Big Design Adventure
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.
Episodes
S3 Ep 10 – 66 Portland Place. Reimagining an Icon
Tim and Kevin pull on their hard hats for a tour of 66 Portland Place, the striking 1934 London home of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Chair of the RIBA Board of Trustees Jack Pringle guides them through the building as it’s being stripped back, restored and reimagined as a new, more welcoming public home for architecture. Along the way, they uncover the work of designer Miriam W
S3 Ep 9 – BONUS CHAT - The Ernő Goldfinger Legacy
It’s a bonus episode with Pippa Goldfinger, especially curated by Kevin for you. Works best if you listen to the main episode first - Series 3, Episode 9. To view images from this episode, head to our Instagram page - @big_design_adventureAnd be sure to follow Tim Ross (@modernister) and Kevin McCloud (@kevin.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on h
S3 Ep 9 – The Ernő Goldfinger Legacy
Tim and Kevin head to West London to borrow the keys to an apartment in Trellick Tower, the iconic Brutalist apartment block designed by Hungarian émigré architect Ernő Goldfinger — an absolute banger of an example of social housing. Joining them on the sofa is Ernő’s granddaughter, Pippa, who shares her very personal story of growing up around her incredibly progressive
S3 Ep 8 - “Don’t knock the bloody thing down!”
This week Kev drags a slightly confused Tim to Leigh, outside Manchester, to explore Leigh Spinners Mill, a vast former cotton mill. He’s less confused when he finds out it’s been given an extraordinary new life as a thriving community hub. Built in 1913 for the Horrocks family, the mill is a reminder of the textile industry that once dominated Greater Manchester, shaping its towns, co
S3 Ep 7 – Hotel Motel
What makes a well-designed hotel? This listener question set off a chain of events that created a cavalcade of hot takes, extreme rants about the state of modern hotels, a potted history of motels, a small-scale therapy session about the lettering on bottles in hotel bathrooms, a revelation about an unexpected adult movie star, and the rest you can find out for yourself. This is another feedback e
S3 Ep 6 - Robin and Lucienne Day
Robin and Lucienne Day, were the most distinguished British designers of the post war period. Their designs were woven into everyday life. Robin's revolutionary polypropylene chair became one of the most widely used chairs in history, while Lucienne's vibrant textile designs helped define the optimistic look of post-war Britain. Together, they transformed the way ordinary people lived, proving tha
S3 Ep 5 – Sam Neill – Acting, Architecture and Wine
Earlier this year, Sam Neill kindly agreed to join us on the podcast. The plan was to wait until Kevin was back in Australia so we could all sit down together, unfortunately we couldn’t make the dates align. Last week, Tim went back through his archives and rediscovered a conversation the two of them recorded years earlier for a project that never eventuated. For the next hour, you get to sp
S3 Ep 4 – The crack is where the light gets in – The Very Reverend John Witcombe – Coventry Cathedral
On the night of 14 November 1940, nearly 500 Luftwaffe bombers descended on Coventry. Over the next 11 hours, they dropped more than 500 tonnes of high explosives and around 30,000 incendiary bombs on the city. By morning, 568 people had been killed, around 850 seriously injured and 43,000 homes damaged or destroyed. At the centre of it all, the medieval Cathedral of St Michael had been reduced to
S3 Ep 3 - Morag Myerscough Luke Morgan Moving to the Country
Tim and Kevin head into the English countryside to visit acclaimed artist Morag Myerscough and artist-musician Luke Morgan, who traded the excitement of inner-city London for an unloved modernist house, an ambitious renovation and a completely different way of living. Five years into the renovation, with the end in sight, they open up their home and their lives to share the unexpected ways the hou
S3 Ep 2 - Peter Barber The Housing Crisis Hero
Can architecture help solve the housing crisis? Acclaimed London architect Peter Barber thinks it can, and he's proving it one street at a time. Tim and Kevin head to London to meet one of Britain's most admired architects, whose award-winning work is rethinking what social and affordable housing can be. From his remarkable King's Cross studio, where every wall is lined with hand-built architectur
S3 Ep 1 – Mary Featherston A Home That Lifts The Spirit
Tim and Kevin head to Melbourne for a special conversation with celebrated Australian designer Mary Featherston in her groundbreaking home, designed by Robin Boyd in 1967 - an intergenerational house where family life and creative work have been intertwined for almost six decades. One of Australia’s most influential voices in design, Mary reflects on the evolution of her home over nearly 60
S2 It’s A Bonus Episode
In this very special bonus mini episode, we have some huge news about our episode available exclusively on cassette, some even bigger news about another huge launch that’s definitely not on cassette. What else? A preview of Series 3 (which begins June 23) and Kevin’s incredible impersonation of a seagull. If you would like a copy of our cassette, they are available at modernisterbooks.
