Mill Lodge, Solva, Pembrokeshire

Nestled in the rural Welsh countryside near Solva is an historic outbuilding situated in the grounds of a Listed Grade II 18th Century Corn Mill.

 

The brief was to re-imagine the building for reuse as holiday accommodation.

 

The project involved a new extension and internal replanning, and hmad architects provided a full service to support the project from start to finish, including producing the information required for planning and building regulations, obtaining the consents and overseeing the construction. 

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Externally, locally distinctive and traditional materials were selected including stone, timber, lead and slate hanging, which help the extension sit comfortable in the historic context. 

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Although the floor area of the extension was limited by the site, our design featured exposed roof structure to create height and improve daylighting. This makes the extension feel spacious and gives this space completely different internal character to the rooms in the existing building, but the external massing still looks in keeping with the original building.

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Daylighting was also improved with new windows in the existing building and rooflights in the extension. 

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Height was achieved in the existing building by removing the old ceilings to create a new vaulted ceiling and exposing the existing timber roof structure, and in the extension by having a vaulted ceiling with the roof structure concealed.​

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New internal glazed screens create a feeling of privacy and acoustic separation of the bedrooms from the living area whilst maintaining visual connections and allowing daylight into the hallway. 

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The result provides modern, bright and comfortable exceptional accommodation whilst retaining the historic character of the original building and preserving its setting. 

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Image credits: Behind The Lens Media and hmad