An investigation into how conservation philosophy can implement a future for the industrial history of Wales

The thesis concept derives from theories surrounding the adaptive reuse of historic fabric, focusing on curated decay, preservation and continuous narrative. These theories recognise that sense of ‘place’ within architecture is created from a combination of tangible and intangible elements, leaving abandoned buildings as in between places on the precipice of the past and the present. It is the physical artefact of past memory that remains, presenting the question of how to sensitively but efficiently reuse this fabric into a thing of value and relevance.

The design thesis seeks to explore how theory for the conservation of historic fabric can be applied to Crumlin Navigation Colliery in South Wales. It aims to discover how to appropriately weave this existing fabric into a new low-carbon, sustainable architecture, whilst protecting and integrating the historical value and interwoven memories of the Crumlin community. New suggested methods of repair and a re-consideration of the listing process are vital for the thesis conservation principles to be successful, aiming to productively reshape the negative connotations related to Industry in South Wales and allowing this to inform the future of the site.

The concept of ‘Preservation’ emerged due to the writing of John Ruskin and the creation of the SPAB in 1877 by William Morris and Philip Webb. Prior to the 19th century, this concept was not the common approach to adapting heritage material, rather, buildings were successively re-purposed, reused and altered, usually in the style or available materials of the time. The SPAB believes that surfaces, blemishes and undulations of old buildings reference the passage of time, and that wear and tear adds a ‘beautiful patination that new work can only acquire through the slow process of ageing.’ It is this principle that is often overlooked or ignored in the 21st century, with organisations such as Cadw favouring ‘like for like’ repair which could be considered a form of restoration, a destruction of lived histories and ‘brute hardness’ of the replicated repair. The proposal at Crumlin intends to embody the core conservation principles and philosophies of the 19th century, whilst making them relevant for the 21st century by using existing architectural material as a malleable fabric, interwoven with new additions that is protected and conserved for the future continuous narrative of the site, marrying both repair and alteration.

The site provides the opportunity to develop on and provide space for Wales’ Medical Technology sector, with Covid putting into question how this industry is accessed and what the workplace looks like in the future. The programme of the site has developed from key elements required in MedTech, providing an inbetween to the office, manufacturing plant and home working, with a focus on a live / work balance. The potential for a new transport hub or train station on the site could be part of a wider scheme, intending to make the site as accessible and sustainable as possible.