S2 Ep 15 - Art and Architecture Janet Holmes à Court AC
Tim and Kevin head to Perth to meet businesswoman, arts patron and National Living Treasure Janet Holmes à Court AC inside her extraordinary private gallery housed in a former paint factory. Janet’s gallery is open to the public and her belief that art should be seen by everyone is central to the generosity she shows as an indefatigable champion of the arts in Australia. This is an il
S2 Ep 14 - The Hypnotic Charm of an Iconic House
Tim and Kevin head to Canberra to meet architect Shannon Battison, a former President of the Australian Institute of Architects, who spent a considerable amount of time designing the perfect home for her family. Then she threw a rather large spanner in the works and bought them a new one — a 1970s experimental house designed by her mentor. To make matters worse, it’s quite small and ne
S2 Ep 13 – A Feedback Episode
There’s quite a large amount of your emails in the Manila folder, and it’s time to get through them. We have questions, corrections and some rather bonkers observations. We are also looking to launch the most ridiculous extension to the podcast that anyone could imagine. A rather large small clue is in the graphic above. Rate, subscribe and give yourself a high five. Neil Clerehan audi
S2 Ep 12 - Kate Hulett The Culture Creator
We all want our cities and our neighbourhoods to be better, but what can we do about it? Tim and Kev head to Fremantle in Western Australia to meet Kate Hulett, a community-minded individual who isn’t afraid to step up and have a crack at making change. She’s passionate about Fremantle and her state and, with great positivity, advocates for better housing, more thoughtful and sustainab
S2 Ep 11 - John Wardle The Collector
Tim and Kevin take a road trip down to Anglesea, on Victoria’s Surf Coast, to visit architect John Wardle at Burnt Earth Beach House, his award-winning holiday home. Described by his peers as “the architect’s architect”, John is the recipient of the Gold Medal, Australian architecture’s highest honour. He’s also a collector of things, people and ideas, and this
S2 Ep 10 - Alright Governor?
What’s the most impressive thing you can do for an overseas visitor? Wrangle them an invite to the official residence of the Governor-General? That’s exactly what Tim managed to do for Kevin. In this very special episode, they take a tour of Admiralty House and sit down with the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC.
