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Place-Making in the New Wales
Landscape Architect and DCFW Hatch member, Mark Lawton reviews the Landscape Institute Wales’ Conference which took place on Wednesday 13th January 2016 in Cardiff Bay
The conference was organised and hosted by Dr Ruth Williams, Policy Consultant for Landscape Institute Wales (LIW). The catalyst for the event was the opening of the LIW’s bi-lingual exhibition, ‘Re-thinking the Urban Landscape’ in the Senedd and launched by Jenny Rathbone AM and Noel Farrer, President of the LI.
Showcasing some of the UK’s most powerful, contemporary landscape projects, including the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon and the Olympic Park, alongside smaller community-led schemes, the inspiring exhibition highlights best practice, quality design and the importance of investing in landscape and green infrastructure in shaping our cities so they become better, healthier and safer places to live.
The conference aimed to highlight the role of landscape architects and to discuss the practical opportunities in implementing policy following the recent release of legislation in Wales, particularly the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act 2015. The event featured speakers from the Landscape Institute, Natural Resources Wales and Welsh Government with attendance from a wide range of professionals and organisations which made for some interesting debate. A thought provoking presentation was given by Wendy Richards, formerly of the Design Commission for Wales (DCFW), twice LIW Chair and now Design Director at The Urbanists. Workshops were held by landscape professionals from Monmouthshire and Torfaen Councils and Chris Jones Regeneration.
Some of the main points raised by speakers were:
- Higher densities for new housing is needed to reduce the pressure to build on agricultural land
- Politicians should more strongly promote the need for quality in new development. Often architects and landscape architects are not involved in the design of residential areas, leading to unsustainable, car dependent communities that do not respond to their locale.
- Landscape is not contained within a red line – new development should consider the bigger picture
- Landscapes should be multifunctional and should be designed around their required uses e.g. biodiversity & floodwater retention
- An ecosystem services approach means analysing and working with the complex resources within the landscape to balance their value against the demands that we place upon them in new development
- Get the fundamentals of policy and design right and the rest will follow
- Policy needs to be clear with indicators as to what the outcome should be
Many of the issues raised overlapped with themes discussed in the DCFW’s LandMarks events and publication, particularly the need for a multidisciplinary approach to positively shaping and managing the landscapes of Wales to add value and avoid the need for mitigation.
The event was inspiring, whilst also raising a number of challenges for the industry. I was particularly inspired by:
- The Wellbeing and Future Generations Act 2015 – improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Wales through a “sustainable development principle” which places requirements on public bodies which relate to seven well-being goals
- The simple but effective concept of One House, One Tree – a policy proposal for house builders to have a minimum tree planting requirement in new development
- The achievement of the High Line project in New York – two local residents took the lead in saving the structure and repurposing it as a high quality park whose environmental and economic benefits have driven wider regeneration of the city
- Monmouthshire Green Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Guidance – The SPG is a first for Wales, and provides guidance for developers and planners and helps encourage better quality and consideration in planning applications.
Some challenges we must address as design professionals and decision/policy makers are:
- Policy is necessary to guide new development. However, too much policy to wade through can be counter-productive. Guidance should be concise with clear aspirations
- Design professionals are rarely given sufficient time by clients to design and consult – something which is encouraged by DCFW which promotes early consultation and pre-application discussion involving and integrated design team
- Local authority boundaries are not physically legible within the landscape, so collaborative working and cross-boundary policies should be encouraged
The intention expressed is to explore more ways to strengthen the agenda of landscape design and better place-making in Wales, so watch this space!
The LIW, as the professional body for landscape designers and practitioners, set out its pre-election suggestions for the development of a ‘Landscape Vision for Wales’, a Cabinet position on place-making, and maximisation of the benefits for society from every development through place-making and green infrastructure. These are all initiatives which would be supported by the Design Commission for Wales and could be explored by the Hatch network.
The LI exhibition ‘Rethinking the Urban Landscape’ is at the Senedd, Cardiff Bay from 11th-29th January 2016.
Mark Lawton is a Landscape Architect with HLM and a member of DCFW’s Hatch network for fresh-thinking shapers of the built environment in Wales.
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What Makes A Sustainable City?
DCFW Hatch member, James Stroud reflects on ICE Wales’ event which took place in Cardiff on 13th January 2016
Guilt weighed heavily upon me as, running late, I drove my petrol guzzling car hastily across the city, heading to ‘What Makes a Sustainable City’, a lecture by Kirsten Hensen of KLH Sustainability, hosted by ICE Cymru and Sustain Wales.
Parking a few yards away from the venue in the pouring rain, I was reminded how lucky, in some ways, those of us who live in Cardiff, a relatively small city, are when it comes to how easy it is to just jump in your own car to get around. This is something that, given the growth expected in Cardiff over the coming years, is likely to become an unsustainable luxury.
Less than five minutes in to a well attended event, it was clear to me that the main draw was Kirsten, not the sandwiches, as she began a broad and interesting talk about her beliefs in the benefits of ‘Green Spaces’ and in particular their role in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and at the Favelas of Rio.
Hensen, who trained as a Civil Engineer, opened with some interesting facts – reporting that, in an age where sustainability should be at the forefront of all our minds, the construction industry is a key sector that needs change. The industry uses 400 million tonnes of material each year, with a staggering 13% of materials delivered to site going unused. We have known this for many years but the pace of change still seems glacial.
Hensen also endorsed early contractor involvement which, at the Olympic Park, provided, she said, significant savings, such as avoiding the need to export 2.5m tonnes of waste by reusing site-won materials for gabions, and adding value by reducing the need for importation of similar quantities, something with which I whole heartedly agree.
The lecture, however, quickly broadened out; “It’s about more than climate change,” Kirsten exclaimed. She spoke of the notion of ‘place–keeping’ rather than ‘place–making’, specifically in relation to the often socially challenging areas to which her projects had taken her. Speaking again of her role at the Olympic Park, staggeringly, Hensen said that for every tube stop on the Jubilee line between Westminster in central London and Stratford, an adult male loses one year of life expectancy. She stressed the need for community engagement, understanding and respecting the context, recognising that whilst not everyone wants to shop in a Westfield and live in a zero-carbon home, the former offers employment which alongside other measures to retain and enhance the existing culture will lead to social regeneration and ‘place-keeping’. Interestingly, Hensen told us how the residents of the Rio Favelas had been commissioned by the Rio Olympic committee to make 45,000 ‘athletes cushions’ following engagement with the entrepreneurial community. She spoke of the project involving the 40 Knowledge Hubs being created on the outskirts of the Favelas where people from the surrounding, more developed communities, can interact and together fill the skills gap that exists, leading to, hopefully, a better future and greater social integration.
Finally and particularly relevant, Hensen gave examples of the importance of the concept of ‘soft failure’, an interesting idea, citing the recent UK flooding as an example – if we are to admit that flooding is going to happen, she said, then why not embrace the idea of a soft failure, that is, plan our cities, town and villages with anticipation of such floods, meaning that we identify the low impact areas that could be flooded, spaces such as football pitches, parkland etc? This would be far less of a danger than flooding of people’s homes, schools and hospitals or aiming to stem immensely powerful water flow with inadequate barriers.
I didn’t mind being distracted from the sandwiches as Kirsten Hensen provided plenty of food for thought in a thoroughly interesting hour!
James Stroud is a Project Designer at Loyn & Co Architects and an active member of DCFW’s Hatch network for fresh-thinking shapers of the built environment in Wales.
Housing is a key issue and focus for DCFW in 2016. We will be holding a series of Hatch events on this theme ahead of our annual international autumn conference. The Hatch events will allow you to contribute to and help us shape and the conference.
This initial discussion will be introduced by Professor John Punter. John is part-time professor in urban design at Cardiff University and sits on the DCFW design review panel. His introduction will consider the Welsh housing crisis and provide a perspective on recent and emerging residential development in Wales.
After this thought provoking introduction the floor will be open for discussion. We are interested in hearing your perspective and experience of the challenges and opportunities facing the delivery of quality housing in Wales. Feel free to bring along examples and share ideas. Even if you don’t have much experience of housing projects, we still value you input as a shaper of the built environment. This initial discussion is about teasing out the issues that will help us to frame future debate, seminars and our autumn conference.
If you have not attended a Hatch event before please have a look at what the network is about here and if you think it is for you please join us.
Refreshments on arrival.
Lindsey Brown, urban designer at Sustrans and DCFW Hatch member considers flood risk and how our approach to street design can help.
To help us tackle flooding we need to use our urban designers better and change the way in which we view and approach street design. Streets and roads should not be designed only as channels for movement, but as places in their own right. Designed well, streets can be multi-functional, not only helping us to manage the flow of water at a local level, but to be attractive, social spaces that encourage interaction and activity. Properly considered Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDS) – rain gardens, permeable paving and other forms of attenuation – can slow water run-off, helping to reduce flood risk, assist traffic calming and create a more attractive street scene for visitors and residents to enjoy.
Green Streets, Lambeth: Sustrans community-led street design. Image courtesy of Sustrans
So how do we change the approach to street design here in Wales and create streets that can help us tackle flooding? The Active Travel Act (Wales) 2013, introduced in November 2013, is a world-first in terms of legislation, aiming to get more of us walking and cycling for everyday journeys. Part of the approach is linked to building better infrastructure, including homezones and shared spaces. Interventions such as these not only create more opportunities for walking and cycling, but also for urban green infrastructure like rain gardens, filter beds and tree planting. They provide an opportunity to counter the very real problem of hard surface run-off, endemic to most urban areas. Even better, the principles can be applied in both retrofit and new development scenarios.
Taking a holistic design approach alongside smaller urban interventions can work alongside larger flood prevention schemes. SUDS can form part of a system that will not only help us to manage water better, but help create a sense of place and improve our wellbeing.
Lindsey Brown has an MA in Urban Design and is Area Manager (Cities) at Sustrans Cymru. She is actively involved in DCFW’s Hatch network for fresh-thinking shapers of the built environment in Wales.
Planning and Design Process
Planning
In December 2012, an informal meeting was held with planning officers to discuss preliminary concepts and planning constraints. A pre-application submission was submitted to planning officers in May 2013. Following this process the design was amended, notably by reducing the roof height at either end of the building and by breaking the building into three connected ‘pavilions’.
Concept
The building sits between the town centre and the residential hinterland, each of which is laid out on an orthogonal grid; angled in relation to the other. These two different angles have been used to derive a distinctive facetted form for the proposed building. This form, combined with a series of alternating pitched roofs and angled balconies helps to reduce the perceived mass of the building and responds to the adjacent low-rise housing. This effect is further enhanced by separating the building into three separate ‘pavilions’ linked by glazed sitting areas.
Social interaction
Particular consideration has been given to the importance of social interaction. A communal garden room and terrace giving on to the shared communal garden are provided on the ground floor, whilst informal sitting areas on each of the upper floors animate the circulation space, provide views across the garden and provide opportunities for casual interaction.
Personalisation
Careful design of each flat entrance door provides residents with an opportunity to personalise their own entrance giving a more human and personal quality to the communal spaces. The communal areas on each floor have been designed with a different colour scheme to facilitate ease of wayfinding for residents.
Design features
Specific flexible layout features include oversized bathrooms that can be adapted to be fully wheelchair accessible and a second single bedroom with sliding partition to the living room that can be used as an occasional guest room, study or part of the living space. There is also generous circulation and an oversized store that can be adapted into a wheelchair storage space.
Key Sustainability Points
Fabric first
The architects took a fabric first approach to reduce reliance on ‘bolt on’ renewables, which included a super insulated building fabric and high levels of air tightness. The scheme achieved level 4 on Code for Sustainable Homes.
Materials
The timber cladding was sourced from sustainable sources.
Renewable technology
Photovoltaic panels were included at roof level and each dwelling has mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.
Photo credit: Kilian O’Sullivan
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Design Review in Wales 2012-2015
Design Review in Wales 2012-2015 is the fourth in a series of books charting the experience of the Design Commission for Wales’ national Design Review Service and tracking trends, barriers and opportunities for better design quality in the built environment.
Case studies, statistical and geographical data are captured within a narrative overview, providing a snapshot of the scope of the service and the range of development in Wales.
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Design Review in Wales 2007 – 2011
Through its own design review process, DCFW acts as a non-statutory consultee within the planning system, commenting on projects throughout Wales. DCFW’s comments can be treated as material considerations in the planning process by local planning authorities, other stakeholders and the National Assembly for Wales.
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Design Review in Wales 2005 – 2007
Through its own design review process, DCFW acts as a non-statutory consultee within the planning system, commenting on projects throughout Wales. DCFW’s comments can be treated as material considerations in the planning process by local planning authorities, other stakeholders and the National Assembly for Wales.
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The Walks, Flint (Dec 15)
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Design Review in Wales 2003 – 2005
Through its own design review process, DCFW acts as a non-statutory consultee within the planning system, commenting on projects throughout Wales. DCFW’s comments can be treated as material considerations in the planning process by local planning authorities, other stakeholders and the National Assembly for Wales.
A free seminar and networking event hosted by Architype at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, 6pm, Tuesday 1st December 2015
Architype invite you to join us for an evening of candid discussion and networking, which will uncover the experience of designing schools to the Passivhaus standard. Come along to explore how Passivhaus can deliver best value for money within the 21st Century Schools Programme. Can it be done? Does it cost more to build? Does it work? What are the actual savings in running costs?
Speakers will share their experience of delivering and monitoring Passivhaus in use, through a range of completed educational projects in both England and Wales.
Running Order
- 6.00pm – 6.45pm, Reception Drinks
- 6.45pm – 7.50pm, Seminar
- 7.50pm – 9.00pm, Networking and Refreshments
Invited Speakers
- Carole-Anne Davies / Design Commission for Wales – the need for a new approach
- Lee Fordham / Architype – the design and construction of Passivhaus schools
- Jerry Thomas / Smith Thomas Consult – the cost of delivering Passivhaus
- Chryssa Thoua / Coventry University- results from 2 years of monitoring Passivhaus schools in use
- Matthew Morgan / Dawnus Construction – Introduction to the Patrwm 21 Model
Chaired by Jonathan Hines, Managing Director of Architype
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE VIA EVENTBRITE
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Wylfa Anglesey (Nov 15)
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Landmarks Publication
Landmarks is the Design Commission for Wales’ autumn 2015 conference, events and exhibition which explore the relationship between the natural resources of the Welsh landscape and human intervention, with the aim of informing and inspiring a future for design in the rural landscape. This publication serves as a lasting reference to the themes and thoughts which have been uncovered through Landmarks.
Download Welsh or English language versions here or contact us to order hard copies of the English language version: connect@dcfw.dev
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Bryniau Golau, Y Bala (Aug 15)
Coming to Design Review soon? Download our easy reference one-page guide to the essentials of our design review service. Find out what to prepare and what to expect on the day.
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YMCA, Pontypridd (Aug 15)
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Ogmore Community Centre (July 15)
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21-22 Park Place, Cardiff (June 16)
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Holyhead Market Hall (Jun 15)
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Creative Spaces for Creative People
The RSCW has identified the importance of the Creative Industries and Creative Economy sector to the various processes of regeneration in Wales. The contribution of the sector to the regeneration process in Wales is growing. The use of buildings, old and new, provides opportunities for innovation and enterprise for growth of the creative industries sector.
This event will focus on the experience of three local initiatives that provide a place and space for creative practitioners to develop their business ideas, enhance opportunities, and flourish in a highly competitive market. The event follows on from the DCFW/RSA Cymru partner event ‘What is the value of Creativity?’, held on the 12th of May which examined creative learning opportunities and the risks posed to creativity in design practice.
The Regeneration Skills Collective Wales in partnership with DCFW, RSA Cymru and the RSAW invite you to join the conversation and help create the conditions for a creative economy.
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Wylfa Anglesey (June 15)
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Designing for Tall Buildings
The Design Commission for Wales believes that a well designed tall building in an appropriate location can make a positive contribution to the quality of a place. However, such buildings are too often the exception rather than the rule.
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Wylfa Anglesey (Dec 14)
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Pentyrch Bowls Club (Nov 14)
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Delight in the Everyday
The Design Commission for Wales is pleased to collaborate with Ruthin Craft Centre on an exhibition which recognises quality in the everyday in Wales – the homes, public places, schools, work places, parks, shops and community buildings which we enjoy, and which form the background to everyday life. ‘Delight in the Everyday’ celebrates the simple pleasures found in the unassuming buildings and places which eschew louder ambition and are entirely appropriate and delightful in their simplicity.
The Commission has selected several designers working in the built environment in Wales to contribute exhibits which explore the theme of Delight in the Everyday. From the simple planting of wildflowers to brighten up a dull roadside, to a study of the search for thermal comfort in a courtyard house, the designers consider some of the infinite variety of ways in which good design contributes to our enjoyment of day to day life.
Cities are engines of growth. More than half of the world’s population already lives in cities. The rise in prominence of cities in the global economy is unprecedented. Cities offer great opportunities yet they also consume the largest share of energy, contribute the largest CO2 emissions and have the greatest environmental impact.
When booking please indicate any dietary requirements in the message field.
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Central Square Cardiff (Aug 14)
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Bigger, better, faster, more?
Join us for the third seminar in our housing series, delving deeper into the opportunities for delivering new homes. Jon Sawyer of Igloo shares custom build lessons from Cornwall, followed by an update on innovative approaches to delivery from White Design and Architype.
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Shape My Town: Community-led planning
Come along and join the conversation on community-led planning, with Matthew Jones and Design Commission for Wales taking you through their new website, Shape My Town.
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Splott Community Hub (May 14)
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Churchlands (May14)
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Milford Dock Masterplan (April 14)
The Design Commission is pleased to collaborate with Ruthin Craft Centre on an exhibition which recognises quality in the everyday in Wales – the homes, public places, schools, work places, parks, shops and community buildings which we enjoy, and which form the background to everyday life. ‘Delight in the Everyday’ will celebrate the simple pleasures found in the unassuming buildings and places which eschew louder ambition and are entirely appropriate and delightful in their simplicity.
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Churchlands (Feb 14)
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Central Square Cardiff (Feb 14)
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Victoria Coombs
Originally from Chiswick, West London, Victoria Coombs studied Architecture at Cardiff University’s Welsh School. Having worked in London for a short time after University Victoria returned to Wales and has for the last five years worked at Loyn & Co Architects, Penarth, in the Vale of Glamorgan.
What or whom most inspires you?
People and Nature. Whether it be a designer or a strong individual who is passionate about what they believe in and who is striving to improve the world around them. Listening to someone talk about a subject that they are really passionate about is truly inspiring. I find nature completely awe inspiring, whether watching a gray whale protect its calf from an Orca attack, to watching egg collectors in the Arctic on Frozen Planet, I find it utterly breathtaking.
What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
The most beautiful thing I have ever seen was the Cenotes in Mexico. Underground pools with a sinkhole above your head giving you a view to the sky. The pool I swam in had an ancient tree growing out of it towards the hole and there were birds circling and chattering around the branches, occasionally dipping into the pool for a bath! It was the most peaceful place I have ever been.
What are you working on right now?
I am currently working on a project for eight mews houses on Conway Road in Pontcanna. Pontcanna is a charming area and we are aiming to add to the character of the place with the insertion of these houses and their main courtyard into a piece of leftover space. On a larger scale we are also working on a proposal for the first phase of residential development at Porth Teigr. Here we are trying to use simple moves and an everyday, human scale form of townhouses inspired by Amsterdam’s canal-side plots, along with traditional back to back terraces, to create a unique set of houses and a hierarchy of spaces where people will want to live, work and play.
Tell us about your favourite place, building or object and why you love it?
Architecturally my favourite buildings would have to be Alvaro Siza’s pool in Porto, and the Barragan House in Mexico City. My favourite place used to be down by the river at Chiswick Staithe, the housing development where I grew up. I also love the hustle and bustle of Trafalgar Square and eyeing up the latest addition to the fourth plinth. Closer to home it would be Llandaff and Pontcanna Fields. I think its parks are one of Cardiff’s best assets and whether the trees are glistening with rain or glorious sunshine I am always happy to while away a few hours here, generally walking my dog, Woody.
Which project do you wish you’d been involved with?
I would have loved to have been involved with the development for Pierre d’Avoine’s Slim House. My tutor introduced me to the project in my second year and I could not believe that it had not succeeded in revolutionising the traditional terrace design. It is such a simple concept and yet so strong, managing to embrace ideas of community self sufficiency and address the way we live now, introducing internal courtyards, natural light and new volumes into a normal terrace house. Similarly I am in love with the design of Jørn Utzon’s Courtyard Houses – I think they epitomise an ideal way of living. At a much larger scale I wish I could have been involved with the design of Hammersmith Broadway. Having walked through it twice a day everyday for most of my secondary school years I think it is such a key piece of infrastructure both in terms of a transport hub but also in terms of knitting together the now more disparate parts of Hammersmith that surrounds it. I think the master-planning stages of its design could have been really interesting.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I am not sure really. I have done a lot of things that I have enjoyed but they have all been relatively small in the scheme of things and not always had the outcome I hoped for! I lived on a narrowboat in King’s Cross for a couple of years – this was a great way of living with a lot fewer possessions and made me very aware of the resources I was using; filling up the water tank, keeping the woodburner topped up with coal and using tokens for the shower and washing machine on the mooring. When I moved the boat from its original mooring in Richmond, to Kings Cross, over the course of two days, I had the help of my mum and my friend Rosy. It felt like a pretty major achievement when we made it to Kings Cross with us and the boat still in one piece – considering none of us had any idea about navigating locks, canals or other boats before!
Who would be in your design dream team and for which client?
Rem Koolhaus, Jørn Utzon, and Alvaro Siza. Client: Cardiff Council. Brief: an urban masterplan to reconnect the centre of Cardiff with the Bay using the route along the River Taff and knitting in the surrounding communities.
What advice would you pass on to a young designer or to your younger self?
My advice to a young designer would be to trust your instinct – if an idea or solution does not feel quite right do not feel afraid to challenge yourself. Also to try and edit yourself (you do not have to get every idea you have ever had into every project!) the project will be richer for it, and to share ideas as much as possible. Talking through with someone or a group of people can enrich and develop and idea much more than one person on their own. Also the constraints that are seemingly imposed at the outset of a scheme can often be the things that end up making it even stronger as a finished piece of architecture.
If you’re a young designer – what do you need to know right now and who would you ask?
When will inviting designers to suggest ideas through an architectural competition to start public projects become the norm in the UK? This is standard practice in many European cities and as well as making architecture more accessible to the public it also makes for a much more diverse and design–conscious public realm. I guess the only people who could answer that would be the government and local developers or public organisations?
What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
Embarrassingly perhaps, Jilly Cooper novels! In another life maybe I could be playing Polo on an estancia in Argentina.
Which piece of music gets your mojo working?
Regina Spektor’s Begin to Hope album if I need to up my game but I could listen to Goldfrapp for hours whilst just slowly working away.
Tell us a secret…
Each time I go on holiday I am quite tempted never to come back! I always manage to convince myself that I am sure I would eventually get bored of drinking good red wine with some nice bread and tomatoes, sitting on a sunny terrace somewhere…
This scholarship has been established to promote architecture and design in Wales. The scholarship will be awarded to the most promising candidate to enable him/her to further his/her understanding of creative architecture. The scholarship is open to any person under 25 years at the
time of the Eisteddfod, who was born in Wales, or with one of their parents born in Wales, or who has lived or worked in Wales for the three years prior to 2 August 2014 or who is able to speak or write the Welsh language. The scholarship will be held for one year only and the successful candidate will receive £1,500 to further his/her career. Read More…
An exhibition of recent architecture is to be held at the National Eisteddfod of Wales,
Carmarthenshire 2014, supported by the Design Commission for Wales.
Exhibition entries are invited from architects, or group of architects, for buildings whose practical date of
completion was between 1 January 2011 and 14 March 2014. Read more >
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Hirwaun Power Project (Jan 14)
Are you an experienced professional, willing to contribute your skills and enthusiasm to making a difference to design quality for the future of the built environment in Wales? If so, we’d like to hear from you.
Full Description >
About the Design Commission for Wales>
Guide to the Design Review Service >
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Swansea Tidal Lagoon (Nov 13)
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Llanbedr Hall (Nov 13)
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Hotel, West Parade, Rhyl (Oct 13)
Design commissions and non-departmental public bodies, which exist in each of the four countries making up the UK, were formed to raise standards of architectural design and promote best practice. Here, Professor Keith Bright, Advocate in Practice for the Design Commission for Wales, explains more about the Welsh Advocates programme, while representatives from the Scottish and English design commissions give an update on their work.
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White House Hotel (Sep 13)
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Swansea Tidal Lagoon (Aug 13)
Planning and Design Process
Collaboration
The brief and design were evolved using ‘Planning for Real’ techniques (developed by the Neighbourhood Initiatives Foundation), involving the whole CAT staff body.
Brief
WISE will provide people the opportunity to gain vital skills in emerging environmental technologies through its Graduate School of the Environment and short courses. The brief was to provide the following accommodation; 200 seat lecture theatre, 3 workshops, 3 seminar rooms, bio-laboratory, common room/Foyer/Bar, offices for the WISE education staff, 24 double study bedrooms and service accommodation.
Landscape context
Although the site is an unpromising solar one (on the north side of a steep Welsh valley), it has great charm because it was undeveloped waste land for 50 years and has been colonised with diverse species of vegetation and wildlife. The scheme reflects this by creating inward and outward-looking external spaces and framing views of distant mountains. The slate-waste ground conditions allowed the building to be close to existing trees without fear of subsidence – a characteristic which has been exploited.
Sustainability Outcomes
Materials
WISE uses natural building materials and methods such as rammed earth in the dramatic curvilinear walls of the lecture theatre, hemp, lime and timber throughout the accommodation and main teaching areas. The sensitive architecture approach achieves a light, warm building.
Passive
The building design has an extremely well insulated and air-tight enclosure and uses high-performance glazing to enhance natural day-light and passive heat gain, meaning that energy requirements are minimal.
Natural treatment
Waste and water systems are designed using natural zero energy treatment.
Renewable technologies
The energy sources for space and water heating are either direct solar or bio-fuels. Electricity comes from CAT’s own renewable supply (hydro, wind, PVs and wood-chip CHP).
Related Links
Graduate School of the Environment
Planning and Design Process
Site constraints
The existing buildings – the Castle stables building and the 1970s block, housing the college – needed to be retained and kept open throughout the construction process, as the budget could not stretch to replacing existing functional space. The only available area for the new buildings was the narrow strip of land between the existing buildings and North Road.
