Co-Building the Rhondda

CYD-ADEILADU’R RHONDDA Wyn Lloyd Jones

CYD-ADEILADU’R RHONDDA

a graduation project by

Wyn Lloyd Jones for the degree of Master of Architecture

er cof am Gareth Lloyd

Overview This graduation project proposes an architectural process that will revitalise the post industrial area of the Rhondda Valley in South Wales. Through organising the community around new communal reseource spaces they will be empowered to renew their homes though a self-build approach. This will enable the provision of additional space and greater energy efficiency within the homes, which will transform them into wokring spaces suitable for a third industrial age. Once built, these productive dwellings will continue to have a relationship with the community Institute of Builders and Makers which will support the residents in their enterpreneurial aims and serve to continue the renewed relationship between work and society fostered during thr renewal process. Creating a socially and economically successful community will in turn support the Valley wide economy, enabling macro projects such as community energy schemes and the appropriation of empty factory buildings in order to further transform the Valley to have the spatial infrastrucutre needed for the third industrial age.

Research

Industry and Architecture In considering the given theme for this studio, Industry, Architecture and the city, it is worth considering the strong historical ties between these entities. Industry places demands upon architecture and the urban realm and influences its development.

Historically, this is observable with each period of production. The pre-industrial makers workshop is focused around the workbench, where the item is made.

Secondary processes happen in the surrounding space.

The architecture is domestic in character as it aims to provide essentially domestic characteristics; namely shelter and warmth for the craftsman at his work.

A large shift is seen during the first industrial revolution as industrial architecture must cope with the demands of larger industrial processes, many of which have specific spatial requirements. The Cyfarthfa blast furnaces in Merthyr Tudfil may be seen as an example of this. Depsite their functional purpose an architectural expression is developed with the circular ventilation windows and large iron structure roofs. A more overt architectural expression is seen at Salines de Chaux, Arc-et-Senans where Claude-Nicolas Ledoux gave the saltworks a classical appearance. Their plan however is arranged according to their hierarchical status, with the inner circle of saltworks set to be the centre of a whole city; thus giving a relationship between the places of work and living.

At the beginning of the 20th century the advent

of the 2nd industrial age saw further architectural development. This is particularly notable in the work of Albert Kahn for the Ford Motor Company in Detroit.

His buildings for a the River Rouge plant responded to the need to house a production line which resulted in their linear forms, however the buildings also ended up informing the working practices of the company.

The flexibility provided by the frame structure, and the length of its spans, allowed assembly lines to be refined and changed. Also, the use of large expanses of glass provided large amounts of natural light, which, along with other humane features, contributed to the attraction of working at the plant within a Fordist system and contributed to the improvement of the means of production over time. The buildings at River Rouge displayed an aesthetic which was the result of the technologies used upon the production line within.

What therefore would be the architectural demands of a new industrial age, and how would that be expressed?

Research The current theoretical context to the issue of industry in western countries, if not worldwide, is one that foresees considerable change in how goods are designed, produced and marketed; with resulting changes being felt within the field of work. Writers such as Peter Marsh and Jeremy Rifkin predict that a third industrial revolution is underway, as a result of the expansion of new technologies* during the last half century, which are now exerting an influence on our means of production and the objects that we produce.

Changes Changes to the means of production will lead towards an increasingly automated lean production model where by the advantages of craft production (an ability to specialise, the craftsman’s joint role as designer-maker) and mass-production (low costs, increased efficiency, higher speeds) are combined by new technologies and techniques. This effectively increases the productivity of each human supported by automatons, and thus increases the competitiveness of the business against ones low-cost labour economies.

The reduction in lateral costs enabled by local renewable energy generation, results in smaller companies becoming more viable as the economy of scale needed for energy effieicency is reduced. The distribution of the energy generation is reflected in the increasing distribution of smaller comanies. To enable this to happen an accesible community controlled energy network is required.

An accesible information network is will reduce the importance of distance as a market factor as the transportation of physical goods is made ever easier and the ability to communicate instantly across large distances becomes more embedded with in our means of working. The ability to distribute production across the globe will give the possibility of the physical production of objects being increasingly distributed, however the design and development, maintenance and servicing elements of the business are still likely to occur near to the main markets. Physical clusters of similar businesses will also occur in places where the direct, fae-to-face sharing of knowledge can occur. *these include: the computer, semiconductors, lasers, lean production, the internet, biotechnology & nano-technology.

