Eco Den The Dengineers

-I'm Mark.

-And I'm Lauren.

-And this is The Dengineers.

The show that puts you in charge of building your very own dream den.

-ALL:

-Whoa!

Dens for adventure...

Hello, trap door! ..hanging out with your friends and family...

This den is the best thing ever.

..and dens built to fulfil your dreams.

-It's more than he could ever have wanted.

-Oh, Mum!

-Aww!

Whatever your ideas, the Dengineers team

are here to transform your inspiration into amazing spaces...

..built especially for you.

-ALL:

-This den is done!

-CHEERING

Hello! SCREAMING

Yes, you, Lola.

Let's do it.

-That is epic.

-I'm really happy.

It's amazing!

Welcome to The Dengineers.

Currently, we're hiding out in the back of a Dengineer's car

in a school in North Wales.

That's right, we're about to surprise

an 11-year-old girl called Whitney

with the news that she's going to get her dream den.

Whitney is really big into recycling and the environment,

so we're going to make her own eco-den.

-Are you ready for it?

-Yeah, come on.

-Shall we go for it? Come on.

Today's Dengineer is 11-year-old Whitney

from Flintshire in North Wales.

I'd like an eco-den

to show people how important it is to

reduce, re-use and recycle.

Whitney is all about the environment,

and she loves to recycle, well, anything she can.

Whitney's completely in charge

of recycling at home.

She absolutely loves it.

She understands the importance of recycling,

and the affect our rubbish has on the planet.

She even sorts out our teenage son and makes sure that he puts his

pizza cartons in the right cardboard container.

Whitney would be so thrilled to have a fantastic eco-den

and it would be brilliant for her to share it with her friends

at school, neighbours, family, and continue to be learning herself

about the environment.

She'd be so thrilled. We'd be really chuffed, wouldn't we?

It would be absolutely amazing.

I think my eco-den could be amazing. Please come and help me, Dengineers.

Don't worry, Whitney, you're going to get your dream den

to help you save the planet - you just don't know it yet.

Whitney is an eco-rep for her school,

and she's about to do a presentation about recycling.

Which makes this the perfect place for us to hit Whitney with the

surprise of her life.

She knows that she's being filmed today,

but she doesn't know that it's The Dengineers who're filming her,

and she doesn't know that me and Mark are going to be hiding

somewhere... quite unusual.

Meet our very own stunt bin,

used for hidden camera prank shows for people to hide in.

This is the ideal bit of kit to take this surprise

to the next level.

But remember, guys, this is a special bin built for TV,

so don't go trying this at home.

"Every lunch break, two children from any class

"can ask their dinner staff

"to litter pick around our school grounds.

"Also, every class has got to plant a fruit tree

"and when the fruit has grown, it'll be sold in the fruit tuck shop."

Talk over, it's time for me and Lauren to get the surprise rolling

with the help of Witney's headteacher.

Because we do so much recycling, our recycling bins

sometimes are overflowing.

So I think this might be a good opportunity for us to have a new bin

so that we can recycle even more.

-BOTH:

-Hello!

-We're looking for Whitney. How are you doing?

-Fine, thank you.

My name is Lauren, this is Mark. We're from CBBC's The Dengineers,

and we're here to tell you that you're going to get

-your dream den made.

-How do you feel right now?

-Dead excited!

-Oh, brilliant!

APPLAUSE

I feel, like, one of the luckiest people on earth.

I was, like, so shocked as well.

Oh, I never thought this, even in my dreams!

Oh, I'm so excited for The Dengineers building my den.

I just can't wait.

Our first port of call is The Dengineers mobile HQ,

which has some mega-cool technology to get Whitney's eco-den on track.

Whitney, this is where the magic happens, really, isn't it?

-It is.

-It's where you design your den.

So this is the opportunity to get stuck in,

pick out all the pictures you like, and start designing your den.

-Are you up for it?

-Yeah.

-Let's have a little look, shall we?

Dive in. What do you like the look of?

Scroll along the bottom. What do you want to start with?

Can we go for that quote because it's my favourite?

Reduce, re-use, recycle.

-Why do you like that so much?

-Because, one, you can reduce,

two, you can re-use, and three, you can recycle.

-You're clearly very passionate about this, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-I love that.

-Yeah, what would your den be made out of?

How would it look from the outside?

Like, recycled things and on one of the sides you could have a glass,

-so you could look out of...

