Design Commission for Wales

• Location: Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 4YN
• Date Completed: Autumn 2005
• Client: David and Jacolin Wilkinson
• Architect/designer: David J. Wilkinson Dip Arch (Dist) RIBA
• Planning authority: Snowdonia National Park Authority
• Contract value: £125,000 and £/m2 (excluding self-design/build costs)
• Project type: Private House Self-Build
• Location type: Upgrading and improvement of existing structure on magnificent, remote rural site in Snowdonia National Park.
• Number of dwellings: 1
• Dwelling type: 570 sq. m. private dwelling

Images

Back at the Beginning

Dining Room & Library

From the Hillside Above

Garden and House Edge

Looking from the East

Sitting Room

The Bathroom Interior

The Conservatory

The Garden Entrance Gate

The Lake Setting

The Link Corridor

The Link Corridor

The Tower in the Landscape

The Tower in Winter

The Tower Staircase

Winter View

Winterscene

Introduction

The site for Llyndu is on an elevated platform set in a small natural valley, overlooking to the east, an area of wetland and a small natural lake with woodland and mountains beyond. Behind, and to the West, is a steep wooded slope, rising well above the site level. It is located within and surrounded by a site of special scientific interest [SSSI] and sits within the Snowdonia National Park.

The owners, a retired Architect and his wife, saw the site as a retreat from their former lives in the city: they had a modest budget, an almost indefinite time scale and a vision. This vision was to improve, extend and re plan an existing, long redundant, boiler house and workman's hut. In turn, the existing dwelling would be transformed into a contemporary and sustainable home that used the latest appropriate and affordable technologies, together with a sensitive and appropriate interpretation of a modern design philosophy. Furthermore, the house would take advantage of its special location and orientation and would sit unobtrusively in the landscape.

Llyndu was awarded the Housing Design Award by the Royal Society of Architects in Wales in 2006.

Design Process

The timber structure on site had been in existence since circa 1925, with additions made in 1934, and was in a poor state of repair, as little sensitive and consistent repair and maintenance work had been carried out for over 20 years. Initially, it was deliberated as to whether to demolish or remodel the existing building. Concern was raised that a new build would have to reflect traditional forms and materials (i.e. stone walls, slate and small openings), whilst a remodelled structure could take advantage of large internal space, big windows and the possibility of a tower. As such, it was decided to go forward with a re-modelled proposal.

It was decided to retain the existing timber structure: strengthening, recladding and insulating it. To the rear of the house and into the hillside, traditional rendered blockwork extensions would be built, to house the 'wet'rooms, which would be adjacent to the existing drainage.

As a result of the building's long, narrow profile and because of the key views enjoyed on the long front face, linking the internal spaces was a problem. This was overcome through the introduction of a link corridor, fully glazed, connecting the living and bedroom areas together.

It was decided to retain the south end of the buildings as the principal reception rooms, with the addition of a conservatory, accessed from the dining room/library. The kitchen was to have an enlarged window facing south, with the adjacent traditionally constructed extension housing the utility room, a boiler room and wet room/shower/WC. Above the kitchen and the utility room, a studio and sewing room was to be created, lit by roof lights and a large floor to ceiling window located in the gable end looking out and up into the woods beyond. This space would be accessed from the double height entrance hall, via a simple timber staircase, top lit from a large roof light running along the ridge. The sitting room was to be located in part of the original structure, with the old timber trusses cleaned and retained.

It was decided that the north end would house the bedrooms, together with a bathroom, shower room and separate WC. On the north facing wall a small stone faced semi-circular staircase tower was to be constructed, lit with glass bricks, and providing access to a small bedroom and a square tower study, with a timber clad pyramid roof.

The space planning was designed to take advantage of the spectacular views the site enjoyed, in particular for the principal rooms. That said, advantage was also made of the often sunlit woodland behind. The solution is a house that is modern in its forms and use of space internally, but traditional in its use of forms and materials externally.

Sustainability Credentials

The key sustainability aim of this building was to create a sensitive, 'low impact' structure that would sit comfortably and sensitively into the natural environment.

As a result, the maximum usage of untreated timber was a priority, with the use of concrete and other un-natural materials being kept to a minimum. The sourcing of local timber saw limited success, although certain amounts of Larch and Douglas Fir were found and used. Large amounts of second hand timber were used from Douglas Fir planks, originally used as aircraft packing cases.

The structure was highly insulated: for the suspended timber floors, the timber enclosed walls and the roof, 400mm Rockwool Insulation was used. Whilst the tower was insulated with 100mm of rigid Celotex insulation, 150mm rigid insulation was used on the solid floors and 100mm cavity bats were used on the traditional thermal block walls on the rear extension. Purpose-made Douglas Fir double glazed windows and doors were also fitted.

Heating is achieved through four modern and efficient wood burning stoves, located throughout the dwellings and fuel for these is locally sourced. Underfloor heating was also laid throughout the dwelling, and fuelled by an oil fired condensing boiler.

Water is gathered from a nearby spring and separated into drinking and grey water tanks for use within the separate plumbing systems. Only the limited amount of drinking water is treated prior to use, using a fine ‘string' filter before running through an ultra violet tube. In periods of low water flow, the grey water tanks can be topped-up from the nearby lake, leaving the treated trickle of spring water for drinking.

Natural ventilation is via passive stack ventilation, through specially designed roof terminals located at both ends of the house.