We’re celebrating 25 years of creativity and collaboration at our Glasgow studio! As part of the festivities, we’ve caught up with David Carr for a quickfire Q&A session:
Name:
David Michael Carr.
When did you join the Glasgow studio?
November 2021.
What is your role within our Creative Collective?
I am a Part II Architectural Assistant in the process of getting my Part III qualification.
What are you working on at the moment?
A number of office fit-outs for the NHS, a large scale speculative healthcare project and a number of urban design projects around Scotland.
What inspires you most in your work?
Knowing that in some small way, my work with A-S:L is helping steward the industry in this country, toward an eventual carbon neutral future (hopefully).
What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on at A-S:L?
Westhaugh Traveller’s Site Transformation. This project:
– Gave me the opportunity to implement Passivhaus principles in the design and material selection.
– Allowed me to work on a project with a user base with very specific cultural needs.
– Was an informative process that helped me progress my technical knowledge and develop multiple aspects of my skillset.
Which Glasgow studio project, from the last 25 years, would you most like to visit and why?
Roseisle Distillery, because I need a drink. But in all seriousness, it was the ambition of this project to achieve BREEAM Excellent Standard for a substantial industrial building which drew me to the project. It’s also intriguing to see the number of techniques employed to conserve energy and optimise resources, such as through the use of a water-reclamation plant, heat recovery systems and using leftover grain as biomass fuel.
What’s the most unusual thing you have on your desk?
An alphabet key so I can decipher certain members of staff’s handwriting.
What’s your favourite memory so far of working at A-S:L?
Participating in a public engagement event along the Saltcoats coast in North Ayrshire, on a clear day with the isle of Arran directly in front of me.
Where’s your favourite place to go for lunch near the Glasgow studio?
Paesano! or Metro if I can’t be bothered to walk that far.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received from a colleague?
“If you’re writing to someone and you know their name then sign off ‘yours sincerely’, if you don’t then sign off ‘yours faithfully’” – Graham Ross
Fitzalan High School -
Creating a heart space for the school
By Victoria Slater, Architect, Austin-Smith:Lord
The challenge of how to design an inspiring new school building on a constrained city centre site in Cardiff was difficult – this was set to us in Spring 2019 in responding to Cardiff Council’s tender for the replacement of the current school as part of the Welsh Government’s Band B programme of school rebuilding. Austin-Smith:Lord were appointed as Lead Designer providing Architecture, Interior Architecture and Landscape Design services as part of Kier’s successful design team.
Our design response at tender stage was extremely well received, successfully interpreting the vision and brief produced by the client team within the limitations of the schedule of accommodation and the extensive site constraints. Central to this was the way we unlocked the school’s spatial requirements to provide a large central space which acts as the heart for the whole school.
Project Vision
The project vision stated the following key objectives;
Replacement facilities for the 11-18 year old 10FE High School plus 350 place Sixth Form, 1850 pupils total
Extended Opportunities provision for 40 pupils & Primary Cluster for 10 Key Stage 2 pupils
Accessible by community after school; ability to zone these facilities securely including a 25m indoor swimming pool
Learning spaces which adapt easily and quickly to provide a variety of pedagogic approaches for the New Curriculum in Wales
Provision of a bright, high quality new building that will support the changing and developing needs of both learners and teachers
Integration of learning and working environments with a visible ‘public face’ to raise aspirations
Design Concept
The simple concept for the massing of the building is derived of 3 interlocking blocks reflecting the differing functions of the brief; the school, sports facilities and the community pool. These are clearly expressed for ease of wayfinding, with cut away entrances where each of the blocks intersect. The main school teaching accommodation is formed by a 3 story “superblock”, a necessary response to the site constraints.
Designed for the New Curriculum for Wales we zoned the Areas of Learning (AoLe) vertically and horizontally through the building, in response to the proposed changes we knew were coming. Working with educational consultants, Lloyd Wilson Partnership, we re-ordered the Schedule of Accommodation away from the traditional departmental model which was still in use at the time.