Presence
The client and design team wished to create a new façade for the college giving it the civic presence it deserves and the client was concerned to achieve a clearly defined ‘front door’. The creation of a central foyer not only fulfilled this request but also delivered a publicly accessible space with a cafe and stunning views west through the mature trees of Bute Park.
Performance spaces
Having designed the performance spaces from the inside out, the architect considered the best way to locate them on the site. The key was to find a way to create a new front door to the college which also embraced the view into Bute Park. The concert hall is located at the north end of the site; its elliptical form nestles into the woodland and allows the path into the park to wrap around it. The Burton theatre is located opposite the concert hall, so the two key performance spaces frame the glazed, single-volume entrance foyer, which offers spectacular views to the park beyond.
Acoustic performance
The Dora Stoutzker Hall is an acoustically excellent 450-seat recital hall, designed to accommodate a range of performance configurations, including soloists, quartets, choir and chamber orchestra, as well as for full orchestra and amplified groups. The acoustic performance drove the design of the hall. It is a classic shoebox – long narrow and tall, with the audience arranged on two levels, with seating wrapping around the platform at the upper level. Internally the room is lined with timber acoustic panelling designed to create a warm diffuse sound to match its rich golden appearance.
Construction
The individual components of the building are united under a single blade like roof. Its distinctive floating appearance is achieved by separating it from the new building using a 1m tall, glazed ‘shadow gap’ and setting the support columns back from the building perimeter where they can’t be seen. As the college building curves considerably, placing the support columns back from the perimeter required cantilevering the roof all around the building edge by between 8-10m. The southern end of the roof is supported at its midpoint by a single tapering hollow steel column. Achieving this was far from straightforward as the shape of this section of the roof tends to make the wind both lift and twist it. Mott MacDonald prevented this by installing a diamond box truss to provide torsional rigidity, enabling the roof to retain its slender dimensions.
Sustainability Outcomes
Heating and cooling
The environmental strategy aims to capitalise on the building’s inherent thermal mass to naturally heat/cool the building according to the time of year. The performance spaces are the only air-conditioned rooms – the remainder are a mixture of natural and mixed mode ventilation. The halls are both acoustically and thermally massive allowing them to be used to temper the environment of the public spaces around them. At 13m tall, the foyer and Linbury Gallery utilise their height to create thermal stack effects which ventilate them naturally. The overhanging roof shades the glass, minimising the need for cooling whilst the external vertical brise soleils shade the rehearsal and set design spaces from the direct sunshine. The sleek design of the college extends to the topside of the roof, which has been kept plant-free through the ‘bottom-up’ building services strategy.
Quotes
“These new facilities have completely transformed the College. Offering world class facilities in such a stunning location will allow us to continue to attract leading international arts practitioners to work here, and to increase national and international recognition for Cardiff as a home of world class artistic training.”
Hilary Boulding, Principal, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
“….the project’s coup de grâce, the triple-height foyer that takes you from the bustle of the traffic-filled North Road to an immediate confrontation with the tranquil magnificence of splendid trees that fill the park. Beyond the full-height glazing, a terrace steps down to the water. This foyer is becoming one of the most popular civic spaces in Cardiff, a new agora where students, staff and the public meet and eat and talk, where extemporary and scheduled performances mingle. They all become players; all their world becomes a stage.”
Patrick Hannay, Architecture Today
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Maggie’s South West Wales
Planning and Design Process
Comfort
The Client’s brief asked for a nominal 300m² of accommodation that principally offered a warm invitation into a building that provides human comfort, information, instruction, retreat and enjoyment. The building should speak of the joy of living and functionally provide a central social kitchen and hearth; large and small activity spaces, relaxation and counselling rooms, as well as generous and comfortable toilet and services facilities, including an office base for staff. The building should clearly relate to its site and landscape and be fully accessible and sustainable.
Concept
The Architect Kisho Kurakawa configured the original concept design as a “cosmic whirlpool” to represent and encompass the universal nature and energy of life. The resultant dynamic spiralling form dictated the principles of organisation both for the building and the surrounding landscape, which the design team used to develop and realise, the final scheme.
Landscape
The entire internal layout of the building is a response to the surrounding landscape. Light plays a vital role in the creation and reflection of energy in the building, being admitted both through the walls and the roof in a unique manner.
Geometry
The dynamic geometrical form is precisely defined in plan through finely engineered precast concrete walls. They incorporate an array of traditionally proportioned small punched window openings which house simple timber opening lights supporting the low-energy, natural ventilation of the centre. They collectively provide a myriad of 360 degree framed glimpses into the beautiful surroundings in an apparently random pattern, placed at various heights in all of the spaces.
Daylight
In addition, a large elliptical ocular roof light provides the warm expansive end ever circling daylight to the central drum. Clerestory lights along the length of the wings’ spinal ridges generate equally dynamic lines of light that move across the day to either side. The calm, welcoming, warm and light central drum-like space, including the social kitchen area and fireplace, leads into more focussed areas of programmed accommodation in the wings.
Sustainability Outcomes
Comfort
The roof’s oculus and spinal clerestorys maximise available daylight and the building uses natural ventilation. The structure is highly insulated and has a high thermal mass façade. It does not have a large percentage of external glazing, therefore avoiding possible solar gain.
Reuse of materials
Demolition materials were re used, in particular the soils which were largely retained on site to avoid transportation emissions.
Biodiversity
The use of native plant materials on site increases biodiversity, in addition to the continuing contact that users are encouraged to have with the land through the use of community gardening.
Sustainable Drainage
Sustainable drainage systems were incorporated into the scheme, including rainwater harvesting which is used for irrigation.
Quotes
“As you walk through the doors you feel almost cuddled or hugged in the centre in this lovely round building. It’s so comforting. With the design of the new centre it means we can deliver our programme of cancer support to far more people. We have been limited in the interim centre by being only able to do one thing at a time but the very design of this centre – having the group room, the relaxation room and a separate drop-in area means we can do several different things at one time. We can deliver our service to far more people.”
Debbie Horrigan, Centre Head
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On International Women’s Day (8 March 2013), Carole-Anne Davies, chief executive of the Design Commission for Wales, takes a look at obstacles facing women carving out a top-end career in design.
There are three reactions to career-stalling experiences be they under the glass ceiling or at the glass cliff face. 1. get angry and risk being perceived as neurotic 2. suppress the anger and suffer ulcers and insomnia 3. get a mentor.
This was some of the advice for professional women from Baroness Susan Greenfield, speaking yesterday (7 March) at one of Cardiff’s Pierhead Sessions to mark International Women’s Day hosted by the Presiding Officer, Rosemary Butler AM. The latter she says, allows you to channel the frustration into perspective, laughter and perhaps a little wine. According to Baroness Greenfield, we all need someone ‘who believes in you more than you believe in yourself’.
Greenfield was talking about women in science; about career paths, opportunities and experiences for brilliant women in any field. She galloped through neuroscience challenging notions of genetic dispensation in the way only a woman who ranks among a handful of uber-specialists worldwide can. With ease, expertise and eyelash extensions she reminded us of the woeful under representation of women in science, despite the numbers of qualifying women entering the profession.
I recalled reams of similar statistics on women in executive and leadership roles; in boardrooms; in history and, closer to my heart, in design. Wherever you look, the evidence is the same. The surveys and statistics point to equal or greater numbers of women in many fields qualifying at postgraduate or doctoral levels, while their numbers dwindle when it comes to career progression.
American research shows that women earn 57% of bachelors degrees and nearly half of first professional degrees awarded in the US. (Catalyst 2011b) They make up almost half the labour force (47.2% US Bureau Labour Statistics). At management level women occupy 51.5% and represent about 25% of chief executive roles.
But a different story plays out in elite leadership roles such as Fortune 500 companies among which women are at just 3%, holding only 15.7% of the board seats and 14.4% of executive officer positions. (Catalyst, 2011a, 2011c) In the US Congress, women occupy only 90 of the 535 seats, with women of colour at just 24 (Centre for American Women and Politics). At February 2013, the world average of women’s representation on national legislatures or parliaments was 20.4%. The US ranks 77th of 190 countries, the UK 57th (International Parliamentary Union 2011). There’s no room here for Lord Davies’ report for Westminster Women on Boards or its 2012 progress report (http://www.bis.gov.uk//assets/biscore/business-law/docs/w/12-p135-women-on-boards-2012.pdf) and I daren’t even start on senior female military personnel.
This is the tip of the statistical iceberg and there are clouds full of research and evidence that women remain behind the curve in many careers. In a decade of the Design Commission’s work, with an all-female executive team, we’ve had precious few female designers present to us as the lead on major development schemes. We are fortunate among our team, board and expert panel to have several women who are leaders in the design field such as Lynne Sullivan OBE, and to have worked with several more including the likes of Irena Bauman of Bauman Lyons and Tina Saaby, Copenhagen’s city architect.
Yet it remains telling that despite the admirable work of the RIBA Architects for Change network, the Women in Architecture Awards, numerous campaigns and the work of two trail blazing female presidents of the Institute, not to mention last year’s RSAW mentoring initiative with the Welsh School of Architecture, women still leave architecture and design for many of the same reasons they leave science, the visual arts, politics and business – low or unequal pay, inflexible family unfriendly working hours, contractual insecurity, absence of returner programmes, greater job satisfaction elsewhere and work life balance.
Baroness Greenfield acknowledged work being done by private and public sectors in addressing opportunities for women and pointed to many success stories, yet still we play catch up. Chastening us all not to pull up the ladder for others, Greenfield also set out some very simple ways we can help redress the balance. Career structures can be more flexible, returner schemes, child and family friendly policies can be better designed. Teachers can be inspirational, the arts and humanities can be better integrated with science for greater intellectual richness and stimulus in curricula. All of these apply to steps that could be taken in design education and the professions.
Greenfield studied Greek philosophy and history before science, being more taken with explorations of why we go to war, fall in love, traverse continents or shape our individual and cultural identities, than by the reproductive cycle of the amoeba. She argues powerfully for such rich curricula integration in schools and the need to relate teaching science, maths, or design, to life experience, making them relevant to young students and demonstrating career potential.
Young designers, like young scientists, are easily deterred by the boring and irrelevant, by the sixth form design and technology project that mirrors all others in most schools, rather than those which test boundaries and stimulate creativity. If students encounter barriers to the relevance and possibilities of careers in design they are lost to the professions. The double whammy of failing to attract young talent with losing more mature talent to family breaks without returner opportunities, is the death knell for any profession. Young women must see themselves reflected to believe they too can become successful designers, scientists, politicians and professionals.
These pleas are not intended as detrimental to males or to overshadow wider matters of diversity. Greenfield is clear that despite widespread bias, gender is often trumped by the individual; by the astonishing capability, tenacity and ingenuity of the individual. And yet as she acknowledges such strengths in herself as a woman of mesmerising achievements, she comes back to perhaps the greatest barrier, that of confidence. She comes back to her lifelong mentors, Jane Mellanby and John Stein. These are the people who stem her anger, head off her insomnia and who believe in her more than she believes in herself. Perhaps more young designers would thrive with such anchors to call upon, and who might extend a ladder or two.
Carole-Anne Davies is Chief Executive of Design Commission for Wales, a Trustee of Amgueddfa Cymru and a mentor, most recently, with the Sport Wales Women in Leadership Programme.
By Wendy Richards, Development Director Design Commission for Wales
Educational performance, results and the way our young people behave seems to be a constant dialogue in the press as we seek the best for children and young people.
The strategic schools building programme emerging in Wales over the coming years will no doubt continue to make the news as necessarily difficult decisions are made about falling rolls, the state of the schools estate and the amalgamation of community facilities in local authorities across the country.
While money is tight there will be a move to prioritise and perhaps focus more on refurbishment and extension rather than expansive new build programmes.
At the Design Commission for Wales, we welcome investment in good quality buildings that support the education experience for pupils and which strengthen connections with surrounding communities and opportunities for extended use.
We aim to encourage a built environment which is inspirational and which is delivered in an open and inclusive manner, stimulating fresh thinking. The design process should be a catalyst for motivating the aspirations of the client and ultimately, those who will occupy and use the finished building.
In every success story, where well designed schools have assisted better performance and strengthened community links, a key characteristic is strong leadership and clarity of vision – from the top of the government through the local authority and the design team leadership is a key element in delivering a sound project, in a realistic timescale within a properly managed budget.
Over the last ten years or so there has been more than a step change in the technological communication tools that we use and the way which we socialise and communicate with each other.
The development of these tools is moving fast and in terms of our teaching environments, long corridors and rectilinear classrooms reflect an earlier age – how appropriate are they now with a focus on individual learning?
In 1969 and 1997 respectively, ‘The Observer’ (1969) and ‘The Guardian’ (1997) ran a national competition ‘The Schools That I’d Like’ inviting secondary school pupils to generate ideas for their schools. Children’s responses highlighted a desire for schools that moved away from ‘squareness’ (1969) and that were beautiful, comfortable and safe (1997).
Recent research *1 reveals that secondary students reflect on their school environment from a holistic point of view, rather than a ‘classroom-centric’ perspective. They are more aware of well designed social and circulation spaces, good quality toilet and dining facilities and an environment that makes them feel safe and secure.
Children clearly have views about the quality of their environment. While adults would like to tie those to educational attainment, the relationship between the quality and design of school buildings and children’s learning continues to be a complex one.
Delivering Special Educational Needs (SEN), with a focus on individual learning and coping with challenging behaviour, teaching communication skills and improving social relationships presents a design team with a more complex set of challenges.
New schools are not simply about delivering a standard product on time on budget. In Wales, do we really want schools that are just good enough or do we want those that are as good as they can be? The schools estate in Wales must be inspirational and must deliver well designed buildings and public spaces, responding to our distinct curriculum, serving the needs of the school and the local community. These schools need to be memorable and distinctive, well used and cherished by the people who use them and the communities in which they sit.
*1 (Edgerton, McKechnie & McEwen 2011)
The Design Commission for Wales hosted an invite-only seminar on 27 February to an audience of 40 guests including local authority professionals who are delivering the 21st Century Schools Programme. Key note speakers were representatives from Hampshire County Council and Haverstock Associates Architects who shared their experiences of delivering SEN schools.
Cindy Harris said: “The Commission welcomes all developments of good quality that can help drive economic growth, and we recognise the potential for a development on this site. However, while we welcome the ambition of the project, there are several fundamental issues with the current proposals which we feel must be addressed. These are set out in our full Design Review report which is publicly available and can be found on our website (http://cdn.dcfw.org.uk/design-rev-rep-Cardiff-ISV-Waterfront.pdf).
“The review was attended by two members of the architectural team and the relevant Local Planning Authority officer and the observations made during the review meeting and subsequent report are intended to assist the developers and architects behind the scheme to maximise its full potential and have a positive impact on the economy and public realm.
“We recognise the constraints that architects must work within, and we highlight issues outside of the scheme’s architecture, which are significant issues in their own right, such as the scheme’s energy and sustainability strategy, access and transport, the varying levels proposed and its relationship with the neighbouring Cardiff International Pool.
“If the developers wish to press ahead with their application without addressing these, then in our view the success of the scheme – its commercial viability, quality and value – is compromised.
“We would obviously welcome any further consultation on the project should the developers wish to make revisions to the proposals, otherwise we will follow with interest how Cardiff Council’s planning committee take the scheme forward.”
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Milford Dock Masterplan (Oct 12)
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Northern Gateway, Deeside (Oct 12)
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Bryn Refail, Pwllheli
The architectural practice that designed the Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School near Bridgend will be awarded the Gold Medal for Architecture, supported by the Design Commission for Wales, at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Cardiff-based HLM Architects will receive the medal at the National Eisteddfod 2012 in the Vale of Glamorgan on 4 August. The selectors praised the scheme for being “a clear statement of how good design can help build a fantastic school community.”
The Design Commission for Wales, supports the Gold Medal for Architecture in partnership with Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru, along with the Plaque of Merit and the Architecture Scholarship, which are awarded in association with the Royal Society of Architects in Wales.
The Commission, which champions good architecture, urban and landscape design, backs the Medal because it is unique to Wales and draws attention to the importance of architecture in the nation’s culture, honouring architects achieving the highest design standards.
The Gold Medal is awarded to architects responsible for buildings completed between 2009 and 2012 and recommended to the Eisteddfod as being of greatest merit.
HLM Architects beat off competition from almost 30 entries from 22 practices across the UK to be awarded the coveted title.
One of the judges, architect Rhian Thomas, Design Associate at the Design Research Unit of the Welsh School of Architecture, said of the scheme: “From the moment you are drawn into the grand entrance of the school, it is clear that social interaction and human integration have been carefully crafted to create a sense of togetherness in the school.
“The architecture offers opportunities for the students to express themselves, to be mindful of others and to learn in new and interesting ways.
“Quieter spaces are nestled around the central stairway, utilising space in a clever yet simplistic way. The remaining teaching areas break the mould of the archetypical corridor, creating learning clusters. Each classroom faces a shared zone, which allows children from different classes to learn and interact simultaneously.
“Finally, there are areas of contemplation allowing the students to slow down and reflect, something that’s far too often neglected in today’s continually fast moving society.”
In addition to the Gold Medal for Architecture, the Plaque of Merit will be awarded to Chepstow architects, Hall + Bednarczyk, for a home they designed in the Monmouthshire countryside. The Plaque of Merit is awarded to smaller projects achieving high design quality.
Fellow judge, Dan Benham of Loyn & Co and vice-president of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales, said: “Hall + Bednarczyk have created a home that stands proud as a statement of contemporary design, amongst a series of plain, pastiche dwellings that ignore the beautiful landscape in which they are set.
“This private residence has an exceptional vantage point offering 270 degree panoramic views over the Wye Valley and the Severn Estuary.
“The layout is simple and rational, while the gently curved stone walls wrap around the building echoing the surrounding agricultural landscape. The project is a marvellous example of home design, creating a spatial volume that is so often lost in the design of private houses.”
As part of the Eisteddfod celebrations, an Architecture Scholarship of £1,500 is being awarded to promising younger designers to enable them to further their understanding of creative architecture. Supported by the Design Commission for Wales, this year’s scholarship is being awarded jointly to Katherine Jones, 22 of Penarth, and Owain Williams, 23 of Treharris.
The selectors for the scholarship included artists Christine Bird-Jones and Dan Benham. Dan Benham said: “Katherine’s understanding of the site from sky to underground was fascinating. She demonstrated a deep and incisive understanding of those who will engage with the building. Meanwhile, Owain’s expression of architecture ideas was incredible, with the beauty and clarity in every image presented a true testament to his architectural skill.”
Alan Francis, chair of the Design Commission for Wales, said: “The Gold Medal for Architecture is the only architecture award supported by the Commission, recognising as it does the importance of architecture in our culture and heritage, as well as to our future and linking it intrinsically to Wales’ most important cultural festival – the National Eisteddfod.
“The standard and number of entries this year was extremely high and HLM Architects were worthy winners for creating a centre of learning, which has people at the heart of its design. Special mention should also go to Hall + Bednarczyk for creating something of true design merit amidst planning complications and the necessary ecological restrictions, to which they responded admirably.
“We are naturally delighted to be nurturing future talent with the scholarship, open to architects aged 25 and under, which was jointly awarded to Katherine Jones and Owain Williams. It’s extremely refreshing to see that the next generation of architects are concerned with the role architecture plays in the lives of users and this is something we want to continue to encourage.”
The Design Commission for Wales, supporters of the Eisteddfod Gold Medal, Plaque of Merit and Architecture Scholarship, will host a reception on 6 August in partnership with the Royal Society of Architects in Wales, to recognise the quality of design in Wales and to celebrate the winners of the 2012 Gold Medal, Plaque of Merit and Scholarship. This will be attended by John Griffiths AM, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development.
The reception will take place in a specially commissioned Pavilion, the result of a Royal Society of Architecture Wales (RSAW) and Design Circle design competition, situated on Y Maes at the Eisteddfod in close proximity to Y Lle Celf. The National Eisteddfod Architecture Pavilion was designed by Cardiff-based practice, CoombsJones: Architects + Makers.
This year, for the first time the Design Commission, has invited Rhian Thomas to curate a small exhibition of work celebrating this year’s entries and winners, which will be housed in Y Lle Celf on Y Maes.
In supporting an exhibition drawn together by a guest curator the Commission aims to increase the profile of architecture at the Eisteddfod and help to communicate its richness and quality to the wider public.
The first ever Architecture Pavilion at the National Eisteddfod will be unveiled at this year’s event (from 4 – 11 August), in LLandow, Vale of Glamorgan.
The Pavilion was designed by Cardiff-based practice, Coombs Jones: Architects + Makers, following a design competition run by Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW) and Design Circle.
The winning design, called ‘A Welsh Landscape’, drew its inspiration from key elements of the Welsh landscape, which were then developed in architectural form. It was built by Eco-Build Wales, who were supported by a range of local construction firms, individual supporters and other partners.
The Pavilion will be showcased at the National Eisteddfod in close proximity to Y Lle Celf, the visual arts centre on Y Maes this year. During the Eisteddfod it is hoped that thousands of visitors will visit the pavilion to enjoy the design and speak with architects about their work. The RSAW then plan to tour the project throughout Wales to help raise wider engagement with good quality design.
Steve Coombs, partner of CoombsJones Architects + Makers, said: “The pavilion aims to create an abstraction of a Welsh landscape and evoke the feelings of being in the wild areas of the Welsh countryside.
“Going beyond the boundaries of a simple pavilion, the proposal creates a wider territory for the visitor to experience. The experience of this landscape will be unlike anything elsewhere in the Eisteddfod Festival.
“This temporary and transitory festival, alternating between north and south Wales, brings together the essence of Welsh culture in an environment that says little about the Welsh landscape or the experience of living in the country. Instead, our pavilion is composed as a series of moments representing aspects of the Welsh landscape: hill, valley, forest, cave, and the man-made intervention within this environment.”
RSAW president, Andrew Sutton, said: “We spend the majority of our lives surrounded by the designed environment and it influences us like the weather. Our first architecture pavilion at this year’s Eisteddfod is both a reminder and an inspiration that good architecture can improve our world and enhance our lives.
“The judges were delighted with the design approach of Coombs Jones: Architects + Makers, considering it a gem which carries through the poetry of the design to the construction detail. Its timber construction surrounded by a grid of trees, is a beautiful interpretation of countryside around us. It will truly become part of the Welsh landscape.”
Robyn Tomos, National Eisteddfod for Wales, said: “The Architecture Pavilion will serve to further the festival’s aim of drawing the public’s attention to the importance of architecture in our nation’s culture.
“We are delighted all partners have come together to help extend greater public awareness about good quality design.”
The Design Commission for Wales, supporters of the Gold Medal, Plaque of Merit and Architecture Scholarship, will host a reception on 6 August in partnership with the Royal Society of Architects in Wales, to recognise the quality of design in Wales and to celebrate the winners of the 2012 Gold Medal, Plaque of Merit and Scholarship. This will be attended by John Griffiths AM, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development.
A Chepstow-based architectural practice, which was responsible for designing a private dwelling in Monmouthshire, will be awarded the Plaque of Merit, supported by the Design Commission for Wales, at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Hall + Bednarczyk will be given the award in a special ceremony on 4 August in recognition of design excellence and achievement.
The Design Commission for Wales supports the Plaque of Merit along with the coveted Gold Medal for Architecture and the Architecture Scholarship, which are awarded in association with the Royal Society of Architects in Wales.
The Commission, which champions good architecture, urban and landscape design, backs the Gold Medal for Architecture and the Plaque of Merit because they are unique to Wales and draw attention to the importance of architecture in the nation’s culture, honouring architects achieving the highest design standards.
The Plaque of Merit is awarded to new or refurbishment projects achieving high design quality in Wales, which were completed between 2009 and 2012 and which did not exceed £750,000.
Selector, Dan Benham of Loyn & Co and vice-president of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales, said: “Hall + Bednarczyk have created a home that stands proud as a statement of contemporary design, amongst a series of plain, pastiche dwellings that ignore the beautiful landscape in which they are set.
“This private residence has an exceptional vantage point, offering 270 degree panoramic views over the Wye Valley and the Severn Estuary.
“The layout is simple and rational, while the gently curved stone walls wrap around the building echoing the surrounding agricultural landscape. The project is a marvellous example of home design, creating a spatial volume that is so often lost in the design of private houses.”
Meanwhile, Cardiff-based HLM Architects will be awarded the Gold Medal for Architecture for its design of Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School near Bridgend, which judges praised as being “a clear statement of how good design can help build a fantastic school community.”
The Gold Medal for Architecture draws attention to the importance of architecture in the nation’s culture and honours architects achieving the highest design standards. It is awarded to architects responsible for buildings completed between 2009 and 2012 and recommended to the Eisteddfod as being of greatest merit.
HLM Architects beat off competition from almost 30 entries from 22 practices across the UK to be awarded the coveted title.
Fellow selector, architect Rhian Thomas, Design Associate at the Design Research Unit of the Welsh School of Architecture, said of the scheme: “From the moment you are drawn into the grand entrance of the school, it is clear that social interaction and human integration has been carefully crafted to create a sense of togetherness in the school.
“The architecture offers opportunities for the students to express themselves, to be mindful of others and to learn in new and interesting ways.
“Quieter spaces are nestled around the central stairway, utilising space in a clever yet simplistic way. The remaining teaching areas break the mould of the archetypical corridor, creating learning clusters. Each classroom faces a shared zone, which allows children from different classes to learn and interact simultaneously.
“Finally, there are areas of contemplation allowing the students to slow down and reflect, something that’s far too often neglected in today’s continually fast moving society.”
As part of the Eisteddfod celebrations, an Architecture Scholarship of £1,500 is being awarded to promising younger designers to enable them to further their understanding of creative architecture. Supported by the Design Commission for Wales, this year’s scholarship is being awarded jointly to Katherine Jones, 22 of Penarth, and Owain Williams, 23 of Treharris.
The selectors for the scholarship included artist Christine Bird-Jones along with Dan Benham. Dan Benham said: “Katherine’s understanding of the site from sky to underground was fascinating. She demonstrated a deep and incisive understanding of those who will engage with the building. Meanwhile, Owain’s expression of architecture ideas was incredible, with the beauty and clarity in every image presented a true testament to his architectural skill.”
Alan Francis, chair of the Design Commission for Wales, said: “The Gold Medal for Architecture is the only architecture award supported by the Commission, recognising as it does the importance of architecture in our culture and heritage, as well as to our future and linking it intrinsically to Wales’ most important cultural festival – the National Eisteddfod.