Effect upon Architecture The architectural result of this change in working practices is a move away from large industrial complexes to more dispersed networks of buildings, strategically placed. Often different organisations will form specialist clusters of buildings, or even share a single building, in order to have access to the knowledge they need.

These buildings should be able to generate their own energy in order to power the processes they house. The buildings should be easily adaptable at a low cost, and generally be affordable and to have a minimal impact on the company’s lateral costs. Architecture will also come to reflect the changing relationship between working and living practices, where work becomes increasingly informal and thus blurred with our ‘daily’ lives, thus giving rise to new typologies where work becomes embedded within traditionally domestic or leisure environments, and vice-versa.

Artisan Production

Mass Production

Automated Lean Production

Research A relationship between industry and architecture, and indeed urbanism, can be clearly seen in the postindustrial South Wales Valleys Region. Which in the focus of this work.

Research The Rhondda is one of 17 river valleys in the south Wales region, all of which were to some extent industrialised between the 18th and 20th century, as Wales became the world’s first industrialised nations, with an economy built upon the centralised production of coal and steel.

The region began to decline in the post-war period with reduced demand for coal and automation of the steel making process reducing employment. This decline was finalised with the closure of the state owned mines in the late 1980’s. Some of the huge unemployment which resulted was countered by attracting manufacturing facilities to the region, but many of these jobs were short lived.

The result is an area where the social problems caused by de-industrialisation 30-50 years ago persist, there remain few opportunities for self actuated improvement.

In the Rhondda 25.8% of the population suffer from a long term illness, often as a result of heavy industry; 36.8% of the working age population are economically inactive; and the region was recently polled the worst place in Wales to live for quality of life.

Research In considering sections of the valley it is possible to see that industry and infrastructure are largely found alongside the river in the valley floor. This is due to the fact that the railways were built along the contours of the valley floor, with coal shafts being added alongside later on. The housing, which was constructed to house the miners, was constructed on steeper ground on the valley sides which did not have any industrial value. Commercial streets would be built within these residential areas, often on key thoroughfares which run along the valley and which connected working areas to living ones.

Valley Section - Llwynypia

Research Today the mines have gone, though their impact upon the urban grain is still evident as their sites were often re-used by large programmes which needed large accesible sites, such as new factories and supermarkets.

However in adding these buildings, in the majority of cases, no attempt has been made to improve the connection between these zones and the urban grain of the houses. Whilst formerly the few roads and paths which do connect these would have been envigorated by communting workers, now they are empty. Many have also been severed by road infrastructure improvements.

This is particularly evident in the case of the supermarkets, as they are a commercial function which was formerly to be found in smaller premises within the commecial street of the villages. Now food shopping occurs in an area compleatly segregated from housing areas, resulting in an increasing reliance upon the motor car to navigate the the large road infrastrucutre, despite the relatively short distances involved.

The position of the houses within the urban grain meanwhile remain largely unchanged, aside from a few newer developments higher up the slopes which tend to eschew the logic of building terraces along the slopes in favour of building identikit cul-de-sacs on arificially levelled podiums of coal waste.

Valley Section - Tonypandy

Section 2 | Tonypandy 1:2000

Research

Treorchy The town of treorchy is the principle town in the Rhondda Fawr Valley, and is typical of towns in the Rhondda in terms of its spatial arrangement. The former coal related sites have been replaced by bigbox industrial estates, though their original tenants, including Burburry’s poloshirt factory and EMI’s electronic tape factory have long since closed. These sites are adjacent but disconnected from the residential area accross the river, with a wide difference in scale evident as you cross the river boundary. Here terraced houses are arranged along the contours, with one pair of terraces flanking the main road through the valley.

This is lined with commercial properties and also public houses and former social clubs. The railway runs to the west dividing the central area from Cwmparc.