Atria are placed throughout the building to bring natural daylight into internalised spaces, to create visual connections across the different floors; acting as unifying elements for the various AoLe, social, dining and open learning spaces located around them. These light-wells are extremely important to the success of the building from a health and wellbeing perspective; delivering a light and spacious interior that inspires and supports the school community.
Heart of the School
A key design challenge within the School’s briefing documents was the requirement to provide two separate assembly halls in addition to a dedicated dining space. This was required to meet their teaching timetabling, however they longed for a larger gathering space to hold whole-school events and celebrate their achievements with the community, after having been constrained for so many years by their existing school buildings.
We turned this challenge into an opportunity through the innovative co-location of these spaces in 3-dimensions as illustrated in the sections below. By utilising some of the breakout space area allocation we provided a large Hellerup staircase as part of the dining hall (or learning steps) which functions as an informal seating area to link the two assembly halls together with the dining space in the centre. The concept section through the halls demonstrates the flexibility to create different sized spaces through large folding partitions at the ends of each hall. When these partitions are opened up it therefore creates an impressive, inter-connected large space which has become the heart of the new school.
Achieving the Vision
The heart space provides multiple opportunities for hundreds of staff and pupils to gather, learn, present, perform, welcome, study, dine and celebrate. It also offers an opportunity to better engage with the wider community, with the spaces also available for hire to generate additional school income – this became an important long term benefit in terms of current school funding challenges.
Through the detail design development stages we worked through the technical performance requirements to deliver the winning concept – analysing the acoustic performance of the halls, partitions, modelling the spaces throughout the day, undertaking spatial analysis against exam and lesson timetables with the project acoustician and educationalist.
The technical coordination of the AV equipment enables the linking of the three spaces together via projectors, camera and audio relay, allowing performances and assemblies to be held to large audiences, including those without direct sight of the stage. Also key to the success of this concept is the selection of the FF&E, allowing for multiple configurations and positioning of the speakers and performers through modular flexible staging, mobile AV positions and seating types to suit the configurations. A bleacher seat unit can travel forward in the upper sixth form hall, which is mostly used for lectures, allowing for direct sightline views into the dining and main hall at ground floor when capacity is not maximised.
It has been a privilege to work with the School and the entire project team to design and deliver this unique series of spaces, and to see the vision brought into reality. We are delighted to have had the opportunity to join the school at some of their first events to utilise their heart space and see what a difference it is already making for pupils, staff and the local community, and look forward to a continued relationship with our friends at Fitzalan High School.
MELBOURNE PUBLIC PARK: HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT ITS FUTURE
Local communities in and around Saltcoats are being invited to have their say and help shape the future of Melbourne Public Park.
Over the past 2 years several community action groups have emerged in Saltcoats, each seeking to make improvements to the town centre, shorefront area and lives of local people. More recently, these organisations have started to collaborate with more established projects under a new umbrella body called Ripple Effect: Saltcoats with a vision to make Saltcoats a thriving place that is great to live in, work in and visit.
Ripple Effect: Saltcoats’ first priority is to make Melbourne Public Park a vital community asset that not only looks great but supports its vision. Therefore, the group has Austin-Smith:Lord and their partner WAVEParticle, to undertake a Feasibility Study of the park. In scope, the study will cover the entire park site and adjoining areas. This will include consideration of the future of the redundant toilet block and any future toilet provision on site.
The consultation will provide valuable insights on what you want from the park and how that might be achieved. This could include consideration of the park as a place that promotes and enables social connection, good health and wellbeing, wildlife and nature, planting and growing, arts, enterprise, employment and connects the town centre and shore front in an effective way.
We’d be delighted if you could join us and share your thoughts at our community engagement events on and around the park on Friday 10th November from 10am-3pm and on Saturday 11th November from 11.15-3 pm. Join us at Melbourne Public Park & Melbourne Fry, 3 Winton St, KA21 5BN
Also, please also take ten minutes to complete our online community survey as another way of sharing your views. The survey can be accessed via the following link:
What is your role within our Creative Collective?