“The standard and number of entries this year was extremely high and HLM Architects were worthy winners for creating a centre of learning, which has people at the heart of its design. Special mention should also go to Hall + Bednarczyk for creating something of true design merit amidst planning complications and the necessary ecological restrictions, to which they responded admirably.
“We are naturally delighted to be nurturing future talent with the scholarship, open to architects aged 25 and under, which was jointly awarded to Katherine Jones and Owain Williams. It’s extremely refreshing to see that the next generation of architects are concerned with the role architecture plays in the lives of users and this is something we want to continue to encourage.”
The Design Commission for Wales, supporters of the Gold Medal, Plaque of Merit and Architecture Scholarship, will host a reception on 6 August in partnership with the Royal Society of Architects in Wales, to recognise the quality of design in Wales and to celebrate the winners of the 2012 Gold Medal, Plaque of Merit and Scholarship. This will be attended by John Griffiths AM, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development.
The reception will take place in a specially commissioned Pavilion, the result of a Royal Society of Architecture Wales (RSAW) and Design Circle design competition, situated on Y Maes at the Eisteddfod in close proximity to Y Lle Celf. The National Eisteddfod Architecture Pavilion was designed by Cardiff-based practice, CoombsJones: Architects + Makers.
This year, for the first time the Design Commission, has invited Rhian Thomas to curate a small exhibition of work celebrating this year’s entries and winners, which will be housed in Y Lle Celf on Y Maes.
In supporting an exhibition drawn together by a guest curator, the Commission aims to increase the profile of architecture at the Eisteddfod and help to communicate its richness and quality to the wider public.
This document is intended as an aid to understanding the expectations of the Design Commission for Wales in relation to the use of Design Codes with Local Development Orders (LDOs) in Wales.
It will inform Local Planning Authorities (LPAs), developers and other stakeholders regarding the role of the Design Commission for Wales and the proper consideration of good design quality, for development facilitated through LDOs and with the use of Design Codes.
This brief guide aims to help you identify what should be considered in developing an LDP in order to achieve good quality places.
It is not prescriptive, rather it outlines general principles for LDPs, which should facilitate the creation and protection of sustainable neighbourhoods and valued landscapes.
Carole-Anne Davies said: “We recognise the potential for a good quality development in the area, and we’d welcome a scheme that responds to national and local policy and which realises the full regeneration and tourism promise of the site to enhance the local economy.
“This scheme came to us back in February and as far as we are aware it is moving through the due process with the local planning authority, who we also understand are in correspondence with the developer about how they will meet Carmarthenshire’s requirements, both in relation to existing consents and the new aspects of the project being developed.
“When the scheme was presented to us, the proposals for a new hotel and dwellings near Pantglas Hall did not respond to the potential of the site and existing landscape and did not demonstrate a serious approach to sustainable practice, other than the minimum statutory requirements.
“Planning policy in Wales requires that developments should respond positively to their context, in this case an outstanding rolling parkland landscape, providing huge natural capital and local distinctiveness.
“Given the landscape setting, there is an opportunity here to realise its benefits, so it is vital that the development preserves and enhances the setting of the listed tower, through genuinely distinctive and innovative design.
“We made several comments in our report that should assist the developers to maximise the full potential to help regenerate the area and have a positive impact on the economy and public realm.
“The Commission would welcome further consultation on the project regarding any revisions that may be made to the existing proposals and have offered further consultation to both developer and the Local Planning Authority.”
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Cardiff Pointe (March 12)
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Central Square Cardiff (Feb 12)
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Pantglas Hall, Llanfynydd (Feb 12)
Venice Takeaway: Ideas to Change British Architecture
The British Council today announced that the British Pavilion at the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale will be the culmination of an ambitious global research project designed to make an original and far-reaching contribution to the debate about architecture in the UK.
The project will be officially launched at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama on Wednesday 18 January in partnership with the Design Commission for Wales.
The Pavilion will provide an injection of new ideas based on the collective research of architects, students, writers, critics and academics. The research will focus on what – and who – makes great architecture; considering issues such as construction, housing, planning, culture, education, procurement, architectural competitions and the role of the client.
On 10 January 2012 an open call for participation and proposals will be launched; and a series of discussions about the brief will be held across the UK aimed at involving a wide- range of contributors. In March the best proposals will be selected and around ten individuals or teams will travel to unearth case studies in locations around the world.
Each ‘Explorer’ will conduct interviews and uncover how, and why something works. Explorers will be tasked with bringing back material including film, photography, writing and drawing. The exhibition will tell their stories and make a series of proposals for changing British architecture.
Venice Takeaway will build on the UK’s history of looking to the rest of the world for inspiration and ideas. Trade voyages shaped the modern world; not only filling museums, botanical gardens and markets but also changing the way we think and introducing ideas that have become part of our culture. Today the flow of ideas is made possible by the travels of architects and by overseas students who come to the UK to study, and often stay to establish their own design studios or to work for British practices.
By discovering the best ideas from around the world it is hoped that the British Pavilion will make an original contribution to the debate about architecture in the UK and influence the future direction of policy and practice at a moment of flux.
Venice Takeaway is curated by Vicky Richardson, Director of Architecture, Design, Fashion at the British Council and Vanessa Norwood, Head of Exhibitions at the Architectural Association.
Vicky Richardson says: ‘We have many good designers in the UK, but the systems and structures surrounding architecture need change. Everyone who has travelled will recognise the feeling of envy when you see a good idea. The British Pavilion aims to gather the best of these and bring them back to the UK.’
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Carole-Anne Davies, Chief Executive of the Design Commission for Wales who will chair the launch, says: “This is an extremely exciting project to be a part of as it marks an opportunity to gather best practice and fresh, creative ideas from around the world and share them in ways that have the potential to positively influence the way we think about architecture in this country. We urge anyone who wishes to play a key role in the future of architecture in Wales, and the UK as a whole, to put forward their research proposals and we look forward to sharing more details of the project at the January launch event for Wales.”
For enquiries from UK national & international media, contact: Alex Bratt
+44 (0) 207 389 4872
alex.bratt@britishcouncil.org
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Queens Arcade, Cardiff (Nov 11)
A class of 24 pupils in California, USA are making the most of an educational resource developed more than 5,000 miles away – in Wales!
The My Square Mile project was developed as a classroom tool for primary schools in Wales by the Design Commission for Wales, as a way to help children to explore their local area, taking a design-led look at their buildings, places and spaces.
However, such is its appeal that it has been adopted by a school in California, who have embraced the My Square Mile project and are now rolling it out with their pupils.
Primary school teacher, Mary Jimenez, (48), who teaches at Paloma Elementary School in Temecula, California, discovered the My Square Project when it was shown to her by her friend, artist Reshma Solbach.
She immediately emailed the Design Commission for Wales asking to be allowed to use the material. They sent her several copies of the book and CD resource and they’ve kept in touch, sharing updates on the project as Mary uses it with her school pupils, and writes about their progress on her blog.
Mary Jimenez said: “When I saw the My Square Mile project I just fell in love with the concept and simply knew I had to use it with my Second and Third Grade pupils, who are all aged 7-9 years old. I planned how I was going to approach it throughout the summer holidays and got going as soon as term started.
“I wrote to the Design Commission for Wales asking them to send me the toolkit and CD, and they kindly provided several copies. It was amazing showing this to my pupils and seeing them “oooh” and “aaah” over the Welsh buildings shown on the disc. They simply loved being transported to a beautiful place far away.
“The next step for us is to do a walking field trip around the perimeter of Paloma’s neighbourhood, stopping along the way to sketch as we go. I’m really excited by it – the tool kit has really helped to rejuvenate my year!”
My Square Mile was first piloted with 33 primary schools in Swansea in 2005. Since then, it has been rolled out to all areas of Wales, involving designer and artist placements in schools along with visits from local architects. It encourages pupils to explore the immediate area or ‘square mile’ around their schools, taking a look at the buildings, spaces, landscapes that make them up and exploring their responses to them within a design framework.
Carole-Anne Davies, chief executive of the Design Commission for Wales, said: “The local environment is a valuable education resource and, what’s more, it’s free, constantly available and easily accessible! It offers infinite possibilities for study covering numerous subjects across the curriculum including art, design and technology, ICT, geography, history, number and language.
“The My Square Mile project was developed to help young pupils to connect with their local environment, helping them to understand how it is shaped and managed, and assisting them to develop a sense of place. We know that the My Square Mile learning experience also helps children with the development of critical skills, confidence in presenting and talking about their work and it really helps them grasp complex ideas around what shapes our local environment.
“It has been hugely popular in Wales and we’ve had to produce more than we ever planned to make available. I am absolutely delighted that it has not only crossed borders but continents, and that it’s been so warmly embraced by our friends in the States is just great.
“The images of Welsh houses, streets and townscapes will be very different from those in Temecula, but the principles behind the project are the same. Moreover, it’s great to hear about the reaction of the Californian pupils on being shown an environment that contrasts with their own.”
The Design Commission for Wales is an independent body that champions high standards of design and architecture in the public and private sector in Wales. For more information, or to download a copy of My Square Mile, please visit the education page of dcfw.dev.
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Friars Walk, Newport (Oct 11)
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St David’s Hotel, Harlech (Sept 11)
The Triangle is a new low-energy, housing development in Swindon commissioned by Haboakus – a joint venture between Kevin McCloud’s HAB development company and housing group GreenSquare. GreenSquare Group is a housing, regeneration, and social investment agency working throughout Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire and surrounding areas
Kevin McCloud’s development company Haboakus, alongside housing group Green Square, have delivered a small project the principles of which should be pre-requisite in everyday practice. The Triangle, near Northern Road, Swindon includes 16 two-bed houses, 13 three-bed houses, 7 four-bed houses, 4 one-bed apartments, and 2 two-bed apartments. There are homes for Intermediate Rent and Rent to Homebuy and homes for affordable rent to local people registered with Swindon Borough Council. The Triangle feels like a place, as if it was always there.
Working with Glenn Howells Architects and landscape architects Studio Engleback, the project is driven by key principles; a sense of community, a belief in the importance of public space, a commitment to sustainable lifestyles and outstanding contextual design. At The Triangle neighbours are separated in their front gardens only by espalier fruit trees and some characterful gabion walls. The communal ground onto which all the houses face, is a delightful place to spend time with neighbours and friends and the allotments will hopefully soon be bursting with grow your own enthusiasm.
Introduction
The Triangle is a new low-energy, housing development in Swindon commissioned by Haboakus – a joint venture between Kevin McCloud’s HAB development company and housing group GreenSquare. GreenSquare Group is a housing, regeneration, and social investment agency working throughout Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire and surrounding areas
The project is part of a wider strategy to introduce One Planet Living principles, developed by the World Wildlife Fund and BioRegional, to Swindon. The Homes and Communities Agency has contributed funding.
A contemporary interpretation of Swindon’s mid-Victorian railway cottages, there are 42 homes on the site, which are flexible, affordable and have been efficient to build and manage, using sustainable materials and set in a high quality landscape.
Design Process
Client brief
The Triangle is an evolution of the English terraced house which creates excellent, ordinary housing on an ordinary budget. The aim was to make the ordinary extraordinary through close attention to the smallest elements while at the same time making a place that is inherently local to Swindon.
The housing provides 42 dwellings for a diverse community, ranging from one and two bed apartments to two, three and four bed houses for growing families.
The client’s manifesto to establish a new housing development using sustainable materials and processes to create well-crafted landscapes and buildings has been realised through a collaborative and innovative approach from the whole design and client team. The scheme, stitched around its central village green, is intended to foster community and bring residents together, giving The Triangle a strong sense of place and acting as a focus for interaction and play.
The concept design, based on the client’s brief for the master plan and resultant detailed design was heavily influenced by the surrounding vernacular and based on Swindon’s architectural history incorporating mid-Victorian terraced housing and inter-war semi-detached properties. The design team took historical precedent and brought it into the 21st century by creating a development of appropriately scaled buildings, sympathetic to the local context.
Planning and social constraints
Glenn Howells Architects made a strong contribution to the consultation process, both in planning and delivery. A schedule of design workshops and formal presentations helped to develop the design, while also gaining the confidence of local residents by engaging them through sketches and models which explained the scale and style of the scheme, whilst also understanding their concerns about boundary conditions and proximity to existing dwellings. During the construction phase, local residents were kept up to date and informed of progress through one-on-one visits and flyers were also distributed on a regular basis.
Immediately surrounded by two-storey interwar houses in brick and render, the lack of security from the vacant site to rear gardens presented an ongoing issue for the existing community as did the regular flooding on the clay-filled ground. The approach has therefore been to provide an extension to this community that addresses the site issues with a natural landscape setting and safe environment for the residents.
Materials and methods of construction
Like the Victorian railway terraces, the simple, long building forms were given vertical expression through the detailing of the entrances, cowls and windows, while traditional building materials such as timber, lead and hemp were used in a contemporary and sustainable way.
Throughout the procurement and construction phases of The Triangle, all materials were specified with consideration to the embodied energy, recyclable content and maintenance requirements while offering high performance levels.
The external walls are constructed from Hemcrete cast in situ on a timber frame. Hemcrete is a natural fibrous product, which is carbon negative and made from the woody stem of English grown hemp mixed with a lime binder. The Hemcrete acts as an insulator and provides thermal inertia helping to reduce temperature peaks, offering very good air tightness and thermal performance.
Summary of timetable, programme and budget constraints
Working within a restricted budget, it was important to prioritise important elements, which would improve the overall quality of the scheme and be appreciated by residents, such as better quality kitchen design, materials and lighting, which also provided greater value for money. The programme – originally 12 months – was delayed during construction phase, due to inclement weather, however the scheme was delivered within 14 months.
Planning received – May 2010
Start on site – July 2010
Completion – September 2011
Sustainability Credentials
The Triangle is one of the most resource efficient new housing developments in England, striving to provide a high quality of life for its residents in an affordable and practical way. In meeting Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) Level 4, high standards of construction procedures for minimisation and recycling of waste have been used, including:
• Using materials for internal and external uses from certified sustainable sources
• Fitting out the dwellings with energy efficient and water saving appliances
• Providing for in-home and site-wide waste and recycling management
The building envelope is far above the requirements for U-value performance and every unit meets all of the Lifetime Homes standards such as cycle storage and provision of a home office.
In order to increase our CSH Level 4 to level 5 or 6, higher standards of water management and renewable energy sourcing can be integrated. Provision for retrofitting Photovoltaics on the pitched roofs have been considered and grey water recycling to enhance the rainwater harvesting strategy can be added.
Overall, the site is expected to achieve savings of 70 tons of carbon per year compared to the 2006 Part L Building Regulation standard. Compared to a brick and block wall, the timber frame and Hemcrete is expected to have saved and sequestered the first four years of carbon emissions.
The homes are super-insulated using 350mm of Hemcrete in the walls, which means heat loss is minimised. The proportion of glazing to each façade has been adjusted to give the greatest solar gain in winter without overheating in summer. All habitable rooms maximise use of natural daylight to improve the quality of the spaces and reduce the need for artificial lighting.
The layout of the houses were planned to provide an ‘air lock’ hallway and the stairs have been arranged to provide unimpeded connections with the living space to the rest of the house. In winter, this allows the warmth generated on the ground floor to rise through the house and in summer it allows the stack ventilation to function, drawing warm air to escape through the ventilation cowl, a signature element of the active energy systems in homes.
From the outset, the design team and client strived to minimise whole life costs through three design principles:
• High performance envelopes to mitigate heating and cooling loads that compromise most of the running costs.
• Minimising mechanical systems by seeking passive systems to control the internal environments, therefore reducing energy and maintenance costs over the life of the houses.
• Durability of internal finishes exploring the use of long life materials that do not require frequent decoration or expensive cleaning.
With good accessibility to the town centre using the regular bus services and cycle paths, The Triangle challenged the norm in two parking spaces per dwelling to a lower ratio of 1.5 spaces including visitor parking.
The total of 63 car spaces is strategically underpinned by a range of measures designed to the need for car ownership, including provision for a community car club, the first in Swindon and IT facilities within the homes to access real time information on buses as well as to encourage working from home.
With a committed design team from the outset, the project has benefited from a holistic approach. This has led to an integrated solution for the environmental, structural and design proposals, creating a scheme that intelligently incorporates advanced passive strategies in comfortable well-proportioned spaces.
BREEAM rating/ Code for Sustainable Homes level
Code for Sustainable Homes – Code Level 4
Schedule of accommodation (showing range of choice): 1 Bed Apt x 4, 2 Bed Apt x 2, 2 Bed House x 16, 3 Bed House x 13, 4 Bed House x 7
Size of home which is principal offer (m2): 2 Bed House (38%) / 75 m2, 3 Bed House (30%) 85 m2
Tenure mix: Rented 50%, Intermediate 26 %, R2HB 24%
The development lies to the north and east of the old town of Portishead. It abuts the Severn Estuary at the extreme northern edge and is in close proximity to the existing town and Portbury docks.
This development is a good example of the design quality that can be achieved when a co-ordinated project teams from both the developer and local authority work together to masterplan and build out a project on a challenging site. The development consortium focussed on delivering a masterplan creating a sense of place early, providing added value to the site through the use of good quality design professionals.
Introduction
Port Marine is located above the Severn Estuary in North Somerset and combines waterside living with a marina atmosphere. It is the conversion of a disused contaminated power station site into a mixed-use, mixed-tenure residential development. It comprises of 3420 homes, 69,680m2 of employment and 60,390m2 of retail space, community facilities, green space and water side amenities as well as a 100 acre wildlife reserve. A hierarchy of streets, with public, private and semi-private space, extensive hard paved areas and planting, public art works and varying building types have helped create a unique ‘location’ in an otherwise low value site. The site spans approximately 500 acres in total. The developers have recognised the necessity of creating a “sense of place” through strong design concepts from the earliest stage of development in order to raise confidence in the project and long term value for both the developers and the people who live there.
Design Process
A collaborative approach with the project team and the local planning authority has been taken through the development of Port Marine. Consultants were appointed by North Somerset Council, Portishead Town Council, Bristol City Council and Crest Nicholson to prepare the first detailed Masterplan and design statement which was submitted to North Somerset Council and approved in 2002. Minor amendments were then made to the Masterplan, which was re-submitted and approved in 2005. The developer and local planning authority held regular workshop sessions to form part of the development process for the various updated and revised Masterplans for the different areas and planning applications. There has been a core local planning authority team made up of a project manager, urban designer, highways and development control officer, together with a public arts steering group.
The development has been designed to create a series of terraces, crescents, individual houses and apartment blocks set around communal and more private open spaces which are carefully detailed and landscaped with clearly marked pedestrian zones.
Different architects were responsible for different neighbourhoods which vary in style to include regency, arts and crafts, a Flemish streetscape across the hill and a fishing village vernacular. Key features of the project include developer house types used with small modifications to make the scheme tenure blind, public art was included within the design and all homes have been built to at least EcoHomes standard ‘Good’. The buildings are well detailed and there typology researched and much care has gone into their execution. There is a large amount of public open space, which includes the existing wildlife reserve. When the development is fully completed it will incorporate community facilities such as a library, health centre and a new primary school. A transport interchange will add to existing networks.
Sustainability Credentials
From the outset, the development has been designed to exploit the sites’ potential for sustainable living. The site was assembled from previously developed industrial land that was made up of a power station and other industries. Port Marine is situated close to the existing town of Portishead which has additional facilities, services and activities. Sustainable principles influenced development form and through the use of EcoHomes certification there was a general uplift through a large part of the site in terms of the environmental performance of the housing stock. The development achieves good social, economic and environmental sustainability standards.
BREEAM Rating
EcoHomes Good: 1600 units approx, Very Good: 1000 units, Excellent: 30 units (pre-qualification estimate and post development achievement)
NB. EcoHomes Excellent is roughly equivalent to Code for Sustainable Homes Standard Level 4
Evaluation
Post completion surveys have revealed that 82% of residents were very satisfied with the scheme and their new homes. All shared ownership properties were sold and are appreciating in value at a much greater rate than surrounding properties in Portishead. The scheme has won many design awards including the ‘Building for Life’ Gold Award in 2004 for the Master Plan.
Site density & typical unit area: Various unit types and sizes from apartments to family homes, extra care facilities and care homes. Approximate density of dwellings: maximum 171dwellings per hectare (dph), minimum density 23 dph. 6% (58 dwellings) on the site built at less than 30 dph, the majority of the units have been built at a density of 50+ dph, 30% at 100+ dph. The density at the Fishing Village is 74 dph with waterside high rise blocks 123 – 171 dph. Ashlands (Port Marine Village) consists of mainly family housing house types with some apartments, with 1650 dwellings on a 41 hectare site, the current density range varies from a minimum of 33 dph to a maximum of 60 dph.
Number of dwellings & associated development: 3420 homes, 69,680m2 of employment and 60,390m2 of retail space.
Dwelling type: semi and terraced townhouses of 1,2,3 and 4 bedrooms, flats of 1,2 and 3 bedrooms built to EcoHome standards.
Related Links
CABE – http://www.buildingforlife.org/case-studies/port-marine/introduction
A contemporary art gallery in Llandudno has won the Gold Medal for Architecture, sponsored by the Design Commission for Wales, at the Wrexham & District 2011 National Eisteddfod of Wales.
In awarding the accolade on Saturday 30 July, the judges described the Mostyn Gallery as “a civic landmark of national importance to Wales”.
Ellis Williams Architects of Warrington were employed to add two new galleries to the existing ones in the Grade II listed building. Following the brief that the new additions should have “simplicity, subtlety and sophistication plus one or two surprises,” the judges found these qualities in abundance in the redesigned gallery
Mhairi McVicar, judge and lecturer at the Welsh School of Architecture, said: “We were impressed by the way natural light had been brought into the building and the gallery spaces link together seamlessly, not only providing the ideal environment for exhibits, but clearly a highly enjoyable and uplifting space for visitors.
“The Mostyn Gallery was selected as worthy of the Gold Medal for Architecture both for its highly ambitious and beautifully executed architectural response, but also for the subtlety demonstrated in working with a listed building, and the generosity of the urban response in highlighting the gallery as a civic landmark of national importance to Wales.”
The Gold Medal for Architecture, sponsored by the Design Commission for Wales, is given in conjunction with the Royal Society of Architects in Wales. It is the only award supported by the Design Commission for Wales, which attaches great importance to its aim of drawing attention to architecture as a vital element in the nation’s culture and to honour architects achieving the highest design standards.
The architecture judges also Highly Commended the new WISE building at the Centre for Alternative Technology at Machynlleth, which was also shortlisted for the Gold Medal for Architecture.
Fellow judge Simon Venables, who is also Director of Ainsley Gommon Architects and Vice President of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales, said: “The WISE building, designed by Pat Borer and David Lea, represents decades of dedicated development in sustainable practice, and we felt that this project should be recognised for its extraordinarily high quality. The careful choice of materials and constructive methods with low embodied energy has created an exemplary building.”
The judges awarded the National Eisteddfod of Wales’ Plaque of Merit for Architecture to the Environmental Resource Centre at Ebbw Vale, by Design Research Unit Wales.
Simon Venables added: “Here, on a very modest budget, facilities are provided for local school children and the community to explore the heritage and ecology of the former steelworks at Ebbw Vale. As well as promoting a systematic means of making use of regional materials, the design re-uses remnants of the steelworks, adapting the original concrete bases of the cooling ponds to support an abundant array of wildlife, demonstrating an ethos of cultural as well as environmental sustainability.”
The awarding of the Gold Medal for Architecture comes hot on the heels of a report, published by the Design Commission for Wales, which indicates that the quality of design for the built environment in Wales is steadily improving.
Alan Francis, chair of the Design Commission for Wales, said: “The Commission supports the award because it believes that architecture is an art form vital to our culture and our cultural heritage and that good architectural design strengthens Wales’ distinctiveness and the quality of its places. The Gold Medal for Architecture is the only award that recognises this and it is intrinsically linked to Wales’ most important cultural festival – The National Eisteddfod of Wales.
“We are delighted to see the Ellis Williams Architects’ scheme for Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno being awarded Gold. Without doubt, the dramatic intervention at Mostyn is a deserving winner of an award that recognises outstanding projects.
“We are also delighted with the number of entries this year and the standard across all types of scheme – domestic, cultural, education, or civic. The context for good design in Wales is stronger and the cultural relevance of architecture as a means of shaping Wales’ profile is strengthened by the Eisteddfod Gold Medal for Architecture.
“The diversity of design was also encouraging, and the quality and innovation demonstrated at the Wales Institute for Sustainable Education at CAT in Machynlleth, or the Environmental Resource Centre at Ebbw Vale, is as engaging as Mostyn is dramatic or Ty Hedfan is delightful.
“All the shortlisted schemes deserve recognition, and we are very pleased with the upward trend in both entries and standards for this award. It certainly seems to be in line with our recent findings, which indicate that the quality of design of the built environment in Wales is gradually improving.”
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Coed y Brenin, Dolgellau (July 11)
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Community Shop Llanmadoc (July 11)
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Marstons, Welshpool (May 11)
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Morrisons, Torfaen (May 11)
This week, it was announced that Mary Portas, Queen of Shops, has been appointed by the UK government to tackle the decline in our high streets. Carole-Anne Davies, CEO of the Design Commission for Wales (DCfW), takes a look at the role that design can play in helping to revitalise our failing towns centres.
“It was with more than a little casual interest that I followed the story about Mary Portas’s appointment by Downing Street to tackle our ailing high streets this week.
“The continuing challenges faced by our town centres is something that we’ve given a lot of attention to at the Design Commission for Wales. Last year, at conferences hosted both by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Cymru and the Institute of Welsh Affair, I spoke about the threats to our town centres and the role good architecture and urban design plays in helping to deliver and support ‘places for life’.
“And in the same month that the Financial Times reported on the ‘changing face of British high streets’ and the ‘doughnut effect’ caused by edge of town retail encircling traditional centres, DCfW decided to devise a series of events focusing on the value of design in helping to secure the future of our towns. The result of this is Ruthin Futures, a week-long event that starts on 23 May celebrating people, place and potential.
“As part of Ruthin Futures, DCfW will host the Designed for Business seminar, which grew from our analysis of the challenges and opportunities ahead for the towns and villages of Wales.
“Throughout this period, as I thought about the challenges facing our high streets, one image stuck in my mind as if played on continuous loop on a miniature cinema screen and that was the opening footage of the TV series, Mary Queen of Shops.
“Armed with edgy leather jacket, mega-jewellery, a sharp haircut and a profound understanding of design for the retail environment, Mary Portas set out to save our shops.
