The Miners Welfare Center

'My project is to renovate the Miners Welfare Hall in the Welsh village of Resolven based primarily on creating a new library workspace extension. This is to replace the existing library which has inadequate facilities. However, the Miners Welfare is located within 4 minute's walk to the local primary school, the current library and the local church making it accessible to potential users.
The aim was to help preserve the local heritage and make a more cohesive educational and working space. Integrating this space into the Miners' Welfare will boost the usage and revenue of the building, particularly in relation to the café.

Additionally, to increase the theatre’s sales, I developed the theatre entrance façade based on my concept image of peeling back the building’s industrial history through the layers of its materiality. The lobby space would be made as brighter and more spacious space. I would use a perforated façade consisting of reclaimed bricks to partially overlay the glazed frontage. On the first floor, the bricks from above would give the illusion of floating. This could be done by steel rods with inserted between them that would attach to a T-angle frame. The perforated openings would also help shade the entrance space during the afternoons.

The library is a 2-storey building on the West side of the main building to replace the current snooker room. It would use a timber frame structure sandwiched between 2 brick walls with additional columns in the middle to support the mezzanine. The timber's joints would be made as seamless as possible. The main wall would join new exposed bricks along with the existing alongside additional brick columns in the middle. This would encompass an exposed oak framed roof structure. The glazed frontage as well as the rear side windows are aluminium framed which improves their durability. The structures would rest on a 430mm insulated concrete floor. Local larch with its distinct grain pattern would be used for the louvres shading and the 1st-floor flooring.
The double-height space allows improved natural ventilation during summers with cooler fresh air being drawn from below and warmer air escaping from high-level openings. During winters, an air handling and heat recovery unit and ground source heat pump kept in the plant room can meet the ventilation requirements while reducing heating bills. To maintain consistent daylighting inside, a louvred glazed frontage and brise soilel provide abundant natural light to the workspaces without the risk of glare or overheating. On the first floor, North facing windows provide dual-aspect daylighting with good views of the forested hills.

The lighting strategy was developed to provide adequate shading and consistent light levels.
The interior layout makes the limited space more welcoming and functional. Windows are added on the rear to provide dual aspect light while a diversity of more bespoke furnishings and fittings make it better integrated within the layout. Two key additions include a dedicated office space making it more suitable as a full-time library and a reading corner making it a more cosy and private space to enjoy a book.
The exterior landscape meanwhile is remodelled to gently slope with a winding cobbled path between the street and building level. This better integrates the building into the surrounding site. Trees and other vegetation provide a more pleasant environment by creating shaded areas to sit and read under during warmer