N

Used / Disused Institutions

Dwellings

Social

Health

Institutions/clubs Religious Public Houses

Government Education

Commercial Buildings

Industrial

Heavy Light

N

N

Treorci Building Use Plan 1:5000

Research On a deeper level it is possbile to see the effect of industry on individual examples of architecture. The centralised, capitalist organisation of coal mining resulted an industrial architecture which sought to project its status and power though an architectural quality in its industrial buildings and the residences of the owners. However it is also evident that this centralised industry gave a common identity to the workers, as a result of their common plight. This common identity resulted in sense of community and common struggle which lead to the foundation of a number of collaborative movements, such as the Labour movement. However other collective groups organised a number of civic functions such as social clubs, cinemas, theatres, hospitals and education facilities such as libraries. These were funded by public subscription from the workers wages and controlled by elected governing bodies. These civic facilities gave an opportunity for architectural expression and the buildings which resulted became symbols of pride for the working class to match those of their employers. In Treorchy this is evident is the Abergorki Workmens Institute, the Congregational Chapels, the Conservative club and most impressively, at the Park and Dare Workmens Institute and Theatre. These buildings became the expresion of the connection of work and society for the workers who built them.

left: Former Ninian Stuart Conservative and Unionist Club, Treherbert; below: Lewis Merthyr Colliery, Trehafod.

Research The current post-fordist model of production does not lend itself to such collaboration amongst workers as the demise of centralised heavy industry resulted in the loss of the common goal which united them. In certain cases, the welfare state of the post-war period nationalised the civic functions previously provided for collectively.

This was seen as a political success in the post-war era as the government expanded the welfare state, however the legacy has been services taken out of local control and in the wake of the financial crisis many are being closed by decisions taken in London. As Philip Blonde states: “We now face an unprecedented mass divestment of state assets, which among other things is likely to include: libraries, swimming pools, community centres, public spaces, council offices, courts, police stations, prison buildings, the road network, British Waterways, RDA, MoD and Whitehall assets, Ports‌ In the years to come, a huge amount of this wealth will suddenly cease to be public.â€? Even in the organisations which remain, there is little pride, or capital to express a sense of pride; with institutions occupying terraced housing and former warehouses. Their current state is symptomatic of the loss of connection between work and society, which is the result of the new working practices of the neo-liberal service economy.

The same decline is apparent within the industrial buildings which remain. Large generic steel sheds give none of the sense of pride or dignity to work which was afforded by buildings 100 years ago. The footloose nature of the foreign direct investment in the area results

in a lack of architectural investment or commitment by a foreign headquarters, who surely see their foreign sites in terms of meteres squared alone. This contrasts to the direct ownership of the early capitalists who could often see their works from their homes, which surely must have affected their attitude towards the architecture that the comissioned.

right: Current Ninian Stuart Conservative and Unionist Club, Treherbert; below: Trefforest Industrial Estate, Trefforest.

Research

Regional Overview Since the decline of heavy industry there has been a governmental focus on regenerating the area, from a lcoal to an European level. However a few key realities have hindered economic renewal within the region.

The region suffers from being at a relative disadvantage economically to the M4 corridor, which benefits under the current economic model from its greater accessibility to markets. This is visible from the greater number of manufacturing businesses located in the M4 corridor.

The stability of the Welsh economy is further impacted by the lack of a mittelstand which would help retain wealth locally and tie multinationals to the region as they are currently overly footloose resulting in a cycle of investment and divestment. Which are able to exploit global varyations in labour costs to Wales’ disadvantage.

MOD Filton Abbey Wood

Rolls-Royce Filton

BAE Filton

Airbus Filton

Avonmouth Docks

Bristol Airport

Llanwern Steelworks

Uskmouth B Power Station - Coal Severn Power Station - Gas

Orb Electrical Steel Products Rowecord Engineering Bislely Office Furniture

o tor way C orridor

Newport Docks BRC Reinforcement

LG (disused)

Coedkernew Business Park

Wentloog Industrial Estate

Capital Business Park

Cardiff Docks Celsa Manufacturing

University Hospital of Wales

eys

Barry Power Station - Gas

Treforest Industrial Estate GE Aircraft Engine Services

Barry Docks

University of South Wales Engineering Campus

British Airways Maintenance Cardiff Cardiff Wales Airport

Llantrisant Business Park

le l a V s al e South W

aV al l

The Royal Mint

ho nd d

Aberthaw Power Station - Coal

M4 M

Sony UK Technology Centre Pencoed Technology Park Pencoed Film Studios

-

eR

Rockwool

Ford Engine Plant

Bridgend Industrial Estate

Brynmenyn Industrial Estate

Georgia Pacific

Village Farm Industrial Estate

Kenfig Industrial Estate

BOC Gases Port Talbot

Tata Steel Port Talbot

Port Talbot Renewable Energy Plant Biomass (proposed)