HR Manager + Practice Administrator.
What inspires you most in your work?
Finding positive solutions to HR issues.
What lessons have you learned in your work?
Attention to detail is essential.
What is your favourite place / building / landscape and why?
Our Liverpool studio – Port of Liverpool Building – an iconic, magnificent building that keeps adapting to modern ways of working without losing its grandeur.
What fictional place would you like to visit?
Hogwarts
What’s something that recently made you smile?
My two year old granddaughter announcing to anyone who would listen in the supermarket “This is MY Grandma”.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?
It’s tough at the top but crowded at the bottom – so always try to be the best you can.
Complete the following – “I couldn’t get through the week without….”
My Friday night (large) glass of Sauvignon Blanc!
What is your role within our Creative Collective?
Senior Architect.
What are you working on at the moment?
Major hospital masterplanning, Ayrshire Hospice, Children’s Burn Unit at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, and window replacement at the William Street Clinic, Glasgow.
What aspects of your work are you most proud of?
The number and breadth of project types I’ve been able to adapt to.
Which designers / projects do you most admire and why?
The makers of architecture without architects.
Image shown above: Typical House, Li Tang.
What is your favourite place / building / landscape and why?
The Tibetan Plateau – Vernacular Tibetan/Himalayan architecture. No matter whether domestic or palatial in scale, it is so deeply rooted in place and setting and it must tick every environmental box there is. The landscapes and skies are the most incredible huge spaces in all conditions.
Image shown above: Chortens Prayer Flags, Li Tang.
Which of Austin-Smith:Lord’s guiding principles do you most relate to, and why? Design excellence. It’s why I chose to do this – to make things work well and look good at the same time.
What’s something you’re planning on doing in the next year that you’ve never done?
I definitely need to plan to go up Ben Nevis.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?
Measure twice, cut once.
Complete the following – “I couldn’t get through the week without….”
Hitting my head or injuring myself somehow (oh and coffee and grapefruit juice).
What is your role within our Creative Collective?
Architect.
What are you working on at the moment?
A mix of residential and masterplanning projects
What inspires you most in your work?
Imagining a journey through a design and crafting functional places dotted with focal points of delight.
What lessons have you learned in your work? Do one thing at a time; creative tasks require focus and time to get in the flow.
Which designers / projects do you most admire and why?
I admire the work of countless designers; creativity never ceases to amaze. We all tap into an enormous wealth of already existing ideas, rarely anyone produces anything entirely new. I am in awe of how vigorous, fruitful, and sometimes frightening humans’ collective intelligence is.
What is your favourite place / building / landscape and why?
Vantage points with expansive views over a city or landscapes have an appealing draw for me. I have been fortunate to settle in Penarth located on high cliffs affording plentiful vistas of Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan and Bristol Channel. I grew up in a town spread across the skirts of a mountain where beautiful long view scenery is a short walk away. Enjoying a large panorama resets the narrow perspective imposed by the mundane day-to-day; it is humbling and freeing experience.
What’s something that recently made you smile?
My son making his first steps, and ‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue’ after the 6 o’clock news doom on BBC radio 4.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?
“If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?” – Rumi
What is your role within our Creative Collective?
Passivhaus Designer.
What are you working on at the moment?
A number of residential and higher education Passivhaus schemes.
What inspires you most in your work?
Opportunities to design buildings that are elegant and contextual, as well as self-sustaining and regenerative.
Which designers / projects do you most admire and why?
Carlo Scarpa, for his originality and craftsman-like approach to design.
What is your favourite place / building / landscape and why?
Glanusk Estate, specifically during the 4 days in late August when it hosts the Green Man festival. A special mention also goes to the Princess of Wales Conservatory at Kew Gardens which is a plant-lover’s heaven.
What is one of the key challenges facing our design professions in the 2020s?
Getting to a point where everything we design gives back to the environment, rather than taking from it.
What’s something that recently made you smile?
