Originally opened back in 1976, the Grade II listed Theatr Clwyd has been a beloved cultural hub in Wales for nearly half a century. Today, it stands ready for the future, having undergone a massive, state-of-the-art redevelopment to become one of the UK’s most sustainable arts venues.
This ambitious £50m deep retrofit—designed by the visionary architects at Haworth Tompkins—set out to achieve a massive 85% reduction in operational carbon emissions alongside a prestigious BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.
But how do you bring a 1970s heritage building into the modern era of eco-efficiency? One of the starring features of the redesign happens behind the scenes.
Harnessing the Power of Rainwater
To help meet these rigorous environmental goals, a custom-built rainwater harvesting system was designed and installed by Aquality, in close partnership with Skelly & Couch.
How It Works:
- Source Capture: The system captures rainwater directly at the source.
- Smart Reuse: The harvested water is filtered and redirected to flush the building’s WCs.
- Dual Impact: Not only does this conserve massive amounts of mains water, but it also heavily slashes the energy typically required to pump and treat municipal water supply.
Together, we’ve proved that heritage conservation and cutting-edge water management can perform beautifully on the same stage!
A Greener Future for the Arts
Theatr Clwyd’s transformation is a prime example of how historic preservation and modern sustainability don’t have to be mutually exclusive. By investing in smart water management and green architecture, the venue ensures it will remain a cornerstone of the community for another fifty years—without costing the Earth.
Andrew Roberts, COO of Theatr Clwyd said: “Theatr Clwyd is committed to reducing its environmental impact, and our rainwater harvesting system has played an important role in that journey. By capturing and reusing rainwater for non-potable applications, the system helps reduce our reliance on mains water. All our public toilets on the ground floor are fed from our rainwater harvesting system and has provided 16% of the non-potable water in that area.”
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