We’re delighted to announce two sustainability shortlists at this year’s AJ100 Awards.
Associate Director, Rob Wheaton is a finalist for Sustainability Leader of the Year, selected for his commitment to sustainable design and innovation in housing.
Rob is lead architect for Gwynfaen—a pathfinder for community-first, ultralow carbon housing in Swansea, due to complete this summer.
Guided by The Well-being of Future Generations, the brief was to create healthy, affordable homes that support the local economy. This meant sourcing natural materials from within 100 miles of the site–no easy task given Gwynfaen’s scale and COVID-related supply chain disruptions.
With support from Woodknowledge Wales, Rob visited numerous sawmills to source quality timber and wood-fibre insulation, before developing a ‘kit-of-parts’ system (with SO Modular) to build each home offsite–minimising waste, reducing carbon, speeding up construction, and ensuring airtightness is achieved in a controlled environment.
“There was an absolute sense of team work throughout the whole process. Our client actively encouraged us to challenge conventionality, it was hugely inspirational, and the team met the challenge with unprecedented ambition.”
Rob Wheaton
For the community, the result is 144 new homes that reflect the Gower Peninsula’s natural beauty and architectural vernacular. For the wider industry, Gwynfaen sets a precedent for how mass housing can progress beyond cookie-cutter solutions to deliver true local impact.
Rob’s work at Gwynfaen became the inspiration for the Tai ar y Cyd Pattern Book, which is shortlisted for Sustainability Initiative of the Year.
This innovative project—developed in partnership with 23 social landlords and with support from Welsh Government—provides a practical framework for delivering cost-effective, ultra-low carbon housing at scale. The Pattern Book introduces:
- 15 core house types and 18 variants, from one-bed flats to wheelchair-accessible homes
- A fabric-first approach, offering both AECB CarbonLite and enhanced Passivhaus Classic performance levels
- Timber frame construction promoting Welsh-grown timber, bio-based insulation, and renewable energy systems
- MMC Category 2 construction to support offsite delivery, reduce waste, and boost local employment
- A placemaking guide to encourage context-sensitive, locally rooted design
The Pattern Book, which launched in January 2025, is already in use by Welsh housing associations and has sparked interest from partners across the UK looking to replicate the model. Welsh Government views the book as a key tool in its ambition to deliver 20,000 affordable low-carbon homes by 2026.
“We’re really proud of this work and the impact it will have in Wales—and hopefully beyond.”
Rob Wheaton
And this is only the first step. Future phases may explore higher-density typologies, more urban-friendly layouts, and routes to pre-approval that could further accelerate uptake.
We’re incredibly proud to see Rob and the Tai ar y Cyd Pattern Book recognised, and excited for what’s to come. Winners will be announced at the AJ100 Awards ceremony on Friday 20th June.
