Project Focus | Dryslwyn | Residential Extension

Living at the foot of Dryslwyn Castle

Planning Permission Granted… ✔️

I am delighted to share that planning permission has been granted for the transformation of Blaenblodau, a beautiful traditional Welsh cottage nestled in the exceptional landscape at the foot of Dryslwyn Castle.

Set amongst mature greenery and surrounded by the rolling countryside of the Tywi Valley, the cottage has a wonderful sense of place. Its traditional stone façade, natural limewashed tones, low ceilings and impressive fireplace give it a warmth and character that is difficult to replicate. It is a home that already has a strong identity — the challenge was to carefully introduce something new without losing what makes the existing cottage so special.

Connecting the cottage to its landscape

From the outset, my clients had a very clear vision. This project was not simply about adding more space; it was about changing the way the house relates to its garden and its surroundings.

Despite being immersed in such a beautiful setting, the existing cottage has surprisingly little connection with the garden. Views are limited and the ground floor feels quite enclosed, while the extensive garden surrounding the property is largely experienced from outside rather than from within the home.

The location makes that particularly important. With Dryslwyn Castle rising nearby and views extending across the surrounding countryside, the garden and landscape are an integral part of what makes this property unique. The design therefore seeks to bring those qualities into the everyday experience of living in the cottage.

The new extension is positioned to the south, incorporating the existing unused store and opening the ground floor towards the garden. Carefully considered openings will provide stronger visual and physical connections, allowing the garden to become a much more natural extension of the living space.

Opening up the interior — horizontally and vertically

One of the most exciting aspects of the design is the way it opens up the existing cottage both horizontally and vertically.

The current ground-floor arrangement is divided into a series of smaller spaces, with the kitchen, lounge and circulation areas separated from one another. The proposal brings these spaces together to create a more generous, open-plan kitchen, dining and living environment.

Rather than simply creating a larger room, the design establishes a series of interconnected spaces that flow naturally towards the garden. The extension creates the opportunity for wider openings, longer sightlines and carefully framed views, allowing the eye to travel through the house and out into the landscape beyond.

Vertically, the design also seeks to create a greater sense of volume and openness. The relationship between the existing cottage and the new extension has been carefully considered so that the new space feels bright and generous while remaining grounded in the scale and character of the original building.

This contrast between the intimacy of the traditional cottage and the openness of the contemporary addition is central to the design.

The intention is not to make the old building feel new, but to allow the two elements to work together — retaining the warmth, proportions and character of Blaenblodau while introducing a modern space that responds to the way the family wants to live today.

Contemporary design, rooted in character

The extension has been deliberately designed as a contemporary addition rather than attempting to replicate the existing cottage. Modern materials, detailing and generous glazing will provide a clear distinction between old and new, while the scale, form and material palette have been carefully considered to ensure the extension sits comfortably alongside the traditional building.

The result is intended to feel complementary rather than competing.

Natural light is a key part of the proposal. The south-facing orientation provides an excellent opportunity to bring more daylight deep into the ground floor, while the new openings will create changing views and connections with the garden throughout the day and across the seasons.

The aim is to create a home where the landscape is not simply something seen through a window, but becomes part of the architecture and the experience of the space.

A home for the future

Alongside the architectural design, the project has been developed with long-term comfort and sustainability in mind. High-quality insulation, energy-efficient glazing and responsible material choices will be considered as the project progresses, helping to improve the home's energy performance and reduce ongoing running costs.

For me, the success of a project like this comes from finding the right balance — preserving the qualities that give an old building its character while making it work better for contemporary family life.

Blaenblodau is a wonderful example of how a sensitive extension can do more than provide additional floor area. It can fundamentally change how a home is experienced, creating better connections between rooms, between inside and outside, and between the building and the landscape in which it sits.

What’s next?

With planning permission now secured, I am really excited to move the project forward into the next stage.

The next step will be developing the design through Building Regulations, working through the technical details and construction strategy to ensure the vision can be delivered as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

I am particularly looking forward to working with Treharne to develop a bespoke timber kit-frame solution for the extension. Bringing the construction team into the process at this stage will allow us to carefully coordinate the design and structure, helping to create a straightforward and efficient build process for my clients.

It is always exciting to reach this point in a project — seeing the initial ideas develop from sketches and conversations into a design that has secured planning permission, and then taking those ideas one step closer to becoming reality.

I can't wait to see Blaenblodau evolve into the light-filled, connected and contemporary family home we have envisioned, while retaining the charm and character of this very special Welsh cottage and its beautiful Dryslwyn setting. 🏡🌿

Project Focus | Llandeilo | Re-purposing an Old Bank

Bringing a Landmark Building Back to Life

Listed Building Consent Granted ✔
Planning Permission Granted ✔

Last week I was delighted to share the news that I had successfully secured both Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent for the transformation of the former NatWest Bank building in the heart of Llandeilo into an exciting new Board Game Café ♟️☕

It has been fantastic to play a small part in helping bring forward such a creative and innovative project — one that will breathe fresh life back into a prominent building while introducing something genuinely unique to our town centre.

