Craftedspace makes bespoke, crafted architecture for private clients and cultural organisations working in regeneration, social inclusion and the arts.
We value warmth, simplicity and the natural world and try to bring the outdoors in, as far as possible. We also value the act of making and use physical models as well as virtual models in our design process. Jenny Hall is the founding director. She is an architect, carpenter and artist. Her work is inspired by E.F. Schumacher’s philosophy of ‘Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered.’
The studio’s response to the urgent political and ecological agenda for social change and climate action is to create space for connection, exchange and belonging through holistic and innovative problem solving and collaboration, grounded in sustainability. Craftedspace offers a participatory design service to support multi stakeholder projects at the strategic and conceptual design stage to create better outcomes for projects.
Powys
Wales
SY20 8DN
United Kingdom
Set in several acres of the Snowdonia National Park this historic mill is nestled in the embrace of a babbling brook that leads down to the Dysinni River and out to sea.
The unique beauty of the site lent itself to exploring a strong tradition in Finnish and Nordic architecture where shapes and structures from the natural site are transformed and then transmitted into the architecture.
The beautiful oak tree standing tall on the opposite bank is framed in the glass gable; the babbling brook framed in the large glass panel adjacent. Contemporary in design the building does embrace key elements of the local vernacular in the closed eave detailing and dry jointed stonework.
As well as extensively refurbishing the existing property, the house has been structurally modified to improve internal zoning and circulation and to allow the expanded kitchen to benefit from the new views south and upstream.
Invited by self-builders Geraldine and Brian, Craftedspace was commissioned to design an extension that complimented their original timber frame house.
The master bedroom has an internal balcony providing both privacy and direct connection to the garden and woods beyond. The large downstairs kitchen benefits from glazing to all orientations and a light well over the dining room table.
We designed the timber frame to maximize space within the roof void and heating and hot water demands are entirely met by a solid fuel burner and solar hot water panels.
Geraldine managed the project, using a timber framing contractor and ME Construction who provided the groundworks, first fix, services and roofing. Geraldine herself undertook the second fix carpentry and joinery, making the windows, doors and cabinetry throughout, ensuring an exceptional home completed to a beautifully crafted standard.
Working in partnership with Interior designer Camilla Norberg of The Deco Shop and closely with the Principal Designer and Architect Dafydd Tomos, we undertook the interior fit out commission to reflect the memories of the Coliseum Music Hall within the new extension, housed in an adjacent building.
The extension comprises a new stairwell, shop, cafe and bar and restructured circulation. The interiors brief expanded to implicate the structure and form of the helical stairs, the internal planning, services, lighting and external works.
The brief centred around the community creating permanent artworks for the new interior which involved commissioning specialist craftspeople to lead wood carving, ceramic tile and mosaic workshops. The skilled cabinetry students at Coleg Ceredigion made the window display cases for the shop.
The project necessitated new branding and dovetailing with the relocated Aberystwyth Tourist Information Centre.