Volunteers basked in the sunshine on Friday, 18 May as music and laughter filled the air to celebrate Porthmadog's Yr Hwb.
The volunteers of Bwyd Bendigedig Port/Incredible Edible Porthmadog hosted a joyful celebration of their award-winning building, a robust and stunning building made with waste plastic, mud and wood.
This building, built by dedicated volunteers and funded by the WCVA (Wales Council for Voluntary Action), turns heads and excites those who enter.
The humble mud exterior, topped with a sedum roof, only provides the merest of hints of the colourful bottle windows and intricate roof work that is enjoyed inside.
There were stalls and ice cream, face-painting, stone-painting and welly-wanging. The atmosphere was enlivened with music by Eryl Jones with Andy Mackenzie and Greg Robley. Later the Travelling Sessions joined in with some great songs.
Dr Vicki Stevenson was delighted to represent Cardiff University at the opening of the building on Saturday, 19 May.
She said: “The design of this building was the brainchild of Lizzie Wynn (ARCHI PGR) who has also been a main contributor to the construction, along with volunteers from Incredible Edible Porthmadog.
“The building was initially conceived as a tool store on a community food growing site. However, the building has proved to be so comfortable that it’s become a communal hub with tea making facilities as well!
“The Hwb uses ecobricks (PET bottles filled with waste soft plastic like crisp packets); within a matrix of cob (clay and straw) and won the Green Flag Award for Best Climate Change Adaptation Project in 2022.
“The Hwb was opened by MP Liz Saville Roberts and Pamela Warhurst CBE who are both long-standing supporters of the project.
“The opening event included performances by local school children who have been involved with Incredible Edible. Many of the school children and volunteers also provided tours of the Incredible Edible work to visitors.
“As well as the construction aspects, Lizzie’s research includes perceptions about ecobrick building.”