Home World 81
Homeworld 81 is a former housing exhibition which is now privately occupied and is located in the Bradwell Common area of
Milton Keynes. The exhibition was organised to maximise publicity for Milton Keynes as a major centre for the private housing industry, it encouraged developers to be more adventurous with their designs than the normal ‘two up – two down’ design.
It was the first in a number of exhibitions held in the new town which were arranged by the Milton Keynes Development Corporation. Though the concept was not a new one as the designers have been invited to enter a very similar event held in Letchworth Garden City in 1905 which required designers to create cottages that could be built for around £150 (around
£13k in 2011). Some of those properties still stand to this day.
The exhibition ran throughout May 1981 and was opened by the then Minister for housing John Stanley MP. The opening hours where between 10am and 9pm daily and an entrance ticket would have cost you £2 for an adult and 50p for children. Those attending from further afield could get the dedicated bus service from the new opened Milton Keynes Central Railway station.
In the opening speech by Lord Campbell, he showed the Milton Keynes development Corporations view on private housing with the following statement “in 1979 only 200 private houses were built in Milton Keynes, in the year which ended on 31st March 1981 competitions rose to over 800.”
in conjunction with the exhibition, a conference was held on 19th May 1981 at the Open University which allowed delegates to hear in more detail the innovations used with in the houses and also gave them a chance to meet those behind each scheme while enjoying cocktails and canapés.
The whole event was organised by David Crewe who was information director for the Milton Keynes Development Corporation. He was able to get the support of a number of sponsors to lend their names to the development including the Ideal Home Magazine, Sunday Times and the BBC.
The house plots were designated on 1st August 1980 and works should have commenced by 1st September 1980. It was decided that once the exhibition had finished that the show houses would remain open until the end of the year when the developers could either sell them on the open market or dismantle and returned the plot to its original state.
There was no minimum or maximum house size imposed though the site included 25 plots with frontages of 12 meters and 25 plots with frontages of 15 meters. The designers we advised to leave approximately 1.5meters of the width on two-storey buildings so that they did not encroach on adjacent plots. Developers who took part in Homeworld were required to pay a promotional fee of £1,000 (£3160 in 2011) and a refundable deposit of £5,000 payable before construction can take place. the deposit was only refundable to those whose structure was removed from the site. 25% of the final sale price was charged by the Milton Keynes Development Corporation for the freehold title of the fully serviced plots.
The Ideal Home/Solar Home
Greenwood Homes
After the exhibition
After the exhibition, Milton Keynes Council decided that the Sivad home couldn’t be sold because it did not meet fire regulations set at the time. The developer was fined and an external fire escape was built, though at one time the property could have been pulled down.
Also, it was reported that visitors kept arriving at the site and there had been incidents of the new tenants finding people either in their gardens or even in their houses.
Milton Keynes. The exhibition was organised to maximise publicity for Milton Keynes as a major centre for the private housing industry, it encouraged developers to be more adventurous with their designs than the normal ‘two up – two down’ design.
It was the first in a number of exhibitions held in the new town which were arranged by the Milton Keynes Development Corporation. Though the concept was not a new one as the designers have been invited to enter a very similar event held in Letchworth Garden City in 1905 which required designers to create cottages that could be built for around £150 (around
£13k in 2011). Some of those properties still stand to this day.
The exhibition ran throughout May 1981 and was opened by the then Minister for housing John Stanley MP. The opening hours where between 10am and 9pm daily and an entrance ticket would have cost you £2 for an adult and 50p for children. Those attending from further afield could get the dedicated bus service from the new opened Milton Keynes Central Railway station.
In the opening speech by Lord Campbell, he showed the Milton Keynes development Corporations view on private housing with the following statement “in 1979 only 200 private houses were built in Milton Keynes, in the year which ended on 31st March 1981 competitions rose to over 800.”
in conjunction with the exhibition, a conference was held on 19th May 1981 at the Open University which allowed delegates to hear in more detail the innovations used with in the houses and also gave them a chance to meet those behind each scheme while enjoying cocktails and canapés.
The whole event was organised by David Crewe who was information director for the Milton Keynes Development Corporation. He was able to get the support of a number of sponsors to lend their names to the development including the Ideal Home Magazine, Sunday Times and the BBC.
The house plots were designated on 1st August 1980 and works should have commenced by 1st September 1980. It was decided that once the exhibition had finished that the show houses would remain open until the end of the year when the developers could either sell them on the open market or dismantle and returned the plot to its original state.
There was no minimum or maximum house size imposed though the site included 25 plots with frontages of 12 meters and 25 plots with frontages of 15 meters. The designers we advised to leave approximately 1.5meters of the width on two-storey buildings so that they did not encroach on adjacent plots. Developers who took part in Homeworld were required to pay a promotional fee of £1,000 (£3160 in 2011) and a refundable deposit of £5,000 payable before construction can take place. the deposit was only refundable to those whose structure was removed from the site. 25% of the final sale price was charged by the Milton Keynes Development Corporation for the freehold title of the fully serviced plots.
The Ideal Home/Solar Home
- Sponsored by Ideal Home Magazine and
- Copper Development Association.
- The property sits on an area of only 150sq meters.
- Architects – Dominic Michaelis Associates
- Contractor – Abbey Homesteads Ltd
- Solar System
- Calor Group Limited and Solar Energy Developments
- Solar Panels are 27m2 and feature copper flat plate panels.
- The development featured in the film the Fourth Protocol, though only the interior of the actual house was used. For the external shots and those looking out on to the street a duplicate house was constructed on Heelands.
- Largest exhibitor at Homeworld 81
- The Developer was Superhomes which was a subsidiary of John Laing Construction.
- Architects - Griffiths Keyworth and Associates
- The development was build from insitu cast, medium-density aerated concrete for ground walls and prefab timber panels for the upper storey.
- The Topper was tendered for sale John Mowlem decided he would donate 10% of the profit going to Jimmy Saville OBE’s fund for the national spinal injuries centre. The tender closed at 12 Noon on Wednesday 10th June 1981.
Greenwood Homes
- Greenwood homes developed two properties within the village, the Mobility and The Greenwood. Greenwood was under the chairmanship of Lord Greenwood of Rossendale - Housing minister 1966-70.
- The mobility was 915sq Feed and was decided for people confined to a wheelchair.
- The Greenwood development is a pyramid-shaped with a central spiral staircase, First-floor lounge and a balcony topper with a double glazed tinted lantern. The ground floor layout can be re-planned without structural alteration because the weight of the upper floor is carried by its Unique design.
- The basement level had a 'option' for a 160sq Foot fall out shelter.
After the exhibition
After the exhibition, Milton Keynes Council decided that the Sivad home couldn’t be sold because it did not meet fire regulations set at the time. The developer was fined and an external fire escape was built, though at one time the property could have been pulled down.
Also, it was reported that visitors kept arriving at the site and there had been incidents of the new tenants finding people either in their gardens or even in their houses.