Grand Designs Magazine

2 weeks ago | granddesignsmagazine.com | Hugh Metcalf

Living plant walls can look impressive and disguise problem outdoor areas, but it’s something that requires careful consideration and maintenance. Vertical gardens take the idea of outdoor planting to a new plane. A living wall involves designing and installing a prefabricated growing system to create a vibrant, striking feature. With professionally installed systems, the supporting structure is usually a type of racking made up of pockets or cells.

2 weeks ago | granddesignsmagazine.com | Mary Richards

Nansledan is an extension to surfers’ paradise Newquay, on the stunning north coast of Cornwall. The development is being constructed slowly over decades by three local building firms. And despite critics sneering, it’s proving very popular with those locals who can afford to live there…Before we get to the nitty gritty of what life’s like there, here’s the background on this out-of-the-ordinary place. Cornish languageThe name, which means ‘broad valley’ in Cornish, is pronounced ‘Nans-ledd-in’.

3 weeks ago | granddesignsmagazine.com | Mary Richards

Outdoor heaters are powered by one of three different energy sources: gas, electricity, or bioethanol, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. Our guide will help you decide which is best for you. Should we even use outdoor heaters? Before we start, it’s important to admit that outdoor heating is generally very inefficient. Without a building to contain the heat, much of the warmth generated from patio heaters just dissipates into the night air.

3 weeks ago | granddesignsmagazine.com | Mary Richards

The Design For All scheme is a way for small community organisations to get help with the first stages of building plans – which is often the hardest part of a build to fund. Open for applicantsNow in its third year, the competitive scheme is open to applications from charities and community groups with a turnover of less than £1 million.

3 weeks ago | granddesignsmagazine.com | Mary Richards

According to government figures, . This means surface-water flooding is likely to pose a greater risk in the future, particularly in urban areas where much of the ground is paved. What are sustainable drainage systems (SuDs)? Sustainable drainage systems are a natural approach to managing the drainage in and around properties and other buildings. There are different types of SuDs that do the job in different ways.