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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’s post-war ambition. In the decades following the Second World War, Birmingham was radically reshaped by modern planning and the rise of the car. New roads, new civic buildings and bold architectural experiments transformed the city, reflecting a belief that modern design could deliver progress, efficiency and optimism. Today, many of these - particularly brutalist - buildings are under threat, dismissed as outdated or expendable. The Ringway Centre sits at the heart of this debate, raising the question of whether a city’s confidence can determine which buildings survive. Follow Brutiful Birmingham (@brutifulbirmingham) and Birmingham Modernist (@birminghammodernist) on Instagram. 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 [email protected] someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure. Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).   Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloudGuests: Mary KeatingBig Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.Executive Producer: Shelley KempAudio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk MediaMusic: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst) Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 2, shoot us an email to [email protected] - we will be back on 4 th February 2026! Tickets are now on sale for Kevin McCloud and Tim Ross – Live in Interesting Places –check out the details on our website – http://bigdesignadventure.com/ 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.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected]  Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure.    Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).    Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.  Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp  Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media  Video Production: Ned Williams Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)    Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 [email protected] For suggestions of places and stories for Series 2, shoot us an email to [email protected] Tickets are now on sale for Kevin McCloud and Tim Ross – Live in Interesting Places –check out the details on our website – http://bigdesignadventure.com/ 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.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected]  Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure.    Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).    Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.  Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp  Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media  Video Production: Ned Williams Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)    Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 that valued community, good design, and human scale over high-rise efficiency. Under the leadership of visionary architects like Sydney Cook, the Camden Architects Department produced some of the most influential housing in postwar Britain, including schemes by Neave Brown, Benson and Forsyth, and Peter Tabori. Highgate New Town was one of these bold experiments, driven by the belief that public housing could be both socially progressive and architecturally ambitious.  To view the full film – The White Flats - https://vimeo.com/917073596?share=copy To check out the book – Cook’s Camden – The Making of Modern Housing -https://isokongallery.org/products/cooks-camden-the-making-of-modern-housing To check out the book – Modernist Estates – The Buildings and People Who Live In Them - https://www.thenile.com.au/books/stefi-orazi/modernist-estates/9780711269262?srsltid=AfmBOoq45XQqD6qTV23sNHDZh6nTK0T6JnnCqKs0laLt5J43t6E1M89N Tickets are now on sale for Kevin McCloud and Tim Ross – Live in Interesting Places –check out the details on our website – http://bigdesignadventure.com/   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.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected]  Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure.    Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).    Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.  Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp  Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media  Video Production: Ned Williams Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)    Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 channel here: https://youtu.be/vpLq6rGwzpY?si=a4FOeL6cWGhP8A3b   Simon sent us some wonderful links including:    The chairs of Doctor Who - https://pinkforyouractualpterodactyl.com/2021/06/20/the-chairs-of-doctor-who-1963-89/    The chairs of Blake 7 - https://watchingblakes7.wordpress.com/2019/06/18/the-chairs-of-blakes-7/    The furnishings of Space 1999 - https://catacombs.space1999.net/main/models/wrefmp.html    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.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected]  Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure.    Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).    Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.  Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp  Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media  Video Production: Ned Williams Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)    Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. And make sure you tune in next week for a very special announcement. Arne Jacobsen’s 1937 petrol station is an icon of early modernist functionalism in Denmark. Located near Skovshoved Harbour, it’s the first part of Jacobsen’s ‘white city’ at Bellevue that motorists encounter when arriving from the south along the coastal road, Strandvejen. During the 1930s, Jacobsen realised a grand modernist vision around Bellevue Beach north of Copenhagen. His key works include Bellevue Beach Baths (1932), the Bellavista housing development (1934), Bellevue Theatre (1936), and the petrol station (1937). With white exteriors, functional layouts, and crisp, cubist forms, these buildings are among the finest early examples of Danish functionalist architecture - showing clear influence from the Bauhaus movement and Le Corbusier. 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.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected]  Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure.    Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).    Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.  Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp  Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media  Video Production: Ned Williams Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)    Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 minimalist living that has stood the test of time. 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.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected]  Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure.    Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).    Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Guest: Magnus Englund (@isokongallery) Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.  Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp  Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media  Video Production: Ned Williams Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)    Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 impersonations at the end? It’s a Mid Century Modern bonanza! 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.