Kevin McCloud
Encyclopedia
Kevin McCloud is a British designer, writer and television presenter best known for his work on the Channel 4
series Grand Designs
. He lives in a 15th-century farmhouse in Frome
, Somerset
, with his wife Suzanna "Zani" who runs an online interior decoration business, and their two children, Milo (b. 1998) and Elsie (b. 2001), plus Hugo (b. 1988) and Grace (b. 1991) from McCloud's previous relationship.
Born in Bedfordshire
, McCloud and his two brothers, Terence and Graham, were raised in a house his parents had built. McCloud attended Dunstable Grammar School
, which became Manshead Upper School
, and then studied the history of art and architecture at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
. He is conversant in French and Italian.
, many projects in conjunction with J.J. Desmond Interiors and lighting installations at Ely Cathedral
, Edinburgh Castle
, the Savoy Hotel
and the Dorchester Hotel
. Today though he concentrates on television work, journalism and product design, including work for British manufacturers.
McCloud's first book, Kevin McCloud's Decorating Book, was published in 1990, and remains in print in five languages. The Techniques of Decorating and Kevin McCloud's Lighting Book were published in 1995, and The Complete Decorator in 1996. In 2005 he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Design from both Oxford Brookes
and Plymouth University. He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Institute of British Architects
in 2006 and of the Society of Light & Lighting (SLL) in 2009. He is patron of Somerset Arts, the Carymoor Environmental Centre and the Genesis Project and he is an ambassador for the World Wide Fund for Nature
, actively campaigning to promote One Planet Living, the WWF's sustainability initiative. He is also the frontman for the home energy refurbishment campaign the Great British Refurb.
on BBC Two
. In 1999, he then went on to write and present Grand Designs
, a programme covering unusual and elaborate architectural home-building projects, produced by Talkback Thames, which is now in its eleventh series. In the series McCloud always remains critical of the designs, continuously hoping for a house to be designed that follows the schedule properly and does not go over the estimated budget.
He also wrote and presented Grand Designs Indoors and Grand Designs Abroad. In the course of the latter series, McCloud demonstrated his fluency in French and Italian, occasionally acting as a translator for people who have houses built abroad in places where they don't know the language. He is also editor-at-large for Grand Designs magazine, and sat on the steering committee for the associated exhibition "Grand Designs Live" in 2005 and 2006.
In May 2008, Kevin took the Grand Designs series of programmes to a new level with Grand Designs Live, in which he demonstrated environmentally-sensitive construction methods on a site in the East End of London, as well as presenting a "Grand Design of the Year" competition. His co-presenters included Dave Gorman
, Janet Street-Porter
, Naomi Cleaver
, Diarmuid Gavin
and Bill Bailey
.
Other TV work has included Don't Look Down
, in which McCloud examined the construction of tall buildings while climbing them, on BBC Two in 2000, Demolition on Channel 4 in 2005, The Stirling Prize: Building of the Year (in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008), and Kevin McCloud and the Big Town Plan on Channel 4 in August 2008. His recent publications include Choosing Colours in 2003, and "Grand Designs Handbook: The Blueprint" in 2006. He is currently writing a consumer guide to sustainability and culture change to be published by Collins
.
On 30 November 2008, he appeared as the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car on Top Gear. He finished with a time of 1:45.87, second on the leaderboard behind Jay Kay
, who finished with 1:45.83.
In 2011, McCloud appeared on an episode of Carpool
This can be viewed here.
McCloud presented Kevin McCloud's Grand Tour
on Channel 4 during the late summer and early autumn of 2009. The four part series saw Kevin retrace the popular tour by upper class European young men of means through the last four centuries.
, Wiltshire
.
Design work for the highly sustainable buildings was underway, with a planning application scheduled for May 2008. However, the architects, Wright & Wright, were dropped over disagreements over fees, pushing the project back, with the possibility of being forced to start from scratch with new architect, Glen Howells. McCloud has stated about the project's setbacks that "I'm not going to pull out now..." reiterating his support for the project. Hab was accused of being in chaos after the exit of Wright & Wright. McCloud replied that there was no chaos and that he was "absolutely delighted with the way the project is progressing".