From my perspective, this was a particularly enjoyable project to work on. The process itself was relatively straightforward, beginning with a survey of the building where I had the opportunity to experience first-hand some of the incredible historic features hidden inside, including the wonderful original interior oak panelling and the beautiful glazed dome above — details that immediately remind you why buildings like this deserve preservation.

The proposed drawings needed to balance the requirements of the new use while ensuring minimal disturbance to the listed fabric of the building. This involved introducing minor internal alterations to accommodate compliant WC facilities alongside an improved small existing kitchen space, all while working around the original layout and features.

A integral part of the process was preparing the 'Planning, Heritage and Green Infrastructure Statement', a key document to support the application. This brought together a much wider consideration of the project, demonstrating how everything had been thought through — from improving accessibility into the building, considering future adaptability of the space and even identifying opportunities to introduce small elements of biodiversity enhancement, including the potential for planters and flowers on the external ledges.

What has been particularly striking (and quite surprising) over the last few days has been just how popular the original social media post has been, with an incredible amount of shares, comments and messages from people clearly excited about the future of the building. Over the weekend I had the pleasure of chatting with so many people locally and one thing became very clear… there is genuine enthusiasm not only about seeing this building brought back into active use, but also about the excitement of welcoming something as different and community-focused as a board game café into Llandeilo.

It has been genuinely refreshing to see such positive engagement around a project like this because it reinforces something important — people really do care about our town centres, about preserving historic buildings and about supporting exciting new independent, family business initiatives that add character and life back into our high streets. I now have a long list of requests to pass on to Nia, so that no one is disappointed; from War Hammer to D&D clubs and nights, to being able to 'pick a game of the shelf' to try and hoping 'the classics' will be available! I can't wait to see the community that builds around this space.

Projects like this also make me reflect on the changing nature of our towns. Buildings that once housed essential everyday services are increasingly becoming vacant as automation grows, physical services disappear and the way we interact with our town centres continues to evolve. While there is always some sadness in seeing those traditional services disappear, projects like this show how historic buildings can find entirely new purpose while continuing to serve the community in new and exciting ways. I explore this a little more over on Substack: https://clmorgan15.substack.com/p/when-the-banks-leave-town

This feels like exactly the kind of project that demonstrates how good design, heritage sensitivity and entrepreneurial creativity can work together to shape positive futures for our town centres, we have a lot of Listed properties in Llandeilo and I hope this encourages and inspires others to confidently plan a new project.

I am looking forward to seeing the next phase progress and very soon, seeing the doors open on what I think will become a fantastic addition to Llandeilo 🚀✨

Project Focus | Capel Isaac | Ménage Planning Permission Granted

 

Planning Permission Secured for Private Ménage Development in Capel Isaac

I am pleased to share that planning permission has now been successfully secured for a new private ménage development in Capel Isaac.

While at first glance the proposal appeared relatively straightforward, the application quickly developed into a far more detailed planning exercise due to a number of sensitive environmental and site-specific constraints that emerged during the process. As is often the case with rural developments in Carmarthenshire, careful site analysis and early consideration of ecological and landscape impacts became essential in shaping the final scheme.

One of the most significant challenges arose following the identification of a substantial area mapped as Purple Moor Grass and Rush pasture within the property boundaries on the Natural Resources Wales ecological monitoring maps.

Purple Moor Grass and Rush pasture is recognised as a sensitive habitat due to its ecological importance and association with biodiversity-rich wet grassland environments. Even where these habitats are not immediately apparent on the ground, their identification within ecological datasets can place strict planning and environmental constraints on development proposals.

As part of the planning process, the original location of the ménage had to be carefully reconsidered. Rather than attempting to challenge or work against the environmental constraints, the decision was made to amend the scheme and reposition the development entirely to avoid the mapped habitat area. This approach allowed the project to progress while ensuring the sensitive ecological zone remained protected and undisturbed.

The project also involved substantial arboricultural considerations. The property contains a notably high number of Tree Preservation Orders covering both individual trees and established hedgerows throughout the site. These protected landscape features formed another major consideration during the design and planning stages.

Extensive attention was therefore given to tree protection measures, root protection areas, construction access, and the positioning of the proposed works to ensure the long-term protection of the existing landscape setting. In rural projects such as this, established trees and hedgerows are often as important to the character of the site as the buildings and structures themselves, and protecting them is a key part of responsible site planning.

This project highlights how even relatively modest rural developments can require detailed coordination between planning policy, ecology, arboriculture, and practical site design. Achieving a successful outcome depended on adapting the proposal carefully in response to the environmental constraints rather than forcing a fixed solution onto the site.

As an architectural technician working on rural planning applications across Carmarthenshire and West Wales, projects like this demonstrate the importance of balancing development needs with environmental protection and sensitive countryside design.

It is rewarding to have achieved a positive outcome for the client while ensuring the ecological and landscape considerations of the site were fully respected throughout the planning process.