Latest news: Cat Fletcher and Duncan Baker-Brown met Kevin McCloud at Grand Design Live(GDL) last week. 

Duncan & Cat made a waste-themed presentation at the show before catching up with Kevin. The Brighton Waste House is of course the 2013 development of the original 'House That Kevin Built' that was designed by Duncan and built at 'Grand Designs Live' over 6 days in 2008. Kevin pledged to visit site as soon as he had a free moment in his busy schedule. 

Rationel to supply windows and doors for the Waste House  

'Rationel are proud to be involved in the THTKB: Waste House as the supplier of timber and aluminium clad timber windows and doors to the project. Our strong focus on energy performance, together with our commitment to the environment and sustainable development, makes this the perfect partner project for Rationel. Having now manufactured high quality windows and doors for almost 60 years, Rationel have a wealth of experience in high performance window specification and supply, with projects ranging from single dwelling retrofits, to schools, hospitals, offices, flats and large scale housing developments, including a number of Passivhaus projects

For further information, please visit our website www.rationel.co.uk or call us on 01869 248181'

Film maker Mick Hawksworth's latest Bulletin from the development: February 2013

View all the Waste House bulletins

November 2012: Caroline Lucas, MP, opens the 'waste house phase of the build.

Caroline Lucas, Brighton's Green MP, cemented a brick at the commencement of work. She said: "When you describe this project to people they don't believe it can possibly withstand the wind, the rain and the elements but what they are going to demonstrate is that it certainly can...This [project] is good for creating jobs and good for the environment."

November 2012: As our build of the 'Waste House' begins in earnest, we can thank the enormous support we've had in what is a genuinely community-wide project.

In particular we would like to say thank you to Mears who have believed in this project and been behind it from the start. Mears have very kindly offered to manage the entire build project; supervising and securing the site, providing health and safety and site induction for everyone working on the site, transportation and lots more. And, they’re providing all this for free!

As the project has progressed they have been joined by: City College Brighton and Hove, whose students will be creating the wooden frame and cassettes that make up the structure of the building; South Downs Solar who are giving us a state of the art photovoltaic roof to generate the electricity required and Westgate Joinery who are providing external doors and windows that are the very latest in triple-glazed, highly insulating technology.

We estimate that the generous donations of time, expertise, manpower and technology will be worth nearly £200,000 to the university and we would not be able to complete this project without their help.

In addition to the supporters above we are working with a number of organisations whose help is invaluable. These include Freegle, who will be helping us to source the materials needed for the build from developments around the city, and Work This Way, part of the Prisoners' Education Trust, that will help with aspects of the build and the transportation of materials to the site. 

See how the project has developed in our THTKB news archive

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Phase one project partners: Brighton and Hove City Council, University of Brighton Faculty of Arts, The Mears Group | Phase one primary sponsors: Mears Group and suppliers | Design team: BBM, BBP, Robinson Associates, Roger Case, Deeks & Steere Phlorum See our page of partners and supporters

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What is The House that Kevin Built?

Innovation, Innovation, Innovation: Future Home for Knowledge Exchange

While the site has been quiet for a the past few months, across the faculty we have been actively working on ideas for the new building and how we will work together with our neighboring communities and schools to create a place for sharing and exchanging our ideas, skills and resources.

The ‘Art College’ (a.k.a the Faculty of Arts) is often described in the city as a ‘well-kept secret’ and this, among many new projects, is one of the many ways we aim to unlock that secret.

Since the construction of the first prototype ‘House That Kevin Built’ in 2008, we have, with our students, been designing, re-designing and developing new methods of sustainable construction and new ways of using materials in order to create a truly contemporary representation of the constantly evolving ideas in this field.

Now we are preparing to create a new prototype and a long-term living experiment that will, once constructed, continue to be a site for experimentation and for exchanging knowledge within the college and with those businesses and communities who wish to work and engage with us. The building will be an innovative place to visit as well as provide a studio for our postgraduate students. We hope it will be the hub from which we will develop new relationships with businesses and the public sector as well as with social and cultural groups that stimulate shared working and shared learning.
 
We are already working in partnership with the City Council, with MEARS construction, with Deeks & Steere and with our many cultural partners, to create new ways of working together more creatively, effectively and productively.

We wish to ensure that we provide our students with the best opportunities to meet and to showcase their ideas, creativity and many talents.
 
We invite you to join us and contribute your resources, expertise, skills and knowledge to stimulate sustainable development, enhance the creative economy, and encourage intergenerational learning for communities across the city and the region.