In October 2009, it was announced that Hab Oakus, a joint venture between Hab and housing group GreenSquare, had won planning permission for its first housing scheme in Swindon designed by Glenn Howells. The 42-home scheme, called The Triangle, will occupy the site of a former caravan park. Housing will be "environmentally sustainable, affordable". The Homes And Communities Agency, a UK national housing and regeneration agency, had already announced in April 2010 that it would back the plans by contributing £2.5m.
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
series Grand Designs
Grand Designs
Grand Designs is a British television series produced by Talkback Thames and broadcast on Channel 4 which features unusual and often elaborate architectural home-building projects....
. He lives in a 15th-century farmhouse in Frome
Frome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, with his wife Suzanna "Zani" who runs an online interior decoration business, and their two children, Milo (b. 1998) and Elsie (b. 2001), plus Hugo (b. 1988) and Grace (b. 1991) from McCloud's previous relationship.
Born in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, McCloud and his two brothers, Terence and Graham, were raised in a house his parents had built. McCloud attended Dunstable Grammar School
Dunstable Grammar School
Dunstable Grammar School was a grammar school in the market town of Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. Opened in 1888, it was closed in 1971.-Foundation:...
, which became Manshead Upper School
Manshead Upper School
Manshead Upper School is a Church of England upper school located on the outskirts of both Caddington and Dunstable in Bedfordshire, England. The school is administered by the Dunstable Ashton Foundation....
, and then studied the history of art and architecture at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
. He is conversant in French and Italian.
Designer
After graduating, McCloud trained and worked as a theatre designer, then set up his own lighting design practice and manufacturing business 'McCloud Lighting' - at one point employing 26 people. His work includes the carved and painted rococo-style vegetable ceiling in the food halls at HarrodsHarrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
, many projects in conjunction with J.J. Desmond Interiors and lighting installations at Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
, Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
, the Savoy Hotel
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by...
and the Dorchester Hotel
Dorchester Hotel
The Dorchester is a luxury hotel in London, opened on 18 April 1931. It is situated on Park Lane in Mayfair, overlooking Hyde Park.The Dorchester was created by the famous builder Sir Robert McAlpine and the managing director of Gordon Hotels Ltd, Sir Frances Towle, who shared a vision of creating...
. Today though he concentrates on television work, journalism and product design, including work for British manufacturers.
McCloud's first book, Kevin McCloud's Decorating Book, was published in 1990, and remains in print in five languages. The Techniques of Decorating and Kevin McCloud's Lighting Book were published in 1995, and The Complete Decorator in 1996. In 2005 he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Design from both Oxford Brookes
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
and Plymouth University. He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
in 2006 and of the Society of Light & Lighting (SLL) in 2009. He is patron of Somerset Arts, the Carymoor Environmental Centre and the Genesis Project and he is an ambassador for the World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
, actively campaigning to promote One Planet Living, the WWF's sustainability initiative. He is also the frontman for the home energy refurbishment campaign the Great British Refurb.
Television
McCloud's first appearance on television was as a guest presenter on HomefrontHomefront (TV series)
Homefront was an interior design "makeover" TV show airing on the BBC, on par with American television's This Old House and Martha Stewart...
on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. In 1999, he then went on to write and present Grand Designs
Grand Designs
Grand Designs is a British television series produced by Talkback Thames and broadcast on Channel 4 which features unusual and often elaborate architectural home-building projects....
, a programme covering unusual and elaborate architectural home-building projects, produced by Talkback Thames, which is now in its eleventh series. In the series McCloud always remains critical of the designs, continuously hoping for a house to be designed that follows the schedule properly and does not go over the estimated budget.
He also wrote and presented Grand Designs Indoors and Grand Designs Abroad. In the course of the latter series, McCloud demonstrated his fluency in French and Italian, occasionally acting as a translator for people who have houses built abroad in places where they don't know the language. He is also editor-at-large for Grand Designs magazine, and sat on the steering committee for the associated exhibition "Grand Designs Live" in 2005 and 2006.