“Watching Portas rage against decline and despair at boarded-up frontage while she simultaneously transforms the fortunes of independent traders is enough to get the whole country on its feet. Or is it?
“Portas’s Twitter following is 73,571 with 14,586 backing the retail queen on Facebook. Via her website, the high street heroine is inviting comment from all comers and the column inches stretch for miles.
“I’m a big fan of Mary Portas. She has an undeniable track record and it’s great that she’s been engaged to take on the high street challenge. More power to her elbow. However, she’s going to need more than c88,000 people (not even half the population of Cardiff) tweeting, to make a difference. It’s vital that her review is informed by what’s already happening, what good practice is working and can be shared, and what action governments will back, pending the outcome of the review.
“Big box retail and internet purchasing have undoubtedly influenced the shift in retail and consumer behaviour. It’s been detrimental to the distinctiveness of our towns and villages, to traffic impact, and to efficient resource and energy consumption.
“While some figures in the FT report have since been questioned it did include an important quote from Liz Peace, of the British Property Federation who noted that “Given the structural nature of these changes there is no point harking back to the old high streets we all claimed to love. We need to be creative in looking for new roles and uses for these empty shops.” This highlights a need for more than nostalgia. The stable door is off its hinges and the horses long gone. We all need to own up to our piece of the problem and actively contribute to solutions.
“So what initiatives are out there and what’s it got to do with design? In Wales, some of the most challenging areas are among the smallest rural spots and market towns. When cities must constantly and aggressively pursue retail spend, imagine what it’s like for Pontypool, Rhyl, Porthcawl or Ruthin. Nevertheless some are already doing it themselves.
“Ruthin has built on town and county local authority relationships and an active grass-roots community. Retailers, the arts and faith communities, schools, hoteliers and the wider public have achieved much – from the re-design to RIBA award-winning standard of the Ruthin Craft Centre, to a reputation for local food, good markets and great hotels.
“In 2010, The Guardian reported that Ruthin was a “Gem of a town – an identity all of its own – with no Starbucks or McDonalds and nine places to have tea or coffee, the most prestigious being Annie’s which has 15 varieties of scone!” The Bro Rhuthun partnership has worked with local businesses to build a website, produce some very swish jute bags, and launch a town loyalty card in partnership with local retailers. All well ahead of Mary.
“We are at last seeing some key differentiators being used as unique selling points. The Welsh language, local produce and a distinctive brand, whether it’s Michael Sheen or Melin Tregwynt, is being more effectively exploited. Portas calls this ‘the point of difference’, aka the differentiation strategies familiar to big business which secure market resilience when price wars burn out. And good design is a key differentiator.
“Successive reports over the last decade have demonstrated the economic value of good design, not least the 2007 report commissioned by Places Matter! The North West Regional Design Review Panel – part of England’s North West Regional Development Agency.
“These demonstrated that good architecture and urban design had real economic impact, showing that good design could add up to 20% in rental and capital value and speed up lettings and sales. In 2009, the follow-up tested the findings in the context of economic downturn and the research held fast.
“In addition it revealed, as DCfW has consistently argued, that good design significantly mitigates the costly effects of poorly designed environments which are detrimental to social, environmental and economic success. Good design draws multiple benefits, achieving better rents and market attractiveness due to enhanced profile and image. Design bolsters civic pride and supports access to goods, services and amenities; it stimulates local supply, delivers energy and carbon efficiency, reduces pollution and strengthens ecological benefits. Design forms part of a skilled employment sector and sets career paths for talented creative people, capable of delivering innovation.
“So Mary, go for gold, but please remember we need a whole package. While flexible business rates, pop-ups and meanwhile uses are important in the mix, retailers and businesses working together, grass-roots effort and great design are all needed if we really are going to ‘bring back the bustle’.
Carole-Anne Davies is Chief executive of the Design Commission for Wales, which champions high standards of design and architecture in Wales.
Aggression in A&E is a growing problem, costing the NHS millions, but experts believe, design has a key role to play in reducing its impact. Here Kieren Morgan, Design Review Panellist for the Design Commission for Wales shares over 20 years’ experience in healthcare projects, explaining how good design influences behaviour and where it’s been used successfully.
“Recent reports show that violence and aggression towards NHS staff is costing at least £69million a year in absenteeism, reduced productivity and increased security and the NHS in England is turning to designers for help. However, while this collaboration may be new, the theory behind its benefits is not.
“Leading researchers in what is known as evidence-based design include Dr Roger Ulrich, whose studies date back to the early 1990s. Ulrich linked poor design to certain negative effects on patients such as increased feelings of anxiety, slow recovery rates, greater need for pain relieving drugs and, in certain situations, longer stays in hospital. Between 1999 and 2002, Dr Rosalia Lelchuk Staricoff and her team at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital carried out ‘A Study of the Effects of Visual and Performing Arts in Health Care’, attempting to scientifically evaluate its impact on the psychological, physiological and biological outcomes of treatment.
“Results showed that the integration of visual and performing arts significantly altered clinical outcomes, reduced the amount of drug consumption, shortened the length of stay in hospital, improved patient management and enhanced the quality of service which contributed towards increased job satisfaction. In Trauma and Orthopaedic wards, patients exposed to visual art and
live music during their post-operative period required less analgesia per day than patients who were not, and their admission period was cut by a full day.
“Elsewhere research has found that in mental healthcare, the use of harsh colours or abstract art increases anxiety levels which can result in negative or violent behaviour. The balance of the type of visual art used is therefore crucial – but it’s not just art that impacts on behaviour. Patients suffering from burns have been found to feel more comfortable when the colours of the treatment rooms are neutral or cool in tone, such as light blue. This is also linked to reduced need for analgesia.
“Views and sounds of nature have also been linked to calming patients, again reducing drug dependency and speeding recovery times. This means shorter stays in hospital and the knock- on effect is that it puts less strain on the health service. This is a technique known as positive distraction, with pleasant art, relaxing music or sounds, good daylight and views into landscaped areas helping deflect patients’ thoughts away from anxiety and aggression.
“In the USA, and increasingly the UK, patients receiving aggressive treatment such as radiotherapy can programme their own treatment environment. Smart technology can allow them to control the mood of the lighting, choose soothing background sounds or music, as well as selecting scenery, such as a seascape or cornfields via an interactive wall or ceiling. Effectively, they can create their own unique atmosphere.
“Treatment can often leave patients feeling vulnerable as they feel they have little control over what is happening to them. Allowing patients a certain degree of influence over their environment gives them back some control and dignity in what can be a traumatic and anxious treatment regime. It can also improve their receptiveness to drugs and treatment, reducing their stay in hospital.
“Waiting for hours to be seen in a crowded A&E when you are unwell, perhaps in shock and profoundly anxious can be a recipe for trouble. In such a high stress confusing environment a well-designed A&E department will enable staff to process patients more efficiently and effectively. Clear sight lines assist staff to identity potential problems and flash points whilst providing staff with ‘safe havens’ increases their sense of safety, making them feel more in control and able to cope better with workplace stress. This, in turn, helps reduce absenteeism, saving the NHS money, and helping to attract and retain qualified staff – a recurring problem for the NHS.
“Patients also benefit from a happy workforce, at ease and properly focussed on their jobs. This added benefit results in a positive effect on the quality of care provided, which all contributes to improved patient recovery times. From a patient perspective the A&E department is often crowded, poorly lit, enclosed and noisy. All these factors are known to increase anxiety levels, confusion, heart rate, stress and the potential for aggressive behaviour. A well designed department can mitigate many of these factors by introducing the calming
effect of natural light, views to landscape, soothing music or sounds, along with separate areas for children and young adolescents.
“One of the major challenges for designers and healthcare managers in Wales is translating this evidence into meaningful design tools that can be applied to future projects. North America is ahead of the game and has been applying evidence based design for many years. In the UK our approach is more often to treat healthcare buildings as simple construction projects rather than recognising that they are places which need to be carefully designed for the care and treatment of people who are ill or injured, using the best evidence available to understand their needs, anxiety and condition.
“Although there is much to do to embed what we know into everyday practice so that good design supports good service delivery, there are some positive signs emerging. The Welsh Assembly Government’s ‘Design for Life: Building for Wales’ programme has pushed forward the agenda for single patient rooms, leading to a better quality environment for patients. Both the recently completed Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan Hospital in Ebbw Vale and its sister hospital in Caerphilly due to be completed later this year are great examples of incorporating good views, landscaped areas and courtyard spaces to create positive distraction for patients. These hospitals indicate an increasing awareness from those who commission our healthcare projects that design can support staff in their jobs and help patients get better quicker.
“However, the problem remains in the awareness gap between design professionals and those who commission our hospitals. Too often the pressures of short term capital costs, rather than long term benefits and savings, take precedence. This is a false economy, given the ensuing long terms costs that result from failure to embed the lessons and evidence of the research. A building that is cognitive and shows an understanding of the importance of design in affecting behaviour will save money over a 20-30 year period by reducing the cost of expensive pain relieving drugs, analgesics, staff recruitment and absenteeism.
“Ultimately, long waiting times will always risk people getting agitated, and while we know good design has a huge impact, it’s also a matter for departmental management and for awareness among the wider public. We need to better direct people to the level of care they need to reduce numbers turning up to A&E no matter what their condition. The Welsh Assembly Government’s “‘Choose Well’ campaign provides colour coded advice for the most appropriate course of action, from dialling 999 to administering self-help – but it needs greater promotion. If people go to the right place, pressure on A&E is reduced along with agitation and aggression, and staff may more easily prioritise those who really do need A&E services.
“While design cannot cure people, it has more than a small part to play. By adopting a cognitive approach to the way we design and commission healthcare buildings, we can create a more efficient and calmer environment for staff to thrive in, saving the NHS money in the process, and, best of all, contributing to more effective care for patients.”
The people of Ruthin will have an opportunity to influence the future of their town during a week of events that will put Ruthin at the forefront of national debate about the role of Welsh Market Towns.
Ruthin Future Week runs from Monday 23rd May until Sunday 29th May with a sequence of events that aim to bring together politicians, professionals and the wider community to discuss the future of Ruthin, while celebrating its people, the place and its potential.
As traditional market towns struggle to keep their shops and facilities in the face of increasing competition from out-of town retail and the internet, as well as the impact of global recession, towns such as Ruthin need to see how they can reinvent themselves to make sure they don’t become sleepy ‘clone’ towns, but thrive and prosper.
Gavin Harris, chair of Bro Rhuthun Tourism Group & Ruthin Town Councillor, said: “Having already started the Ruthin Future process with a ‘masterplan’ involving designs by students from the Welsh School of Architecture last year, it’s time for the people of Ruthin to get involved by airing their views and sharing their ideas.
“It’s an exciting programme lasting seven days for voices to be heard, eyes to open and brains to engage with positive ideas about the future of Ruthin.”
The Design Commission for Wales (DCfW) is playing an integral part in the week’s event and is running an open debate called ‘Whose town is it anyway?’ on Wednesday 25 May and a seminar on Thursday May 26 entitled ‘Designed for Business’, where invited delegates will explore the power and value of design for the built environment and how it can help towns thrive.
Carole-Anne Davies, chief executive of the DCfW, said: “We’re really excited to be part of this wider programme of events about Ruthin’s future.
“The design of the built environment plays a hugely important role in the overall health and economic value of the town or city, by stimulating regeneration and tourism, encouraging investment and helping to keep it alive. We will be exploring some of these themes through our events, as Ruthin is such an interesting case study for the future of market towns.”
To find out more and register your interest in attending events please go to www.visitRuthin.com.
Programme:
• Monday 23rd: Ruthin Town Council is inviting residents to their first ordinary meeting of the civic year to find out about what the council do and to meet their Councillors and new town Mayor, Robert Owen-Ellis.
• Tuesday 24th: Bro Rhuthun Tourism and Marketing Group is hosting a Marketing and Networking evening for local businesses in the dramatic atrium of Ruthin Gaol. Offering advice and marketing insight will be PR guru, Alexandra Marr, who now represents some high profile Welsh businesses, having spent the last 10 years promoting Wales in New York for visit Britain.
• The focus will turn to the 21st Century Ruthin Craft Centre on Wednesday 25th as the second stage of the Ruthin ‘Masterplan’ prepared by the Design Research Unit Wales is unveiled in a new exhibition. This will be followed by ‘Whose town is it Anyway?’ where a panel of design and town planning professionals, together with local representatives, will engage with the audience in a ‘lively debate’.
The exhibition will then run for two weeks during which local children and young people will be invited to get involved in designing Ruthin and saying how they think it should look in the future.
• Thursday 26th at Ruthin Castle: The Design Commission for Wales has invited a mix of practitioners, business people, the public and decision makers to explore the importance of design in shaping places for people, helping towns thrive and contributing to the Welsh economy.
• Friday 27th will focus on the town’s independent retailers and traders who still attract shoppers who value service and prefer unique, high quality, good value items that you struggle to find along ‘High Street Britain’. With extra promotions through the town’s Bro Rhuthun
Loyalty card, the message will be “shop on foot, save on fuel, support your local businesses”, and with parking Free after Three, a late afternoon ‘pop to the shops’ won’t cost a penny.
• On Saturday 28th is the Ruthin mini-Photomarathon. The event is open to anybody with a digital camera and an interest in getting to know Ruthin more closely through photography. Starting at 10.00am participants will be asked to take six images based on six themes in six hours all within the easily walked Ruthin Town Centre, then after downloading and judging, the best will win prizes such as a digital camera and photography equipment gift vouchers.
Ruthin’s famous Produce Market, normally held on the second Saturday of the month at the Gaol, will be on St Peter’s square, just as last year’s design students had suggested. There won’t be a problem parking as all of Ruthin’s numerous car parks will be free ALL DAY thanks to Denbighshire County Council and Ruthin Town Council.
• Sunday 29th May is the chance for budding artists to get involved in Draw on Ruthin! From 10.00am until 4.00pm this free event will see participants escorted with sketchbook and pen around the town by local artists Ann Bridges and John Butland Morgan to record what they see and find, but with places limited to 20 and a free lunch included, keen sketchers will need to get their skates on and register for a place.
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Triangle Site, Barry (May 11)
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Parc Llanilid (March 11)
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Llandwrog (March 11)
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Admiral HQ, Cardiff (March 11)
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Tesco, Machynlleth (March 11)
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Westgate Plaza (March 11)
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Llan Ffestiniog (Jan 11)
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Pont Briwet (Jan 11)
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Plas Pistyll Farm (Dec 10)
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Bird’s Lane Cowbridge (Dec 10)
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Dumfries Place, Cardiff (Dec 10)
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Admiral HQ, Cardiff (Nov 10)
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Bargoed Public Realm (Nov 10)
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A470 Erwood to Glanwye (Nov 10)
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Parc Llanilid (Nov 10)
More than 40 leading organisations representing the construction sector in Wales have teamed up to sign the first green building charter of its kind in the UK.
They are committing themselves to support progress towards a built environment that contributes low or zero net carbon emissions as quickly as practically possible.
The 43 organisations and companies, whose combined influence on building projects and developments is hugely significant, joined a squad headed by the Sustainable Development Commission, the Design Commission for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government.
The home of Welsh Rugby provided the backdrop for the “coalition of the willing”, as they added their names to the landmark initiative. Members of the coalition include the Federation of Master Builders, the National House- Building Council, the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment and CBI Wales.
The initiative was launched at the Built Environment and Climate Change Summit at the Wales Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, by Environment, Sustainability and Housing Minister Jane Davidson and Jonathon Porritt, Chair of the Sustainable Development Commission.
The coalition will play a major role in the development of low/zero carbon buildings ahead of the UK Government’s target of achieving zero carbon new homes by 2016 and achieve a major step change in Wales by 2011. It will also work towards significantly increasing the energy efficiency of the existing building stock in Wales, contributing towards the Wales target of 3% annual reductions in emission reductions from 2011 onwards.
The Assembly Government have stated the aspiration that all new buildings built from 2011 must be zero carbon in relation to space heating, hot water and lighting. By implementing the Code for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM it will help the industry take a stepped approach towards the target of zero carbon.
Reductions of 3% each year would enable Wales to achieve an 80% reduction before 2050. One method of reducing Wales’s carbon footprint is via improving the energy efficiency of buildings, as the direct and indirect consumption of energy from buildings generates approximately 40% of all carbon emissions in the UK.
All new housing that has Assembly Government funding or is built on Welsh Assembly owned land must meet The Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 (moving to Code level 4 as soon as practically possible) and all non domestic buildings must meet the BREEAM excellent standard.
The SDC and DCfW were asked by Jane Davidson AM, to create a “coalition of the willing” of key stakeholders from the private, public and voluntary sectors that will commit to taking a “can do” approach to tacking climate change through the built environment.
Ms Davidson said:
“Today is another Wales first in the battle against climate change demonstrating our ‘can do’ attitude. We all believe early action is needed, and the charter confirms Wales’s commitment to do all we can to tackle climate change and reduce our carbon footprint.
“The built environment is the largest contributor to greenhouse gases in Wales. The way in which we construct and use our homes and other buildings accounts for 40% of our total carbon emissions. It is vital that all our new buildings are energy efficient and as green as possible.
“This charter is a demonstration of the coalition of the willing, of how diverse groups from all over Wales are ready to use their voice and powers to help Wales reduce its carbon footprint.”
Jonathan Porritt, Chair of the Sustainable Development Commission, said:
“It is very heartening to see that Wales has the foresight and ambition to accelerate progress towards a sustainable built environment. I hope that the collaborative, coordinated approach demonstrated today will enable it to make swift progress and be an exemplar for the rest of the UK.”
Carole-Anne Davies, Chief Executive, Design Commission for Wales said: “Wales has vast potential to realise a sustainable built environment which supports active communities and neighbourhoods. This is not something we can defer to others. Our economy and our environment will suffer if we do not act immediately and collectively. The declaration from members of the coalition sends a strong signal across public and private sectors alike, that we accept our responsibility to work towards a Wales where our homes, public and civic buildings and public realm, can and must be energy and resource efficient. ”
Peter Davies OBE, SDC Vice Chair and Commissioner for Wales said:
“Our approach in establishing the coalition of the willing was to develop the simple idea of ‘I will if you will’. SDC has set out the need to engage government, business and the community in any process that aims to achieve fundamental change, recognising that our aspirations for sustainable development will only be met through collaborative action.”
“The significant number of organisations signing the declaration today highlights that the construction sector in Wales is ready and willing to act on
the subject of sustainable construction. They now have the confidence that they will not be acting alone or against the grain.”
To take the agenda forward, a Wales Low/ Zero Carbon Hub will be established to coordinate action and formalise the process going forward. The Board of the Hub will incorporate key representative bodies from across the sector and will report through to the Minister and the Climate Change Commission for Wales. The Energy Saving Trust will also be leading a Wales Existing Homes Alliance to coordinate progress on increasing the energy efficiency of the existing building stock. There will be close working links with the UK Zero Carbon Hub and the UK Green Building Council.
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South Sebastopol (Nov 10)
By Cindy Harris, Head of Design Review, Design Commission for Wales
Design and construction are essential parts of the same exercise – to create a building or streetscape or townscape. While different professions each have their own part to play, the best projects result from both partners working together from an early stage.
This is especially true when it comes to sustainable construction – measures which are necessary to ensure energy efficient, low carbon buildings need to be taken at the earliest possible stage of the design process for maximum impact and practical cost effectiveness.
Similarly, aspects of construction and ‘buildability’ will affect the design development and the particular materials and technologies specified. These early decisions will drive key aspects of the project and maximise the best sustainable solutions.
Over half the UK’s carbon emissions are generated by the construction and servicing of buildings, so the energy performance of new and existing buildings is crucial to meeting our national commitments and international obligations.
Energy efficient homes offer greater levels of comfort for the occupier and will be cheaper to run and maintain. The social importance of reducing fuel poverty, together with the need to protect the security of fuel supply in the future and to limit the impact of climate change, all combine to deliver a powerful argument in favour of reducing energy use in buildings. This in turn has a direct effect on bringing down carbon emissions.
At the level of the individual building, the designer, contractor and specialist consultants all need to join forces along with the client to deliver low carbon buildings.
All new housing in Wales now has to achieve Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes as a minimum, together with a 31% reduction in CO2 levels compared with 2006. The means of achieving this should be set out in the Design and Access Statements accompanying new planning applications. Used properly they are a powerful tool and should not be reduced to a tick box exercise.
Designers and developers should observe the ‘energy hierarchy’ whereby the easiest and most cost effective carbon savings are made first, usually built into the fabric of the building.
These measures are often very simple and cost little to achieve when considered early. They include high levels of insulation to stop heat escaping in the winter and to keep buildings cool in the summer. Equally important is the elimination of uncontrolled ‘draughts’, together with controlled ventilation directed when and where it is needed.
The orientation of the building on the site, and the size and location of windows and other glazed areas should be arranged to take full advantage day light and of the sun’s energy – which is both free and renewable. A ‘passive solar’ approach to building design uses solar energy to pre-heat the building elements and incoming air, as well as introducing high levels of daylight into the building and reducing use of electric lights.
Once these basic steps have been incorporated, consideration can be given to appropriate renewable technologies which work well at the level of a single building, such as solar water heating, which should meet at least 50% of domestic hot water demand over the course of a year.
The choice of building materials also has a significant environmental impact. Ideally we should be choosing renewable materials, sustainably produced and genuinely locally sourced, with minimal processing and transportation. Low ‘embodied energy’ materials are preferred – this refers to the energy consumed (and CO2 emitted) during the production process and throughout the building’s life.
Increasingly we are seeing the use of ultra-low-impact building materials, such as timber poles, straw bales and unfired clay bricks, hemp and lime, to construct mainstream, modern, comfortable and energy-efficient houses that have a low ‘embodied energy’.
Of course, any process of construction is designed to change the environment, and is bound to cause some environmental degradation. Sometimes we have to weigh different impacts against each other – for instance choosing a very energy efficient window or organic paint, which needs to be transported over long distances. In the end, we may have to trade off certain impacts against products or processes that are even more damaging.
An environmentally sound building must also be people-friendly. This means a structure which is flexible and easily adaptable, so that it can respond to the changing demands on its function, layout and technical performance.
Too often the benefits of low carbon technologies are not realised in practice because users do not understand how they should operate. Owners and tenants should be encouraged to use them as they are designed – just as they use any other piece of equipment – their smart phone or car for instance. Most building technologies are very simply and their proper use means that the building performs as it should – put simply, it will ‘do what it says on the tin’.
Sustainability is one of those all-encompassing terms, and if a development is to be truly sustainable it should address the environmental aspects of construction on several levels.
At the global level, we should be aware of the impact of mining and processing materials in other parts of the world, both in terms of resource depletion and the health and wellbeing of local populations and ecosystems. CO2 pollution likewise has a global impact.
At the local level, we can help to lay the basis of sustainable communities by supporting mixed use developments with a good mix of daytime and evening uses and attractive, well used public spaces.
A reasonably high density of development, particularly in towns and cities, can trigger and help support the development of community infrastructure such as shops, schools, libraries and health centres, as well as good public transport.
Good guidance on street design and residential layout for local planning authorities is provided in the Manual for Streets. This important document reinterprets the function of residential streets, away from being mainly traffic routes and towards more sociable uses. Streets are designed to give pedestrians and cyclists greater priority and to ensure that vehicles travel at restricted speeds with a greater awareness of other road users.
With greater densities comes the increased responsibility on the developer and local planning authority, to ensure excellent quality in the buildings and public spaces – without this care, the schemes will become the slums of tomorrow with costly social and environmental consequences.
The creation of good public spaces serving the needs of the local community is about more than just a collection of architecture or low carbon buildings. Such places are memorable and distinctive, well used and cherished by the people who live or work in the area, and appreciated by those who are just passing through.
They will be easy to find and recognise, they will encourage people to linger and socialise by providing attractive and sheltered gathering spaces, and they will be well designed with appropriate planting and high quality materials. As assets for the community they will also be well looked after and maintained, and can help to foster a sense of pride and ownership. They will be loved and will last.
A unique exhibition that looks at how today’s architectural practices are responding to the expectations of newer generations is being put on by three budding students at the forthcoming Cardiff Design Festival to celebrate World Architecture Day (4 October).
The project, called ‘What Architects Do’, involved the students compiling material and putting into their own words what architects do and why good design matters.
Organised by the Design Commission for Wales, the Welsh School of Architecture and the Design Circle, the project saw students Megan Rourke, 17, Simon Keeling, 17 and Josh Morris, 15, spend time at one of three south Wales-based architecture practices.
Dubbed ‘Design Champions’ by the project, each student spent time in a firm over the school holidays, producing ‘design diaries’ of films, photographs, sketches, and observations for the exhibition, that are also available online at www.whatarchitectsdo.org.uk.
The students were put through their paces by architects Rob Firman (Austin-Smith: Lord), Michael Plageman (Davies Sutton Architects) and Dan Benham (Loyn and Co) and got involved in helping out in studio, meeting clients and donning hard hats on site to act as eye- witnesses on projects.
Carole-Anne Davies, chief executive of the Design Commission for Wales, said: “The scheme was an invaluable opportunity for these promising students to get to grips with architecture. It has shown them the complete spectrum of what architects do and, hopefully, inspired them to pursue a career in this field.
“By being part of the Cardiff Design Festival, the project will help to foster the next generation of architects and also help to raise awareness of the importance of good quality design among the general public.”
Sergio Pineda, tutor at the Welsh School of Architecture, said: “The architectural project is designed to encourage reflection on how today’s architectural practices are responding to the expectations of newer generations.
“The strategy behind the project was for was material to be compiled through the eyes of the young students and exhibited as a critical insight into the industry by its successors.”
Mhairi McVicar, chair of the Design Circle, said: “This has been a unique experience for the students, which has focussed on the people, processes and the atmosphere of architectural practices in Wales. We’re very much looking forward to seeing the work they’ve created at the Cardiff Design Festival. Their experience has not only been an insight for them, but a view to how the industry is perceived by future Welsh architects.”
An exhibition of the student’s findings will open at the Morgan Arcade in Cardiff on 4 October and will run through to 15 October as part of the Cardiff Design Festival. A public workshop in the Morgan Arcade on Saturday 8 October will provide opportunities to meet the Design Champions and their host architects in ‘Chat with the Champion’ and ‘Ask the Architect’ sessions, along with an ‘Architects-in-Action’ design competition between the participating architects.
The project is a major event in the Cardiff Design Festival, an annual celebration of the best in Welsh design across a range of disciplines. Throughout the Cardiff Design Festival (1-16 October) there will be a programme of talks, exhibitions and events, including the ‘What Architects Do’ public workshop, ‘The Best of Welsh Graduate Design’ and ‘Focus on Finishes with Boyce Rees Architects.’
