Does anyone here watch Grand Designs?

[MGlatte]

It is a British program on the ABC on Thursday evenings at 6pm. Each episode features one couple/family and their home building project - from start to finish (if they've finished it). Some of the people try to build a more self-sufficient, environmentally friendly house - and they are the reason I like to watch it.
Anyway, last night they had a couple who are architects and they were building using strawbale. They didn't actually finish it and I don't think they really had much idea of what they were doing. eg. rather than covering it with limestone, or whatever the mix is they were just putting some kind of fine mesh over it, which seemed a bit odd to me.
But what I found really interesting was that the presenter built a freestanding office for himself on his property. It had two walls of stone and two of strawbale (covered with the proper mix), and the roof was some kind of herb mixture, laid like turf. It was so beautiful! It was well insulated, with insulating both in the ceiling and under the floor.
His local Council seemed really keen and they liked the idea that it was all being made from local products.
I just had to share because there have been a few interesting, self-sustainable type threads on here recently.

[bamboogal]

i love that show but i always forget when its on. thanks for the reminder.

[Helen]

Loved that show when we watched it on Foxtel. some ideas are great and others are such a phenomenal waste of money and resources and time!

[zoekisses]

I love the idea of straw bale homes there is a few homes and a buisness around near where i live and they are just beautiful and earthy. Some have used bottles as decoratin fetures and i love that bales make really deep window sills just that place to have a cuppa and look over the countryside or a reading nook. See I am in love with the idea of straw bale haha.

I have seen a few episodes of grand design. But I always miss it too

[milasmum]

This is DH's favourite show!

[bilbylove]

I LOVE that show, i think the housing is my thing, i am so scared of being homeless, all i think about is housing. (We're in a housing co-op for now).

Maslow's Triangle of wellbeing or something
shelter food and ?

housing is right up there

Grand Designs is also repeated during the day, another weekday, mid morning. Cos 6pm Thursday is not really a mummy friendly time to watch telly!

LOve the straw bale buildings, great examples of that (and workshops on how to do it) at the Food Forest in SA (Gawler, near Roseworthy Wine Uni).

[Helen]

DH and I toyed with the idea of doing our extension in strawbale but didn't. when we homeschooled we started making a mud hut cob cubby inthe back yard. we got about 1 foot high lol. It lasted for years in the elements before it eventually got scraped when we extended. We had a big mud hole, our yard is mostly clay, and we had heaps of weeds to blend and knead into the mud with out feet, then put gobs of to form walls. It was great fun at the time.

We have been to the food forest to see it done too!

[MGlatte]

Originally Posted by Helen

some ideas are great and others are such a phenomenal waste of money and resources and time!

That is so true!

I love the look of strawbale and adobe. I think it would be good to try it on a small scale first though.

[happymuppet]

My DH too Sarah!! (that and Time Team)

We've watched it ever since we saw it while living in England, it's a great show. I agree - some ideas are completely useless and 'architect-y' while others are really great.

[Obsi]

I normally watch it, but missed last nights one. I have seen them do a straw bale house before (but they did finish it and it looked great) Love the show. There are some really interesting homes there (did you see the barge one? hah) I love Kevin, could listen to him for hours