Daren Howarth is a sustainability pioneer based in Brittany, France.  His home - the Brittany Groundhouse - which he designed and built with Adi Nortje, featured last year in one of the Grand Design programmes presented by Kevin McCloud and broadcast on Channel 4. 

This innovative and inspirational build features eco building techniques first pioneered by the American architect, Michael Reynolds.  Reynolds is the 'warrior' featured in the 2007 documentary film, Garbage Warrior, which follows the New Mexico-based Reynolds, and his fellow green enthusiasts, who have devoted their time to advancing the art of 'Earthship Biotecture' by building self-sufficient, off-the-grid housing.

Like the ‘Earthships’, the central fabric of the Brittany Groundhouse is recycled car tyres ram packed with earth. This techniques produces dense, heat-retaining structures which are kind to the planet and highly energy efficient. The build also features rainwater collection tanks buried in the earth which is built up around the back of the house providing a kind of thermal wrap - keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer. And with solar collection on the front face, grey water recycling and as many reclaimed materials as possible, this stunning building has but a small environmental footprint. 

Daren will talk about the challenges and achievements surrounding the Brittany Groundhouse build and update us on developments since the Groundhouse was featured in the Grand Designs programme. He will also put the Groundhouse in the context of other natural and ecobuild designs. 

Daren Howarth is a sustainability pioneer based in Brittany, France.  His home - the Brittany Groundhouse - which he designed and built with Adi Nortje, featured last year in one of the Grand Design programmes presented by Kevin McCloud and broadcast on Channel 4. 

This innovative and inspirational build features eco building techniques first pioneered by the American architect, Michael Reynolds.  Reynolds is the 'warrior' featured in the 2007 documentary film, Garbage Warrior, which follows the New Mexico-based Reynolds, and his fellow green enthusiasts, who have devoted their time to advancing the art of 'Earthship Biotecture' by building self-sufficient, off-the-grid housing.

Like the ‘Earthships’, the central fabric of the Brittany Groundhouse is recycled car tyres ram packed with earth. This techniques produces dense, heat-retaining structures which are kind to the planet and highly energy efficient. The build also features rainwater collection tanks buried in the earth which is built up around the back of the house providing a kind of thermal wrap - keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer. And with solar collection on the front face, grey water recycling and as many reclaimed materials as possible, this stunning building has but a small environmental footprint. 

Daren will talk about the challenges and achievements surrounding the Brittany Groundhouse build and update us on developments since the Groundhouse was featured in the Grand Designs programme. He will also put the Groundhouse in the context of other natural and ecobuild designs. 

Paul Brandon, course director for motorsport and motorcycle engineering at Kingston University, will talk about the materials, technologies and design features behind this lean green racing machine.

Set to make history, this clean-emission, carbon-free, electronic motorcycle was first unveilled by Kingston University engineers in April 2009.  It was built by a team of six final-year students from the Faculty of Engineering under the guidance of Paul Brandon. To demonstrate its racing viability, it joined 22 other bikes from America, India, Italy and Austria to race in the world’s first zero-emissions Grand Prix on the Isle of Man which is part of the famous 2009 Isle of Man TTxGP. The experience of this event and the run-up to it, where all bikes ran on non-fossil fuel, is recorded in the TTxGP Bike Video Diary.

Currently in prototype form and being further developed, the bike demonstrates the viability of alternatives to carbon-based fuels and how high fuel efficiency can be achieved.  Not only does this lead the way for sustainable bike racing, it also helps to accelerate innovation in four wheeled electric vehicles and so the wider move to low-carbon emission transport systems.

Do you think eco design is a luxury in these recessionary times? Do you think it is actually unsustainable in a period of financial constraint? By presenting their ideas and showing examples of beautifully designed products, Nicola Giuggioli, CEO of Eco Age and eco designers who supply the store will demonstrate how eco design is not only sustainable for the environment but also represents a viable financial solution. The leading eco designers featured will include Max McMurdo of Reestore, Michelle Mason of the company Michelle Mason and Christopher Pett of Pli Design.

One of the very first ecological destination stores, Eco Age invites you to abandon an excessive carbon life and embrace greener living. Launched by Founder and CEO, Nicola Giuggioli, and his fellow directors, the vision behind Eco Age is to create a one-stop shop where people can find inspiration, ideas and advice, enabling them to apply practical and elegant solutions for greener living.

A short tour of the Eco Age store is included. With such a fine line-up and complementary wine and nibbles - who can resist!

Club Owner, Andrew Charalambous – aka ‘Dr Earth’ – will introduce Club Surya, the ‘world’s first ecological night club’. Club Surya is designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Besides solar-energy panels, a wind turbine, waterless urinals, low-flush toilets and eco-friendly air-conditioning unit, Surya also boasts an innovative high-tech alternative energy dancefloor. Clubbers at Surya literally generate their own electricity, thanks to its unique bouncing dancefloor which produces energy and recharges the club’s batteries as people dance.

Andrew Charalambous is also the head of a new climate change organisation called Club4Climate. This presents a 10-point environmental manifesto encouraging nightclubs everywhere to sign up to the network.