Big Design Adventure

Tim Ross & Kevin McCloud
  • 5.0 (4)
  • DESIGN
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Two mates, Tim Ross — comedian, broadcaster, and self-described design nerd — and Kevin McCloud — pundit, writer and celebrated host of Grand Designs — have teamed up for a new podcast: Tim and Kev’s Big Design Adventure.   In this audio escapade, the architectural enthusiasts embark on a rollicking (and occasionally shambolic) journey, sharing their love of design by visiting buildings that inspire them, meeting the people who create or inhabit them, and diving deep into the places that shape and spark their imaginations.

  1. S2 Ep 6 - The Queenslander

    3D AGO

    S2 Ep 6 - The Queenslander

    Tim and Kev head to Brisbane to meet architect John Ellway, who has quietly built a reputation fortransforming one of Australia’s most iconic house types - the Queenslander. Working almost entirely in his own neighbourhood, John carefully adapts these classic timber-and-tinhomes so they can handle contemporary living while still embracing the subtropical climate that shaped them. Recorded in his own inventive house, John is one of a number of local architects responsible for some of the most exciting Australian architecture of recent years. In a typically laid-back Brisbane manner, he unpacks the thinking behind his work and explains why relationships with clients are central to hispractice. Follow John Ellway on Instagram @jellway and more details on his website jellway.com Other Brisbane architects doing interesting work include:Vokes and Peters – vokesandpeters.comRussell & Co – russelwith.coOwen Architecture – owenarchitecture.com.au 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 hello@bigdesignadventure.comKnow 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 McCloudGuest: John EllwayBig 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.

    39 min
  2. S2 Ep 5 - Ben Shewry’s Mid-Century Dream

    MAR 3

    S2 Ep 5 - Ben Shewry’s Mid-Century Dream

    Tim and Kev head to Melbourne to visit Ben Shewry, the chef behind the world-famous restaurant Attica, who lives in the 1966 home designed by émigré architect Ernest Fooks. Ben, who has a deep passion for architecture and design, had long admired the house from afar, but he never thought he’d actually own it. In this episode, he not only flings open the door to his incredible heritage-listed home, but he shares the story of how he ended up living in his dream mid-century modern home. A natural storyteller, Ben effortlessly draws parallels between cooking and architecture, and reveals his long-standing passion for chair collecting in this wide-ranging chat in one of Melbourne’s finest houses. The Chef: Ben Shewry is a New Zealand–born Australian chef and owner-executive chef of Attica. Since taking over in 2005, he has made Attica one of the world’s most celebrated restaurants, known for native Australian ingredients and deeply personal storytelling. Shewry was featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table in 2017, which profiled his creative philosophy and journey. You can check out his restaurant website attica.com.au and get his best selling book here: Uses ForObsession Follow Ben on Instagram here: @benshewry The Architect: Ernest Fooks (1906–1985) was an Austrian-born architect who helped shape postwarmodernism in Melbourne. Trained in Vienna, he fled Nazi Europe and brought continental ideas offunctional planning and light-filled design to Australia. Fooks designed houses, civic buildings andsynagogues, and later became a respected educator and town-planning advocate in Victoria. You can find out more about the house on Docomomo Australia. 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 hello@bigdesignadventure.comKnow 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 McCloudGuest: Ben ShewryBig 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.

    48 min
  3. S2 Ep 4 - House for Birds

    FEB 24

    S2 Ep 4 - House for Birds

    Tim and Kev head to the Sydney inner-city suburb of Marrickville to visit artist Leila Jeffreys and musician James Roden, who have spent a decade transforming a modest weatherboard cottage into a small but carefully considered home. Their dream? A small sustainable home that works for them and connects them to nature by creatinghabitat for birds and native species while rethinking what a suburban block can become. The result is a house which nods to Australian modernism that Kevin wants to move into and aconversation that will definitely be good for your soul. Leila is an award-winning photographic artist whose images of birds have been exhibited all over theworld and have featured in a number of best-selling publications. You can visit her website here:leilajeffreys.com James Roden is a musician who has also worked for record labels and as a band manager. He’s now the studio manager of Leila’s practice. You can check out his latest musical project here: snakeheads.com.au The house was designed by Will Fung at CO-AP Architects. co-ap.com Will has a great Instagram page (@will.fung) 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 hello@bigdesignadventure.comKnow 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: Leila Jeffreys and James RodenBig 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.

