Mynytho | Affordable Housing Competition Entry
Mynytho, Gwynedd, 2024
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At the beginning of the year we entered a competition to design up to four new build homes for Gwynedd Council. The concept proposal centres around a modular timber frame form that can be adapted with a half-dormer attic for an additional 2 bedrooms. The modular form, built from Structurally Insulated Panels in a local saw mill would be both sustainable and cost-effective. The proposed development is on a Rural Exception site on the edge of the village, which means only affordable houses can be built. The materiality mixes the pebbledash seen on the semi-detached houses around the village, with a black-stained timber cladding giving a nod to the barns and agricultural buildings seen dotted around the countryside of Wales.
We believe low-carbon houses are essential for social housing. A project like our design for the site at Maes Llwyd might cost 5-10% more to build in materials, but the energy running costs can be a 1/10th compared to traditional houses. They could irradicate fuel poverty, which is particularly important for the more vulnerable or those on lower incomes.