-Oh, that's cool.

I quite like the little bumblebee there.

And why do you like the bumblebee?

They pollinate all the flowers, but they're just nice.

What about that?

It actually looks a little bit like you. It's got your hair.

-Why do like that?

-I quite like it because me and my dad go for walks

in the forest quite a lot, so that's like me and my dad.

Aww! That's sweet. I like that.

Oh, that's cool, what's that about? What's she up to?

She's used recycled materials to make, like, a bug house, I think.

-Oh, for little bugs to live in?

-Yeah, like bees and butterflies.

-That's got to go on, hasn't it?

-Oh, that's a good one.

That's plain and simply what we need to be recycling.

Oh, do you know what?

I think that looks really, really exciting, don't you?

It looks unbelievable. Whitney, we think this looks incredible.

-Are you happy with it?

-Yeah.

-Good.

-Excellent.

-Well, let's get the show on the road, shall we?

-Yeah.

-Let's go.

Whitney's mood board is bursting with ideas for her eco-den.

She wants a space to hang out with her friends and show them just how

brilliant being eco-friendly can be.

Whitney wants her den to be made from recycled materials,

and she's hoping to give a home to the wildlife in her garden

by including plants in the design.

But who will bring her eco-dreams to live?

It's daring duo Tony and Satwinder.

These amazing architects have over 40 years' experience designing

superstructures using a huge range of material.

They're the perfect pair to get Whitney's den off the ground.

Guys, you've seen everything on the mood board.

What have you got planned?

I think you've got such a fantastic garden here

and I think we've got to make the best of that.

You've got a great view of the field beyond, framed by the trees,

you've got the decking with lots of different levels and stuff.

So we're thinking of, like, the best place to put the den.

I think that's always our starting point.

So we were thinking over here, initially.

So when you come down the stairs, you still get the view,

but it allows you to kind of use this deck

and use the garden as well.

-What do you think about that?

-OK. Yeah.

It's great that we're working with recycled materials,

because that's the kind of stuff

-that often gets thrown away, and it's just rubbish...

-Yeah.

..but we're going to take that material

and try and make it really special

because then you'll be able to tell your friends how amazing...

-Yeah.

-..using recycled materials is

and we thought maybe we could use old milk containers.

-Yeah.

-Or maybe we could use milk crates.

-Yeah.

-And then we had a few ideas about using cardboard tubes to

-actually help build it as well.

-Yeah.

We were having a think about looking at ways of introducing planting

into the walls and stuff as well.

So not just grass, but you could grow all sort of things so it feels

-like part of the garden.

-Yeah, like ivy could be going up some of the,

-like, walls and that?

-Yeah.

Just out of curiosity as well, is that something you've ever done

before, using recycled materials and is it difficult?

Is it harder than using normal stuff?

Yeah, we've both done stuff like that before. And it is...

You just have to be clever and inventive,

and see materials in a different way.

So you don't see a milk crate, you see a building block

or you don't see a pallet, you see a potential for a floor

or a roof or a chair or something.

And as soon as you get used to the idea,

there's just loads of potential.

And it's a good way of saving money,

and it also helps to save the planet as well,

which is really important.

-Excellent!

-Brilliant.

-Shall we get a move on, then?

-Yeah, let's go.

Tony and Satwinder's design uses old pallets.

On two sides, there will be reused milk crates

and on the other side, stable-style doors.

The roof will be sloped downwards to collect the rain,

and the den will get electricity from solar panels

and a wind turbine.

It's going to be a eco-extravaganza

made almost entirely from recycled materials.

Before The Dengineers can get stuck in making the den,

the foundations need to be laid.

Tony and Satwinder have come up with an eco-friendly way of making

the foundations using car tyres.

Car tyres take over 50 years to break down,

so reusing them is a brilliant idea,

and it means less concrete has to be used,

which is better for the environment.

This is a big job for the team.

So they're going to need our Whitney to muck in.

It's really exciting to get stuck in building the den,

but it's also quite sweaty work.

With the ground dug and the tyres fitted in place,

The Dengineers team pour in the concrete

to create a strong and sturdy base that will support Whitney's den.

It's day one, and The Dengineers are arriving at Whitney's house

and when we arrive, we really arrive in style.

First job of the day is to make Whitney's garden Dengineers-only.

So, Mum and Dad, take a look behind you. What can you see?

