Would you live in a pod to save the planet?
IT LOOKS like a brick-built cousin of the nightmarish sci-fi pods seen in The Matrix.
But this egg-shaped home could help homeowners heal the planet.
Alternative builders Eco Hab Homes are showcasing their unusual dwellings at the Grand Designs Live exhibition in Royal Docks. The curious cocoons range from four to six metres in diameter, and range from an £8,900 bungalow to a two-floor home with its own bedroom, living area, kitchen and bathroom, costing nearly £80,000. See www.ecohab.co.uk for more details.
The zero-carbon pod is among several eco-projects taking place at the nine-day show at ExCeL. Presenter Kevin McCloud kicked off his attempt to build a home in six days over the weekend, and rail closures did not stop waves of designers making the trip to East London. The exhibition is expected to attract up to 500,000 visitors this year, and is the subject of a live Channel 4 broadcast.
A range of exhibitions and free seminars are taking place at the venue, which has been split into six sections dealing with everything from home decorating ideas to must-have electronic gadgets and gardening gizmos.
More than 500 exhibitors are on show at this year’s event, offering Wild Boar-flavoured sauces, carrot-shaped Japanese wonder plants and text message operated spa-baths.
If the strain of shopping for garden furniture and bathroom fittings becomes too much, there’s also a range of restaurants and a plentiful supply of Bombay Sapphire gin samples and two competing stands offering toffee-laced vodka.
Grand Designs Live runs until Sunday (May 11). Go to www.granddesignslive.com
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