Community

'The project intended for the Resolven Miners Welfare to be a hub for the local community to come to socialise and learn together. The original space housed the local library and gave literacy classes. Since the early 2000s, the upstairs auditorium has been closed for safety reasons removing a large draw to the space.

By opening up the ground floor and removing walls, the space can become more flexible for both the staff and the potential users (the locals and the youth of the village). The spaces will not exist in a floating ether of flexibility but instead be grounded in the concept with some spaces fixed and others able to adapt to different situations, future-proofing the building. The replacement of the snooker room will provide an opportunity to reinvigorate the design of the building with an eye-catching contemporary addition enticing locals and tourists alike.

Currently, the RMW is uninviting to non-locals. It’s small windows produce a hostile facade with those walking by unable to see the life inside. We set about opening up the walls with large fenestrations that allowed both views in and out. The life that exists in the building is shown where appropriate and would produce a welcoming tone to anyone walking by.

The key driver behind the moves made to the ground floor was to add flexibility to the space in order for the RMW to change state depending on usage.

In the quieter hours of the day, the main ‘Forum’ space can be from the newly positioned Drift Cafe to be used as a space for a practicing band or a committee meeting. In the evening, when punters pour in and the band are playing, the sliding partitions can be pulled back for additional seating.

The Drift replaces of the old snooker room, extending its footprint, and brings a new design to the the RMW. The space previously occupied by the Drift now hosts a club space. A room separated from the other areas and used as a rentable space for our other stakeholders allowing clubs to rent the space and use it for, learning, sport, health and fostering talent. The room has its own storage so is independent of the more social facilities in the building.

The old entrance to the building has been restored and the old ticket booth revived. One of the staircases has been replaced by a lift to take those with restricted access to the floors above.

The north end of the building is an ancillary space to support the Drift and Forum with storage and toilets. Externally, ramps have been introduced along with the restoration of the community garden giving the RMW an external space to be proud of.