ARCHITECT: James Stroud, Loyn & Co Architects, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan
WOOD FLOORING: 161m2 of E502 Oiled North American Black Walnut Engineered wood flooring and 50m2 of E704 Engineered Oiled Fineline Walnut wood flooring were supplied by The Solid Wood Flooring Company, Tetbury, Gloucestershire. GL8 8JN 01666 504015
METHOD OF FITTING: Fully bonded to a Cement and Sand screed using BONA R850 adhesive over BONA R410
When considering aesthetics and energy efficient materials for this prestigious project the client and the architect chose Oiled Engineered North American Black Walnut wood Flooring from The Solid Wood Flooring Company. The client in particular requested The Solid Wood Flooring boards which are not only comply with the very modern interior of Storm Castle on the Gower.
A spectacular “modern castle” on Swansea’s Gower peninsula has earned its designers the prestigious Gold Medal for Architecture at this year’s National Eisteddfod of Wales.
The contemporary private home, Stormy Castle, designed by Cardiff-based architects Loyne & Co beat fierce competition from 14 other entries across the country to scoop the coveted award, which is supported by the Design Commission for Wales (DCFW), at the National Eisteddfod in Llanelli today.
Stormy Castle is a three-bedroom home on the north Gower coast which has been designed for energy efficiency using materials that reduce maintenance. It is designed with three stepped “wings” set into the surrounding landscape following the contours of the land. Its roofs are green-planted to help with insulation, also enabling them to double up as terraces.
Stormy Castle by Loyn & Co Architects – a modern castle in a stunning Gower peninsula-setting
The award’s selectors praised Stormy Castle’s “outstanding” organisational plan and attention to detail, calling it a “a spectacular architectural response to both the owner’s brief and the site”.
Chris Loyn, principal architect at Loyn & Co, said: “I was thrilled to learn Stormy Castle had won this year’s Gold Medal for Architecture. While it had already been nominated for a number of industry awards, this one was particularly special, as it shows we are achieving our aim of raising the quality of architecture in Wales, and flying the flag for Welsh architectural talent.
“While the beautiful Gower landscape was our biggest inspiration, it was also our biggest challenge, and our greatest concern throughout the design process was creating a home that would respect and work in harmony with its surroundings.”
Selector Ann-Marie Smale, of Powell Dobson Architects, explained further: “Stormy Castle is exceptional in its clarity of concept; it is beautifully executed, and responds to its brief and site in every instance.
“The location presented a number of challenges that have been addressed with sensitivity. The stepped layout, arranged over three levels, allows the building to embed itself into the hillside, and materials have been chosen to reflect the surroundings.”
In addition to the Gold Medal, the Plaque of Merit will be presented today to Crickhowell and Dinas Powys-based Hoole & Walmsley Architects for the firm’s much admired Old Farm Mews development in Dinas Powys.