Case Studies – Break out box
15-year old Josh Morris partnered with Michael Plageman, associate architect at Davies Sutton Architects
Josh Morris, who attends Llandaff Cathedral School, said: “I’ve found out that there is a lot more to architecture than just design. Michael has really shown me the process that they go through with each project, from researching materials to going out on site to oversee the building.
“My time at Davies Sutton Architects has been a really special opportunity. I feel I have gained an insight into architecture and learnt a variety of skills. I would definitely recommend doing something like this to other people my age.”
Michael Plageman said: “The experience was an excellent opportunity to get under the skin of the office. I tried to make the whole process as understandable as possible and show Josh how everything fits together.
“The prospects for students wishing to enter the profession are looking up. It was the commercial side of architecture that found it most difficult in the recession, but the niche sectors – for example, areas we specialise in such as historic buildings – rode it out quite smoothly, and other areas of the private sector are beginning to see an upturn in activity.”
Megan Rourke, 17, partnered with Rob Firman, director of performing arts projects at Austin-Smith: Lord
Megan Rourke, who attends Stanwell School in Penarth, said: “Before I started this work experience, I didn’t realise that you would have to pitch for business. It’s really competitive and a lot of research goes into coming up with the most innovative ideas to help win new contracts.
“I also learnt how some projects can take years to complete. Rob had been working on the Wales Millennium Centre for 10 years before it opened but, sometimes, he might only be working on a project for 10 weeks.”
Rob Firman said: “While we have little problem attracting young people to this profession, I often think some people’s perception of the industry is fundamentally flawed. People can often think of us as stuffy, office-bound and barrister like, but the reality is almost the opposite.
“That’s why this work experience has been so useful. The students have seen that it’s not all pretty pictures and colouring by numbers; it has given them a taste of the reality of architecture and a better idea of what they are, potentially, getting themselves into.
“It’s vital to train our successors. We take it very seriously and want to break down as many barriers as we can to an often misunderstood profession.”
17-year old Simon Keeling partnered with Dan Benham, project architect at Loyn & Co
Simon Keeling, who goes to Stanwell School in Penarth, said: “I’ve learnt how much patience and commitment goes into a project. There is so much attention to detail, from
planning which material is best to use, to thinking about sustainability, on top of working with a client to achieve something that both parties are happy with.
“I feel the whole experience has really developed my people skills as Dan had me phoning contractors and really getting involved in the projects. It has really made me passionate about pursuing a career in architecture, specifically of residential buildings, which Loyn & Co specialises in.”
Dan Benham said: “As well as teaching the students about the way the industry works, we were also able to learn a thing or two from them as well. It was useful to strip everything down and get back to the basics of architecture. We didn’t realise we used so much flowery language!
“It was great to have a fresh pair of eyes in the studio, and we were glad to have them contributing as they are often eager to push boundaries and bring a fresh way of thinking and questioning to the practice.”
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Penlon, Bangor (Sept 10)
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Cambrian Centre, Newport (Sept 10)
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Llanwern Regeneration Site (Aug 10)
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Cowbridge Comprehensive
Planning and Design Process
Consultation
The masterplan was informed and evolved through regular consultation and feedback sessions, initially with the school and its pupils and subsequently the local community. A sustainable scheme was designed to fit with the context of the rural landscape, contributing to the well-being of the local community through its provision of sports and cultural activities.
Brief
Much of the existing school building stock was inefficient and inflexible. Once these buildings were assessed, it was identified that the school required significant refurbishment including some of the newer buildings, which were retained on sustainability and economic grounds. These now comprise an art block, two teaching blocks including fully refurbished Information and Communication Technology (ICT) suites, the dining hall, science laboratories, study rooms and 6th form classrooms. Seventy per cent of the project comprises a new three-storey building – the heart of the school – and incorporates the main entrance.
Policy context
The final design responds to The Vale of Glamorgan Single Education Plan 2006-2008: Working Together for Children, Young People and Communities across the Vale. Three main functions: health, culture and learning, are included in the new school and are all clearly visible from the main entrance.
Public space
The school provides daily community access to the sports hall, playing fields, main performance hall, meeting rooms, catering facilities and the learning resource area. Public realm at the front of the school is designed to encourage public gathering.
Topography
The new three-storey building is set down a storey level, and responds to the natural contours of the site, maintaining the existing visual aspect of a two-storey development from Aberthin Road and protecting views over the site. . The main entrance is accessed via a bridge linking the main drop-off point with the middle of the school, so that no department is more than one floor away.
Acoustic
The layout locates the acoustically sensitive classrooms away from the elevated A48 dual carriageway, maximising capacity for natural ventilation without compromising the acoustic environment.
Construction innovation
Design and construction innovation figured strongly in the design process, with the use of a hybrid structural solution allowing a quicker start onsite, while steelwork was fabricated. Smaller column sizes, rising two instead of three storeys, flat slabs for easier and more efficient distribution of services made the sports hall wall robust enough and flat enough for five aside football. A scissor stair solution simultaneously accommodates escape from the main hall and fire refuges that allow space for a wheelchair user and carer.
Sustainability Outcomes
Local Community
The community was engaged from the outset and the completed school integrates the work of glass artist Catrin Jones, developed in collaboration with pupils, staff and the local community. In constructing the new school the contractor recorded an impressive 91% of labour drawn from South Wales.
Passive sustainable measures
The fabric of the new building was developed to ensure that conductive heat losses were 20% better than the existing requirements for Building Regulations. A number of passive sustainable measures such as rainwater harvesting for flushing toilets, natural ventilation (both cross ventilation and stack effect), and exposed concrete soffits to provide thermal mass were incorporated. Most circulation areas are well lit from roof lights which provide natural ventilation as well as daylight to the upper two floors.
Building reuse
The retention of some existing buildings was an essential part of the cost plan as well as the new masterplan. These buildings were upgraded in both internal fabric and layout; an exercise that improved both the thermal and the acoustic performance, ensuring a new educational environment better suited to 21st century learning.
Flexibility
The new building provides efficient use of internal space; flexible for future transitional changes in the curriculum. Internal walls are constructed from acoustically designed plasterboard partitions, robustly detailed for the school environment. These can be removed to create a different arrangement of smaller or larger spaces, anticipating the move toward the more focused learning environment c2020.
Ecology
Externally, the landscape design respects existing ecology, while maximising the potential for a variety of playing areas – whether for sporting, educational or recreational uses. A large portion of adjacent land was purchased under a CPO – strictly intended for sports playing fields, with no further building permitted to disturb the local landscape.
Quotes
“Everyone who visits us is struck by the calm and purposeful atmosphere and the very clear statement which the accommodation makes about the value we place on learning and on our young people. Our pupils show evident delight in the quality of the accommodation and the facilities available to them. Members of staff are thrilled to be able to offer the range and variety of learning activities which previously they could only read about. This is a building which welcomes its users, which inspires us and respects our needs, ambitions and aspirations.”
Margaret Evans, Headteacher
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Ty Hedfan
Planning and Design Process
Site context
Ty-Hedfan, meaning ‘hovering house’ takes full advantage of the river side location. The house is a further exploration of Featherstone Young’s interest in highly site specific and contextual architecture, using local materials such as slate and stone and, by fully utilizing the topography of the site, creating a striking and unique form.
Landscape constraints
The site had two principal constraints, or opportunities – the steeply sloping topography and the no build zone which included all land within 7m of the river. Taking its cue from the traditional Welsh longhouse form, one wing of the building starts in a seemingly straightforward manner but then proceeds to cantilever over the river bank and into the trees, becoming lighter and more open as it does so. The other wing of the building is sunk into the slope of the site, with a green roof over, and full height glazing looking out over a decked riverside lawn. Irregular shaped roof-lights over this wing, drop extra light into the area and are detailed as wooden cattle troughs in a field.
Materials
The material palette takes its cue from the local vernacular context, but they are eventually detailed in a more unusual manner. The cantilevered wing is a crisp slate-clad box with hidden guttering and faceted pitched roof which gradually transforms into a hardwood framed glass living room, hung over the river. Two screen walls in local dry stone, soften the hard geometric slate form, but become monolithic 9m high features from the riverside, having the practical benefit of preventing overlooking from higher neighbouring properties. Internally, cedar-clad walls and timber, slate and linoleum floors predominate.
Landscape design
Apart from the creation of a small riverside lawn area, the landscape design around the house aims to be as light touch as possible creating the appearance from the river of a house lost amongst its natural, wild setting. A smaller stream runs across the site and has been encouraged to form pools and wetland areas before tumbling over rocks down the steep river bank and into the main river.
Sustainability Outcomes
Materials
The main wing construction is a hybrid timber and steel frame structure, clad with traditional slate and locally sourced stone.
Orientation
Large timber framed windows on the south and southwest elevations maximise the thermal benefits from solar gain, which is then retained through high levels of insulation.
Thermal mass
Insulated thermal mass is added through the two large stone walls wrapping the main house and forming the entrance hall and interface with the lower guest wing. The guest wing’s concrete retaining walls and green sedum roof add further thermal mass.
Renewable technologies
Solar panels and an air source heat pump ensure the house is energy efficient.
Related links
Introduction
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s vision for the Environmental Resource Centre (ERC) was to:
• Create a high quality educational and cultural facility that celebrates the synergy between heritage, built and natural environments;
• Promote sustainable building and demonstrate renewable energy use; and
• Use Ty Unnos, local materials and suppliers.
The Centre was the first building to be completed on The Works site in Ebbw Vale. It provides educational facilities, run by Gwent Wildlife Trust that allow local school children and members of the community to explore the heritage and ecology of the former steelworks site. The centre provides wildlife courses for people of all ages, specialist courses for school children linked to Foundation and Key Stages in the curriculum, as well as a focal point and meeting place for community environmental activities and conservation volunteering.
The ERC is located adjacent to the former steelworks’ Victorian pump house and filtration tanks, which became a haven for wildlife after closure. The pump house and ponds were used to filter water from the works, before returning it to the River Ebbw. The site and surrounding grasslands support over a hundred plant species and diverse wildlife including insects, birds and reptiles. The Classroom has been positioned to respond to the geometry, biodiversity and industrial context, creating a simple rectilinear form inspired by the form and scale of the pump house and reflecting the grid of concrete foundation remains in the shallow ponds.
Design Process
The ERC responds to the geometry of the adjacent pump house and cooling tanks, creating a simple rectilinear form with two key axes: an oak access deck to exploratory boardwalks, separating the classroom and toilet zones; and separating a storage wall from the served classroom which opens out to views across the filtration tanks and valley beyond.
Internally, prefabricated birch plywood and recycled paper pin board units create a storage wall along the rear of the classroom, containing services, modular storage and wet spaces. The classroom opens to its immediate industrial setting and wider landscaped context through sliding and folding screens. Welsh laminated oak windows open up to the valley and reed beds with integrated vent panels for occupant comfort control. The layered facade creates a play of colour and depth with red, yellow and black steel panels of wildlife super-graphics themed on four local habitats: woodland; industrial; wetland and grassland. The layout of these graphics was informed by consultation with local school children. These are concealed and/or revealed by charred vertical timber cladding around the classroom which blends with both the natural and industrial context. A galvanised steel grating extends over the WC block. An over sailing sinusoidal roof connects the two parts of the building and reinforces its horizontality, as well as providing solar shading to the glazed west elevation.
The Ty Unnos Sitka spruce construction system used in the building was developed by DRU-w and Coed Cymru as a collaborative research project to use a sustainable, low-tech and low-value method of stabilising home grown Spruce for construction. 270x210mm box beams are fabricated from readily available sizes of spruce for use in portal frames. This first prototype comprises 9no. 7.2m portal frames at 2.4m centres with birch and spruce plywood Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) between for floor, walls, doors and roof, giving a U-value of 0.14 W/m2K. Prefabricated off-site, the superstructure was assembled in 10 days.
Sustainability Credentials
The classroom is a didactic demonstration of sustainability and as such was designed to achieve a 61% reduction in energy use over Building Regulations requirements.
The classroom space has an irregular use pattern with different age groups at different times of day. It has therefore been designed to be adaptable to different needs and conditions. A passive design strategy was developed from the outset. Trickle vents and low level opening panels on the western elevation with high level opening roof lights to the east encourage passive ventilation that can be manually controlled by occupants. The western glazed wall, allowing views across the valley and reed bed, and is protected from solar gain by a large roof overhang and adjustable vertical shutters.
To reduce heat loss SIPs panels provide a U-value of 0.14 W/m2K for floor, walls and roof. The building has been wrapped in an extremely durable EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber membrane increasing air tightness to 3m3/hr/m2@50Pa and keeping moisture out.
To minimise electricity consumption, full height windows and roof lights provide high levels of natural daylight internally, while all external feature lighting is provided by LED strips operated by a combination of timer and photocells.
All rainwater from the roof is directed into a channel around the centre that discharges into and replenishes the ponds.
To meet the irregular use patterns, an air-water-air source heat pump with a 4.2 Coefficient of Performance (CoP) was chosen to provide space heating. This system allows the building users to quickly heat the space at any given moment responding to demand. 2sqm of solar hot water panels have been incorporated to provide for the hot water demand. A district heating system has been proposed as part of the overall site masterplan over the next five years. It is hoped that the centre will be connected to this when the adjacent primary school is built, further reducing the carbon emissions.
As part of the demonstration of and education related to sustainability, all the renewable technology has been located at the entry point to the centre rather than concealed, and all service routes have been left exposed so that connections can be visually made between components.
The centre has been built using an innovative construction system that utilises homegrown, sustainably managed Sitka spruce – Ty Unnos. The system has been designed to add value to a plentiful, but under used, Welsh timber. It is hoped that the centre will be a showcase for the system that will lead to further buildings that source local timbers, rather than importing. The timber components were fabricated off-site and simply erected by hand, reducing the requirement for heavy plant on-site.
All materials and suppliers, where possible, were sourced locally as part of the wider considerations of the regional economy and to reduce the embodied energy related to transport. The layered approach to the construction allows for the simple replacement of external finishes as they reach the end of their lifecycle. The vertical timber cladding has been charred to avoid the use of lacquers and stains. Internally, finishes were specified that were either recycled or recyclable and had a low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content.
Designers Evaluation
The building is designed as a simple layered construction that ‘ghosts’ into the landscape, gradually revealing its form, and the coloured panels make the project unique. Using materials that reference the steelworks context – galvanised steel, charred timber and steel grille- link the building to its past, while bold wildlife graphics link it to the present and its ecologically rich site.
The ERC was the first project to prototype an innovative construction system that has emerged from ongoing research on the use of home grown Welsh timbers in contemporary architecture. Ty Unnos – ‘a house in a night’, is a Sitka spruce construction system, developed as a low tech method to stabilise home grown, low-value Welsh spruce that is currently used for fence posts, pulping for paper and fuel. The system uses standard timber sizes produced by which is fabricated into 270 x 210mm box beams using low tech presses and standard milling machinery. Box beams form frames which are braced by pre-insulated spruce panels to form external and internal walls, floors and roofs.
Related Links
www.dru-w.co.uk/
http://www.theworksebbwvale.co.uk/newdevelopment/environcentre/?lang=en
Related Publications
Building Design: Sustainability article (link below, scan attached)
http://www.bdonline.co.uk/buildings/technical/environmental-resource-centre-ebbw-vale-wales/5002305.article
The Works project booklet:
http://wales.gov.uk/docs/theworks/policy/091123environmentalcentre.pdf
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Abergavenny Cattle Market (Jul 10)
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Welsh Wizardry
A new education building for the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales is an impressive physical embodiment of the values it champions, says Ellis Woodman (BD Online)
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Pontio, Bangor (May 10)
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Ty Glan Menai, Caernarfon (May 10)
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West Rhyl Masterplan (April 10)
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Tesco, Machynlleth (April 10)
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Penlon, Bangor (April 10)
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St Athan Corridor Study (March 10)
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Bryn House, Gower (Feb 10)
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Pontio, Bangor (Feb 10)
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High Street, St David’s (Feb 10)
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Mill St Risca (Jan 10)
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WJEC Headquarters
Planning and Design Process
Phased construction
The new building had to be built in two phases, as it was constructed alongside and partially overlapping the WJEC’s previous building, which had to be kept in continuous use during the build process.
Flexible spaces
The building comprises three main elements: office work space, a suite of conference rooms and break-out space, and a staff restaurant. The floor plates are designed to provide maximum flexibility for the mix of open plan and cellular space that WJEC requires. Operations require regular movement of departments, construction and dismantling of cellular spaces. To provide for this flexibility, the offices are designed without obstructions at the perimeter. The structural columns, radiators and perimeter power and data trunking are all designed to be flush within the wall thickness. Narrow perimeter columns are set-out at 1.35m centres; this dimension is the ideal module for setting up cellular offices and open plan work stations.
Gateway site
The building occupies a gate-way site on one of the main entry roads into Cardiff. The dual carriageway in front of the building is one of the city’s busiest roads. Elevations facing the road face north away from the sun, elevations facing south into the park – the grade 2 listed Llandaff Fields, face towards the sun. For these reasons the northerly facing walls are designed to appear like protective walls, with a metal skin and the southerly facing walls have a softer covering of clay hanging tiles.
Terrace
One of the main features of the south-facing side of the building is the roof-terrace which is accessed direct from the staff restaurant. This terrace will be provided with a grassed area and small trees in planters to provide an attractive resource for staff and for visiting delegates.
Bespoke cladding
The most distinctive feature of the building is the metal cladding that covers the sides of the building that face the dual carriageway; this is a bespoke panel design. The panels are aluminium and are made from a mixture of mill-finish sheet and sheets coated with a clear coloured lacquer. There are three panel shapes that are designed to enable an infinite variety of tessellations. The cladding design is a contemporary re-working of the random polygonal stonework that is a feature of several notable 19th century Cardiff and Llandaff buildings. The design has also revived the stonework pattern for the construction of the stone plinth that runs around the full perimeter of the building. This is made from sandstone cobbles that were dug up from beneath the site of the WJEC building, during the construction of the foundations.
Sustainability Outcomes
Light and ventilation
Excellent levels of daylight and natural ventilation are ensured by the narrow 10m wide office floor plates and work areas with a floor to ceiling height of 3.1m. Every structural beam above a window (transom), is fitted with a bespoke designed up-lighter, dimmable and with Passive Infrared Sensor (PIR) operation, which enables the underside of the ceiling to be kept clear of fittings, so that it functions perfectly as a reflecting surface.
Heating and cooling
The building has a reinforced concrete frame – and the soffit is exposed in the work areas to allow the frame to contribute to temperature regulation (thermal mass). The external walls are over insulated, exceeding current Building Regulation standards. The upper panels of the windows are provided with a white- diffusing film to reduce solar gain, and to maximise the efficiency of the electric lighting – by minimising the amount of light that spills out through the windows. On the southerly facing side of the building, external solar shades are fitted at the transom level (as the upper panel is protected by the solar film). This means that the projection of the solar shading can be kept to minimum. The building is currently heated by gas, but provided with plant room space to accommodate biomass, if required in the future.
Related Links
Capita Architecture
Planning and Design Process
A product of Wales
A one-off, with many features used for the very first time in the UK, the Larch House, so named due to its Pembrokeshire larch cladding, is very much a product of Wales. It was built by Pendragon Design and Build contractors from Cwmbran and Holbrook Timber Frame from Bridgend, with a Welsh timber frame structure. Likewise the Lime House was constructed using Welsh skills, suppliers and products. Of particular note are the windows and front door made from Welsh larch timber, thermally modified on Anglesey. Developed and taken through certification by bere:architects, these are the UK’s first Passivhaus certified doors and windows.
Future homes
The designers were striving for a perfect balance, incorporating greener methods of building and offering benefits to tenants through lower energy bills and improved comfort. The partnership has with this project, brought forward practical innovative solutions which address matters of energy efficiency and carbon reduction while providing homes in which people wish to live. United Welsh Housing plans to replicate the cutting edge design, technology and techniques of this house in future affordable housing schemes.
Air tightness
The project achieved outstanding draught-free construction, surpassing the Passivhaus standard of 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals, achieving one of the best air tests in the UK for an above-ground, detached house with a result of 0.197 at 50 Pascals. This result is over three times better than the minimum required by the Passivhaus Institute and 50 times better than required under UK Building Regulations. It is made more remarkable as this is the first time this Welsh partnership has attempted to achieve the Passivhaus standard.
Traditional form
The neighbouring two-bedroom Lime House, named after its external lime render – follows the unfussy form of a traditional Welsh cottage with a simple, compact shape. This minimises the surface area heat loss as well as the amount of insulation needed.
Sustainability Outcomes
PassivHaus
To achieve the Passivhaus Standard in the UK typically involves:
- Very high levels of insulation
- Extremely high performance windows with insulated frames
- Airtight building fabric
- ‘Thermal bridge free’ construction
- A mechanical ventilation system with highly efficient heat recovery
Zero Carbon
The Larch House house is c1000ft above sea level in an exposed and misty hilltop location in Ebbw Vale. In spite of this, most energy needs have been met by heat from the sun, the occupants and appliances. The house generates as much energy from the sun in the summer months (from solar thermal and photovoltaic panels with an estimated feed-in tariff of over £900 a year, and through its glazing), as it uses for the whole year, making it Zero Carbon by the UK definition, at the time.
Local materials
A strong focus on natural materials delivers buildings with strong sustainability credentials such as low embodied energy and high recycling potential. The use of local timber enhances the economic viability of forests, in addition to reducing the need for transport.
Local economy
The focus on locally sourced, developed and manufactured materials and products, brought employment opportunity and developed local skills – for example, a number of joiners in Wales are now trained to manufacture Passivhaus standard windows. It will also provide a boost to traditional skills such as forestry and joinery.
Value for money
The houses demonstrate that low carbon housing does not have to be prohibitively costly to construct. These CSH level 5 and 6 homes cost between £1,300 and £1,700 m2 to build, (which compares with average cost of CSH level 3 social housing £1,200 m2). They also offer reduced operating expenses, with heating costs of as little as £80 per annum
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MOSTYN Gallery
Planning and Design Process
Collaboration
The final spatial brief and design for Oriel Mostyn emerged through a close dialogue between the building users and the designers. The design team worked intensively with the organisation in developing the project around a number of guiding principles, which were then sequentially tested and evolved through workshops with various consultation groups. The guiding principles were as follows; enhance and expand exhibition spaces, maintain and enhance the spirit of the gallery, improvement of support and education facilities and increase presence within site context of Llandudno.
Impact
The introduction of a dramatic in-situ concrete space linking the internal organisation of the gallery was intended to create an unexpected experience on entering through the Victorian threshold. The concrete stair geometry within the tube was largely generated by constraints in the plan due to over twenty party-wall situations with adjoining neighbours.
Gallery space
Three new gallery spaces were carved out of the existing building alongside a new cubic infill gallery added to the two existing lantern galleries. The new space would allow taller objects to be displayed in natural light with a more intimate space located off its entry point. A dedicated education space was located adjacent to the existing galleries to encourage a direct interaction with the exhibition programme. A café with a connected gallery space, extended shop and new art workshop and administration spaces were also part of the requirements. These later spaces occupy a new structure which forms the rear concrete and aluminium facade to the restored Victorian galleries.
Conservation
Mostyn’s geographical and cultural location informed all thinking on the project, along with an appreciation of existing listed Victorian building. The existing gallery was originally difficult to read behind the dark red terracotta facade and the crudely joined canopy (which was actually an early addition along Vaughan Street). The team worked through an involved and at times constrained process with Conservation and Planning groups, creating an improved canopy with eye catching gold anodised features as modern counterpoints to the terracotta. The pyramidal spire was clad in the same material in order to create a visual focal point above the entry.
Construction
Due to the complexity of the rear buildings, a minor works contract was used followed by a standard traditional contract. This allowed detailed survey work to be carried out following demolition at the enabling stage which could then inform the main design. During the construction stage for Mostyn, a temporary prefabricated gallery space was also designed to keep exhibitions running during the construction programme.
Sustainability Outcomes
Socio-economic
The key aspect of the project’s sustainability objectives was to deliver a vital socio-economic asset to the community in which Mostyn. The Gallery’s increased appeal and stature is significant for the regeneration of the town.
Long life, low maintenance and energy efficency
The nature of the site and budgetary demands of these challenging interventions put strain on the sustainability aspirations and options for Low and Zero Carbon (LZC) technologies. The budgetary demands were viewed as an opportunity and emphasised the need for close life cycle cost analysis of sustainable design decisions. The hierarchy of design options for delivering sustainability was always considered. This hierarchy of principles prioritised the selection of low impact materials and the implementation of energy and resource conservation measures, along with good management techniques. These were prioritised before any technological solutions were considered. To this end the treatment of the existing building fabric was to offer long life, low maintenance and energy efficiency. Double glazing and internal wall insulation were incorporated and balanced with conservation demands.
Forward planning
Whilst budgetary constraints precluded the installation of some proposed systems, facilities have been allowed for possible future installation of solar thermal heating and efficient mechanical cooling to the galleries. Space has been provided to facilitate the installation, in the future, of air-source heat pumps for tempering the supply air to the galleries.
Quotes
As the new Mostyn took shape we felt it was turning into something special. When we finally took possession we felt immediately that it was going to be a delight to work in and a delight to be in. And so it has proved – in functional terms we cannot fault it; it works well for every individual, every department and every activity. We anticipated that it would be reasonably well received by our visitors. In fact the response has been stunning and it is hugely rewarding to be in the galleries and circulation spaces, to observe people responding to the materials and the spaces, the light and the design details. It is a wonderful building and being in it gives an enormous sense of well-being.
Martin Barlow, Director
Related links
Planning and Design Process
New axis
The extension is built on the Western side of the existing centre and as part of the design process a new East/West axis was established through the middle of the building, between the entrance and the existing reception area. Access to the first floor library, meeting room and turf-roofed deck is via a spiral staircase; whilst the ground floor comprises the entrance/reception, café, internet access area and information centre.
Materials
The building structure is timber-framed, whilst the roof is covered by an area of turf. The principal front wall was re-built using stone from the existing perimeter walls. The second phase of development included sculpture and glass works created from sustainable sources by sculptor Roger Moss and glass artist David Pearl. The external signage was created by Brenda Oaks.
Sustainability Outcomes
Materials
All timber was either FSC certified or taken from sustainable local sources and insulation was recycled newsprint for the walls and cork below the turf roofs. Various recycled materials were used for the interiors, including; door mats recycled from lorry tyres, reception desks incorporating recycled aluminium and glass, door fittings cast using recycled aluminium , café furniture fabricated from cable drums and circular windows fabricated from oak thinning.
