A family home in a remote part of Gower has earned its designers the prestigious Gold Medal for Architecture at this year’s National Eisteddfod of Wales.
The environmentally sustainable home, designed by Cardiff-based architects Loyn & Co, beat fierce competition from 14 other entries from across the country to scoop the coveted award, which is supported by the Design Commission for Wales (DCFW), at the National Eisteddfod in Llanelli today (August 2).
Stormy Castle, a three-bedroom home on the north Gower coast, is situated within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and on the edge of National Trust land. The contemporary home has been designed for energy efficiency, using good materials that reduce maintenance requirements and contribute to the special context in which the building sits.
The house is designed as three stepped ‘wings’, set into the landscape, following the contours of the land. Its roofs are green-planted to assist insulation and enabling them to double up as terraces.
The award’s selectors praised Stormy Castle’s “outstanding” organisational plan and attention to detail, calling it a “spectacular architectural response to both the brief and the site”.
Chris Loyn, principal architect at Loyn & Co, said: “I was thrilled to learn Stormy Castle had won this year’s Gold Medal for Architecture. While it had already been nominated for a number of industry awards, this one was particularly special, as it shows we are achieving our aim of raising the quality of architecture in Wales, and flying the flag for Welsh architectural talent.
“While the beautiful Gower landscape was our biggest inspiration, it was also our biggest challenge, and our greatest concern throughout the design process was creating a home that would respect and work in harmony with its surroundings.”
Selector Ann-Marie Smale, of Powell Dobson Architects, explained further: “Stormy Castle is exceptional in its clarity of concept; it is beautifully executed, and responds to its brief and site in every instance.
“The location presented a number of challenges that have been addressed with sensitivity. The stepped layout, arranged over three levels, allows the building to embed itself into the hillside, and materials have been chosen to reflect the surroundings. .
“The simplicity of the fair-faced concrete walls and polished concrete floors create a simple backdrop for the client’s art collection, demonstrating just one example of the architect’s commendable attention to detail and understanding of the brief.”
Proposals for the scheme were the subject of early consultation with the Design Commission for Wales in autumn 2009. The project was identified by DCFW as a potential exemplar, in terms of the team’s presentation and the quality of the proposal, as an innovative response in a protected landscape.
The Gold Medal for Architecture recognises architectural excellence in buildings completed between 1 January 2011 and 14 March 2014 and recommended to the Eisteddfod as being of the greatest merit. Stormy Castle has already been recognised as an exceptional design project, having scooped Client of the Year at this year’s Welsh architecture awards, awarded by the Royal Society of Architects in Wales.
In addition to the Gold Medal for Architecture, the Plaque of Merit will be presented to Crickhowell and Dinas Powys-based Hoole & Walmsley Architects for their Old Farm Mews development in Dinas Powys. The Plaque of Merit, also supported by the Design Commission for Wales, is awarded to smaller projects that achieve high design quality.
Another residential development set within a conservation area, Old Farm Mews comprises four family homes of varying sizes to form a new ‘village mews’ within an existing street in the heart of the village.
Jacqui Walmsley, director, Hoole & Walmsley Architects, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Old Farm Mews has been awarded this year’s Plaque of Merit. Our specialism is in housing, and we are very proud of the quality of the homes we have produced in what was an ambitious project within a challenging conservation area.
“Old Farm Mews is more than simply four houses; we have created a new street that fills a gap at the heart of the village. We hope our work will become a model for future housing developments, demonstrating that quality, privacy and outdoor space can all be achieved within the density of existing urban housing environments.”
Fellow selector, Elfed Roberts of Grŵp Gwalia, commented: “Old Farm Mews responds brilliantly to the narrow, sloping brownfield site, and successfully reflects the integrity of its location within a genuine village street. The contemporary aesthetic reflects the client’s brief while the materials used respond to the site’s historic character. The dwellings have also been arranged with care and consideration given to the key living spaces, external courtyards and roof terraces.
“The resulting scheme is a delight in the heart of the village, allowing a contemporary response to sit comfortably within an historic urban context.”
An Architecture Scholarship of £1,500 will also be awarded as part of the National Eisteddfod celebrations. The prize is awarded to a promising young designer, aged 25 or under, to enable them to further their understanding of creative architecture. Supported by the Design Commission for Wales, as part of its ambition to identify and raise the profile of young design talent, this year’s scholarship is to be awarded to 24-year-old Richard Timmins, from Shrewsbury.
Scholarship selector Roger Connah, of Carleton University, Ottowa, said: “It was clear to us that Richard had not only identified an interesting area of work – the impact of immigration on the architecture of everyday Wales and France – but also reinforced his conceptual idea with a carefully thought out programme. From his initial abstract and existing ideas, to his detailed programme of potential exploration, he clearly demonstrated how he would use the scholarship if awarded.
“The scope and questions he poses avoid any narrowness, and are an excellent example of how to broaden one’s study without losing focus on the initial idea. We anticipate an interesting outcome.”
The winners of both the Gold Medal for Architecture and the Plaque of Merit will receive their awards on 2 August in a brief ceremony with the Chairman of the Design Commission for Wales, Alan Francis.
Carole-Anne Davies, chief executive of the Design Commission for Wales, said: “The Gold Medal for Architecture and Plaque of Merit help to showcase the importance of architecture in Wales’s culture, celebrating those architects who achieve the highest design standards.
“The breadth of entries this and every year reveals the richness and quality of the design in Wales. The award winners are examples of new-build residential projects in sensitive rural surroundings, showing a tremendous attention-to-detail, creating homes that respond creatively to challenging sites and to the client brief at every instance.
“Wales has a large number of small projects that collectively make a large impact. The importance of good sustainable design quality in small scale projects is vital to ensure positive contributions to our distinctive landscapes, town and villages. Stormy Castle exemplifies the importance of recognising and encouraging high quality design in sensitive sites while Old Farm Mews demonstrates the importance of everyday excellence. .
“We are also pleased to help nurture the design talent of the future through our on-going support for the scholarship. Richard Timmins’ submission was thought provoking and stood out among a very talented field.”
For the first time this year, upcoming Welsh poet and former Welsh Children’s Poet Laureate (2011-2013), Eurig Salisbury, has been commissioned to compose a Welsh poem in honour of the winning projects, as well as those that were shortlisted, which will be recited by the poet in a special ceremony and displayed alongside the schemes as part of the accompanying exhibition.
