At Grand Designs Live London (for the third time) was an enthusiastic cohort of 20+ Green Grads. Founded in 2021 by design editor Barbara Chandler (known for her long-running pages in London’s the Evening Standard), Green Grads is a platform for recent graduates of UK Universities whose final projects have in some way addressed one or more of a wide range of eco-issues.

New for 2024 was a trail-blazing installation by Green Grads of revolutionary ideas for biodesign, the new over-arching trend. Here designers learn from nature, to work with its living organisms, embrace its systems, and or/to use natural resources for new biomaterials.

Stars here are carbon-guzzling algae, featured in a new paint that grows, “living furniture” and a stunning green building facade. Mycelium too play their part – grow a house albeit slowly. Biomaterials utilise potato peelings and more, and also featured are age-old resources such as plant dyes and native timbers. There was even a stool/table “designed by mealworms.” Yes, really. Creative use of waste was another fascinating feature, with a table made of 10,000 discarded chopsticks, and ceramics made of new waste materials. Also on show, was a fully-functioning heating mat for refugees, which should be shortly available worldwide. Enthusiastically interactive are the girls that were at the Mending Hub, who darn, stitch and make throughout the show. You could bring along your torn or holey garments, or remake an item from their stash of old clothes.