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In the 1960s and 1970s Dinas Powys became a hub of architectural activity, with innovative housing by Welsh architects including Thomas Glyn Jones, John R. Evans, John Hird, and Graham Brooks. Collectively, they brought an incredible range of influences to this small town in the Vale, from timber-framed Scandinavian modernism to bulky concrete Brutalism.
The Trail.
1 Little Orchard.
Thomas G Jones & John R Evans 1968-73
Completed in two stages from the late 1960s onwards, the architects took heavy inspiration from contemporary American Brutalism. The signature finned concrete of architect Paul Rudolph is repurposed here, supposedly to represent the rugged Welsh landscape. The landscaping itself plays a crucial role, rising up to meet the houses at their first-floor living spaces, leaving the lower storey to house a garage and workspaces.
The houses were highly commended, with awards from the Welsh housing office, Concrete Society, and Civic Trust, and in 1972 they received the additional honour of the sixth-ever Eisteddfod Gold medal for architecture.
2 Haulfryn.
Hird & Brooks 1971
Haulfryn was one of the first private homes created in Dinas Powys by local practitioner Graham Brooks, who worked to bring elements of mid-century Scandinavian design to South Wales. In Haulfryn, this manifests through its single-storey form and shallow-pitched roof, a language that they went on to apply at scale at Merevale.
3 Mill Close.
Hird & Brooks 1971
The eight homes on Mill Close mark the first of Hird & Brooks’ developments with Bristol-based contractors William Cowlin & Son. While the designs are subtle compared to their earlier private homes, their design hallmarks appear in the exposed purlins under the eaves and the flat-roofed porches that provide access to each home.
4 Elm Grove Lane.
Hird & Brooks 1973
Following the success of Mill Close, Hird & Brooks were able to introduce further Scandinavian ideals into the practice’s developments by taking their regional manager Roger Heliwell on a study trip to Denmark.
The resulting development on Elm Grove Lane feels like the application of a language Brooks first used at his own home, the 1964 West Lodge, with white-painted ground floors contrasted by black timber-clad upper storeys. As with Mill Close, flat-roofed elements are used to denote entrances and garages. Brooks also introduced brick pavements, drives, and gutters to the scheme, a feature that would become standard in all of their developments.
5 The Mount.
Hird & Brooks 1975
Brooks’ next big development in Dinas Powys was The Mount, creating 18 new homes in the grounds of a former Georgian home. The site is very inward-facing, with the single-storey homes mostly concealed from outside by the original garden wall. Stylistically, the houses are very similar to Brooks’ earlier Capel House in Llandaff, with its white-painted brick walls and blackened timber flat roof. Each detached house sits within a generous garden plot.
Unfortunately, No. 7 was demolished and replaced in the 2000s. The new home, designed by Barry Mayled in 2007, aimed to replicate the materiality of its neighbours but is vastly out of scale, filling the perimeter of its plot.
6 Merevale.
Hird & Brooks 1973
The practice’s final housing scheme in Dinas Powys appears inspired by the L-shaped, courtyard-centred Kingo Houses of Jørn Utzon. Like The Mount, these 11 homes were built within the grounds of an existing manor house. Brooks’ design takes full advantage of the sloping site, with each home’s south-facing courtyard getting maximum sunlight.
7 The Nook.
Chris Loyn + Co 2014
Lastly, we jump ahead to a more recent development. This home by Chris Loyn is also known as the Upside Down House, due to its upstairs living space designed to take full advantage of the views. Internally, the house is arranged around a central double-height corridor with roof lights.
In 2015, Loyn was awarded the Dewi-Prys Thomas Prize for making “the most significant contribution to Welsh architectural practice over the last three years,” and for “continuing advocacy of modern architecture,” citing this home, Millbrook House in Cardiff, and Stormy Castle in Gower.
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