CADW. Modelling Welsh heritage.

THINKLab - Cadw

Cadw is the Welsh Government’s historic environment service. It works for an accessible and well-protected historic environment for Wales.

Heritage Cottage in Cwmdare survives as a kind of time capsule, reminding us what life was like for a 19th-century mining family. Almost completely unaltered since it was built, it has an 1854 cast-iron fireplace where the food was cooked, larder complete with slate slab and stone corner stairs leading to the cramped sleeping areas. Within a row of terraced houses typical of the industrial south Wales valleys, it’s being conserved and restored using traditional techniques.

Cadw approached us for our help on this invaluable conservation project.

Our Solution

Working closely with the Cadw team, we used our laser scanning and modelling expertise to conduct a full site survey before creating a full 3D model of Heritage Cottage.

The model is being used by the design team at Cadw to plan the restoration works to Heritage Cottage, ensuring that it is preserved for future generations to enjoy. 

It is also being used as a learning resource to highlight how a traditional building, whether a castle or terraced house, can retain its character while being subtly updated to become energy efficient and sustainable.

Our work on Heritage Cottage has helped help Cadw showcase best practices that are being shared across the whole of Wales and beyond.