News / Housing
Bristol Housing Festival opened by Kevin McCloud
The big bad wolf would have a grand day out at Bristol Housing Festival, with houses built out of a variety of materials aimed at showcasing new and innovative designs.
An exhibition at Waterfront Square next to Millennium Square features homes built within shipping containers to those that can be constructed on solid ground without the need for any foundations.
Kevin McCloud, Channel 4’s Grand Designs presenter and chairman of Bristol-based HAB Housing, officially opened the exhibition on Friday morning alongside Bristol City Council cabinet member for housing Paul Smith and festival project director Jez Sweetland.
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The festival is sponsored by YTL Developments, behind the planned arena at Filton; and Homes England, who sold the city council the Arena Island site next to Temple Meads in 2015.
One sponsor of the launch event is Triodos Bank, whose UK headquarters are on nearby Deanery Road and whose senior relationship manager Phillip Bate told Bristol24/7: “Our values of sustainability and entrepreneurship chime with the festival’s work to bring people across Bristol together to innovate and develop long-term plans in order to find solutions to a national crisis of affordability in housing.
“As a bank we can provide some of the long-term, flexible finance to provide new homes, increase stock and make housing accessible for those in greatest need.”
Following the exhibition launching it, the festival aims to run for five years, during which time, organisers say, “new communities will be commissioned, funded and built across the city”.
“The festival intends to road-test a range of existing concepts and innovative solutions in the real-world helping to speed up the delivery of quality, affordable housing in the city.
“These prototypes will help develop scalable and longer-term solutions to support local government to create housing, places and communities promote hope and wellbeing.”
One of the modular houses on display at the Bristol Housing Festival
A ZEDpod built on a raft foundation. Site works are greatly simplified and units are erected in days.
A living room within a converted shipping container
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