    55 min
  4. S2 Ep3 - A Life in the Museum

    FEB 17

    S2 Ep3 - A Life in the Museum

    Can you imagine living in a museum? Tim and Kev head to Surrey to visit The Homewood, the modernist masterpiece Patrick Gwynnedesigned for his family in the late 1930s. Completed in 1938, The Homewood is one of the mostremarkable examples of pre-war modernist architecture in Britain. Gwynne later gifted the house to the National Trust in 1999, with the stipulation that someone must live in it and that it be opened to the public for part of the year. That person is Lou, whose family has called it home since 2004 while welcoming visitors inside thisextraordinary piece of living history. I bet you’ve got questions already. We certainly did - and we’ve probably asked most of them in thisfascinating interview, recorded around Gwynne’s own custom-made round dining table. Thanks to Lou and The National Trust for assisting with this episode. You can learn more about the house and when you can visit here on their website: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/surrey/the-homewood 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 hello@bigdesignadventure.comKnow 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 McCloudGuest: Louise ScottBig 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.

    49 min
  5. S2 Ep 2 - Giuseppe’s House

    FEB 10

    S2 Ep 2 - Giuseppe’s House

    What happens when you try to fix the housing crisis without destroying the suburbs we love? You getdensity by stealth. Tim and Kev head to the Perth suburbia to visit Giuseppe’s House, a 1960s home recently restored bylocal architect Kate Fitzgerald. Beneath the terrazzo floors and colourful character lies a bigger idea: how to add more housing to our cities without flattening their identity. Kate shares her approach to preserving streetscapes while quietly increasing density, rethinkingbackyards, laneways and overlooked spaces to create the “missing middle” between apartments andtraditional homes. Along the way, they unpack Perth’s boom-and-bust development history, the rise ofmigrant architecture, and why small, clever infill might be the key to housing affordability. Check out Kate’s work on their website - https://www.whisperingsmith.com.au including her home (House A) and Giuseppe’s House. 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 hello@bigdesignadventure.comKnow 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 McCloudGuest: Kate Fitzgerald (@whisperingsmith_)Big 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.

    49 min
  6. S2 Ep 1 - Brutiful Birmingham

    FEB 3

    S2 Ep 1 - Brutiful Birmingham

    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 hello@bigdesignadventure.comKnow 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 McCloudGuest: 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.

    44 min
  7. A Christmas Special

    12/23/2025

    A Christmas Special

    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 hello@bigdesignadventure.com - 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 hello@bigdesignadventure.com  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.

    1h 7m
  8. S1 Ep 15 - A Mini Episode

    11/18/2025 · BONUS

    S1 Ep 15 - A Mini Episode

    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 hello@bigdesignadventure.com For suggestions of places and stories for Series 2, shoot us an email to hello@bigdesignadventure.com 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 hello@bigdesignadventure.com  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.

    14 min
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Hosts & Guests

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Two mates, Tim Ross — comedian, broadcaster, and self-described design nerd — and Kevin McCloud — pundit, writer and celebrated host of Grand Designs — have teamed up for a new podcast: Tim and Kev’s Big Design Adventure.   In this audio escapade, the architectural enthusiasts embark on a rollicking (and occasionally shambolic) journey, sharing their love of design by visiting buildings that inspire them, meeting the people who create or inhabit them, and diving deep into the places that shape and spark their imaginations.

Information

  • Creator
    Tim Ross & Kevin McCloud
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Big Design Adventure

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