Baglan Bay Gas Power Station

SPECIFIC

Swansea Universtity Engineering Campus Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre

River Tawe Barrage - Hydro

Swansea Universtity

Swansea Bay Lagoon - Hydro

Tata Tinplate Trostre

Calsonic Kansei Europe

Th

Calsonic Kansei Technology Centre

ads e H

lleys C a V e h of t orridor

a e r ys A

el ann h lC o t is Br

Black Vein Industrial Park

Croespenmaen Industrial Estate

Hawker Siddeley Swichgear Frontier Medical Nine Mile Point Industrial Park

Duffryn Industrial Estate Rassau Industrial Estate Bedwas House & Caerphily Industrial Hawkin Industrial Estate

Penrallta Industrial Estate

Tafarnau Bach Industrial Estate

Pentre Bach Industrial Estate

Abercaniad Industrial Estate Hoover Factory (disused) Taf Fechan Reservoirs

Aberaman Park Indsutrial Estate

Taf Fawr Reservoirs

Hirwaun Industrial Estate

Airbourne Systems Llangeinor

Research

Regional Overview Finally as the original model of work and society depended on the centralising force of heavy industry, without it, the local populace has very little means for self-improvment. This is compounded by the generally low skills of the population and an ingrained attitude that change is delivered by authority and not by selfactualisation. Will Davies of the Political Economy Research Centre summarises this as: “Thatcherism gutted them with pit-closures and monetarism, but generated no private sector jobs to fill the space. The entrepreneurial investment that neoliberals always believe is just around the corner never materialised.�

The frustration which stems from this has surfaced in the last week as the region voted to leave the European Union. This is in spite of the fianancial support that it acheives, arguably as a protest vote against their position in a globalised world.

Research Conclusion

It is evident that a variety of factors from governmental policy, to local factors such as accesibility, to the mechanics of globalisation played a role in the Valley’s poor transition from a heavy industrial region; to a modern manufacturing region, or less still one based on a service economy.

However many of its problems do not affect a third age model, such as relativly poor connectivity, high wages and a depandancy on large corporations. Meanwhile new working structures present the possibiltiy of re-linking work and society to re-establish a sense of pride within communities. In the context of the development of new technologies, we at the beginning of a significant period of development in products arising from new technologies, which will provide an oppourtunity for economic growth.

The challenge for the region however is the transition to being a region which can provide the correct physical, spatial and social infrastructure for a third age economy, from a relatively disadvantaged starting position.

What would a third age economy in a post-industrial valley be like? And how can an architectural process, through community participation, set in motion a series of architectural and socio-economic developments which will help the area transition to a third age economy?

PROPOSAL

Export

Factory

Forestry

Transport

Test community

Productive dwelling

Further factories

As the valley circular economy system is proven and further developed it will be possible to expand it accross the region, thus enabling the same community benefits and spatial improvents in these areas.

Large empty factory buildings repurposed for use by small enterprises.

They will also generate their own energy from solar energy and production waste. They will be supported by production on the community scale and some will also use local resources.

Greater use will be made of local resources. In this area a particularly prevalent but underused resource is timebr. Its use will enable the further development of the local industry as well as continuing the work of restoring the landscape from the effects of coal mining and to develop its use as a leisure resource.

Existing roads will provide the infrastructure for new economy. As the urban grain is developed the public realm will also be improved to accomodate the changes to working practices. The main road will remain the main throughfare for logistics, whilst a route next to the river will provide conections between different parts of the town for walkers and cyclists. Residential streets will remain the public face of the houses and will enable the residents to increasingly approprate them as car numbers are reduced.

The test community will acts an an example for rest of region. The maker centre can be visited to learn more about the project whilst also retaining the function of a maker space for the residents and providing a link between the community and the industrial activity of the town.