Probably a dog video on Instagram.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?
Becoming Vegan is a really effective way to reduce your personal carbon footprint, and it can open your eyes to delicious new recipes too!
Complete the following – “I couldn’t get through the week without……..”
Making something out of clay. Spending a couple of hours on my potter’s wheel helps me wind down and clear my head at the end of a busy week.
Embracing adaptive reuse & repurposing of buildings:
My top 6 challenges & solutions
By Kate Thomas, Director and Head of Interior Design, Austin-Smith:Lord
Kate Thomas
The future of Estates management is without doubt in the adaptive reuse and repurposing of outdated building stock, fuelled by the sustainable agenda behind reuse, programme time pressures, and by the noticeable reduction in appetite in several sectors for large budgets to be spent on capital new-build projects.
Amongst other specialisms, as a design practice Austin-smith:Lord is very well seasoned in refurbishments, and it has always occupied a high percentage of our portfolio. However, we are now predictably seeing this percentage grow further to become one of the mainstays of our work. Over the years in my role as head of Interior Design I have been involved in ‘reimagination’ projects across sectors including universities, colleges & schools, commercial, healthcare, arts and culture facilities and heritage projects. Our specialist team takes on projects ranging from full strip out with heavy structural and envelope changes, to light touch renovations. Every project is as unique as the building it adopts, but there are definitely recurring challenges. I’ve come to see these as ‘personality quirks’ of the building, and like any good carers responsible for restoring the outlook of their dependant, we have armed ourselves with an arsenal of responses for handling them, embracing these challenges and giving the building the best reboot possible to ensure long and useful life.
Here are my top 6 commonly recurring ‘personality quirks’ we see in existing buildings, with examples of successful responses to these challenges from recent projects:
1 – Low head heights
Often exacerbated by the need for overhead services, low existing head heights regularly pose a significant challenge to the feel of spaces. Where raising the roof is financially or structurally unviable, we concentrate on manipulating the proportions of space along with pushing ceiling heights to their practical limit. Open style ceilings such as grid mesh retain a sense of height above them whilst visually screening services above. Alternatively, we have often decided to remove ceilings completely to allow the eye to appreciate the height to the soffit above, and achieve acoustic absorption and masking of services with free hanging rafts or baffles rather than wall to wall ceilings. We have used this approach in our own Cardiff design studio which we recently converted from an old cosmetic surgery clinic which had existing low ceiling grids. The extra feeling of height the exposed soffits has given along with omitting the institutional aesthetic of the grids and exposing the structure and services has completely transformed the feel of the space.
Tight ceiling voids, exposed services and setting out of suspended rafts between equipment requires close coordination with mechanical and electrical engineers to give a neat finish and avoid clashes. We routinely model spaces in 3D drawing software, import a corresponding 3D model of M&E services and run coordination workshops moving items around live on screen together to best effect.
2 – Aesthetic goals & innovative space planning
Clients need their new buildings to reflect their mission, vision and principles and communicate their own brand identity. Existing buildings come with their own style and feel and it can require clever and careful design intervention to dovetail the two. At one end of the spectrum some of our listed property restorations such as Llanellay House or The Reader Mansion House bring the joy of historic beauty and heritage features to capitalise upon when set against newly designed contemporary insertions in the space.
At the other end of the scale, some existing buildings can pose more of an aesthetic challenge if they are seemingly without charm. We pride ourselves in the ability to bring that charm ourselves through a strong interior design vision. The outside need not dictate the internal style if it is not appropriate. In the refurbishment of Alexandra House for product design company PDR in Cardiff we transformed an ‘aesthetically challenged’ 1980s building. With limited budget the client was keen to prioritise the interior reflecting their ethos, transporting you to another dimension when you enter the scheme.
Increasingly however we find value in using a contemporary take on the strongest design language from the time the building was originally conceived. For example, we have used black crittal style internal glazed partitioning in post war building refurbishments to give a nod to the building’s era whilst maintaining a contemporary response.
