The conversion of an Arts and Crafts stable block into a home for an extended multi-generational family has won the Gold Medal for Architecture at the National Eisteddfod
Architects Claire Priest and Ben Crawley from Studio Brassica worked on the project at Plas Hendy near Raglan, Monmouthshire for two years.
The Covid-19 pandemic affected the project with a shortage of materials and they had to wait for pheasant eggs to be laid near the hatching site before continuing with the work.
The two former students from the Welsh School of Architecture, part of Cardiff University, said they were delighted to win this award, the latest to add to their collection of awards arising from the project. This is the first time that the company, founded in London in 2019, has presented work to the National Eisteddfod.
"We’re a bit shocked, it’s not something we expected at all and we’re very excited and looking forward to seeing our work in the exhibition at the Eisteddfod," said Claire.
The medal is awarded by the National Eisteddfod in conjunction with the Royal Society of Welsh Architects and the Welsh Design Commission.
The aim of the award is to draw attention to the importance of architecture in the nation's culture and to honour architects who achieve the highest design standards.
The award is given to the architect or architects responsible for a building or group of buildings completed in Wales in the last three years.
The project involved the renovation and extension of a Grade II listed stable block. Built in 1906 by Charles and Molly Crawley, a relative of Ben's, the original building included a tool room, hayloft and carriage house.
It continues to house horses but other parts of the building had lost their original purpose over time and required significant repair work.
Ben said: "As an extended multi-generational family group, the need for more accommodation prompted the renovation of the stable block. The brief also required flexibility for the family groups staying and exchanging for long periods of time."
Inspired by the Arts and Crafts fabric of the building, simple materials were used making the old feel very comfortable with the new.
The work was not without its troubles and problems to be solved said Claire.
"One question was how to deal with the significant amount of glass in the building. The answer was a privacy screen and sun shading device. We worked with local metal workers to produce the louvres which open and close using a mechanism simple gear.
"The system is controlled manually using a cart wheel we found in Swansea," she said.
The National Eisteddfod award is the project's latest award. Brassica Studio was awarded four awards by the Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW) this year including Small Project of the Year and the Architect Project award for Claire.
The 2024 Rhondda Cynon Taf National Eisteddfod is in Pontypridd from August 3-10. More details online at eisteddfod.cymru.
