The Swansea Foyer
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The restored listed Alexandra Road elevation
Michael Murray Download Original
Transformation of a working man's club into accommodation for young homeless and unemployed people
Based on the French 'Foyer' principle, the brief was to provide an integrated work, training and independent living environment for the homeless and unemployed.
The scheme is a redevelopment of the former Swansea Working Men's Club, with listed elevations. The intention of not having an institutional feel led way to a 'shallow' building, where individuals are in direct contact with other residents and the local community.
Only the listed elevations was retained. The new interior was configured into a street of individual houses, occupied by for or five young people. The internal street has a glazed, lightweight steel framed roof forming a central atrium. Detailing, mosaics and colour are intended to an optimistic and fun environment. The internal street creates a communal space as well as being a passive solar collector.
A sloping site led to the design of a four-storey timber-frame structure linked to the existing elevations.
Data
- Begun: Dec 1995
- Completed: Mar 1997
- Floor area: 1,330m2
- Sector: Residential
- Total cost: £1.4M
- Procurement: Design and build
- Address: Alexandra Road, Swansea, SA1 5DZ, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: PCKO Architects
- Client: Gwalia housing Society
- Quantity surveyor: Brown & Partners
- Structural engineer: WS Atkins
- M&E engineer: The Jones Partnership
- Main contractor: John Eaver
- Atrium ventilation: Max Fordham & Partners
- Thermal modelling: Welsh School of Architecture
- Environmental advice: Eclipse
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