A new secondary school facility that will create opportunities to existing amenities and the local community

Going back in time, one of the places that had a great impact on me as a child was the ballet dance school that I used to go on as a kid before the building was demolished. What I can clearly remember about the building was that it stood out from its surrounding context, as it was surrounded by courtyards. Moreover, It was located on a big green area that was rarely seen in this urban context. Therefore, I started becoming interested in the concept of interconnections through staircases and courtyards.

Memory is a relevant concept in the community of Cymmer after the closure and later demolition of Cymmer Comprehensive school. This action had serious consequences to local amenities such as the library as students no longer have time to visit it, as they have to travel far to their new school in Ysgol Cwm Brombil. In general, Local Amenities such as the fire station, the library, the swimming pool and the health centre are located on the centre of the village and are relatively close to each other. However, they seem distant as there are gaps separating them.

The concept therefore is to connect central amenities by filling in those gaps through courtyards. This will transform the centre of the village and allow people to use those gaps for walks, Gatherings, events and playgrounds. The development of a new secondary school facility located next to the local library will provide opportunities for families and students. Retrofitting the local library will create additional spaces for working and studying. Moreover, the new courtyards will provide spaces for the library community to organise events during summer and spring. Lastly, the family and visitor houses will allow invite families and visitors to live in the village of Cymmer, and benefit from the rich natural environment. The project aims to interact with the topography of the area, and combine the existing architecture through interconnected units at different levels.

The project acts as a mirror that reflects the memory of the ballet dance school combined with memories of the site. The aim is to bring back the student community in the village while at the same time connecting the existing community through filing the gaps of the existing local amenities. The interconnected units of the new school facility connect through courtyards at different levels reflecting the idea of a courtyard acting as a connecting element between spaces and therefore people.