-Nothing.

-Nothing, can't see a thing.

-Great, that's just how we like it.

So we're going to hand over to Whitney.

She's going to be in complete control. How are you feeling?

-BOTH:

-Nervous.

-Are you really?

-Did you not trust her?

-Not really.

So for now, it is Dengineers-only.

So that means you two, clear off. Go on, off you go.

Wave them goodbye, Whitney. See you later, guys?

-Bye!

-Bye!

The Dengineers love a challenge,

so we're starting with the heaviest bit first - the roof

and it's a whopper.

Even sound man Ben is needed to help,

so I'm on the sound while the whole team try to move it into the garden.

-You look nervous that you're about to give me this.

-I am nervous.

I won't break it. Oh, what do I do? What...?

OK, on three. One, two, three, lift.

That's it, guys. Yes!

The roof weighs over 250 kg -

that's almost the same weight as two sumo wrestlers!

Watch it on the bend!

A bit towards you, a bit towards you. There we go.

That's it. Nice and slow.

This is incredibly difficult.

They are literally coming through the tiniest, tiniest gap.

-That's it.

-Straight.

-Stop, stop, stop!

Stage one completed, all that's left to do is carry the roof

down the steep steps to the bottom of the garden.

OK, let's go.

Be careful. Go easy, guys.

-Easy.

-One, two, three, lift.

The team make one last mammoth effort...

Go on, guys. This is it!

..and success!

Now that the roof is at the bottom of the garden, the base can go down,

which gives me time to catch up with Whitney's mum and dad.

So, guys, there's loads going on outside.

-How are you feeling?

-BOTH:

-Nervous.

-Are you really? Genuinely?

-And excited, really excited.

-What's making you nervous?

We're not sure exactly what Whitney's got planned

with the designers, so we're a bit nervous.

-It could be anything.

-Yeah, it could be, knowing Whitney.

So tell me more about Whitney's love of recycling.

It started at quite a young age - just splitting out the basics,

which was tins, plastic and paper and card

and then it's really expanded from there,

even entered the school now, where she's an eco-rep.

-And what does that entail?

-It entails her...

-Collecting all the rubbish...

-Yes.

-..doing the recycling.

They've also been lucky enough to have chickens and ducks and things.

-So she's been in charge of looking after...

-They get school pets?!

-Yes.

-Absolutely!

-I'm so jealous.

She knows that her generation hold the key to the future.

So if she spreads the message of reduce, re-use and recycle,

she knows that, most people, if they get into recycling at an early age,

will do it for the rest of their lives.

If everyone just contributes a bit,

it'll have a huge effect on the environment.

And what do you think this eco-den is going to mean to her?

-It will mean absolutely everything to her.

-It will.

It will be so special. So she can...

She's already planned to ask the whole class to come round

so she can show them the importance of recycling

but this will take her interest to another dimension.

The Dengineers have been motoring on.

The base is down and the walls are up.

Now, it's all about muscle power to get the roof in place

before the end of the day.

Easy, there, Dengineer Tim.

-Have you got that up?

-Hold it up.

-Yes.

It's the end of day one, and things have gone really, really well.

All the Dengineers and Whitney have worked really hard.

There's still a lot to do. There's a few surprises to come.

But really, really pleased. It's great.

It's day two, and yet another busy day for The Dengineers.

Now that's the main structure is up,

it's time to reveal one of the surprise elements of the den -

a Perspex wall.

Pull. Keep going, keep going.

Keep going...

Wow.

-What do you think?

-Oh, it's amazing.

The doors are also a key design feature of the den,

with two sets of stable doors being fitted.

Obviously, we could go to the shop and buy all these bits brand-new,

straight out of the warehouse.

But if we use something that is probably going to get thrown away

and end up in a tip, and create more rubbish,

that's not a good thing. So if we can bring that back to life,

and it has sort of a new life and a new purpose within our den,

that means we're saving money, it's better for the environment,

and it also means it's better for the den itself.

There will be loads of upcycling in this den.

But this one in particular is going to be pretty special.

The Dengineers have been collecting loads of old clothes

that were going to be thrown away

and what they're going to do is cut them up, plait them,

and then use that plait, coil it round to make a big circle,

which is going to turn into an amazing rag rug.

This is a big job, so all The Dengineers get involved.

Super-quick.

Can you do that one?

That one goes into there. That one will come back over.