As the scheme expands, residents across the town will be able to take part, leading to individual productive houses appearing accross the town. These will still have a relationship with the central maker hub as a space to receive knowledge and engage with the industrial community.

An excess of empty factory buildings and vacant land which surrounds them enables space to be rented cheaply.

Components from factory space are assembled here.

If large groups of adjacent houses wish to take part in the scheme, aditional local maker centres may be opened.

Products generated within the Valley will exported to national and international markets.

Unused factory space will be used by local entrepreneurs. Intermediate space between factories and adjacent land will be made available for the construction of small factory units, which will span the scale between the two parts of the town, and engage with existing adjacent leisure areas.

Entrepreneurs who develop businesses at home and in their communities can expand to these areas.

The dwelling will be the space of informal work, cottage indutry and the development of ideas, connected to a larger local network.

As the rail network is electrified to provide a light rail network by 2023, an increasing proportion of longer-distance journey’s will me made by train.

Socially owned macro-generation schemes

Locally harvested timber Excess heat used to provide added heat to solar timber kilns

Treherbert

The community centre is a common resource for making, surrounded by alleyways which become places to share knowledge

Machined timber parts delivered to community for assembly Waste returned to Valley-scale for central reuse

Proposed light rail station

NATIONAL

Timber waste from factory re-processed as engineered timber products or incinerated to produce heat and power

Ynyswen

Treorchy Heat recovered from air outlet and reindroduced to water heating

RAIL

Combined PV and solar water panels

RIVER Building components exported to National markets

ROAD

Electricity exported to National Grid

A central sawmill within reclaimed factories produce components for buildings

Smaller, new, buildings form a cluster of production facilities around the central sawmill

At peak times, electricity from the valley-scale can supply community and homes

Excess electricity generated by the community can power valley-scale production

COMMUNITY The heat exchanger is housed in a communit energy centre within the community centre

Possibility to also obtain heat / coolth from River Heat exchanger

VALLEY

Excess electricity is shared with community

MVHR

HOME

Heat / coolth to housing

Excess heat to community for storage

Heat from valley to community

Interseasonal storage of excess heat in ground

Future expansion of heat storage system to store and recover heat in flooded mine shafts

A RHONDDA VALLEY FOR THE THIRD INDUSTRIAL AGE

Proposal How can we arrive at such a vision of the future?

This architectural intervention proposes not so much a single building, as a process which can engage residents in improving their own homes. Through supporting the residents with a self-build scheme to retrofit their terraced housing to become energy-positive dwellings, the residents would gain new skills in construction and project management. At the same time as improving the energy performance, residents would be supported in extending their homes to provide much needed extra space. With their new skills, and free space within their homes, new cottage industries could develop. The excess energy generated by the positive energy homes would power this industry and give them a competitive advantage.

The construction work, if carried out on a broad scale would create a large demand for building materials and technologies. This could stimulate community industries to satisfy this demand, and the knowledge capital gained from renewing their own homes could be applied to other homes and buildings, and in developing new technologies. A community led approach would result in a greater legacy, and would be economically viable due to the savings from manufacturing locally to order. Once established, the companies could then start renewing properties across the country, which has a great potential due to pressure to reduce energy

consumption combined with the average age of housing stock in the UK being amongst the oldest in Europe.

The scheme would be initiated by setting up a site office where residents could obtain advice and assistance from architects and tradesmen. Residents would also be able to take part in certain parts of its construction to gain experience. It would also act as an informal meeting point for the constructive community, and hopefully revitalise social links within the community. It would employ the same constructive system as the dwellings so that once it has served its purpose as a site office the community could occupy it as a community centre, or a workshop, or a factory, and be able to carry out any changes necessary.

This scheme could provide the infrastructure of a 3rd industrial age needs: cheap, renewable energy, an empowered and capable workforce and a community within which specialist knowledge may be shared and developed. Engagement with the community ensures a greater return than the renovation of houses alone would achieve in terms on social capital in forming a community which is empowered to go on to achieve other community goals of their won accord.

This process relies on the succesful engagement of the community, which the architectural process will need to assist in achieving.