Building plans with existing constraints can limit the way spaces can be used. Existing constraints can include structural columns breaking up a space, or existing window positions which limit where new partitions can be introduced. In this instance we are fans of increasing flexibility by only introducing partitions where really needed, and are advocates of a world without excess internal walls. The latest loose acoustic furniture, pods and curtains can in certain circumstances give a viable more flexible alternative for privacy and can often more easily work around existing constraints. Rethinking creatively how people could use the building in future avoids replicating past cellular environments that are ultimately outdated. Cloud based mobile technology enables more free flowing agile space that was previously possible.
In my experience, the key to the most successful repurposing projects in often in organising the new spaces to work with the original layout rather than forcing unnatural uses into the form. For example, the simple task of grading existing floor areas by daylight quality then using the best spaces in this regard to create the areas where people will spend most time is of huge value. Equally, simplifying the diagram of people movement through an old building to aid space efficiency and wayfinding often means undoing the piecemeal additions that have been introduced over time and restoring the original clarity.
The approach of simplification of people movement has been critical in redesigning the new Community Hub, reimagining the disused Debenhams department store in Carmarthen town centre. Various community uses are combined in the scheme including healthcare, council services, education and leisure. Complex wayfinding and circulation strategies were hampering the design prior to our involvement. Our solution has been to create a single wayfinding hub in the central courtyard of the scheme with access to various departments from this internal landmark point, allowing instinctive wayfinding and clear signposting. Mixed use refurbishments are becoming more prevalent in the drive to rejuvenate town centres, and empty retail units present a fantastic opportunity for a wide variety of community uses with great transport links and accessibility.
3 – Weak soffits
Where possible we advocate natural ventilation through opening windows to avoid unnecessary energy use and vent kit. However, where mechanical ventilation is required due to high occupancy numbers or specialist activities, existing soffits routinely need to support the kit suspended from them. In recent projects we have found that the poor structural performance or listed nature of the existing soffits has made this unviable. In this circumstance we work closely with mechanical and structural engineers along with cost consultants to assess the alternatives for viability and select the preferred approach. Housing kit outside the building and lacing lightweight ductwork through to internal spaces can be one approach, although often poses penetration and routing challenges. For Cardiff University’s new School Of healthcare (currently in construction) we have recently developed a solution with Aecom (MEP) & Curtins (structures) and ISG (contractors) in a post war building with weak soffits, forming internal steel skeleton frames sitting on the floor slabs to support overhead kit. The existing soffits are a rare type of hollow concrete beam and block, which has very little capacity for fixing or suspending from them. The new steel overhead steel is now painted black and the vertical posts encased in the wall linings. Once installed, acoustic rafts will visually detract from the exposed services. In this circumstance the solution fits well with the industrial aesthetic of the existing building. Whilst this has added cost to the project, the combined sustainability and cost benefits along with the faster timescales of reuse have ensured the viability of the project.
4 – Poor thermal efficiency and air tightness
As part of our sustainability and net zero agenda, often along with that of our clients, we routinely analyse options for improving the thermal efficiency and air tightness of the existing buildings we are refurbishing. For Building Regulations Part L compliance, consequential improvements are often required to demonstrate that reasonable energy performance improvements have been made. Working with cost consultants and M&E engineers we analyse the cost benefit of options including upgrade of building services, as well as championing a ‘fabric fist’ approach such as using additional internal thermal lining, external thermal upgrade, cavity fill or replacing old windows & doors. For the aforementioned School of Healthcare, the design team calculated the U value improvements, future energy savings and associated costs for each viable option. As the existing external walls had cavities that had previously been filled, the relative U value gains from internally lining the external walls in this instance was not worthwhile. Instead, replacing all of the external windows and doors was found to have a much greater impact on performance due to the poor air tightness of the existing UPVC units. this also had the added benefit of vastly improving the external appearance of the building.