We aim to complete the building by December 2012 and to open the building to the community and for public activities in February 2013 as a new way of welcoming our many communities into the university. 

How did it all begin?

Duncan Baker-Brown, architect and architectural researcher at the University of Brighton Faculty of Arts, leads a project to develop a sustainable urban studio at the University of Brighton's Grand Parade Campus in the centre of the city.

The project is based on the building that Duncan created in 2008 together with Kevin McCloud from Channel 4's Grand Designs show. The 2008 version of the house was the UK's first contemporary low-energy prefabricated house built using entirely ecologically friendly materials. Read more about the 2008 House that Kevin Built.

Who's involved?

There is a widespread involvement in the project, from those who offer personal donation or show interest in the project, to major partners: Brighton & Hove City Council, the Building Research Establishment, the construction industry's research and consultancy organisation, and the University of Brighton.

Kevin McCloud says: "I'm very pleased that the University of Brighton is committed to exploring new low-carbon methods of building. It's exciting to think that the campus could have its own practical demonstration building and I'm delighted to be connected to the university through this innovative piece of construction."

Students and researchers at the University of Brighton are involved with the project, with students learning through additional work and projects alongside the build.

The university and the creative community of the Faculty of Arts are committed to making a social and cultural difference and playing an integral role in the economic development of their immediate community, in this case promoting and sharing the benefits of sustainable living. 

Who will benefit?

You will. And everyone who will be living our shared future. The research developments in eco-architecture are essential to everyone.

For the University of Brighton, the house will provide a vital centrepiece, a built experiment and a showcase that demonstrates the university's commitment to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2015.

For Brighton, the finished building will be a beacon and an experimental model for the city's communities around shared concerns for a sustainable carbon-neutral lifestyle. The building will be an innovative place to visit as well as provide a studio for our postgraduate students. We hope it will be the hub from which we will develop new relationships with businesses and the public sector as well as with social and cultural groups that stimulate shared working and shared learning.

We are involving local schools and other communities in the build project, engaging them in the process of learning through building and inspiring them through that experience to explore sustainable design and zero-carbon living.

Students will benefit throughout the development, gaining understanding of the project, eco-architecture and the recording of architectural developments as well as a number of 'spin-off' projects. Techniques and methods for the build will feed directly into our research and teaching.

The rebuild of The House that Kevin Built will showcase the materials, methods and techniques required to produce ecologically friendly, carbon-neutral housing stock.

The house and the construction process will be part of the research project; testing, evaluating and refining cutting-edge and sustainable new materials and consstruction methods. Working with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) our researchers at the Faculty of Arts will undertake a long-term evaluation of the house. The resulting longitudinal study and subsequent experiments will contribute to the knowledge of the entire construction industry.

Intellectually the project extends our research in this critical area of activity and complements a large EU support project Innovation For Renewal (IFORE) co-ordinated by Professor Mike McEvoy, desmonstrating the real world value and impact of our research.

Why is it necessary?

Finding ways to build and live sustainably is a social imperative in our contemporary lives. The university aims to exceed EU targets for a 30 per cent reduction in CO₂ emissions and become an exemplar for the city and the region in sustainable design and practice. 

In the UK, 45 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions come from architectural structures. In addition the construction of a traditional house produces considerable waste.

We at the University of Brighton are committed not only to researching towards carbon reduction, but to educating young people for their contemporary challenges and the answering of real world problems.

How can I get involved?

To build the house we hope to raise £300,000. The house won't be expensive in itself. It is coming out at about £2,200/m2 which totals up at about £190,000&+ vat. This is calculated at the anticipated full cost of materials and construction including interior. VAT however will be 20% as the house will be a university research building.

Many people and organisations are giving directly to the project, Duncan Baker-Brown is giving his time and the University of Brighton are giving land. Brighton and Hove City Council has granted planning permission. Kind support from suppliers further offsets costs and a number of technologies are being incorporated thanks to generous help from sponsors.

The university is approaching construction companies, DIY businesses, environment groups, energy firms and individuals to join with us in this project with donations. Read more about funding, donations and getting involved on our THTKB funding page.

To be part of this major step in eco-building in Brighton you can use our donation link below. Please could you mention The House That Kevin Built in the comments box when you make the donation on the University of Brighton's JustGiving site to ensure that we direct it to this project.

For further information about donation and sponsorship, please contact the project funding organiser, Andrew Scanlan, directly at A.D.Scanlan@brighton.ac.uk

Interview with Duncan Baker Brown and Kevin McCloud

Footage of the 2008, Grand Designs, The House That Kevin Built