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected]  Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure.    Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).    Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Guest: Julie Berghoff (@julie_berghoff) Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.  Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp  Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media  Video Production: Ned Williams Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)    Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 great New Zealand film about John Scott’s work that features the Martin House (which Kevin referenced.) https://youtu.be/_0Y2US7TpsY?si=YRZQyuO6vB8RAwCp    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.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected]  Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure.    Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).    Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Guest: Frances Martin (@franceshmartin) Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.  Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp  Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media  Video Production: Ned Williams Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)    Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected]  Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure.    Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).    Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.  Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp  Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media  Video Production: Ned Williams Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)    Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Splayd combines the spoon, fork and knife and became one for the most popular wedding gifts in the 60s and 70s. Kevin mentions Tim’s latest book - What a Ripper! 60 everyday items that shaped Australia. Available in Australian bookstores or you can grab yourself a signed copy here: https://modernisterbooks.com/products/what-a-ripper-60-everyday-objects-that-shaped-australia You can read more about the Splayd on the Powerhouse website here: https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/111703 David Mellor, celebrated British designer and silversmith, revolutionised cutlery design with elegant modernism. You can find out more about his work and how his son Corin is continuing his legacy here: https://www.davidmellordesign.com/about 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.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected]  Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure.    Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).    Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Guest: Corin Mellor (@davidmelloruk) Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.  Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp  Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media  Video Production: Ned Williams Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)    Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 people with twentieth-century architecture and design through publishing, events, exhibitions, and creative collaborations.”    It was created in 2009 by Jack Hale, Maureen Ward and Eddy Rhead. Since then they’ve published a regular magazine, books, hosted events, run tours and opened a shop front that also holds exhibitions.    You can visit The Modernist on their website here (https://the-modernist.org) including signing up for their newsletter on the bottom on their homepage. And follow them on Instagram here (@themodernist)    You can check out Peter Hook’s excellent book, The Hacienda: How Not to Run a Club here (https://www.readings.com.au/product/9780062307958/9780062307958)    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.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected]  Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure.    Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation).    Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Guest: Eddy Rhead (@just_some_fella)  Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.  Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp  Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media  Video Production: Ned Williams Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)    Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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)Battle of Britain (1969) Correction - Kevin mentioned a book by Matt White, but it is actually by his brother Rowland White (whoops) and is called Vulcan 607, details here:https://www.rowlandwhite.com/?portfolio=vulcan-607 And the book about the making of the film, Battle of Britain is by Leonard Mosley(published 1969, ISBN 0297179098) 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.mccloud1)We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected] someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting newadventure. Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), theAustralian Institute of Architects (@aus_institute_architects) and is produced with thesupport of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairfoundation). Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloudBig Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia. Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media Video Production: Ned WilliamsMusic: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)  Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 air chat that they couldn’t fit in the first 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.mccloud1)We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected] someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting newadventure. Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), theAustralian Institute of Architects (@aus_institute_architects) and is produced with thesupport of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairfoundation). Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloudBig Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia. Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media Video Production: Ned WilliamsMusic: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)  Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 in the lower leagues since 1864. That changed in 2020 when Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club, sparking a global wave of attention. Their ownership and the hit documentary Welcome to Wrexham, turned the town into a culturalphenomenon and gave its proud community football team a place on the world stage. Photos of Tim and Kev in action at Wrexham can be found on their Instagram page - @big_design_adventure  If you want to visit Wayne at the Turf - https://the-turf.co.uk You can also follow Wayne and the pub on Instagram @turfwxm And be sure to follow Tim Ross (@modernister) and Kevin McCloud (@kevin.mccloud1) We’d love to hear from you, reach out to us on [email protected]  Know someone who would love this podcast? Please help us share this exciting new adventure.    Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairfoundation).    Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud Guests: Wayne from The Turf Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.  Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp  Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media  Video Production: Ned Williams Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)  Please note this podcast is not currently available in the UK or Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.