Our client, Apollo Capital Projects, approached us to design a new primary care health centre in Mountain Ash.
Part of the site sits within a 1 in 100 year flood plain, so extensive flood mitigation was required. The site is also relatively tight in relation to the required level of accommodation, so this provided us with extra design challenges.
The building plan, while efficient, has a double-height space within the main waiting area, providing a welcoming and airy introduction to the scheme. The external walls have been clad in shou-sugi-ban timber, which is a traditional Japanese way of burning timber to preserve it from the elements, and natural slate stone cladding to the lower levels, for robustness. Large elements of glazing have been incorporated to improve natural ventilation and provide excellent levels of daylighting.
The centre has been highly insulated and has PV panels hidden from the street on the roof, which have contributed to the building achieving a BREEAM Excellent rating.
https://studio-response.com/projects/monumental-welsh-women-1