S2 Ep 9 - Marsala House Iwan Iwanoff
Kevin on the dance floor? The ultimate 1970s party house is on the menu as Tim and Kev hit the Perth suburb of Dianella to visit one of the city’s most talked-about homes. Designed by Bulgarian-born architect Iwan Iwanoff in 1976, the Marsala House is a sculptural, concrete-block Brutalist wonderland that boasts a Saturday Night Fever-style dance floor. The current resident, Greg, fling
S2 Ep 8 - The Society Architect
Enter stage left: Neil Clerehan, the Melbourne architect who helped bring modernism to the suburbs - and a handsome, charming raconteur who waltzed his way through Melbourne society. A talented writer, his wit found a regular home in newspapers for much of his life. In this very special conversation, Tim and Kevin head to the leafy inner-city suburb of South Yarra to sit down with Neil’
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 influentialarchitects and the co-founder of Hopkins Architects, the practice she started with her late husbandMichael in 1976. For this very special interview she opens the doors to the iconic glass and s
S2 Ep 6 - The Queenslander
Tim and Kev head to Brisbane to meet architect John Ellway, who has quietly built a reputation fortransforming one of Australia’s most iconic house types - the Queenslander. Working almost entirely in his own neighbourhood, John carefully adapts these classic timber-and-tinhomes so they can handle contemporary living while still embracing the subtropical climate that shaped them. Recorded in
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 incredi
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 creatinghabitat for birds and native species while rethinking what a
S2 Ep 3 - A Life in the Museum
Can you imagine living in a museum? Tim and Kev head to Surrey to visit The Homewood, the modernist masterpiece Patrick Gwynnedesigned for his family in the late 1930s. Completed in 1938, The Homewood is one of the mostremarkable examples of pre-war modernist architecture in Britain. Gwynne later gifted the house to the National Trust in 1999, with the stipulation that someone must live in it and
S2 Ep 2 - Giuseppe’s House
What happens when you try to fix the housing crisis without destroying the suburbs we love? You getdensity by stealth. Tim and Kev head to the Perth suburbia to visit Giuseppe’s House, a 1960s home recently restored bylocal architect Kate Fitzgerald. Beneath the terrazzo floors and colourful character lies a bigger idea: how to add more housing to our cities without flattening their ide
S2 Ep 1 - Brutiful Birmingham
We’re back with Series Two! Tim and Kevin head to Birmingham to explore a city defined by industry, reinvention and the homeof Peaky Blinders, Black Sabbath and ELO. Over tea and biscuits with journalist and campaigner Mary Keating, they examine the fight to save theSmallbrook Ringway Centre, one of Europe’s longest modernist buildings and a rare surviving example of Birmingham&rs
A Christmas Special
In the special festive episode, can you have a room just reserved for Christmas Day? What’s our hot take on the merits of tinsel, and we present our all time favourite Christmas movies and songs. The model makers who create wooden Christmas ornaments of buildings can be found on Instagram here: Atelier Maps or their Esty store here. For suggestions of places and stories for Series
S1 Ep 15 - A Mini Episode
In this mini episode we’ve got huge news about the final show for the year and we answer our most asked question. For questions and suggestions for our Christmas episode, shoot us an email to hello@bigdesignadventure.com For suggestions of places and stories for Series 2, shoot us an email to hello@bigdesignadventure.com Tickets are now on sale for Kevin McCloud and Tim Ross – Liv
S1 Ep 14 - Experiments in Social Housing
Tim and Kev head to London to visit Highgate New Town, a 1970s social housing scheme designed by Hungarian-born architect Peter Tabori. Over a cup of tea with architect and long-time resident Rachel Stevenson, they uncover the secret behind the development’s enduring success. In the 1960s and ’70s, Camden became a testing ground for a new kind of socialhousing in London — one tha
S1 Ep 13 - Questions
In answering all your burning questions, Kevin reveals his one-sided feud with Jay Kay from Jamiroquai. There are a few mea culpas along the way as we tackle your criticisms and wonder if design can save us in a world without the communal joy of watching shows like Sale of the Century. Oh, and we’ve got a HUGE announcement to make! You can check out Kev on Top Gear’s You Tube ch
S1 Ep 12 - The Service Station
In a semi-desperate attempt to find meaning in service station design, Tim and Kev head to Copenhagen to visit the famed filling station designed by Arne Jacobsen in the 1930s. A far-ranging conversation was recorded in front of the bowsers for your listening pleasure, and things may have gotten a little kooky. Also in this episode: find out how Sarah Jessica Parker has recently become a new fan.