Heating and cooling
The building is naturally ventilated and hot air is expelled via a solar ventilator, below which are 8 built in solar powered extractor fans. The photovoltaic cells power a battery and computer which constantly monitors temperatures. A series of solar water heating panels on the south-facing roof of the main building assist with heating water. The building has a water-based underfloor heating system. The west-facing double glazing was sand blasted in critical areas to limit solar heat gain.
Related links
Air Architecture
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Ty Glan Menai, Caernarfon (Dec 09)
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Callaghan Square Cardiff (Dec 09)
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Bryn House, Gower (Dec 09)
Two highly energy efficient homes that will produce more than 80% less carbon emissions than a standard new house have been chosen as the overall winners of the Welsh Passive House architectural competition.
Innovative designs, coupled with high levels of insulation and renewable energy, will dramatically reduce the need for supplementary heating, resulting in fuel bills that are at least two thirds cheaper than the average home.
The Design Commission for Wales were delighted to be a part of the judging panel including representatives from the Building Research Establishment and the Wales and West Housing Association who are the client for the project. The Commission has also advised on aspects of the wider ’Works’ scheme, from the masterplan, through to the hospital, Learning Campus, General Office refurbishment and Environmental Resource centre.
The winning 3 bed home – which has a wildflower meadow roof and 85% less carbon emissions than a standard new house – is designed by bere:architects of London and the 2 bed home, which utilizes hempcrete, paper and glass for insulation, is designed by HLM Architects, Cardiff.
The two houses will be built at The Works:Ebbw Vale – the former steelworks site – and form the nucleus of Future Homes, a demonstration centre for sustainable development and construction.
The competition, run by the Welsh Assembly Government and Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council in association with Building Research Establishment (BRE), attracted 26 entries from around the UK and tasked architects with designing a sustainable affordable home featuring innovative measures for energy efficiency and eco excellence.
The Welsh Passive House combines the principles of the highly efficient PassivHaus low carbon buildings standards pioneered in Germany and meet the Code for Sustainable Homes in Wales (CSH) level 5 requirements including waste disposal, use of local materials, water efficiency and use of renewable energy features..
The designs had to satisfy the CSH Level 5 standard, using local sustainable materials, incorporating innovative solutions for electricity reductions and construction costs.
Deputy Minister for Regeneration, Leighton Andrews, said the winning designs use a range of local Welsh products and are exemplars of low carbon energy efficiency.
“The innovative measures for energy efficiency used in these designs can be replicated in building developments throughout Wales and should cost no more than a standard home when economies of scale are taken into consideration.
“The new technologies together with the use of local products manufactured from recycled materials, open up a range of business, training and job opportunities for local people which supports our sustainable agenda.”
Both winning designs are highly energy efficient, substantially insulated to retain heat, have triple glazed windows, make the maximum use of natural light and sunshine and require only the minimal supplementary heating in winter.
Neither timber framed house needs a conventional space heating system but use a heat recovery ventilation system when the warmth is extracted from air within the house to heat incoming fresh air, which is then circulated.
Exterior highlights of the bere home include dry stone walling, larch cladding on the upper storey and a wildflower roof.
Evacuated glass tube solar panels provide 65% of the hot water throughout the year, which is supplemented by an energy efficient gas boiler. Electricity is supplemented by Photovoltaic panels, sheep’s wool is used for interior insulation while retractable external blinds provide shade in summer.
The HLM house is fitted with PV roof tiles to supplement electricity, hot water is provided by a wood pellet biomass boiler while rainwater is harvested for gardens and flushing toilets. Movement sensors control all fixed lighting
The HLM design also features dry stone walling and uses innovative local products ranging from cement replacement from Cenin in Bridgend to paper insulation from Excel Technology in the Rhymney Valley.
Jonathan Jones, HLM Regional Director, said: “Winning this competition, which is crucial to making sure homes across Wales become more sustainable, reflects our commitment to environmental design.
“Using local craftsmanship, supply and materials and leading edge environmental analysis and design tools we have created a truly vernacular house reflecting the heritage of both Wales and Ebbw Vale. By applying the principles of passive design with cutting edge environmental design tools, we have designed a low energy building at affordable cost.
“Our dedicated specialist team, HLM Environment, along with the invaluable support of Aecom, Vale Consultancy and EC Harris, have ensured the environmental impact of our project is minimal, in construction and in use. “
Justin Bere, Director of bere:architects said: “Our 3 bed house will be so energy efficient that most of its winter heat will come from the people living in the house so that only a tiny amount of supplementary heating will be required in the very coldest weather.
“ Wales has once again shown bold environmental leadership and it will reap the commercial and employment benefits that will undoubtedly come from creating the first Passivhaus skills base in the UK. I believe that Wales now has the opportunity to become the Passivhaus centre of the UK and our practice, bere
architects, looks forward to helping with this.”
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Morrison’s, Cwmbran (Sept 09)
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Sainsbury’s, Cwmbran (Sept 09)
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Chips, Manchester
Chips is part of the New Islington Millennium Community in Manchester. This building demonstrates a highly creative approach to an apartment block. It’s bold, colourful and a great addition to the masterplan for New Islington on a narrow, long, site adjacent to the canal, a ten-minute walk from the city centre.
Introduction
The Millennium Communities Programme brought forward a range of high quality and innovative developments, aimed at delivering new homes and commercial buildings to help residents and end users to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle.
Each of the communities was carefully master planned to include green open spaces, wildlife areas and recreation facilities so as to provide high quality public and private realm where community life can flourish.
Good transport links were a priority, and planners were tasked with giving as much thought to the needs of pedestrians and cyclists as to car-users. The Programme has attracted some of the most talented architects and successful developers in the UK, who all rose to the challenge of delivering exceptional places to live and work.
Seven developments have been delivered regionally. A central team was tasked with ensuring that the standards set were deliverable and consistent, and that the means of meeting the standards were recorded and collated so that lessons learned were widely disseminated throughout the housing industry.
Despite a slow transition through the planning process on some of the sites, all seven are now delivering homes built to the Millennium Community standards including to Eco-Homes Excellent (the relevant standard at the time). Themes contained in the New Islington development address environmental sustainability, social inclusion, new housing typologies and creating a sense of place and destination.
Chips is a 9-storey, 16,200m² gross, contemporary residential development, providing a mix of living, studio and restaurant spaces.
Alsop Architects were appointed by Urban Splash, to design the building in 2002 following the completion of Alsop Sparch’s Strategic Framework for the New Islington area in Manchester, England. The concept for the building was inspired by three fat chips piled on top of one another.
The site for Chips forms part of the New Islington Strategic Framework area to the North East of Manchester city centre. The overall site, which is brownfield, is bounded on the North West by Redhill Street and the Rochdale canal; on the North East by waste ground north of Woodward Place and by Weybridge road and Carruthers Street; on the South East by the Ashton Canal and on the South West by Cardroom Road and Vesta Street.
Specifically, the Chips site is the portion of the area formed on a peninsula directly north of and enclosed on the southern face by, the Ashton canal. Additional canal arms have been constructed to the east and west of the site enclosing it with water on three sides.
The Chips site is narrow and linear at just 28m at its widest point and approximately 120m long. It accommodates a level change of approximately 2.5metres along its length with the south west tip being the lowest and the north east the highest point of the site.
Design Process
Alsop Sparch developed the scheme in close collaboration with the local community. Using the Alsop strategy of engagement, the masterplan and the building design were developed from an extensive community engagement exercise over a six-month period. Local residents were taken on site visits to other high density residential developments that support the sustainable infrastructure desired. They were directly asked about the type of accommodation they wanted, the type of spaces and importantly the facilities that they felt the community would require. Residents’ opinions varied and the wish list included waterside living, healthcare facilities and parks as well as the best chip shop in Manchester!
The ambition for Chips was to create a high quality, high density affordable development, the scale of which was reduced by the juxtaposition of the massing of the architecture. The scheme was conceived to provide variation and unique apartments within a high density block. All residents were to be near water, to see water and to be able to use the new canal arms as a recreational facility.
The mix of apartments, studios, workshops and restaurants stitched into the overall building form creates the necessary diversity of use. The building was raised off the ground so that all units and users are elevated above the ground plain.
The principal idea of the apartments was to reduce the amount of unused circulation area and to make the apartments open plan, flexible and generous. Compact pre-fabricated kitchens and bathrooms sit within an overall apartment plan as opposed to being separated rooms. Folding partitions allow rooms to be joined together to create larger areas. The pods within the apartments house all the electrical and servicing requirements of the unit freeing the outer walls from switches, pipes and clutter. Large and varied window shapes provide variation and maximise daylight.
The building is constructed using a concrete frame which inherently assists with the acoustic and fire protection performance of the development and allows the apartments to have exposed concrete soffits. Externally the building uses a rain screen façade clad in composite Trespa panels which allow for the use of a diverse range of colours and for the large scale text, to be applied to the façade.
Sustainability Credentials
The scheme achieves a BREEAM Eco-Homes Excellent rating, conforms to the Manchester Methodist Housing Trust scheme’s stringent development standards and also meets the sustainability guidelines as set out by the UK Homes and Communities Agency as a part of the Millennium Community programme.
Designers Evaluation
The project strives to define a ‘quality of living’ statement by combining outstanding design with technological innovation while embracing key concepts of sustainability, integration into the urban landscape and the provision of inspirational and sensational apartment units.
Related Links EN/CY
http://www.alsoparchitects.com
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/jul/12/chips-will-alsop-manchester-review
http://www.e-architect.co.uk/manchester/chips_manchester.htm
Categories
Penmaen, Gower (Aug 09)
Existing Site
The new building is within the original perimeter walls of an 18th century kitchen garden situated in Blackrock, a suburb in the south of the city of Dublin. The garden was previously owned by a neighbouring convent that donated it to the Alzheimer’s Society for such a facility. The old garden walls were rectilinear, full-height and built of granite with warm bricks stocks to the sunward walls. Across the garden there was a slope of about two metres.
Planning Constraints
Under Irish conservation and planning laws, the garden walls were designated Protected Structures and were to be retained. The building was to respect the garden setting and the presence of the old walls. In addition, planning guidance required the building to be clad in brick to match the lining of the existing garden walls.
Design Process
Níall McLaughlin Architects were asked by the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland to research and then design an exemplary day care and respite centre for people with Alzheimer’s disease. The initial brief was to research contemporary thinking about Alzheimer’s disease and then design the building from those findings. Use of colour, light, movement, space, materials, smells, orientation and special¬ised standards were researched in the context of the disease and its effects and incorporated in the design process. The centre would provide beds for 11 patients and facilities for up to 25 during the daytime. It also includes the national offices for the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland and is intended to serve as an exemplar for future respite centre design.
People with Alzheimer’s benefit from remaining in company at the social hub of things, at the same time they feel a need to wander. These needs must be be reconciled and in the design for the new Alzheimer’s day care and respite centre, we achieved this through a plan that promotes wandering loops. These are journeys that one might take on an outbound meander that gently and directly bring one back to the sociable core. Journeys, where possible, are through gardens and rooms, avoiding claustrophobic corridors. No route ends on a cul de sac which might induce disorientation and/or panic.
The building consists of radiating walls supporting lanterns that bring light deep into the plan. By placing a radiating single storey building in the centre of the site we mitigated the slope, maximised views and enabled access for users to the resultant garden spaces that are created between the new construction and the old enclosure. As you move through the building you are constantly provided with glimpsed views of gardens. Each garden is orientated in a different direction and intended to be experienced at different times of the day. Users can move around rooms in the interior like a clock, experiencing change throughout their daily journey. Each garden is designed to generate character appropriate to its orientation and there are courtyards, orchards, allotments and lawns.
Materials & Methods of Construction
The timber frame of the building is clad in fair-faced brickwork chosen to weather and to match the warm bricks that line the existing original garden walls. External doors, clerestories and windows are framed in hardwood.
Designers Evaluation
The design integrates Níall McLaughlin Architects’ research findings with current thinking about Alzheimer’s disease and it includes wider design recommendations for older people. The research investigated contemporary writing on the subject, involved interviews with staff and volunteers; visits to other buildings and the observation of clients in their daily setting. The findings are manifest in the following features:
• Distances between seating areas are short
• Wide walkways have been introduced to ease assisted ambulant/wheelchair access and designed to enable two carers to walk with a resident.
• Toilets are located within very short distances of social areas and are visible from beds in bedrooms
• Lighting has been designed to minimise glare and shadow and to achieve even illumination throughout
• Floor, skirting and walls are clearly differentiated by use colour and tone; no patterns are used on floors and the possibility for sharp shadows has been minimised;
• Doors are colour coded to distinguish rooms between toilets, ‘my room’ or non-access
• Coloured walls are introduced in key positions to aid orientation
• The plan ensures intuitive, safe way-finding and there are no dark corridors or dead ends
• Raised planting beds are included in the garden
• Natural wandering loops are incorporated in the plan
• Continuous handrails are installed on walls throughout the building
• The sloping site has been organised to provide a central fully accessible level area with level access to gardens and courts.
• It is not a residential building, but the bedrooms are designed with window seats and built-in desks to allow someone to populate it easily with familiar mementos and objects
• The entrance is easy to find going in, but almost invisible once you are inside. This reduces anxiety for clients
• Every room has its own garden
• Rooms are connected by doorways and openings but they can be isolated if necessary to separate noisy, agitated or belligerent clients, allowing them to become calm in a safe place without agitating the rest of the community
• A z-shaped zone of ancillary rooms runs through the spine of the building allowing staff to work on tasks while maintaining constant passive contact with clients
• Staff rest space is removed from the client area to allow full wind down and relaxation.
• Three manager’s offices passively overlook the single entrance court, allowing an additional layer of unintrusive supervision.
Categories
Aldi, Aberystwyth (Jul 09)
Categories
Abergavenny Cattle Market (June 09)
Categories
Ael Y Bryn, Bwlch (Feb 09)
Planning and Design Process
Concept
The town’s main square is part of a World Heritage Site and was previously dominated by clutter, traffic and guard rails restricting pedestrian movement. The design concept originated in the desire to open up clear views to the Caernarfon castle and other historic buildings around the square. The public realm was to be a simple foreground plane to the high quality built form. The architecturally valuable cluster of the Presbyterian Church, adjacent banks and war memorial were developed as a counterpoint to balance the castle’s dominance of the space and by the addition of a new fountain and stepped seating area, where previously there had been an unattractive wall.
Objective
A primary objective was to make the square more inviting and usable for pedestrians. The design therefore required particular consideration of traffic management relating to the whole town centre, along with specific issues relating to the square such as the operation of markets, special events, taxi ranks, tourism and visitor management. The scheme was deliberately simple in approach aiming to create an uncluttered setting for the attractive buildings surrounding the square and the castle.
Shared Surface
The concept for a clean, flexible space led to proposals for a shared surface where pedestrians and vehicles have equal rights to the space. This approach encourages low traffic speeds and cars entering the space move more slowly than on conventional streets, enabling traffic calming, which encourages a greater sense of safety for pedestrians who wander across the square or meet to chat in the middle of the square leaving vehicles to negotiate their way around them. The lower traffic speeds tend to personalise interactions between motorists and between vehicle users and pedestrians so that potential conflict is reduced or resolved amicably in the same way that pedestrians negotiate one another on foot in a busy street.
Materials
Existing civic sculptures were relocated in the new square and a simple palette of new lighting, signage and furniture were also included, further enhancing the quality of the public realm.
Sustainability Outcomes
Materials
The surfacing materials include locally sourced Welsh Slate and Granite all from within 30 miles of Caernarfon.
Categories
The Small World Theatre
Planning and Design Process
Concept
Early in the design process it was decided that the architecture of the building should reflect the enthusiastic, creative, hands-on nature of the Small World Theatre. The physical shape and size of the building has developed simply and directly from the nature and extent of its function. Early design ideas drew heavily from the shape of a circus ‘Big Top’, which is still apparent. The building was conceived as a multi-purpose hall rising to 11m, with high levels of natural light and ventilation, permitting a retractable curtain drop, creating an indoor circular ‘mini marquee’ room within the large space, and with the ability for blackout at any time of day.
Space
The building accommodates a variety of different uses: a studio space, a rehearsal area, activity rooms, meeting rooms, a general workshop, storage space, offices, a resource library, a green room, a meeting room with a kitchen, and an exhibition space. This is a significant achievement in a building which has a complete absence of ‘dead’ space such as corridors, or right angled corners. All of the available space of the site has been utilised and the ratio of useable to non-useable space is virtually 100%.
Flexibility
These spaces are adaptable for different user needs and are multi-functional and different groups are able to use different parts of the building without interfering with each other. The main area is surrounded by ancillary rooms of varying sizes. The high roller shutter door between the workshop and the main space can be used as a proscenium enabling the workshop to become a stage area and the main studio to be an auditorium.
Construction
The structural frame in its vertical plane consists of two rings of columns. The inner ring of 400mm Douglas Fir poles, form the vertical sides of six triangular trusses which transmit all roof and floor loadings to six points at ground level. The sloping inner members of these trusses (Douglas Fir) rise to 11m to a ring at the apex. Double sawn timber members form the hip beams of the upper roof. Double horizontal cross members form beams which project into the inner atrium and support the Oak edge beams to the galleries which encircle the inner studio space. As well as leaning together and being secured at their upper points, these triangular trusses are ‘tethered’ back to a row of outer slender steel columns, most of which are encased in the outer perimeter wall. The function of the outer columns, aside from stabilising the inner ring, is to support a circle of ply box beams at first floor level. The box beams support the outer ends of the first floor joists and also support the first floor timber wall and the roof above it. The box beams additionally support the inner edge of the lowest roof of very shallow pitch which covers the peripheral rooms on the ground floor.
Sustainability Outcomes
Heating and cooling
The building has a very high net-to-gross floor area ratio, reducing the need to maintain or to heat ‘dead’ spaces such as corridors or connecting lobbies. A space heating and cooling system uses an air source heat pump producing a ratio of up to 3.5 times heat output to power input.
Use of technology
Solar roof mounted panels assist water heating for domestic use. A rain water harvesting system recycles water to the building for toilet flush to WC’s with dual flush facility.
Recycled materials
A large percentage of the insulation is made of recycled materials such as newspaper, resulting in very low U values. Recycled slate was used for the roof; a decision made possible by the breakdown of the roof into small areas, reducing the need for precise matching of size and colour. It was also used in areas of flooring. Cardigan brick found on the demolition site was re-used.
Biodiversity
The building has a sedum roof covering to the lower areas which reduces flash flooding and encourages biodiversity in the townscape environment.
Local economy
The structural frame uses locally sourced timber rather than steel. All labour has come from the local community including additional labour from volunteers.
Related links
Categories
Chapter Arts Centre
Planning and Design Process
Public Space
The essential architectural move is the creation of a broad shaft of public space running right through the building between two entrances of equal priority, one opening off a new paved piazza to the south, the second to the car park on the north, by way of a new partially covered courtyard space with external seating. The effect is to make Chapter more open and welcoming and in the few months since reopening, Chapter has seen a more than doubling of both visitor numbers and turnover. This ‘broad shaft of public space’ is busy. Parents with prams, students with laptops, elderly people, small groups, residents of Canton, Cardiff and beyond; they’re all here.
Accessibility
You can enter Chapter through one end of the building and leave from the other. At the south entrance the new two-tone tarmac piazza, its pattern inspired by Stockholm’s Sergels Torg, clears away a complicated, multi-level approach to the building through groves of shrubbery. Three new entrance doors replace one. Above the south entrance, a large lightbox hosts a series of artists’ commissions and lights the first floor theatre foyer, carved from a multitude of small rooms and giving easy access into the refurbished studio theatre. From the car park, a convoluted back door route is replaced by a large glazed entrance into a planted courtyard which, in summer becomes an extension to the café area.
Sequential spaces
The public areas of Chapter now occupy a continuous series of interpenetrating spaces which wrap around the longest bar in Wales. The box office reception is no longer in a box, and is open and friendly. The school’s old tiled dadoes have been revealed. The gallery and shop spaces have been reconfigured, with better access from the foyer and new lighting. The cinema foyer opens through to the two cinemas. The 60 seat Cinema 2 has been fully refurbished, its colour scheme a homage to another Stockholm icon, Asplund’s 1923 Skandia Cinema.
Sustainability Outcomes
Insulation
Although there was limited scope for improving the sustainability of the existing fabric, given that the budget did not allow a comprehensive refurbishment, wherever fabric was repaired it was done so to a high standard of insulation. The new roof, new wall areas and new windows are highly insulated.
Energy usage
In areas where a full refurbishment took place, or where new build extensions were added, improvements to the building’s energy performance were well in excess of Building Regulations requirements. In particular, the building’s boilers were replaced with high efficiency condensing boilers, heating controls were carefully zoned for better efficiency and low energy lighting with intelligent controls are used.
Quotes
‘If there is a better municipal arts centre than Chapter anywhere in Europe, I would like to see it. I remember helping to splash on the walls and sand the floors back in 1970. The new Chapter looks stunning.’
Wales’ First Minister Rhodri Morgan, at the launch event in November 2009
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Local materials
In terms of construction, the sustainability response has been to use local timber and lightweight construction with high insulation in addition to providing natural light and ventilation.
Quotes
“We are delighted with the studios and Heatherwick’s design. The concept really has captured the imagination of arts organisations and artists in the area – we have formed a creative community here which will work closely with, and will add to the strength of, the growing creative cluster in Aberystwyth”.
Alan Hewson, Director of Aberystwyth Arts Centre
Related links
Heatherwick Studio
Planning and Design Process
Vision
The evolution of the design came through a thorough understanding of the ‘phenomenology of place’ and critically, the client’s individual lifestyle. The vision was to marry daily routines and social interaction with an architecture that allows freedom and versatility.
Planning process
The site is located on the Gower Peninsula, a sensitive location in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Prior to the appointment of Hyde + Hyde, an earlier application had been made for a large scale ‘Huf Haus’ style development. The reason for the failure of this application was that it was ‘out of keeping with local character’. The client was advised to seek architects experienced in high quality domestic work. After three pre-planning consultations and closer consultation with the local planning department, Hyde+ Hyde was awarded full planning within 8 weeks and without the application going to committee.
Orientation
Due to the impressive sunsets on the Gower, the client specifically requested a house that would address this. We responded with a form that through its plan, metaphorically embraces the sun with arms outstretched, opening westwards. The internal courtyard accommodates our client’s needs with regard to social interaction, while the bedroom wing acts as a sound barrier to the adjacent road. The house reveals a strong directional orientation towards the setting sun, celebrated through various cantilevers that dramatise the external form, whilst providing shelter from the elements. A simple timber clad platonic box, strategically positioned hints at a more radical composition within the private courtyard hidden from view. The lap pool reaches through the courtyard out into the landscape, banked by a monolithic wall which acts as a canvas for sunlit reflections off the water. The ground floor plan forms the ‘arms’ of the courtyard, developed for its flexibility and to provide a space of privacy and seclusion.
Traditional construction
The logic behind the construction is an expression of tectonic honesty. Hyde + Hyde researched the traditional regional construction methods of historic barn typologies at St Fagans National History Museum, Cardiff. This inspired a post and beam language for the internal courtyard guest bedroom elevation, with a contemplative mono-pitch roof to the bedroom areas.
Materials
Natural materials were used wherever possible including sawn faced slate, with a strong emphasis on horizontal coursing to reduce the scale of the building and accentuate a relationship with the horizon. Other materials include glass, timber, and standing seam Anthrazinc which plays to the analogy of traditional slate, as a ‘metaphorical skin’. Modern material technology is utilised in the Glulam Beams, allowing an extension to the conventional limitations of a timber beam.
Impact on landscape
The design’s composition of a cantilevered timber-clad box embraces the view, but also provides protection to the kitchen, dining and living areas, logically configured at the heart of ground floor plan. The low-sitting design minimises its impact on the landscape and from the approaching road and public realm the building is a modest simple style echoing that of the local barns. The house looks like a simple timber clad box from the road but suggests that there may be a different, more radical design approach behind the building within the private courtyard that cannot been seen.
Sustainability Outcomes
Temperature
Close consultation with an independent energy consultant ensured we could provide a highly insulated building envelope to reduce heat loss significantly, whilst also reducing any possibility of ‘cold bridging’. Low ceiling heights were incorporated in key living spaces to reinforce a sense of human scale, whilst efficiently reducing the amount of internal volume requiring heat.
Air tightness
Air tightness was another key factor that was monitored on site and through detailed specifications including 1:5 detail drawings.
Materials
The identification of sustainable materials was another key factor such as the locally sourced ‘Berwyn Slate’ and heat treated timber from managed sources.
Developing technologies
This new home integrates passive solutions with developing technologies such as ground source heat pumps and future planned rainwater harvesting. Externally, an Air-Source heat pump provides warm water for the pool whilst the lower garden provides discretely concealed beds to fulfil the client’s desire for a space to grow fruit and vegetables.
Quotes
“If you want to create a low-carbon contemporary home in an area of outstanding natural beauty, you need an architect who understands its surroundings and interprets the owners’ lifestyle to deliver a unique structure that will complement Gower and set a benchmark for generations. The Hyde’s attention to detail incorporated a model, photo-montage and visuals of every angle, which assisted planning officers and has proven invaluable to the build. We are now looking forward to many years in our new home”
Client testimonial
Related links
Planning and Design Process
Renewal
The principal aims of the development were to secure the long term future of the Grade II* listed building and to upgrade the associated grounds, improving the buildings setting. The original brief was to provide, on behalf of Galliard Homes, new residential accommodation within the structure of the existing buildings, together with new accommodation in the east and west extensions of the woodlands block. An additional floor was created and set back from the south façade on the headlands. New additions to the courtland elements were constructed to provide balance and symmetry to the overall plan.
Sympathetic design
The additions do not copy or pastiche the existing design but utilise the same palette of materials, principally of steel windows set within a rendered façade with horizontal banding echoing the brick panels on the original building. The fundamental design approach to the redevelopment of the old hospital is that the final developed building closely follows the original 1930s concept of a symmetrical building set within a generous landscape.
Restoration
Key to the development was the repair of the listed buildings which had suffered as a result of general weathering and poor maintenance since becoming vacant. All the elevations were repaired and re-rendered to once again provide the crisp white finish synonymous with the hospital’s historical appearance. New materials on both the new and existing structures were of high quality to match the existing range of materials and all works were carried out in conjunction with conservation experts, the Vale of Glamorgan and Cadw.
