By David Dwyer, Low-Carbon Technical Specification Advisor at NorDan UK
At NorDan UK, we believe the future of housing must be sustainable, high-performing, and built to last. That’s why we are proud to align with Tai ar y Cyd—a visionary initiative that is set to redefine affordable housing in Wales.
On January 15th, my colleague, Paul Way, and I travelled from NorDan UK’s new Welsh headquarters in Cardiff to the University of Wales Swansea Campus for the launch of Tai ar y Cyd.
Tai ar y Cyd, which translates to ‘shared housing’ in English, is an ambitious collaboration between Welsh social landlords, government, and industry to drive the delivery of high-quality, sustainable, and affordable homes.
With a strong reputation for manufacturing ultra-low carbon, long-lasting windows and doors (60+ year lifespan), NorDan UK is perfectly positioned to support and enhance this initiative.
By the time we left the launch event, we knew that Tai ar y Cyd represents a major opportunity for NorDan UK to play a leading role in shaping the future of Welsh housing.
Tai ar y Cyd brings together twenty-three social landlords with the aim of delivering more ‘affordable, high-quality homes for future generations’ – homes that can meet the high standards of low-carbon performance and drive down resident energy bills.
This will be achieved through a unique standardised pattern book that includes layouts for fifteen house types, plus eighteen variants that range from 1-bedroom flats and 4-bedroom houses and other features such fully wheelchair accessible homes.
The new homes will be designed to meet Welsh Development Quality Requirements and Welsh Housing Quality Standards and will embrace cutting-edge building techniques and natural materials, including timber.
The vision is to redefine the future of affordable housing and construct 20,000 high-quality, sustainable homes by 2030, but a great example of forward-thinking development is already in place.
In 2022, NorDan UK’s products were specified for the pioneering 144-home low-carbon village at Gwynfaen, an ultra-low carbon housing development outside Swansea.
This landmark project, led by housing associations Pobl and Coastal, set a new benchmark for sustainable, energy-efficient housing in Wales.
Pobl and Coastal conceived Gwynfaen as an opportunity to be bold and combine future proofed ideas and concepts that prioritise healthy community and long-term energy and carbon efficiency.
Gwynfaen has clearly had a significant impact on Tai ar y Cyd’s ambitions, with leading architect Rob Wheaton of Stride Treglown heavily involved with both projects.
Working with contractor Hale Construction, NorDan UK was chosen to supply around 1,000 TopTech high-performance windows and and doors.
Our Scandinavian-designed products met Gwynfaen’s exacting sustainability criteria, demonstrating that high-performance, long-lasting materials can and should be the standard for affordable housing.
Using our advanced digital modelling, NorDan UK has calculated the whole-life carbon and energy savings at Gwynfaen compared to alternative materials like UPVC or Aluminium—an approach that directly aligns with Tai ar y Cyd’s sustainability goals.
The timing for NorDan UK could not be better. In January 2024, we opened our new show room and headquarters on Cardiff Gate Business Park, plus a new Wales-based team dedicated to considering the specific housing needs of the nation.
Tai ar y Cyd is not just an opportunity—it is a responsibility. NorDan UK is committed to working closely so that all those involved with this groundbreaking initiative can review our contribution at Gwynfaen and are invited to visit our showroom to discuss how NorDan UK can help achieve these ambitions for Wales.
We invite developers, architects, and policymakers to visit our showroom, see first-hand how NorDan’s solutions can help deliver Wales’ ambitious housing goals, and join us in shaping a low-carbon future.
Let’s build the homes of tomorrow, today.
David Dwyer is the Low-Carbon Technical Specification Advisor for NorDan UK in Wales. For more information on NorDan UK and Gwynfaen, or to visit the Cardiff showroom, please contact David.Dwyer@NorDan.co.uk or visit www.nordan.co.uk
