to nature by creating habitat for birds and native species while rethinking what a suburban block can become. The result is a house which nods to Australian modernism that Kevin wants to move into and a conversation that will definitely be good for your soul. Leila is an award-winning photographic artist whose images of birds have been exhibited all over the world and have featured in a number of best-selling publications. You can visit her website here: leilajeffreys.com James Roden is a musician who has also worked for record labels and as a band manager. He’s now the studio manager of Leila’s practice. You can check out his latest musical project here: snakeheads.com.au The house was designed by Will Fung at CO-AP Architects. co-ap.com Will has a great Instagram page (@will.fung) To view images from this episode, head to our Instagram page - @big_design_adventure And be sure to follow Tim Ross (@modernister) and Kevin McCloud (@kevin.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on hello@bigdesignadventure.com Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure. Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation) in Australia, Royal Institute of British Architects (@RIBA) in the UK and New Zealand Institute of Architects (@nziarchitects) in New Zealand. Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Guests: Leila Jeffreys and James Roden Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia. Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Showing 21–24 of 24 episodes