Design Manual
Given the challenging scale of the project in providing over 240 flats, the control of the repairs and the consistent approach to detailing uniquely employed a Design Manual prepared by the developer’s conservation architect Frank Woods, in liaison with the architects Atkins Walter Webster (AWW). This was agreed between all the parties, including the local planning authority, and was used as a day to day basis for making decisions, and imposing a strong discipline in maintaining a consistent approach to detail.
Accessibility
From the outset it was important to develop a scheme that would be accessible to all people with disabilities. This raised some matters related to the listed structure, and the change of use required the complete refurbishment and re-organisation of the internal layouts and spaces. The layout of the units is such that they have been grouped around smaller ‘cores,’ this has reduced the scale of the development and provided a sense of ownership for occupants. Within these cores all circulation routes are kept to a minimum so to utilise outward views from the apartments.
Legibility
A key feature of the movement strategy through the site was the retention of the existing ‘spine corridor’ this is a listed feature which runs directly though the centre of the development from north to south. This link allows the smaller cores to be accessible from this main route and provides a pedestrian route through the development. Movement through the site is assisted by the installation of coloured portals on key routes. These are designed, coloured and located in key areas to signify features within the spine corridor. They have been segregated into 3 types and colours to highlight information points, accessibility points and larger spaces and finally changes in routes. By the simple use of colour these spaces are more legible and accessible to the user.
Character
The overall design utilises a logical approach which allows for an efficient layout and maximises the positives of the site. Stairs and lifts have been inserted / located into the areas which do not benefit from the views over the site and have been grouped close to the apartment entrances to keep travel distances to a minimum. The sub-division of the building allows each segment to have its own character and feel. This is further aided by the existing buildings which differ in their layout, orientation, scale and mass. For example the ceiling height is greater in the headland block (former ward element) than in the more intimate woodlands block (former nurses’ accommodation). These existing features have been incorporated into the scheme and provide a distinct character throughout.
Innovation
Care and attention to detail was taken to provide an appropriate alternative to the original W 20 series steel window glazing sections – the obvious replacement with new W 20 profiles was not acceptable because of cold bridging. The developer, Galliard, sanctioned research with the window manufacturer Salisbury Glass, to have new dies made for aluminium profiles which exactly match internally and externally the W 20 profiles but which are deeper in section to accommodate the necessary thermal bridging.
Phasing
The scheme was constructed in a phased development which allowed for a handover of the completed elements when complete. The development followed a southerly path with the northern elements completed initially, and the headlands building overlooking the channel completed and occupied last.
Sustainability Outcomes
Thermal improvements
The current structure was built using a solid wall construction which was typical of the period. As a result of this method of construction and the site’s proximity to the Bristol Channel, the structure suffered severely from water damage and damp. Part of the refurbishment was to dramatically increase the thermal properties of the building by adding insulation and dry-lining to prevent water penetration in the living accommodation. On certain elements, insulated breathable render was also specified. In addition, all the existing concrete roofs were repaired and rebuilt with new insulation and weather protection. These simple additions reduced heating requirements and provided internal spaces which are efficient and comfortable to live in and offer a great improvement on the existing structure.
Windows
Linked with the thermal improvements was the need to find a replacement for the existing Crittal W20 steel windows. With over 350 windows in the scheme, a replacement was required that would improve the buildings’ thermal properties and be low maintenance and durable enough to cope with the external conditions so as to have a long life span. The new window system developed provided windows with increased thermal properties as well as satisfying the appearance criteria set by Vale of Glamorgan and Cadw, resulting in profiles which matched the original frames.
Remediation
Decommissioning and removal of the existing clinical incinerator and associated outbuildings on site was also required. At peak use and still with licence to run for a further 17 years, the incinerator was burning some 985 tonnes of clinical waste per year including human tissue and low grade radioactive waste from the diagnostic radiology department. Aside from the visual benefits of removing this facility there was the very significant environmental improvement delivered including the remediation of contaminated ground, improved local air quality, health and amenity benefits for local residents and the cleansing of the surrounding natural coastal habitat.
Waste
Originally there was no facility to treat foul sewage before discharge into the Bristol Channel. A new system to treat outgoing waste was installed with a localised sewage treatment plant on site cleansing the waste before its discharge into the existing outfall. The system employs a sampling facility to ensure that the high levels of treatment are retained.
Related links
Atkins Walter Webster
Categories
Ty Pren – Powys
Planning and Design Process
Design development
Two years or research and design development was undertaken by the architects researching and developing the design through site visits, models and prototypes. This period was also used to procure local materials and to develop and adapt a Welsh vernacular.
Welsh culture
The architects felt that the real strength of Welsh culture was found in simple plain chapels and vernacular buildings embedded in the countryside, gradually added to and elaborated. They were keen to take reference from these, whilst avoiding simply reproducing an explicit version of the historic vernacular, an approach that would devalue the original. The intention was to reinterpret through familiar forms and ideas coupled with a holistic approach to environmental sustainability.
Landscape context
The site itself inspired the ‘long house’ design, and using contemporary construction techniques a thoroughly modern and high performance building, which responds directly to the landscape was delivered. The design was environmentally driven throughout and the passive solar design strategy uses every natural energy source available, supplementing the active features, such as the log boiler.
Sustainability Outcomes
Solar gain
An analysis of seasonal sun paths determined the building’s location in order to maximise solar gain, whilst also providing a south-facing garden to grow produce and maximise views over the valley. The compact design forms a sealed box that opens to the south and enables natural light and optimal cross and stack ventilation throughout. The south facing elevation and fenestration use optimal proportions of glazing (approximately 30% of the south elevation is glazed compared with just 5% of the northern), whilst alongside this deep window reveals and sliding shutters prevent excessive solar gain in the summer. These measures are designed to maximise solar gain in the winter and minimise overheating in the summer. The building only requires active heating throughout two months of the year and sustains internal temperatures though passive solar heating the in the shoulder seasons.
Green technologies
Collaborating with Green Earth Energy Ltd from the outset nearly 10% of the overall budget was invested in green technologies; the active heating strategy combines hot water from the 8KW log boiler and the solar collectors in a 500 litre accumulator tank, whilst the collectors also supply all domestic hot water needs and supplement the under floor heating system. A Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVRH) system efficiently ventilates during the winter months and a Klargestor Biodisk operates as a sealed ‘water waste processing plant’ in the garden.
Materials
Many of the materials were sourced locally; from the larch cladding, sourced and felled from the client’s estate two miles away and subsequently milled on site, to the Welsh slate, recycled from derelict buildings on the estate, which wrap the roof and exposed north wall, and internally locally sourced oak was used on the fit out. The house also uses Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) coupled with high performance windows and secondary insulation from a sheep’s wool blend.
Energy rating
Ty Pren achieved a SAP rating of 79 and Dwelling CO2 emissions rate 5.5 kgCO2/m2/year – six times more efficient than the government’s target emissions rate for a home of this size. Overall this 175m2 house produces 968.9 kg of carbon annually and with a small amount of energy generation on site this home has the potential to be zero carbon.
Related links
Feilden Fowles
Categories
Cardiff Central Library
Planning and Design Process
Brief
The client brief was to create a sustainable landmark building on a prominent site, symbolising the values of knowledge, learning and culture.
Planning Constraints
The key planning constraints included the way in which the building related to the adjacent conservation area and facilitate the retention of key historic routes and views south towards Cardiff Bay. These constraints informed the building’s massing and the way in which the overlapping geometries were established.
Legibility
The building consists of two interlocking elements; a transparent area defining the open plan library acting as a lantern, and a solid block housing cellular accommodation. The solid area is contained in an external skin of brass cladding inspired by the random appearance of leather bound books on shelves. These two elements are unified by a four storey atrium providing passive ventilation and daylight. Staggered walkways across the space offer dramatic views over the city, with the upper floors creating a new window on the skyline. The atrium and open plan floors form an open and legible internal environment which lifts the spirits and creates an exciting experience. The circulation takes visitors on a journey to the heart of the building with all library activities branching from it, including spaces for group activity or individual contemplation.
Materials
The exposed structure employs architecturally finished in-situ concrete columns and coffered soffits. The natural finish of the concrete is offset against the warmth of a timber glulam panelled roof which spans the entire library space. Variety in layout, colour and furnishings is used to appeal to a wide cross-section of users and creates a library with a buzz and sense of life. A striking architectural feature of the building is the high performance ‘spectrally selective’ coating on the facades, coupled with screen printed panels and solar fins, which provide an expressive articulation to the external elevation.
Sustainability Outcomes
Ecology
The ecological value of the site, previously a car park, has been substantially increased through consultation with a registered ecologist and provision of an extensive green roof. The library achieved more than 90% of the BREEAM ecology credits, which is exceptional for a city centre development.
Whole Life Costing
Whole Life Costing (WLC) was a tool used by the project team to identify and compare sustainable design solutions which would deliver the greatest economic and environmental benefits over the life of the building – not simply the lowest capital cost option. For example it was determined that boreholes for pre-heating and pre-cooling air distributed through the building were the most appropriate solution. At a cost of £300,000 this was an expensive choice, but the team decided to proceed as it would provide the greatest benefit to operation of the library.
Materials
Materials have been specified to minimise the lifecycle impact of the library. Materials which are ‘A’ rated according to The Green Guide to Specification have been installed for windows that can be opened properly, roof, floor finishes and internal walls. Durable materials, fixtures and fittings have been installed in frequently used areas to reduce the need for replacement, and 100% of timber has been sustainably certified by FSC. Materials were sourced locally where possible including Welsh slate for floor finishes.
Heating and cooling
The structure employs exposed concrete soffits to help achieve a comfortable open plan space, which uses night time cooling to avoid the need for air conditioning. The underside of the roof is lined with sustainable timber panelling and glulam beams. The facades incorporate high performance ‘spectrally selective’ coating, screen printed panels and solar fins, allowing good daylight and reduced solar heat gains and glare.
Energy Management
There is a building management system for heating, lighting and airflow to maintain efficient energy usage. The system monitors and controls each floor individually, resulting in optimum comfort conditions and lower energy consumption and waste.
Water consumption
Water consumption in the library is minimised through installation of water efficient fittings, low-flush toilets, a water meter with a pulsed output and a leak detection system. The extensive green roof attenuates over 50% of rainwater run-off.
Quotes
“I worked for over 25 years at the old library in the centre of Cardiff and I’m proud to have been involved in the planning, development and building of the new library. It is an extraordinary building with so much to offer the people of Cardiff and South Wales. Its BREEAM Excellent rating means that it is a landmark building for the capital city. Its unique sustainable features make it not only a functional building but one that will attract the attention of keen environmentalists”.
Rob Boddy, Chief Librarian, Library Services, Cardiff Council
Related links
BDP
Planning and Design Process
Client’s vision
Create a high quality educational, cultural and leisure facility that celebrates synergy between heritage, and built and natural environments. Promote sustainable building and demonstrate renewable energy use and water management to a wide audience. The brief included residential accommodation, canteen, visitor interpretation centre, classrooms, staff facilities and sustainable energy centre.
Landscape context
The scheme takes the form of a series of small pavilions which are linked, creating a route through the site. As the ground level gradually falls away across the site, the timber pavilions are raised on piloti, positioned to preserve the natural habitat, nestling within mature trees. The metal portals frame key views in the landscape. Pavilions and portals are linked by a walkway forming a promenade through the grove of trees. The pavilions, portals and walkways define landscape courtyard.
Prefabrication
To maximise efficiency, meet the project programme and minimise environmental impact, 80% of the timber frame building was constructed off site using timber from sustainable sources. The prefabricated modules were craned into place and assembled on site. Driving construction off site provided a high quality product and minimum impact on the site. The modules were delivered through April and May 2008, coming together in only two weeks, making this scheme the largest prefabricated modular building in Wales.
Materials
The prefabricated timber volumetric units are clad in UK grown sweet chestnut rain screen as a response to the exposed nature of the site. All claddings are untreated and will take on a silver colour as they age, blending the building into its wooded surroundings. The steel frame portal structures are copper-clad and will patina to an earthy red.
Sustainability Outcomes
Heating and cooling
A passive, sustainable design strategy was developed using the expertise and resources of the Welsh School of Architecture. To minimise heat loss and the need for mechanical services, the building has been insulated to standards in excess of Building Regulation requirements. The external walls have a design U value of 0.23W/m2K, while roofs and floors have design U values below 0.15W/m2K. Space heating is provided by a 150kW wood pellet biomass boiler. The north facing roof-lights also help to maximise penetration of natural light while minimising solar heat gain.
Ventilation
The centre is designed to be naturally ventilated via a combination of opening windows and automatic roof lights.
Water
Rainwater is stored in a below ground tank and is used for flushing WCs and urinals in the public toilets.
Related links
Design Research Unit Wales
Planning and Design Process
Location context
The existing architecture can be read on plan as two interlocking rectangles; the diagonal overlap coupled with a rising terrain to the rear reinforces the building’s orientation to the open aspect and towards the ocean. The architects proposed a cantilevering steel frame, elegantly detailed and pushed to its structural limits. This emphasised the building’s metaphorical and physical assimilation with the sea, creating a dramatic response to site whilst offering a wonderful covered external dining area for the client. Working closely with the planning department, the new reconfiguration was devised to create an atmosphere rich with light and space, whilst simultaneously allowing for well-proportioned areas of privacy and seclusion.
Spatial variations
This newly formed roof arrangement allowed for a series of spatial variations from enclosure to exposure. Coupled with dramatic sliding glass screens that allow the whole living and kitchen area to open to the view, this heightens the drama and plays with the perception of internal/external space and carries the sounds of the sea in to the house. The succession of enclosed snug room, to open plan interior, to external rain canopy, culminates in the dramatic sky frame that captures the ever changing weather patterns overhead. This transitional configuration embodies the building’s success, matching spatial variation to the mood of the occupants or occasion.
Materials
Clad with black standing seam Anthra-Zinc, the roof materiality is not simply reserved solely for the top of the building. By wrapping the roof plane down the north elevation, the enclosure and directional nature of the public elevation toward the ocean is again reasserted. Attention to detail was critical in balancing the overall composition. Using a stainless-steel tensile wire balustrade on the terrace, draws strong parallels with nautical engineering whilst at the same time eliminating the need for maintenance of structural glass. Cedar evokes the memory and association of beach hut typology, whilst its natural durability is well suited to an unforgiving marine environment. Horizontal timber cladding accentuates the linear nature of the overall composition.
Sustainability Outcomes
Reuse
One of the key decisions made by the client in the early stages of the project was to refurbish rather than demolish Idle Rocks. Sustainability was considered early on and the various options for a low-carbon building were examined. One of the key advantages of refurbishment over demolition was the latent embodied energy in the existing structure which mitigated the impact of fresh raw material extraction, construction, transport, manufacture, assembly and installation.
Temperature
The designers worked closely with an independent energy consultant to ensure a highly insulated building envelope to reduce heat loss, while being conscious of the need to reduce any thermal bridging. Other considerations involve the inclusion of large overhangs to avoid Solar Gain; air-tight detailing; low ceiling heights, therefore reducing the volume of space to heat and a gas fire for use as secondary heating.
Quotes
“We have finally moved in! Hyde + Hyde were right – it was worth waiting for. They have designed the most beautiful home for us, and we love every minute of being here. Their vision, passion, enthusiasm (and calmness!) has been reflected in Idle Rocks. So many people stop to admire our new home – we have had many cards put through the letterbox from people we don’t know, but who appreciate how the house looks”.
Client testimonial
Related links
Hyde + Hyde
Planning and Design Process
Restoration
The original High Street frontage was badly damaged by the installation of a 1960s panelled façade. Together with the planning authority and local groups, the design team considered whether to repair the old or build an entirely new structure. Key considerations, including the structural stability of the adjoining buildings, pointed to repairing the original brick and terracotta frontage and reinstating the integrity of the High Street which contributes to the character of the conservation area. The façade was repaired but further adapted to suit the new use. The ornate red brickwork arches were reinstated but the first floor cills to the large window openings were cut down to the floor level to provide better interconnectivity between the new upstairs café and the High Street. The café windows slide back fully behind new metal railings, allowing the café to open up to the street and to enjoy the south west aspect. The balustrade is formed in tensile stainless steel to minimise visual impact. A new glass canopy forms a modern counterpoint to the Victorian façade. There is a high level of visibility through a large glazed screen between the street and the entrance foyer which is designed to be welcoming and accessible to all users.
Construction
The auditoria are set back behind the small-scale High Street frontage and are housed in a plain, red brick rectangular shed, topped by a lightweight metal clad ‘roof box’ which houses the digital media suite. The red brick was selected to match that of the repaired frontage on the High Street. The scale of the rear ‘shed’ was dictated by the fly-tower of the previous auditorium , which had been structurally condemned and demolished in 2002. The rear elevation is contemporary in design and forms a frontage to the retail development.
The new ‘shed’ is constructed around a conventional steel frame on bottom driven piles. The steel frame was erected to prop the fragile existing building before any alterations were carried out to it, founded as it is with shallow footings on peat. Lightweight construction needed careful detailing and workmanship to provide good sound-proofing between the variety of rooms and a durable finish for heavy occupation.
Inclusivity
The process of developing the brief, evaluating design options and developing the design was inclusive. The Scala Advisory Group was established at the outset with representatives from the County and District Councils, Business Community, Friends of the Scala and members of the local community. There is a single accessible and welcoming entrance for all staff and visitors. Not only is the approach and main entrance easily identifiable, well lit and easy to use, but the internal layout of the building is legible. Way finding has been enhanced though the use of coded colours contributing to the overall interior design scheme.
Sustainability Outcomes
Regeneration
The Scala is a key piece of the town centre regeneration. While local development incorporates some parking provision, the Scala’s central location near to other town centre facilities encourages walking and car-free access. The building’s main sustainability credential is its flexibility and popularity. As a successful community building it is already into a second life and will be maintained and cared for over the long-term.
Materials
Durable materials were specified which, with minimum maintenance, will not need replacement for many years. The sixty year designed life of the building is minimum, which it is expected to exceed.
Quotes
“The Scala is a prime example of how all the agencies involved have worked together with the local community to turn around the fortunes of the building and create a facility of which local people can feel proud. The former Scala closed in 2000 due to structural problems and the local community said they wanted the building to be restored. That work began in 2007 with the building officially opened in 2009. To be awarded this special recognition in the Civic Trust Awards is a feather in the Scala’s cap and reaffirms the fact that the building is a facility for the local community.”
Councillor Rhiannon Hughes, Chair of the Scala Board of Trustees
Related links
Burrell Foley Fischer LLP
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St Luke’s CE Primary School
Architype
Wolverhampton County Council and Diocese of Lichfield
What we like about this project.
Located at the heart of a close knit, multi-cultural community in the city of Wolverhampton the school has strong links to the local church and community centre. The school has a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The site.
The school is located on a constrained, sloping site where a tower block once stood, in a predominantly industrial area. It has a strong civic and visual relationship with the adjacent church, a new neighbourhood centre also designed by Architype, and a new village green at the heart of a proposed new housing development. The school creates a new two form entry school for 420 with a 30 place nursery.
The design process.
For a primary school the plan is radical. Corridors are eliminated and combined with specialist spaces to form two generous and airy activity ‘hubs’, around which the classrooms are arranged.
One of the hubs is designed as a large, open plan, double height activity space, shared by Key Stage (KS)1 and KS2 classrooms, allowing a wide range of flexible teaching methods and educational opportunities, whilst expressing the dynamic, in- teractive social ethos of the school.
The second hub forms a shared activity space at the heart of the Foundation Stage unit. This space also provides a generous circulation area for KS1 and KS2 children moving through to the halls, creating overlaps and links between all ages and engendering a feeling of one unified school.
A flexible range of rooms are available and accessible for community use, whilst maintaining the security of the school. These overlapping and complex requirements are achieved in a simple, legible layout. Large sliding glazed screens enable ground floor classrooms to extend outside under a generous canopy, which also provides solar shading and shelter.
The architects’ response to the brief and limited budget was to integrate sustainability from the first principles.
Sustainability credentials.
The school was the first primary school in Britain to achieve BREEAM Excellent status. The plan and the section are integrated to create an architecture that moderates the environment efficiently and achieves: good day lighting; maximum solar gain whilst preventing overheating; natural ventilation in every room; and is delightful and uplifting, but provides practical and purposeful spaces.
St Luke’s is one of the buildings forming part of the Architype Oxford Brookes University Knowledge Transfer Partnership research programme. It is being monitored over a two year period, to include en- ergy and water consumption, temperature, humidity and CO2 performance, and user feedback using the Usable Building Trust analysis tool. Feedback from this monitoring will be reported in the autumn of 2011.
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St David’s Hotel Harlech (Dec 08)
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A55 Britannia Bridge (Nov 08)
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Milford Haven Town Centre (Oct 08)
The visitor and environmental education centre at the wetlands is a good example of an uncomplicated design which sits well within the context of a very sensitive landscape. Approached on foot from the car park, the building arouses curiosity, enticing visitors to stop and observe the wetlands and to explore the landscape beyond.
Introduction
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) environmental education and visitor centre was built to provide access to the wetlands nature reserve established as mitigation for the loss of mudflats in Cardiff Bay. The reserve covers over 438 hectares close to Newport city centre, overlooking the Severn Estuary and is a highly sensitive site designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area for birds and Special Area of Conservation.
The building is approached via a ramped boardwalk leading to an external gathering area which in turn leads to spacious information and reception areas. The building provides a range of accommodation including a large meeting room, sub-divisible classroom, office and ancillary staff accommodation, a workshop, garage and verandas for informal seating and teaching.
A simple single-storey steel and timber structure was used which was elevated above the ground on steel piles to reduce the need for excavation and allow for the possibility of flooding, and for water bodies and reed beds to run up to and around the building.
The centre aims to provide children from Newport schools with an opportunity to explore the local natural environment and to become part of a recognised network of reserve based National Curriculum Centres for Wales. The design aims to be as inclusive and accessible as possible, with full wheelchair access along the ramped walkways and I.T and audio loop systems inside the building.
Design Process
The siting of the building was determined by a number of factors such as minimising the impact on ecology and habitats for protected species, hydrology and water management, engineering stability, pollution risk from construction and use of the centre, and viewing of wildlife. The site is located on the flood plain and below the mean high water spring tidal level. Consideration was also given to providing shelter whilst allowing optimum viewing conditions and protecting the site from local sources of pollution.
The design creates a strong sense of place and identity through its relationship with the landscape and use of natural, sustainable materials which over time will age and mature, bedding the building into the landscape. The timber gives the building a natural element while the use of copper cladding and the exposed steel structure are intended to pay homage to the significance of these elements in the industrial heritage of Newport.
The existing car parking facilities were upgraded and a new entrance provided to improve visibility for vehicles leaving the site. Secure cycle storage is available and efforts continue to improve cycle access.
Sustainability Credentials
The building was designed with the reduction of energy consumption as a key consideration along with the use of materials with a low embodied energy. Selection of materials was further informed by sustainability, durability and appearance with all timber being Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified. Sweet chestnut cladding is sourced from managed UK plantations and hardwood decking from certified sustainable sources.
Building insulation values are 10% higher than regulations required at the time and the building has high performance building systems and controls, supplemented by photovoltaic panels and solar collectors.
Reliance on artificial lighting is reduced by large windows and roof glazing to maximise daylight, while generous roof overhangs help to protect from excessive heat gain from passive solar gain. Windows were reduced and kept small on the north and west sides to reduce heat loss.
An initial archaeological assessment was undertaken as part of the ground investigation and an archaeological watching brief was included in the specification for the works. Initial habitat surveys were also undertaken and followed up with an environmental management plan developed in consultation with the council and environmental bodies.
The building achieved a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating.
Designers Evaluation
The design team have ensured that the building relates well to its surrounding landscape and sensitive environment in terms of design, sustainability and heritage.
In the spirit of the surrounding wetland, the building’s design has considered accessibility and inclusiveness as a key factor.
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TALL Buildings SPG. Cardiff (July 08)
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Seabank Hotel, Porthcawl (July 08)
Building professionals are often criticised for putting profit before environmental impact, but the Design Commission for Wales senses a welcome change in the air following recent announcements from the Construction Industry Council, the UKGBC and from some home grown expertise.
At a recent conference of construction professionals, climate change was named as their top concern. ‘Trying harder’ was no longer seen as an option and a root and branch appraisal of design was needed to help mitigate the impact of the construction industry on climate change. The pressure is certainly on for the industry as the Welsh Assembly Government has already announced its aspiration to achieve zero carbon rated buildings from 2011, ahead of the 2016 target in England.
Carole Anne-Davies, Chief Executive, Design Commission for Wales, said, “The Design Commission for Wales has long been a champion of sustainable design and has always said innovation in this area would come from the professional design industries. Before you can build sustainably you have to design sustainability. Somehow in recent years we’ve arrived at a position of building high energy consuming, resource inefficient buildings, inadequately linked to public transport. Coupled with construction waste – it’s not a good position to be in.
“Key messages, which we’ve consistently highlighted for over half a decade, regarding good, resource efficient, sustainable design, are at last striking a few chords. It’s a huge opportunity for the construction business and suppliers and it’s encouraging to hear a more positive approach ahead of impending regulation. The skills of designers are crucial as well as the gearing up of the industry. We should be looking to our innovative designers and learning from them.
“The Commission is delighted that Welsh practice Gaunt Francis has been the first to build a house for a volume builder which meets Code Level 6 on the Code for Sustainable Homes. This is the highest level for zero carbon building on the Code and is the target for 2016.
“We have a practice here at home innovating in this way, with lessons to share for the domestic volume building market. It’s not a minute too soon. Test projects like this one will help provide the answers to the considerable challenges ahead and the Barratt Green House by Gaunt Francis is something the industry should be learning from. It’s a huge opportunity to celebrate good practice and share the knowledge and experience gained from the project. It’s also a signal of popular support as over 22,000 people voted for the design when it was publicised in the Daily Mail competition.
“The Design Commission works with design and development teams on all kinds of schemes in Wales and we can see indications that the tide is turning. In many areas there is a lot of work still to do. Nevertheless, the more we know about projects such as this and the more attention the industry gives to seizing these opportunities, the more progress we will make. We don’t have the time to wait and see – climate change is the challenge of all our age.”
