Abandoned mortuary is resurrected from the dead in a Grand Designs-makeover as it is transformed into a sustainable eco-friendly home

An abandoned mortuary is being resurrected from the dead in a Grand Designs-style makeover which will see it transformed into a sustainable eco-friendly home. 

The single storey building in Tywyn, North Wales, was originally used as a telephone exchange but later became a mortuary before it closed and stood empty. 

An application has now been made to Cyngor Gwynedd Council to bring the building on National Street back to life by firstly demolishing it before turning it into a ‘Passivhaus’ – meaning passive house.

The term refers to the standard for energy efficiency in a building or home – which reduces the property’s ecological footprint.

What was once used to house dead bodies will now feature rendered walls and timber cladding, a slate roof, timber clad aluminium windows and doors and solar panels.

An abandoned mortuary is being resurrected from the dead in a Grand Designs makeover to transform it into a sustainable eco-friendly home. Pictured here is the site of the old mortuary

Pictured here are the plans for the new eco-friendly house. It will feature solar panels on the roof

The new house design will feature rendered walls and timber cladding, a slate roof and timber clad aluminium windows and doors

There will also be a new boundary wall of stone, vehicle access and a garden with native planting and swift boxes

There will also be a new boundary wall of stone, vehicle access and a garden with native planting and swift boxes.

Planners heard the applicants are an ‘integral part of the community’ and have communicated their plans with neighbours and councillors.

The application was submitted by Kath Charters through agent Arwyn George of George & Tomos Penseiri.

It said: ‘The new house will provide a new sustainable home, at a modest, affordable scale, that will be a positive addition to the town now and in the future.’

The site includes the mortuary along with a closed toilet block and was sold by Gwynedd Council over a decade ago.

When the mortuary was sold as part of a cull of buildings from the council, estate agents had suggested turning it into the world’s smallest theatre or cinema.

The site includes the mortuary along with a closed toilet block and was sold by Gwynedd Council over a decade ago

The single storey mortuary was once used to store dead bodies in Tywyn, North Wales, before it closed and stood empty. Pictured here is the site of the old mortuary

Planners heard the applicants are an ‘integral part of the community’ and have communicated their plans with neighbours and councillors. Pictured: Drawn up plans

Tywyn is a seaside town on the iconic Cardigan Bay coast of southern Gwynedd, Wales, which boats tranquil golden beaches and stunning sunsets. 

Earlier this year, another abandoned mortuary complete with an original embalming room sold for £137,000.

Despite its terrible condition, the building in Leek, Staffordshire, was snapped up at an auction, with some buyers hoping to turn it into a ‘spooky themed Airbnb’.

The mortuary – which was last used to hold dead bodies 20 years ago – sparked a bidding war and sold for £82,000 than expected. 

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