Alltwen Community Hospital, Porthmadog
A challenging yet inspiring project, Ysbyty Alltwen near Porthmadog, North Wales is a highly sustainable Community Hospital carefully integrated into its setting on the edge of Snowdonia National Park.
The hospital site, which was previously used as a rail interchange and ironstone mine, took almost three years to complete, having undergone extensive consultation processes with local interest groups during its design process, in order to respond to the varied ecology of the surrounding.
The vision was to deliver a therapeutic environment for patients and staff by exploiting the natural habitat on and around the existing site, maintain the relationship between the exterior and interior by maximising the views out of the building. The choice of external materials was key to the success of the building’s relationship with the landscape. Local stone, white render, and natural timber cladding are all appropriate to the local vernacular and the scale of the building.
The well designed hospital offers a 30 bed ward, Outpatients Department and a Day Hospital, as well as Minor Injuries and Radiology Unit and a large base for the hospital’s Community Mental Health Team.
Working closely with the Trust and the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth, our design team championed a number of sustainable design principles. The building uses bio-fuel as a primary natural heating source and the scheme has been designed around an internal winter garden space which is integral to the proposed natural ventilation and heating strategies. Other initiatives include a green roof and rain water harvesting.
On the same site we have also been assisting the Trust in preparing a feasibility report with Welsh Health Estates, which investigate the erection of a wind turbine on the site which could not only supply the Hospital with power but the whole village of Tremadog.
The project has been recognised for its sustainable qualities with two International Green Apple Awards.
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