The Hamadryad Regeneration project involves the provision of high quality affordable housing on a former hospital site located close to Cardiff Bay, alongside the River Taff.

The project presented significant design challenges due to its prominent location when viewed from the Taff river corridor across open playing fields and its proximity to the Victorian, Hamadrayad Hospital building and nearby residential communities. The site also contained a number of mature trees with Tree Preservation Orders and was relatively constrained within an area of land wrapping around the retained hospital building, bounded by iron railings and mature hedges.

Our design solution was to create a high quality central courtyard space, alongside the Victorian hospital, having a shared surface to accommodate pedestrians and cars bounded by terraces of contemporary housing on two sites and a taller apartment building to the west.

The apartment building is orientated north/south and faces directly on to the river and Taff Trail cycle route. A six storey element punctuates the southwest corner and acts as a landmark when viewed from Cardiff Bay against the backdrop of Cardiff City Centre.

CCHA’s vision is ‘providing homes, regenerating communities’, and developing new affordable housing is a key way in which we achieve this. Our Hamadryad development has created 55 very desirable apartments with fantastic views across the city, which the new tenants are thrilled with.

Kevin Protheroe – Chief Executive, CCHA