For historic fabric and listed buildings, viable options are often reduced in number. In this circumstance, as well as limitations in changing the appearance or replacing windows, breathability usually becomes a key consideration in options feasibility studies. It is crucial to understand the original way the building was intended to perform and not undermine this through sealing in moisture in the quest to insulate. This can eventually degrade the fabric and cause more problems than it solves. In this circumstance, as an example, we are increasingly looking to the use of breathable thermal finishes such as insulating lime render with cork content. Happily, experience has taught us there is very rarely no viable way to improve the energy performance within the project budget.
In historic properties, working with our in house Conservation Architects, we are often required to retain or re-use finishes and fittings of heritage value. Where the project is small in scale we survey, photograph and measure these elements ourselves to incorporate into the proposed design. Where the building is large or complex in varying requirements room to room, or a fair distance away, this becomes very time consuming to survey and heavy on our carbon footprint for the travel. In this circumstance we weigh up the cost benefit to the client and environmental benefit of commissioning a Matterport 3D ‘virtual walkthrough’ building model. This has recently been completed for us on the Fulton House refurbishment project for Swansea University, and will allow the project team to check existing ceiling heights, historic features and existing finishes in each room, analysing the existing interiors virtually at our convenience. It is a powerful 3D visual tool which even allows approximate dimensions to be taken within it, and gives a fast and clear understanding of existing constraints within this listed environment. The project is at early design stages so this upfront investment will certainly pay dividends going forwards.
6 – Penetration limitations for lifts & services
A common constraint we find is limitations on the ability to create penetrations through the existing walls and floor slabs for both services and new lifts for accessibility compliance. This can be due to historic value of the building fabric, or frequently their structural limitations. The existing hollow concrete beam and block floor and roof slabs at the new School Of Healthcare for Cardiff University are interlocking, meaning individual blocks could not be removed to make penetrations without the whole structural bay needing replacement. The solution has been a combination of three approaches. Where possible we have reused existing service risers formed into the original construction and used horizontal distribution from these points. Secondly, where existing penetrations were not adequate, we have added new build vertical service risers and a lift shaft as small building extensions to avoid punching through existing slabs. Where we required local air intake and extract for ventilation, the height was not available to add in separate louvre openings above the first floor windows with requirements for structural support of the roof edge. Windows are being replaced for improved thermal performance and air tightness, so our third approach was to raise the lintels on the existing window openings to house new ventilation louvres in the top of the window openings. Whilst many internal soffits will be exposed with acoustic rafts, perimeter plasterboard bulkheads will house vent services against the louvres internally where they occur.
The list is much longer than these six subjects, and there is much more to discuss for each than is covered here! However, tackling whatever quirks and challenges existing buildings present, we stand by the belief that the key skills to identifying the correct solutions and successfully implementing them are creativity, pragmatism, design flexibility, strong communication and above all proactive design team coordination.
Please get in touch for further information or to discuss how we can support your refurbishment projects. Kate.thomas@austinsmithlord.com
UKREiiF 2023: Thoughts from Eleanor Kemp, Part 2 Architectural Assistant
By Eleanor Kemp, Austin-Smith:Lord
Attending UKReiif in Leeds has been an extremely positive experience as I have been able to connect with a variety of people from different roles. Through these discussions I have been able to learn about how we can utilise collective knowledge and experience to enhance life and environments by design.
The healthy cities to healthy economies panel highlighted that there is critical infrastructure that we need to be delivering in order to support national wellbeing and place making. The panel made reference to the ‘Fair Society, Healthy Lives’ Michael Marmot report, which states that amongst other issues, improvements to life expectancy have stalled and declined for women in the most deprived 10% of areas.
Whilst considering these figures it is undeniable that healthcare and wellbeing is struggling. However it is the panel’s belief that we can begin to address the inequalities face on to develop healthy and sustainable communities.
To develop sustainable communities the panel suggested investing in existing housing stock i.e. retrofitting to help improve internal air quality by filtering incoming air and tackling damp.
In addition to panel discussions night-time events had been staged around the city centre to allow people to learn and network. I was able to attend a Women in Architecture event at Buro Happold in which a lively debate on building gender parity occurred. The discussions included commentary on how we can create an inclusive environment for all at industry events.
