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k.Grand Designs & Megastructures

Grand Designs:

is a programme that has been running on British TV for about 10 years now, conceived and presented by a real character: Kevin McLoud.

The idea is that he will ‘shadow’, observe (and occasionally participate in) and analyse and evaluate the success of building projects by individuals in their private capacity: i.e. the design and building of their own homes.  All of these are unique and involve design, engineering, construction and project management challenges.  Some have been eco-homes, active-houses etc… others attempting completely revolutionary techniques or materials.  This should appeal to you in at least two ways:

  1. the Professional – you are all involved in engineering, technology, materials and are interested in how they can serve our needs and make our lives better.
  2. the Personal – at some point you are likely to be considering giving your property a ‘makeover’ / renovation or conceiving your own dream home which balances your dreams with your economic realities, your vision with the limitations of sites and materials.

I’ve bought every single series via amazon.co.uk for about 18€ each and, if you are interested, would recommend you to do the same as you will hear a variety of accents, discussions and much engineering-related technical vocabulary.  That said, I did a quick search on Youtube and found a considerable number of episodes online:

Youtube GrandDesigns

I particularly like the following:

  1. The Britanny Groundhouse. The story of a British/Australian couple who construct an eco-‘Earthship’ (a 1960s American concept of low/no impact living) using clever design, materials on-site, reclaimed / recycled materials (notably 3000 car tyres and hundreds of wine bottles to make the walls!), traditional, local craftsmanship plus volunteer labour from all over the world paying for the privilege of working on the project!  The only new things they spent money on were latest heating technologies.  A lovely house costing virtually nothing to run energy-wise and having all but zero environmental impact for about 70,000£…….   Fits my dream – how about yours?
  2. The UrbanPod house, London.  Impossibly small and awkward site + a revolutionary design that exists only on one person’s head + self-build with friends + desperately limited building =  what?  A disaster, obviously… but NO!  A monument to Monty and his determination and sheer ingenuity. Wash basins sliding out from drawers…. baths under beds…. window winders from boat winches and a roof that just disappears.  The Magic of Monty.  Watch it!
  3. Deni and Doug dig la Creuse (Limousin).  Chez Jallot.  Confession-time… Deni is an ex-Tourism student of mine from the UK. They took on four walls, no roof and now stairs. Doug, a retired Banker taught himself carpentry to reconstruct all five floors of this seigneurie – he even teaches himself how to make a massive staircase.  Not to mention that neither of them had lived in France and neither spoke much French at all.  the finished product (you can stay there) is Chez Jallot today – in its new life as a rural Chambre d’hôte.

 

Megastructures

You are possibly (probably, I hope) familiar with these amazing programmes on utterly mind-blowing projects ranging from the Hoover Dam to the Boston Big Dig, from the Burgh al Arab hotel to the Millau Viaduct.  This is engineering ‘writ large’ with all the potential for technical problems to become disasters. At one point in the Millau Viaduct’s construction 36,000 tons of bridge was hanging mostly in the air and largely unsupported when the bridge tractor system that pushed the span forward failed.  36,000 tons on top of a broken pad atop a motor and a 140km/hr wind forecast in a few hours which could easily send the bridge and all it’s pylons toppling into the Tarn Valley below…. with the future of Eiffage drowned with it. « Ideas anyone – now’s the time! »

Again you can find these to purchase on DVD (many are made by National Geographic which is certainly worthy of our support) – put them (the ENGLISH versions, please!) on your Christmas or birthday list, but they are also to be found on Youtube:

Megastructures projects list

Here I have deliberately chosen just three programmes that have a veritable ‘French connection’ which might motivate you to have a look and listen… even in English…… he said hopefully!

What I will do is bring something like these to class … along with a list of 40 or 60 questions which will show how well you can follow and understand the exchanges, vocabulary and technical expressions.  For those doing TOEIC, this is a particulary important issue as the first half of your exam involves LISTENING and UNDERSTANDING.