A center for the community and woodland enterprise of Treherbert.

The project explores the concept of territory and its implication on the livelihood of the people in Treherbert. In particular, it explores how claim to space is affected by factors such as land ownership and infrastructure to enable a feeling of claim. The negotiation of territories in particular frames the project, and how certain situations and physical entities can affect the relationship between territories and can lead to the re-territorialization of a site, in this case the mountains that surround Treherbert.

Several acres of land to the North of the site is currently in the process of being placed under community management for the first time, from being managed by the Welsh Government. This is in response to a certain amount of neglect and lack of funding for infrastructure that would better integrate the community with the resources that can be found within the valleys. By facilitating activities and enterprises that can encourage interaction with the valleys, one can shift the narrative an untapped valley into one where the community territorializes and integrates the valleys to benefit their wellbeing.

The unit provided us with the opportunity to engage with the people of Treherbert through community involvement events as well as participating in their community led events. By collating information and interpreting their values and desires, we set up a groundwork for a programme that will accurately fulfill the needs of the people. I put a lot of emphasis on the programme and its layout, experimenting with different placements of programmatic elements as well as distilling the most important aspects of the project to give it emphasis.

It was through reiterations and distilling the most suitable values and building objectives that the design and program of the building was born. Through trial and error, a hub that could truly belong to the people of Treherbert was created to facilitate their economic and wellbeing future.