“We understand how difficult things are at a time when the credit crunch is biting on the construction and house building industries but we also know that the effects of climate change aren’t going to go away while the market adjusts. As Paul King of the UK Green building Council said this week, we are also seeing unprecedented commitments to sustainability set out by both Gordon Brown and David Cameron and in Wales we have long been working to achieve low and zero carbon buildings and to meet high aspirations and commitments from the Welsh Assembly Government to annual carbon reductions of at least 3% as set out in One Wales. As a member of the UKGBC, the Commission shares the view that while economic conditions don’t make our task any easier in the short-term, the imperative for a sustainable built environment will not only remain, it will grow. There is an opportunity for industry to reflect and prepare for better times when sustainability will be the pre-requisite of doing business and undoubtedly a competitive advantage that will reward those businesses who have invested and prepared. We have too quickly forgotten the warning of the Stern report in terms of impact on GDP and have too often remained in “business as usual“ mode. This is a huge chance to learn, test and deliver market solutions for better, more resource efficient, places to live.”
Andrew Sutton, architect for the Green House, said, “Delivering the first Code 6 house with Barratt has given Gaunt Francis a significant understanding of what’s needed to mainstream high volume sustainability. It will also demonstrate that the design community has the necessary skills to deliver zero carbon. We’re keen to build on this practical demonstration and show that the Assembly’s aspiration for 2011 can be realised through good design. We also wish to assist in pushing forward the opportunities to put Wales at the head of a growing sustainable supply chain and construction skills upgrade.”
A new residential and agricultural eco village planned for rural Pembrokeshire has been praised highly as a benchmark for environmental rural regeneration by the Design Commission for Wales.
The proposal, by Lammas Low Impact Initiatives Ltd, is for a new settlement of 9 eco-smallholdings, a campsite and a community hub building sited on 76 acres of mixed pasture and woodland next to the village of Glandwr, north Pembrokeshire. Using locally sourced materials and distinct building materials will make the project specifically Welsh, and conscious of affordable housing in the area, the self built houses are estimated to cost £60,000per house.
The planned designs which came before the Commission’s Design Review Panel in April, were welcomed for the most part by Panel members and commended in particular for their emphasis on low impact development.
Cindy Harris, Head of Design Review, Design Commission for Wales, said, “We found that the project was inspirational and we commended the committment and enthusiasm of the group as a whole. The scheme has the potential to become an exemplar of low impact development and whilst we would not wish to see it set a precedent for new development on greenfield sites in the countryside, Pembrokeshire’s rural exceptions planning policy allows low impact development of this sort under strict conditions, and this scheme is the first to come forward under this policy.”
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The Works, Ebbw Vale (April 08)
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Marcol Court, Cardiff (March 08)
Planning and Design Process
Regeneration
The design process began in May 2002, with the commissioning of a study to establish a conceptual design for the project, seen as a key component of the regeneration of west Rhyl. In this respect the strategy follows the principles established in nearby north west cities, using environmental improvements as “quick wins” in the first phase to act as a catalyst and boost investor confidence in the regeneration process.
Concept
Following a competitive tender process organised by the Environment Directorate of Denbighshire County Council, BCA Landscape (Chartered Landscape Architects, Liverpool) were appointed to carry out the Study, producing the “Drift Park” concept as the way forward.
Consultation
Consultation was an integral part of the study, to ensure that the proposals respect the development context and meet the approval of the Rhyl community. This began with a three-day exhibition (July 2002) at the White Rose Centre, introducing the community to the preliminary ideas and objectives. The proposals were then developed to provide the necessary detail for the Planning Application and consultation with the community and elected members continued. Feedback from these sessions informed design development, and was particularly important in establishing a preference to complete the work as a single action, rather than in sections over two years. As part of the detail design for tender/construction further consultations were carried out with; Business interests – particularly Kiosk tenants; Denbighshire County Council departments; Welsh Development Agency; and the Design Commission for Wales.
Artwork
Consultation continued in the detail design stage as the Local History Group helped to select the images and memories to be portrayed in the artwork, and children from Ysgol Mair Primary School were involved in the design and production of the ‘Fish Faces’ feature in the Water Play Garden. Inclusion of bespoke artwork as an integral part of the design from the outset in order to tell a story of Rhyl’s development as a resort and further enhance “ownership”.
Materials
The challenging coastal environment required careful consideration of the use of materials that could withstand these conditions. ‘Hard’ materials were chosen to weather naturally in the environment – pre-cast concrete, natural stone and resin-bonded gravel for the footpaths, purpleheart timber, through-colour render, and a limited amount of galvanised metal; no painting has been specified for external areas. Wind-blown sand is a particular problem, and the general arrangement introduces low pre cast concrete walls to restrict the deposition of sand to the seafront promenade (the walls also double as seating). As some wind-blown sand will still be blown into Park the width of the pathways is designed to accommodate vehicles for its removal.The planting is then selected to be robust – the main structure is provided by Maritime Pine trees, which will be contorted by the prevailing wind to provide a dynamic reflection of the location; their establishment is assisted by sacrificial ‘pioneer’ species of willow and alder. Colour is provided by seasonal perennials, planted in bold drifts along West Parade, chosen for the added advantage of producing new foliage each year and thus free of the damaging effect of salt-laded winter winds.
Sustainability Outcomes
Reuse
The entire site was stripped to remove all residual paving materials and the remains of previous attractions: where appropriate the arisings were used on site to fill voids (such as the former boating pool) and to create the sub base for the new landform (a key component of the Park design). Re-usable materials (such as stone copings and artefacts) were removed to the local Denbighshire County Council Depot for storage and re-use.
Materials
Where the importation of material was unavoidable these were obtained from sources as close to Rhyl as possible – for example, the topsoil came from Bodelwyddan (within 3 miles), stone from Colwyn Bay, and slate from Penrhyn. The selection of durable hard and soft materials will also help to reduce maintenance inputs.
Community
The community consultation strategy has also developed a real sense of “ownership” in the town, contributing to a sense of respect and helping to minimise vandalism (and the need for repair) to a very acceptable minimum.
Planning and Design Process
Vision
The visitor centre was envisaged as a pavilion resting lightly on the underlying ground and “floating within the ruined elements of the White Castle”. This approach attempts to distinguish between the old and the new, whilst also being sympathetic and subservient to the historic and natural surroundings.
Materials
The building is sheltered within the ruins of the castle gate, and timber cladding and a glazed finish provide a subtle contrast to the existing stonework.
Archaeological constraints
An archaeological appraisal carried out on the site imposed a series of constraints on the development and key details regarding the junctions between the old and new building fabric were agreed with Cadw. Although intended as a permanent structure, its design has a “reversible feel” and, if it had to be removed in the future, this could be achieved without damaging the historic fabric of the White Gates.
Contrast
The central portion of the roof is raised above the main body of the visitor centre, allowing for better spatial definition of the existing ruin. This idea is continued externally, reinforcing the contrasting geometries of the new and old elements of the building, particularly when viewed from the battlements of the Great Tower.
Landscape context
Timber louvres are used to screen portions of the large glazed elements that offer views to the surrounding countryside and castle. This also shades the building, with the timber rainscreen panels providing a contrast to the ashlar stonework of the gatehouse, and echoing the use of timber elsewhere in the castle.
Sustainability Outcomes
Heating and cooling
It aims to produce a building with a very low carbon heating system and is therefore heated via a ground source heat pump, with under floor heating throughout. Energy requirements are reduced with Warmcell insulation used to highly insulate walls, and an element of the building being located in the ground. Large window openings are high performance and also serve to flood the building with natural light.
Ventilation
There is natural ventilation throughout, including sensor operated, opening louvres to the shop that remove the build up of excessive heat in the public areas, which can quickly be filled by large groups of people.
Related links
Planning and Design Process
Materials
The project maximised the use of local labour, materials and the use of sustainable products. The three dwellings were constructed with insulated internal timber frames and external (K rend) rendered block-work with simple twin pitched artificial slate roofs. All properties have relatively conventional north facing, roadside façades with regular fenestration and central porches that were built with local stone. The southern rear elevations are considerably different in appearance with extensive glazing and cedar cladding.
Layout
Internally, the properties have open plan lounge/diner areas immediately adjacent to the southern glazed elevation. Kitchens have attached utility areas. In each case the ground floor is completed with a hallway that has doorways leading to a separate cloakroom/WC and a flexible home office room. Timber stairs lead to the first floor landing that has doorways to the 4 bedrooms, each with high sloping ceilings to the insulated roof.
Outdoor Space
Outside each property there is an attached garage which includes a wood pellet boiler and cycle racks, plus solar panels on the south facing roof. Both front and rear gardens are enclosed by native hedgerows, either already existing or newly planted; there is also grass and other planting areas. Driveways, paths and patios are composed of slate chippings. The properties are set back from the road edge due to highway requirements to allow cars to enter and leave each property in forward gear.
Sustainability Outcomes
Brownfield
The development was designed from the outset to exploit the sites potential for sustainable living. The former dilapidated dwelling on site was demolished, allowing the three new properties to be built at a higher development density and to very high standards of sustainability. Various materials from the demolished building were recycled.
Passive design
The small windows on the northern elevation respond to the local character of the area whilst minimising openings and heat loss from that elevation. By contrast, windows on the rear south facing elevations with commanding open views are composed of extensive glazed areas at both ground and first floor to maximise passive solar gain. The suns heat is capitalised and the use of electricity to light up the rooms is minimised. Low maintenance cedar cladding to the remaining facade enhances further the “green” design.
Renewable technology
The property is equipped with solar thermal panels (DER of 8.64) which will provide between 60-70% of the domestic hot water needs and will also make a small contribution to pre-heating water in the winter. A wood pellet boiler system will provide hot water in winter and space heating by under floor heating (ground and first floor). A single delivery by tanker should provide all the fuel the house will need for the year. Electricity consumption is minimised by building design but also through the use of low voltage and low energy lights throughout.
Related links
Dewi Evans Architects
Larchfield Grange is a mixed tenure residential development of 51 units built on the former grounds of the late Victorian, Larchfield House. The design is arranged around a number of protected trees creating a green at the centre of the development, on the compact sloping site. The design of the houses is traditional in approach, taking reference from the character of the old town and the architecture of Larchfield House.
The architectural treatment ensured that all 51units were bespoke in appearance, though they were developed from the original house builders’ standard house type plans. The development incorporates 20% affordable homes, pepper-potted across the site in two groups of 5, fully integrated and indistinguishable from the private dwellings.
Planning and Design Process
Objective
The overall design objective, set by the client team, was to produce a genuine product of architectural and historical merit and value, paying close attention to good quality design while maintaining financial viability. The architect placed a strong emphasis on the street scene and on designing a ‘community’ in harmony with its surrounding townscape and responding to the topography and mature landscape of the greenfield site.
Character
The development was strongly design-led, with the palette of materials and detailing performing a critical role in achieving the desired outcome. Timber sash windows, dressed stone, real slate and stone mullioned windows are all used to reinforce the character of the development.
Landscape context
The site was greenfield land surrounding Larchfield House, steeply sloping with mature trees and hedgerows. The scheme has been designed to respond to the topography and landscape of the site, taking full advantage of views to the wider landscape. The layout is set around a central green and the retention of much of the mature landscape provides an instant feeling of maturity and character. The green at the centre of the site provides good open space, well overlooked by surrounding dwellings and incorporates a local area of play.
Layout
The layout successfully enhances a sense of place, reinforced by the constant building line to the back of footways, front doors onto streets, and a network of open spaces, roads, back lanes and pedestrian spaces, which provide a sense of scale and intimacy. The scheme benefits from an urban village approach and sees all houses addressing the street with car parking and garaging provided in private driveways, shared courtyards and narrower lanes. The traditional character of these streets and lanes is reinforced with the use of cobbles and buff coloured asphalt.
Sustainability Outcomes
Materials
The individual dwellings on site have been constructed using high quality materials that will not age quickly and each one has a very high SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) rating due to the kind of insulation, materials and boilers used.
Related links
ESHA Architects – Peter John Smyth
Planning and Design Process
Climate context
The extreme nature of the weather and the logistical difficulties meant that the design team and client effectively developed the brief together in response to the conditions, measuring the outcomes in relation to the quality of facility achievable, capital costs, lifecycle costs, affect on Railway business and income, eligibility for funding, projected building life and sustainable development principles.
Consultation
The building sits not only at the Snowdon summit in the protected landscape of the National Park but is also located in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This meant there was potential for the scheme to become the focus of controversy and the client and planning authority, Snowdonia National Park considered it crucial that the design process was as inclusive as possible. The team therefore consulted with a wide range of interest groups including walkers, climbers, train passengers, the railway operators, local farmers, land owners, local communities, politicians, environmentalists and the Design Commission for Wales.
Reuse
In order to arrive at the design solution, the team carefully analysed the existing building to explore opportunities to reuse parts of it as despite its very poor condition, any potential re-use offered significant environmental benefits and a reduction in capital costs. Out of this process emerged a design solution which occupied a similar volume to the existing building and proposed the re-use of the existing slab and spine accommodation that was already partially buried in the mountain. However, detailed site investigations revealed that much of the original structure, which they originally hoped to retain, was in such poor condition that its long term performance could not be guaranteed and so reluctantly, most of it was demolished.
Site context
Due to the severity of the mountain conditions and the level of risk involved, it was necessary to appoint a contractor early in the process so that the design could evolve in parallel with the method of construction. This early collaboration helped to secure a guaranteed price for the project, within the strictly limited funds available for the scheme.
Practicalities
The foundations consist of precast concrete containers which were filled with rubble at the summit to provide ballast – concrete could neither be pumped nor mixed on the summit. The primary frame was constructed from galvanised steel sections which had to be sized to resist the significant wind speed and snow loadings, to which the building would be subject. In order to optimise the frame design special 3-D software was used to model the building and efficiently calculate load paths. This also needed to take into account the temporary stability of the frame as it was being erected in stages. The whole building was clad with an aluminium standing seam roofing system specially modelled to take account of the geometry. The roof sections were considered too unstable to erect as single sheets and therefore a prefabricated system was developed with Corus which enabled the roof and secondary support structure to be assembled in bays at sea level. These were carefully sized to fit on the narrow gauge train and once hoisted into place, zipped together to form a water tight envelope. The internal walls were also constructed from prefabricated sandwich panels to avoid wet trades associated with conventional internal construction and to speed up installation.
Materials
The external envelope of the building was clad in local granite, selected for its durability. Each of the granite blocks was scheduled and pre-cut before being transported to the summit, in order to save time. The granite has a rough finish and has been carefully arranged in varying height bands around the entire perimeter to reflect the sedimentary nature of much of the mountain, as if the building was formed from the rock. This horizontal ‘sedimentary’ language is continued inside where Welsh Oak battens have been used to create a simple cladding system, bringing warmth to the interior.
Construction
Snowdon’s summit was only accessible for construction via the 100 year old narrow gauge railway; helicopters were ruled out on grounds of safety. The extreme weather also meant that the summit could only be reached from April to October. Given the logistical complications and relatively small construction window, it was proposed to carry out a dry run of the construction by assembling the building in a large warehouse near Shotton. This enabled the design team and contractor to test and perfect construction techniques at sea level so that there were no surprises at the summit. Despite all the preparation, two of the worst summers on record significantly delayed the construction programme meaning that the building was not completed until October 2008.
Sustainability Outcomes
Limitations
From the outset the client recognised the importance of sustainable design and made it a key consideration, however the remote location of the site brought significant challenges. Firstly the building has to operate independently as it is not connected to any services supplies; all resources and materials have to be carefully conserved as they can only be transferred to and from the mountain via the railway. Secondly, the unpredictable weather conditions make it very difficult to harness natural energy sources. Finally, the extremes of climate significantly reduce the materials’ life expectancy. The building concept was also conceived in 2001, to far less stringent CO2 emissions targets than today’s standards. Despite all these issues, the rigorous analysis and sustainable design approach adopted by the design team in the early stages meant that the final design still achieved a BREEAM Very Good rating in 2008.
Planning and Design Process
Concept
The design concept aimed to enhance the essential characteristics of the former building, its courtyard typology and its relationship with the surrounding landscape. The courtyard is the principal communal space, creating a protected environment and an important transitional space between the interior and the surrounding town. The restaurant, education room, workshops, studios and entrance hall open directly into this landscaped space with external seating and covered areas.
Materials
The external form of the building is a complex composition of sloping rooves, which shift in plan and section and are quietly reminiscent of the Clwydian range seen above the site. Zinc panels of varying width are detailed as a wrapping over roof and wall, with alternating seam arrangement creating a weave pattern. The cast concrete walls are pigmented to give a clay-red hue which establishes a visual link with the local red sandstone found nearby on buildings such as Ruthin Castle. The walls were cast on the ground and then tilted up into place. A combination of surface pattern provides texture and emphasis to the walls.
Function
There are three gallery spaces, arranged so as to allow a variety of routes and sequence of spaces depending on the requirements of changing exhibitions. The shop is located adjacent to the principal entrance, with large windows making it visible from the outside. The restaurant is located on the northern side of the courtyard with a south-facing terrace. A high level window on the north-eastern side provides a long distance view of the Clwydian range behind. Adjacent to the restaurant, six workshop studios are arranged in a row with service entrances on the north side and ‘shop-front’ entrances on the courtyard side. The education room, two studios for artists in residence, the Tourist Information Centre and the administration areas are located on the southern side with entry and views into the courtyard. In this way, the different functions of the Centre have a close physical relationship with the daily activities visible, adding life and activity, but retaining a degree of autonomy.
Sustainability Outcomes
Natural ventilation
The building has been planned to allow as many spaces as possible to be provided with fresh air ventilation using opening windows and rooflights. Openings on opposing sides of spaces allow crossflow ventilation even in the larger, deep plan rooms. The large gallery space is also ventilated in this way, avoiding the need for energy using mechanical fans, made possible by the approach to the display of precious objects is based on the use of controlled display cases rather than air conditioning the entire gallery volume.
Thermal Mass
The walls and floor of the building have deliberately been chosen to be of heavyweight construction including materials such as concrete and heavyweight plaster finishes, rather than a lightweight construction. These materials are exposed on the inside of the rooms which allows them to absorb and release heat/energy during a typical day. The gallery rooflight design allows them to be left open during the night in the warmer summer months, whilst maintaining security and weather tightness, to allow the cooler night air to purge the building of heat which builds up during the day. The heavy structure can store cool air, helping to reduce temperatures inside the galleries the next day without resorting to air conditioning.
Glazing, daylight and insulation
The amounts of glazing in the external walls are modest so as to reduce winter heat loss and summer heat gain. Rooflights are used extensively to make sure that internal daylight levels are good, allowing less reliance on electric lighting during hours of daylight. Insulation levels in the external walls, roof and floor slab are generous, further reducing the base year round energy needs.
Orientation and elevations
The spaces to the north and south of the courtyard deliberately have larger (taller) elevations on their southern side and smaller (lower) northern elevations to take maximum benefit from useful winter sun to reduce heating energy needs. Any available solar energy is stored in the thermally massive building structure. Roof overhangs on the southern sides of these spaces are small to improve solar access. The gallery spaces which are generally more densely occupied and have heat generating display lighting have a lesser need for solar energy and so do not have any windows on their southern side and use north facing rooflights.
Planning and Design Process
Urban context
The building responds sympathetically to its urban context by keeping to a similar height in relation to its immediate neighbours. The setback at ground floor along Saunders Road continues the horizontal emphasis of the wall which connects the hotel site to the station buildings. The upper floors are built out over the setback, giving the four storeys above ground a lightness emphasised by its pale limestone facade, echoing the tonal character of the station buildings. The hotel hugs the perimeter of the site, with a curved bullnose to the east end slightly set back from the triangular sharp end of the site, forming a full stop to the station frontage and defining the eastern extremity of the square.
Planning requirements
The design of the hotel was developed in close cooperation with Cardiff City Council Planners, as such the upper four floors of the 74 bedroom hotel are clad in Jura limestone with black mosaic to the lower two floors, in response to planning requirements. The Planning Committee report said; ‘The design is modern and would be a major landmark which would upgrade the local environment without adversely affecting the setting of the adjacent listed buildings, or the St. Mary Street Conservation Area.’
Rail constraint
The building footprint at ground floor generally respects the exclusion zone established to the east of the rail viaduct wall specified by Network Rail. Above the level of the viaduct wall the building steps westward to build partially within the exclusion zone but does not interfere with necessary maintenance or erection of scaffold over the height of the viaduct wall.
Distinctive ambiance
The design of the bedrooms and the fitted furniture are influenced by the character of vintage ships cabins and railway couchettes – compact yet beautifully designed with a mix of luxury, spatial economy and special details such as the object wall, incorporating hanging space, storage, suitcase rack, key/change keep and laptop desk, and the bathroom and bedside furniture. Public areas are contrastingly spacious, with a wood burning stove, dark brown leather effect Ghost sofas and oak flooring creating the welcoming atmosphere of an inn. Kvadrat Chicago panel curtains, Caravaggio pendant lights, Arper easy chairs and coffee tables complete the ordered layout.
Sustainability Outcomes
Public transport accessibility
Located adjacent to integrated transport hub. No car parking to encourage use of public transport.
Quotes
‘If you look at the site now, you would find it hard to envisage a 74 bedroom hotel occupying the space. The architectural solution unlocks the potential of a difficult site, allowing a dramatic corner building that responds positively to its urban context.’
South Wales Echo
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Peter Clash Architects
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Capital Centre, Cardiff (Dec 07)
Wendy Richards, the newly-appointed Development Director of the Design Commission for Wales, intends to hit the ground running. As an experienced urban designer and landscape architect, Wendy has been involved with delivering a diverse portfolio of high profile design projects, ranging from a major urban park development in Hong Kong’s New Territories to the acclaimed Riverfront Theatre in Newport as part of a team at Austin-Smith: Lord.
Wendy has spent the last three years working with Newport City Council and Newport Unlimited as their principal urban designer and has worked within the private and public sectors over a number of years, as well as being a voluntary member of the Design Commission’s own Design Review Panel. Her passion for the work of the Design Commission along with a long-held belief that good design and sustainability can only truly work if incorporated at the very outset of a development made Wendy an ideal candidate for this new role at the Commission.
Now in position, she believes Wales has a unique opportunity to take a strong lead in innovative good design in Europe through its use of sustainable design principles. The Welsh Assembly has put the necessary policies in place, but it is now up to planners and developers, with the assistance of the Design Commission, to make sure these principles are delivered on a pan-Wales basis.
Wendy says, “The Senedd in Cardiff Bay is a fantastic building which leads by example. It is iconic yet sustainable in its design and masks a great deal of ingenuity in its subtlety. Buildings like the Senedd may come along only once in a lifetime, but there are many smaller-scale projects which can deliver the same sustainability credentials if sound design principles are incorporated at the earliest stages of development planning. Good design is not necessarily about architectural style it is about responding to the local context and making successful spaces and places for people.”
“A well – designed building or place is usually one a team of people has enjoyed creating and responds to its location and users contributing to the sense of place of a town or city. As we move towards an agenda of building places to be carbon neutral in Wales by 2011, developers should push their design teams to maximise innovation and sustainability initiatives. The Design Commission for Wales can help developers to do this through its design review process. It is then imperative that good sustainable policy principles are incorporated within local planning policies to hit this target and in doing so lead the UK.”
Wendy also believes Wales needs to find a number of champions who can carry the baton for good design and improve the places in which we all live. Wendy feels that those champions are already there within local communities, the private and public sector; they just need to be teased out into the limelight. Part of her role in the Commission will be to find these potential champions to raise awareness about good design and provide them with the necessary training where needed, to push forward the design agenda to help create better places for us all to live in.
Wendy adds, “In general, I would like to think that people are becoming more aware of good design, we should be demanding more sustainable homes from house builders, until we do they will not provide them – to the purchaser this would mean more energy efficiency and lower bills, at the same time, making better places by responding to the local character and context of an area.
Part of my role at the Commission is to continue to develop this link with people and organisations, building on the work already done on ‘My Square Mile’, our education programme, delivering training about good design principles and encouraging local authorities and developers to use the Commissions’ free Design Review service. People need to understand the legacy which they are creating, to deliver places which Wales and its people can be justly proud of.”
Alan Francis, Chair of the Commission adds “We are delighted to welcome Wendy to this new role which develops a strong senior management team with the Chief Executive and the Development Director for the Commission, enabling us to expand the service we already provide in support of great spaces and places across Wales”
DCFW has welcomed the decision by developer Henry Boot not to appeal the refusal of planning for the proposed redevelopment of the Abergavenny cattle market. In light of the decision, the Commission now urges the Local Planning Authority and the main landowner Monmouthshire County Council, to fundamentally review its strategy for the redevelopment of this important site close to the heart of this historic market town.
Carole-Anne Davies, Chief Executive, Design Commission for Wales, said, “I am pleased this deeply flawed proposal will not now be built and the decision to refuse stands.
“If it were based on sound and sustainable design principles, this site has enormous potential for redevelopment. It has the potential to create a vibrant new quarter that will enhance the quality of life for existing residents of the town; create new opportunities for local business and provide much needed new homes.
“We ask the local authority to now take advantage of this opportunity to work with the developer to secure a first class mixed use scheme that meets good urban design standards and includes an appropriate retail element supported by appropriate transport and parking provision.”
According to the Design Commission, any new proposals for development should be based on well established urban design principles. These should include:
- A rich mix of uses including homes, workplaces, shops and cultural facilities
- A well conceived public realm offering clear, legible pedestrian and vehicle circulation well integrated with the existing network of streets and public spaces
- Buildings of a scale and character appropriate to their setting that incorporate best practice in low carbon, environmentally responsible design, meeting the requirements of policy in Wales.
Carole-Anne Davies, added, ”I want to make it clear the Design Commission is not opposed in principle to the inclusion of supermarkets in town centre redevelopment proposals, but it cannot support proposals that are dominated by large retail sheds and extensive surface car parking. Such dominance was a major characteristic of the original proposal.
“The recent history of proposals for this site is highly unsatisfactory. The planning authority seems uninterested in realising the best long-term value from this site for the town and its community. To date there has been no evidence of a clear vision for the town’s development and little appetite to engage in meaningful discussions with either the local community or the Commission.
“We hope Monmouthshire will not now engage in further protracted and closed discussions with a developer to produce a modified scheme which might be accepted, but only reluctantly, by the planning committee.
“This is a golden opportunity to start afresh. A positive first step would be to engage in a broad, open but expeditious process to establish a strategic vision for the site. The Design Commission would welcome the opportunity to play a key role in helping facilitating this.”
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Designing Wind Farms In Wales
The purpose of this document is to set out the design objectives and considerations for the sensitive development of large scale wind farms and ancillary development in Wales. Both will assist in achieving developments which respond well to their context while helping to meet Welsh Government aspirations for low carbon energy generation.
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