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With a brief to envision the next industrial revolution in Harlech, North Wales, this project aims to tackle fuel poverty and embraces the Welsh climate. Phase one involved creating a device that responds to the wind, visualising energy flows around us. This translated into phase two, the building proposal. Through iterative design developments, the building form was shaped to harness wind flows for outdoor comfort and indoor natural ventilation. Detailed structural and environmental strategies were assessed and implemented into the proposal for practicality and relevance. Various tools, including hand drawing, physical modeling, parametric design and calculations, were consistently utilised. Short films document the installation of the phase one prop and the final building proposal in phase three on-site.
The prop was utilised to create a promotional film, showcasing its presence at different locations within the site to observe the diverse reactions to local wind conditions. Particularly at night, the device truly comes alive.
The roof form of the structure is meticulously designed to align with the prevailing wind conditions and the natural features of the site.
Physical modelling was used with realistic materials, to develop both the structural strategy and create a successful piece of architecture.
Detailed strategies for summer, winter and mid-season utilise passive ventilation approaches, primarily driven by the building's roof form. Considerable attention was given to optimising natural daylight availability.
A promo for the building shows the uniquely functional features of the building through a series of physical models at varying scales, and links to the existing Coleg Harlech school building on the adjacent site.