AN ARCHITECTURAL PROCESS Action promotes demand

Local timber is engineered Woodland

Engagement encourages action

Sawmill

Construction hub

Act of building brings community together Knowledge

Institutions

Work and society are linked

Existing industry Homes nt me y plo Em

se pri r e Ent

Home renewal as a product New industry

Homes are renewed

The Exisiting Procurement Model

A Proposed Procurement Model

HOME

The Exisiting Situation

The Exisiting Situation

Environmental Strategy PV cells Stale air extracted, heat recovered and re-introduced to heating system by MVHR system

Solar gain Lightwell

Excess electricity exported to communal network.

Shorfall bought back.

PV cells

Air inlets within upgraded windows

Heating pipes directly warming the existing thermal mass, which in turns warms the air as it enters the building

Buried service connection to building

Insulation added to exisiting structure Heat may be drawn from the communal heating system when needed and returned when there is an excess. A heat-pump upgrades the water to a higher temprature for hot water usage.

Phases / Extents of Intervention

COMMUNITY SELF BUILD Thursday 30th of June 11.45 Room C

Section Phase 1

Ground Floor Plan Phase 1

Solar Film Zinc Sheeting Cold formed steel section incorporating heating loop Breathable Roofing Membrane Homatherm EnergiePlus Woodfibre board, 50mm Engineered Timber I-beam, 220mm OSB board, 15mm Vapour Control Barrier Interior Surface Panel

Eave Support Beam, 100mm

Timber I - Beam Truss

Stainless Steel Bracing Cable

Concrete Floor

Concrete Pad Foundation

Facade Section Phase 1

Facade Section - Phase 1 1:20

Courtyard Perspective Phase 1

Section Phase 2

Ground Floor Plan Phase 2

Solar Film Zinc Sheeting Cold formed steel section incorporating heating loop Breathable Roofing Membrane Homatherm EnergiePlus Woodfibre board, 50mm Engineered Timber I-beam, 220mm OSB board, 15mm Vapour Control Barrier Interior Surface Panel

Eave Support Beam, 100mm

Timber I - Beam Truss

Stainless Steel Framing Stainless Steel Bracing Cable, ø10mm

Polycarbonate Sheeting, 30mm

Concrete Slab, 200mm

Concrete Pad Foundation

Facade Section Phase 2

Facade Section - Phase 2 1:20

Workshop Perspective Phase 2

Section Phase 3

Ground Floor Plan Phase 3

Solar Film Zinc Sheeting Cold formed steel section incorporating heating loop Breathable Roofing Membrane Homatherm EnergiePlus Woodfibre board, 50mm Engineered Timber I-beam, 220mm OSB board, 15mm Vapour Control Barrier Interior Surface Panel

Eave Support Beam, 100mm Marine Grade Plywood, 12mm Battens, 25mm Vertical Battens, 25mm Breather Membrane Timber I - Column Sheep’s Wool, 165mm Retaining Netting

Marine Grade Plywood, 25mm

Timber I - Beam Truss

Finish Grade OSB, 25mm

Stainless Steel Bracing Cable, ø10mm

Timber Flooring, 25mm Battens Screed, 25mm Woodfiber Insulation, 100mm Concrete Slab, 200mm

Concrete Pad Foundation

Facade Section Phase 3

Facade Section - Phase 3 1:20

Workshop Perspective Phase 3

Section Phase 4

Ground Floor Plan Phase 4

Solar Film Zinc Sheeting Cold formed steel section incorporating heating loop Breathable Roofing Membrane Homatherm EnergiePlus Woodfibre board, 50mm Engineered Timber I-beam, 220mm OSB board, 15mm Vapour Control Barrier Interior Surface Panel

Eave Support Beam, 100mm Larch Shingles, 12mm Battens, 25mm Vertical Battens, 25mm Breather Membrane Timber I - Column Sheep’s Wool, 165mm Vertical Battens, 25mm Battens, 25mm Gybsum Plasterboard, 25mm

Engineered Timber Box Beam, 200x200mm

Timber I - Beam Truss

Timber Window Frame Timber Window Sill

Larch String Course Larch Cladding, 25mm

Stainless Steel Bracing Cable, ø10mm

Timber Flooring, 25mm Battens Screed, 25mm Woodfiber Insulation, 100mm Concrete Slab, 200mm