In May 2008, Kevin took the Grand Designs series of programmes to a new level with Grand Designs Live, in which he demonstrated environmentally-sensitive construction methods on a site in the East End of London, as well as presenting a "Grand Design of the Year" competition. His co-presenters included Dave Gorman
Dave Gorman
David James Gorman is an English author, stand-up comedian and presenter. He has performed comedy shows on stage in which he tells stories of extreme adventures and presents the evidence to the audience in order to prove to them that they are true stories...
, Janet Street-Porter
Janet Street-Porter
Janet Street-Porter is a British media personality, journalist and television presenter. She was editor for two years of The Independent on Sunday. She relinquished the job to become editor-at-large in 2002...
, Naomi Cleaver
Naomi Cleaver
Naomi Cleaver is a British design consultant and interior designer.She is also a television presenter of such programs as Other People's Houses and Channel 4's Honey I Ruined the House.-External links:*...
, Diarmuid Gavin
Diarmuid Gavin
Diarmuid Gavin is an Irish garden designer and television personality. He is married to Justine Keane, daughter of The Hon. Ronan Keane, the former Chief Justice of Ireland, and Terry Keane, and they have a daughter named Eppie born December 2004.-Early life:When he was six, his younger brother...
and Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey is an English comedian, musician and actor. As well as his extensive stand-up work, Bailey is well known for his appearances on Black Books, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, and QI.Bailey was listed by The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy in...
.
Other TV work has included Don't Look Down
Don't Look Down (TV series)
Don't Look Down was a BBC 2 documentary television series written and presented by Kevin McCloud which ran for six episodes beginning in May 2000....
, in which McCloud examined the construction of tall buildings while climbing them, on BBC Two in 2000, Demolition on Channel 4 in 2005, The Stirling Prize: Building of the Year (in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008), and Kevin McCloud and the Big Town Plan on Channel 4 in August 2008. His recent publications include Choosing Colours in 2003, and "Grand Designs Handbook: The Blueprint" in 2006. He is currently writing a consumer guide to sustainability and culture change to be published by Collins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
.
On 30 November 2008, he appeared as the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car on Top Gear. He finished with a time of 1:45.87, second on the leaderboard behind Jay Kay
Jason Kay
Jason "Jay Kay" Luís Cheetham , is a Grammy Award-winning English musician, best known as the lead singer of the band Jamiroquai...
, who finished with 1:45.83.
In 2011, McCloud appeared on an episode of Carpool
Carpool (web series)
Carpool is a web series presented by English actor and comedian Robert Llewellyn. In each episode he interviews a guest while giving them a lift in an eco-friendly car . The guests are often well-known British television personalities such as Jonathan Ross or Ade Edmondson...
This can be viewed here.
McCloud presented Kevin McCloud's Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
on Channel 4 during the late summer and early autumn of 2009. The four part series saw Kevin retrace the popular tour by upper class European young men of means through the last four centuries.
Developer
In early 2007, McCloud led a consortium to purchase two plots of land to develop Hab housing (happiness, architecture and beauty) development on the outskirts of SwindonSwindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
Design work for the highly sustainable buildings was underway, with a planning application scheduled for May 2008. However, the architects, Wright & Wright, were dropped over disagreements over fees, pushing the project back, with the possibility of being forced to start from scratch with new architect, Glen Howells. McCloud has stated about the project's setbacks that "I'm not going to pull out now..." reiterating his support for the project. Hab was accused of being in chaos after the exit of Wright & Wright. McCloud replied that there was no chaos and that he was "absolutely delighted with the way the project is progressing".
In October 2009, it was announced that Hab Oakus, a joint venture between Hab and housing group GreenSquare, had won planning permission for its first housing scheme in Swindon designed by Glenn Howells. The 42-home scheme, called The Triangle, will occupy the site of a former caravan park. Housing will be "environmentally sustainable, affordable". The Homes And Communities Agency, a UK national housing and regeneration agency, had already announced in April 2010 that it would back the plans by contributing £2.5m.
External links
- Kevin McCloud interview from Nov 2010 http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1pmyq/TheWestWiltsMagazine/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http://www.yudu.com/item/details/237220/The-West-Wilts-Magazine---November-2010
- Grand Designs at Channel4
- HAB Housing
- The Castleford Project
- Kevin's favourite things
- Fired Earth