S1 Ep 11 - Enter the Isokon
What happens when you mix modernism, espionage, and a few Bauhaus legends in one London apartment block? You get the Isokon Building. Tim and Kev head to North London to visit the legendary 1934 modernist icon designed by Wells Coates and developed by Jack and Molly Pritchard. Once home to Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Agatha Christie and a bunch of spies, Isokon was a radical experiment in
S1 Ep 10 – Mid Century Modern Hollywood
Hooray for Mid Century Modern Hollywood! Tim and Kev are joined by Julie Berghoff, the Emmy Award–winning Production Designer for the hit Seth Rogen series The Studio. How did she manage to secure those iconic homes as locations? How did Julie create a set that feels like a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece? And will you stick around for Tim and Kev’s Seth Rogen impers
S1 Ep 9 – Living In An Iconic New Zealand House
Can you imagine finding out online that your grandfather wanted you to live in his iconic house after he was gone? That’s what happened to Frances Martin, the granddaughter of legendary New Zealand ceramicists Bruce and Estelle Martin. Tim and Kev take a trip to Napier to visit the Martin House and chat with Frances about living in her 1960s John Scott home in Hawke’s Bay. This is a gr
S1 Ep 8 - Questions
Is it worth paying for an architect? Are pre fab houses a solution for the housing crisis? What buildings should be demolished to build new homes? Just some of your questions we tackle in our very first question and answers episode. You can find pictures and videos on our Instagram page - @big_design_adventure And be sure to follow Tim Ross (@modernister) and Kevin McCloud (@kevin.
S1 Ep 7 - Cutlery Town
What’s the real story of the Splayd? Australia’s greatest contributions to eatingutensils…Tim has the answer. Then Kevin whisks us off to Sheffield to explore the legacy of David Mellor, one of Britain’s finest designers, whose cutlery from the mid-century is still in production today. Yes, welcome to Cutlery Town. Invented in Sydney in 1943 by Bill McArthur, the
S1 Ep 6 - Modernist Love
What’s the best way to save our 20th Century architecture? Tim and Kev travel to Manchester to meet the charasmatic Eddy Rhead, from The Modernist, part of a group who believed they’ve found the secret. The Modernist is a bookstore, publisher and exhibition space which is part of The Modernist Society, a Manchester organisation “dedicated to celebrating and engaging
S1 Ep 5 - BONUS CHAT - Flying High
In this very first bonus episode, Tim and Kevin continue their deep dive on the evolution of airplane design, revisit some of their favourite plane movies and hatch a plan about taking their own Spitfire and Harrier Jump Jet for a test flight. Tim and Kevin chat about a few movies during this episode includingThe V.I.P.s (1963)Mortadella (1971)The First of the Few (1942)The Dam Busters (1955)Battl
S1 Ep 5 - Flying High
On a mid afternoon flight from Copenhagen to Heathrow, Tim and Kev pull out the microphones to discuss their favourite airplanes of all time, trade helicopter stories, reveal the worst plane food of all time…and a whole lot more. Plus this coming Friday they prove that there can never be enough jet fuel propelled plane talk when they unleash their very first bonus episode full of all the ai
S1 Ep 4 - 24 Hours in Wrexham
Tim drags a reluctant Kevin to the Wrexham, the Welsh town that shot to fame when actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought their struggling football team in 2020. How has it really changed? They gave themselves 24 hours to find out. Wrexham, a historic market town in North Wales, was once best known for brewing and coal mining, with its football club, Wrexham AFC, quietly toiling away
S1 Ep 3 - Thunderbirds Are Go!
Tim and Kev delve into the weird world of science fiction string puppets from the many iconic TV series produced by Gerry Anderson. From Thunderbirds to Space 1999, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and not forgetting UFO. Stand by for Supermarionation. For behind the scenes stories of Anderson’s work and how the puppets never could walk properly, visit the brilliant YouTube collection of Cent
S1 Ep 2 - The Art of Living Closely
Tim and Kev head to London to explore a radical 1960s housing development where prospective residents must pass an interview before moving in. But will they make the cut? Winscombe Street consists of five terrace houses in Camden, London, England, designed by the architect Neave Brown for himself and a collective of four other families in the mid 1960s.
S1 Ep 1 - Rocking the Suburbs
To kick off the big design adventure, Kevin heads to the Sydney suburbs to visit Tim inhis 1950s modernist home. Plonking themselves at the table, they launch into a wide-ranging conversation covering the trials and tribulations of kitchen renovations, the follyof our before-and-after culture, and just how much Tim tidied up the house for Kev. To view images from this episode, head to our Instagra
