Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Its easy for me to knock the Grand Designs estate as personally by and large I don't like it but the ethos behind it is novel, the homes are built from "Hempcrete" a type of concrete made from the Hemp plant.
The homes, although built in terraces offer the inhabitants an element of privacy and are no doubt efficient regarding cost of building and insulation.
Each home has a small parking area enough for one car and/or a storage facility to store bicycles.
The gardens are tiny although there is a communal triangular area in the centre of the estate which is rather nice, also there is a small community garden where residents can grow vegetables, each corner of the estate which mimics the shape of the outlaying surrounding roads and houses also has a green space but these have not been adopted with any love or care by the residents.
All in all an interesting concept, not entirely to my liking but certainly nicer than a lot of the social housing here in Swindon.
Its easy for me to knock the Grand Designs estate as personally by and large I don't like it but the ethos behind it is novel, the homes are built from "Hempcrete" a type of concrete made from the Hemp plant.
The homes, although built in terraces offer the inhabitants an element of privacy and are no doubt efficient regarding cost of building and insulation.
Each home has a small parking area enough for one car and/or a storage facility to store bicycles.
The gardens are tiny although there is a communal triangular area in the centre of the estate which is rather nice, also there is a small community garden where residents can grow vegetables, each corner of the estate which mimics the shape of the outlaying surrounding roads and houses also has a green space but these have not been adopted with any love or care by the residents.
All in all an interesting concept, not entirely to my liking but certainly nicer than a lot of the social housing here in Swindon.