Even Whitney's mum and dad have a go.

The team have made metres and metres of plaited rags for the rug

but Whitney won't get to see the finished product until her den

is revealed in two days' time.

I've lost it!

Tony and Satwinder are aiming to use as many recycled materials

as possible for Whitney's den,

so they're going to cover two of the outer walls with milk crates.

As you can see, they're quite strong.

-Yeah.

-So they'll be like structure for the walls outside.

The other thing is that they're quite light and easy to move around,

which will really help when we're putting them on den.

We've got lots of different colours as well.

So not only is it adding colour, it could add a pattern.

It really kind of brings a bit of excitement to the outside,

and makes it distinct to you.

Tony and Satwinder want the milk crates to be a living wall,

so they are filling them with the turf saved from the groundworks

and will be adding plants to attract wildlife to the den.

Whitney will be able to see the creatures visiting her den through

the clear Perspex wall.

Tony and Satwinder's idea was a really good.

I'd never have thought of putting the milk crates on.

I think it's amazing because every hour, there's

something new happened to the den,

and it looks really nice so far,

so I'm thinking it's going to be really nice on the reveal day.

Day three of the build is a big day.

From now on, Whitney won't be able to see her den,

and the team need to start on the inside if they want to get the

electrics installed before the big reveal tomorrow.

And no eco-den would be complete without a natural power supply.

We feel it's really important that they den also generates its

own electricity using a sustainable source.

So on the roof we've got solar panels which convert the sun's

energy into electricity and on the side we'll have a big wind turbine.

Standing high above the den,

the turbine makes electricity by using the wind to turn

its propeller-like blades around a rotor.

The rotor then spins a generator to create electricity, which provides

power for Whitney's den.

Now that Whitney's den is powered up,

I want to learn more about why we all should be helping

to save the environment.

So I've brought Whitney to Fleetwood Beach in Lancashire

to join in a beach clean.

-Look at this, there's some glass. Do you see it?

-Yeah.

Beach cleans like this have been organised across the UK for over

20 years and since they started,

volunteers have removed over 4.5 million pieces of litter

that could harm local wildlife.

Whitney, why is this so important to you?

It's important because if the plastic gets into the sea,

the marine animals can get quite hurt,

then they can die from eating plastic,

or getting it caught on their nose.

There's a can there, look. So if that can was open...

-Yeah.

-..that would be a danger to an animal?

Yeah. If everyone did a bit of recycling in this world,

no-one would be out here doing litter picks and everything,

so it would be, like, quite a lot of a better place for people.

-And the whole planet would be better as well, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

So this here... I mean, it's disgusting.

It's facial wipes and wipes that they stick down the toilet

that get washed up onto the beach, and people don't think about that.

-So just stop throwing your wipes down the toilet.

-Yeah.

Now that we've cleaned up, it's time for Whitney

to get a closer look at some of the marine wildlife

that we're helping to protect.

So I've brought her to a local aquarium that helps to breed,

rescue and protect marine animals, and we're going to go snorkelling

with some of these pretty cool creatures.

Whitney, meet Mel. Mel, meet Whitney.

-Hello.

-Now, I'm going to cut straight to the chase -

we're doing something that even I'm a little bit scared about.

Can you just tell her what we're going to be swimming with?

-Sharks, stingrays, and loads of fish.

-Do they bite?

They do definitely have teeth.

So if we swim close to them, what happens?

-You've got a bit of netting in between you, you'll be fine.

-Oh, OK.

I may be a little scared,

but us Dengineers don't back down from a challenge.

Come on, let's do it.

Oh, it's cold!

There are over 20 sharks in this ocean display,

ranging from whitetip and blacktip sharks,

to a very popular fellow by the name

of Boris The Bow-mouthed Guitar Shark.

-Wow, see the size of that one?!

-Yeah!

Look at is the colour on these ones. They're proper tropical fish.

-Wow, look at the size of that one.

-That is massive.

All of these awesome creatures swimming around here can

be injured and even killed as a result of man-made littering,

which means it's mega-important that we recycle or rubbish,

not leave it lying around or it can hurt wildlife and the environment.

It's been brilliant today -

going in the tank and doing the litter picking.

I've learnt quite a few of the difference shark species,

and saw what they actually look like.

I've heard the names, but I haven't actually seen them

up close or anything, so it's nice to get right up close to them.