As a Part 2 Architectural Assistant I have felt very fortunate that I have been able to attend UKReiiF. I have been able to absorb vital information about how we develop and work together to improve current practices. I look forward to advancing the knowledge acquired and connections made.
Carmarthen Hwb – pioneering high street regeneration through community services
By Rob Firman – Arts, Culture + Heritage Sector Lead, Austin-Smith:Lord
Following our commission to design the adaptation of the redundant British Home Stores building in central Swansea to create a new Community Hub for Swansea Council in spring 2021 Austin-Smith:Lord is delighted to have been appointed in the autumn of 2022 by Bouygues UK to develop design proposals for the adaptation and re-purposing of the redundant Debenhams department store building in the centre of Carmarthen into a new Hwb facility.
Existing Debenhams frontage to St Catherine’s Walk Shopping Mall in central Carmarthen
We are thrilled and excited to be involved in these two paradigm shifting projects, creating a new building typology and enabling redundant buildings to serve their community in innovative and engaging new ways. Whilst quite different in their respective content, there is commonality of ambition and imagination in taking these empty buildings in a very different direction from their original purpose. They will attract and generate and sustain visitor footfall into the central retail area of their host towns for the benefit and enjoyment of the local community and wider regional population.
Carmarthen Hwb will contain facilities for Hywel Dda University Health Board, Carmarthenshire Museum Service, University of Wales Trinity St David and Carmarthenshire County Council Leisure and Advice Services, the new Hwb will be a significant destination within the town, providing essential community services.
The ground floor will be dedicated to health and well-being with a major clinic and healthcare centre working with a 24 hour Gym operated by the Council’s Leisure Services team and the Council’s Advice Hwb providing client facing Council services.
The first floor will feature a publicly accessible Carmarthenshire Museum collection store, workshops and group activity rooms for community engagement. In addition, it will offer spaces for training and conference that will be operated by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
Existing ground floor emptied of retail activity is a vast ‘empty canvas’ for new activities and uses to occupy
The Museum Collection Store project adds to our current portfolio of buildings for museum stores and archives that also includes the West Glamorgan Archive and South Wales Miners’ Library at Swansea and the new Storehouse for the V&A Museum in East London. All 3 projects will be opening in 2024.
Our design concept for the repurposing of the Carmarthen Debenhams store is predicated on the creation of a new meeting place in the town centre, a one-stop destination for health, well-being and education. Visitors will enter into a space that will shift the perception of civic and institutional buildings. Arriving into a generous foyer/welcome-space designed to facilitate intuitive navigation through the building to destination spaces and activities all sense of the building being a retail space will be dispelled.
The Health Board clinics, community well-being services and the gymnasium and associated studios are arranged around a central atrium with entries into the clinical spaces identified by signage and public art specially commissioned for the space animating the surfaces. Visitors to the first floor will arrive at a second central orientation space from which all occupants of this floor will be visible.
The Museum Collection space will include storage for a significant proportion of the Carmarthenshire County Collection as well as objects, art and artefacts from the national collection held by Amgueddfa Cymru | National Museum Wales. It has been designed to Government Indemnity Standards.
Visitors will be able to experience the collections on guided tours through the store room and participate in activities in a purpose designed workshop and activity space.
Proposed reception and Main Entrance/Welcome Space
Proposed central atrium orientation space
UWTSD will provide training to students in collaboration with the Health Board and intends to host conferences as well as training to widen still further the range of visitors using the building.
This apparently eclectic group of stakeholders have grasped the opportunity the building and location offers them and are already collaborating to devise new ways of working with each other for the benefit of all visitors to the building. Spaces throughout the building will host co-curated activities, exhibitions and other events, including outside of normal working hours, and people of all ages will be encouraged to avail themselves of the opportunities these events offer for lifelong learning and well-being.
Currently in the detailed design stage, the project will commence construction in the summer of 2023 and be completed in late 2024.
