Best development – £20m+

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Gwynfaen is a 144-home, ultra-low carbon development just outside Swansea. The site has been developed by Pobl Group and includes 56 homes for social rent, 29 for shared ownership and 59 for market sale. The buildings are constructed from an insulated timber-framed system constructed offsite.

 

Materials were chosen for their low embodied carbon, recyclability and longevity, and the homes were designed with reuse and adaptability in mind. The shift from traditional masonry to timber reduced embodied carbon by up to 61%, and the scheme used only Welsh timber and cladding sourced from sustainable woodlands within 100 miles of the site. The open-plan space on the ground floor will provide a gathering place for the wider community.

 

This development will act as a pathfinder project for further low-carbon developments, as it inspired the Tai ar y Cyd Pattern Book, a collaboration between 25 social landlords and the Welsh government that sets out a practical framework for delivering cost-effective, ultra-low carbon, timber-based housing at scale.

 

The judges said:

“These homes have achieved Energy Performance Certificate Band A and inspired a pattern book for replicating the results at scale. The homes are lifetime homes catering for residents as they age in place. A truly remarkable and groundbreaking achievement”