Ffwrnes is on fire!

LLANELLI’s Ffwrnes Theatre has been voted the best public service building in Carmarthenshire!
The theatre which has welcomed thousands of visitors since opening its doors in 2013 has been awarded the title at this year’s Carmarthenshire Building Control Building Excellence awards.
Ammanford building contractor TRJ who delivered the 500 seat theatre project were credited for creating a low energy and sustainable building at the Carmarthenshire County Council awards held in Machynys Peninsula Golf Club.
Among its sustainable technologies include an ultra-efficient LED lighting, roof mounted photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight into electricity and solar panels converting sunlight into heat and hot water.
Additionally a combined heat and power unit reduces the reliance on the carbon intensive grid electricity and a lighting system ensures the minimum amount of energy is used throughout the £15m theatre.
The construction also helped local building apprentices to gain valuable experience, with over 250 apprenticeship weeks completed and 72 NVQ weeks completed.
A TRJ spokesperson said: “We are delighted that the quality of finish achieved in the construction of Ffwrnes and the sympathetic way in which two listed chapels were conserved has received recognition as the Best Public Service Building in the Carmarthenshire Building Control Building Excellence Awards. It is also testament to the care and skill of our local workforce and supply chain.”
Cardiff firm Lawray Architects were appointed designers. The council’s regeneration and leisure executive board member, Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “We are so lucky to have such a wonderful building in our county. The whole community has benefitted from this delightful place and the construction and design has got the recognition it deserves.”