Back at the den, and it's all about the inside.

It's been another really long day, and we're still working,

and all The Dengineers have worked really hard all the way through the

build, and they're pushing hard to get everything finished and make it

look as good as it possibly can be.

So it will be great to see Whitney

and her family on the reveal tomorrow.

A bit nervous about it, because you never know

how they're going to react.

We're really pleased with it, and I think, hopefully, they will be, too.

It's the day of the big reveal,

and The Dengineers are up early

putting the finishing touches in place.

I can't believe how much stuff they used to build this den that

otherwise would have been just thrown away. It's incredible.

It is so, so good. But there's still a lot to be done.

-Shall we go and give them a hand?

-We'd better.

-Come on.

-Where do you want these, guys?

-These are just going to sit under here.

-Do you like the cardboard tubes?

-I love the cardboard tubes.

These are from fabric shops, and they've still got the labels on

-them, look.

-Oh, yeah, yeah.

-So we know where they came from.

I love that, it's brilliant.

As Whitney's friends and family arrive for the big reveal,

all that's left to do is put the finishing touches

to the upcycled rag rug.

I'm in absolute suspense, I really am.

I'm dying to look, but I haven't peeked.

I haven't looked at all.

Now, we've got to pick it up really carefully,

because that glue's going to be wet a little bit.

I'm about to see my den. I am so excited to see it! I can't wait.

And there you have it... the rug.

Whitney wanted an eco-den to share her passion for the environment

with her friends, and to show just how fun being eco-friendly can be.

Tony and Satwinder have transformed the bottom of her garden,

and delivered an eco-extravaganza

made from recycled, reclaimed and reused materials.

But will Whitney be blown away by the result?

Guys, are you ready to see the den?

-ALL:

-Yes!

Five, four, three, two, one!

-ALL:

-Wow!

-Oh, my gosh, it's amazing!

-Wow.

-Oh!

-What do you reckon, Whitney?

-Oh, it's so cool! I love it.

It's fantastic. It is absolutely fantastic.

The outside of Whitney's den is covered

with reclaimed wooden pallets

and Tony and Satwinder had used all the milk crates to bring to life

a living wall, filled with turf and plants

that will attract all sorts of wildlife.

A water butt system collects rainwater,

and the den also uses natural power with solar panels

and a wind turbine, bringing electricity to the den.

Right, Whitney, do you want to come and see?

-Yes, please.

-Come on down.

-Come on in.

Oh, whoa! It's amazing.

-What do you like?

-I like the little lights.

-What are those lights powered by?

-The wind.

Yeah, the wind turbine and solar panels.

-Come on, let's step in.

-Wow.

-Look at the tyre seat.

-I want one of them.

-Have a seat.

I'm going to have a little seat on this. Very comfy, this.

We've got some little bins for recycling.

The desk, which has been made out of old pallets as well.

When you're sat there, you get a view out through the window and can

see all of the plants.

On this side, you've got all the cardboard tubes we collected

and then we've got old doorknobs so you can hang things on it.

Even these pots have been recycled

-so you can put plans in them and things.

-That's fantastic.

And then, one of our favourite things is the fact that you've got

doors on that side as well, so you can see all the way through to the

field and go through onto the deck on the other side.

Do you know one thing - I don't like it, I love it!

-Oh! You had us then.

-I was like, no, what?

Do you know what? You actually did scare me!

'I never dreamed that this den would be so good.

'I'm so pleased with it.'

I think Tony and Satwinder have done a really good job in this den.

I love it to pieces.

So, Whitney, should we get your friends and family

-in to have a look?

-Yeah!

-Come on.

-Guys, you're not allowed in.

-Oh!

-Go on, in you go.

In you get.

Wow! Oh, this is fantastic.

-Thanks very much, The Dengineers.

-Oh, wow.

-Do you like it?

-Oh, yeah, fantastic.

-Thank you so much.

It's absolutely wonderful.

It's fantastic. What a creation! I was absolutely amazed.

-Gobsmacked.

-It was far better than I could ever have imagined.

The use of the materials and the upcycling

has made it a truly environmentally-friendly den.

She's going to have hours of fun out there.

-It's just brilliant.

-It is, yeah.

A fantastic eco-den.

I can't believe what The Dengineers

have achieved with recycled materials.

It's amazing. I would never have thought it would be like this.

-ALL:

-This den is done!

-CHEERING