Concrete Pad Foundation

Facade Section Phase 4

Facade Section - Phase 4 1:20

Lightwell Perspective Phase 4

Self- Build: Wall Storage

Self- Build: Wall Finish

COMMUNITY

Street Existing

Alley Existing

Changing Emphasis

Industrial Areas

Rail Line

River Cooling

Active Transport Corridor

Energy Production

Landscaped Streets

Communal Alleys

Community Resources

Future Phases

Main Road Logistics

A PRODUCTIVE COMMUNITY

Street Perspective

Alley Perspective

Phased Development

Community Centre Floorplan Ground Floor

Community Centre Floorplan First Floor

Communal Hall Pespective

VALLEY

Export

Factory

Forestry

Transport

Community

Productive dwelling

Further factories

As the valley circular economy system is proven and further developed it will be possible to expand it accross the region, thus enabling the same community benefits and spatial improvents in these areas.

Large empty factory buildings repurposed for use by small enterprises.

They will also generate their own energy from solar energy and production waste. They will be supported by production on the community scale and some will also use local resources.

Greater use will be made of local resources. In this area a particularly prevalent but underused resource is timebr. Its use will enable the further development of the local industry as well as continuing the work of restoring the landscape from the effects of coal mining and to develop its use as a leisure resource.

Existing roads will provide the infrastructure for new economy. As the urban grain is developed the public realm will also be improved to accomodate the changes to working practices. The main road will remain the main throughfare for logistics, whilst a route next to the river will provide conections between different parts of the town for walkers and cyclists. Residential streets will remain the public face of the houses and will enable the residents to increasingly approprate them as car numbers are reduced.

The role of the community is important in the creation of a third age productive valley. It allows for shared energy generation to further reduce the lateral costs of those working in the surrounding homes. It will also serve as a point to access the technology which will drive the revolution in an affordable way.

The dwelling will be the space of informal work, cottage industry and the development of ideas, connected to a larger local network. The ability to make, work and experiment at home will give a chance for a new wave of entrepreneurs. This becomes increasingly relevant as the future boundaries between living and working are blurred and domestic labour is increasigly considered as work.

An excess of empty factory buildings and vacant land which surrounds them enables space to be rented cheaply.

Products generated within the Valley will exported to national and international markets.

Unused factory space will be used by local entrepreneurs. Intermediate space between factories and adjacent land will be made available for the construction of small factory units, which will span the scale between the two parts of the town, and engage with existing adjacent leisure areas.

Entrepreneurs who develop businesses at home and in their communities can expand to these areas.t

As the rail network is electrified to provide a light rail network by 2023, an increasing proportion of longer-distance journey’s will me made by train.

Socially owned macro-generation schemes

Locally harvested timber Excess heat used to provide added heat to solar timber kilns

Treherbert

The community centre is a common resource for making, surrounded by alleyways which become places to share knowledge

Machined materials and components delivered to community for assembly Waste returned to Valley-scale for central reuse

Proposed light rail station

NATIONAL

Timber waste from factory re-processed as engineered timber products or incinerated to produce heat and power

Ynyswen

Treorchy

RAIL Final assembly and sale (physically or online) occurs in the home

RIVER

Heat recovered from air outlet and reindroduced to water heating

Combined PV and solar water panels

Building components exported to National markets

ROAD

Electricity exported to National Grid

A central sawmill within reclaimed factories produce components for buildings

Smaller, new, buildings form a cluster of production facilities around the central sawmill

At peak times, electricity from the valley-scale can supply community and homes

Excess electricity generated by the community can power valley-scale production

COMMUNITY The heat exchanger is housed in a communit energy centre within the community centre

Possibility to also obtain heat / coolth from River Heat exchanger

VALLEY

MVHR

HOME

Heat / coolth to housing

Excess heat to community for storage

Heat from valley to community

Interseasonal storage of excess heat in ground

Future expansion of heat storage system to store and recover heat in flooded mine shafts

Excess electricity is shared with community

A RHONDDA VALLEY FOR THE THIRD INDUSTRIAL AGE A third age valley would work on a number of scales, with circuler flows of materials, labour, energy and waste passing between them.

Future Factory Pespective