Conservation

Moving from phase 2, I wanted to place a heightened emphasis on the existing building and community of Resolven. I wanted to place the existing at the centre of my phase 4 explorations and focus on highlighting itself and its history amongst Resolven and Wales.

The original programme was economically centred on the expansion of commercial space across the entire floor plate. To develop this I wanted to create a link between the building’s ground floor and upper floor theatre - creating a space in which people can learn about stage production to provide the community with a new central hub. I wanted to use theatre as an educational tool (among other programmatic functions) to help celebrate Resolven’s history.

The phase 3 experiential opened a few avenues which I could explore. The piece explored multiple ways in which one could enter a space.

Reflecting on the exercise, I wanted to use light as a tool to frame parts of the existing building and create an atmospheric place to be. This light would act as a new ‘material’ in the space, changing how the existing appears to those using the space.

The building is a century old, celebrating its current existence and its presence in Resolven is something I wanted to explore. I wanted the building to be the basis of any new intervention moving forward and have that new intervention add to the value of the existing fabric.

The massing strategy was been built around the entrance of light into the space across the southern facing façade, with this elevation becoming the main interface throughout my proposal. The strategy sought to create openings to allow for maximum light exposure to the existing building to create varied experiences in which the existing construction acts as the enabler of how people experience the space.

I wanted to continue our original sustainability ethos of refurb-first and apply it to my adopted scheme. In keeping with both the local vernacular and my concepts of highlighting the building’s construction, there is an opportunity to reuse the brickwork from the removed extension space.

I catalogued typical units from local brick suppliers from before, during and after the construction of the original welfare in the 1920s. Expressing the original brickwork in the new construction provides a sustainable solution which further strengthens the new space’s link with the existing construction.

The reuse of these materials to create internal atmospheric conditions is something that has been explored further. Here the existing building is being used to light the existing material and newly created space.

Physical and Digital lighting analysis further refined my lighting solution to help create both the qualitative results I wanted whilst further providing suitable conditions for the communal space I am proposing across the southern façade. This analysis resulted in the design of a double façade system in which the re-claimed brick units are mounted to steel cables and used to diffuse light into space. This solution allows for maximum light penetration as per my massing strategy, whilst providing the necessary shading to maintain comfortable internal conditions.

Through its development, the space has become a vibrant area for those to inhabit. The double façade system diffuses light throughout the space, creating varied experiences throughout the building’s opening hours. The area provides spaces for people, to learn, talk and progress in.

The proposal has looked to facilitate a new function for the town through the celebration of one of its most iconic buildings.