Noun: informal

People generally don’t self-identify as bricksters.

Also see brickster(ism).

A buyer (possibly fi rst-time) who leads life in an unconventional

way (or conventional in an ironic way) following a stylish and

hip subculture, the latest trends in independent music, fashion,

political ideas and lifestyles.

Maybe knowingly or unknowingly possesses an inherent distaste for

anything normal, ironically rejecting the mainstream. Obscurity is

the currency; the less known about the apartments/development/area,

the more valuable it is. And it’s paramount to keep it this way.

It really isn’t for you!

As Europe’s youngest capital,

there’s a tangible sense of

momentum in Cardiff these days.

The city provides a welcoming

environment for independent and

creatively minded individuals

to flourish.

While the 1990s saw the

spectacular transformation

of its defunct docklands in

Cardiff Bay, the past few years

have seen major improvements

to the centre of the city with

a renewed focus on the city’s

southern side and the emergent

South Central district.

Think of New York City, you

think of its districts: The

Upper West Side, Lower East

Side, and TriBeCa - All

making up this world famous

metropolis, yet each having

its own separate identity.

Residents are stakeholders,

invested in their communities;

the districts’ names their

monikers.

The South Central area of

Cardiff city centre offers

so much opportunity from

a residential perspective.

As lifestyle becomes more

important and we struggle to

cope with the unrelenting

pressure on our roads, the

siting of new communities is

ever important for the future

sustainability of our city.

At Trade Street, South

Central, we have a location

served brilliantly by the rich

amenities of the city centre.

It’s a stone’s throw from

Cardiff’s principal transport

hubs and within walking

distance of Cardiff’s booming

commercial districts.

We’ve learned a thing or two

about creating communities.

It started with Sealock

Warehouse: An opportunity to

reinvigorate part of Cardiff

Bay’s architectural heritage

and to return a disused

warehouse building into homes

that people wanted to live in.

People are influenced by their

surroundings; where they live

is important.

We established that people

wanted buildings that reflected

their everyday life - buildings

didn’t do that. We have the

capability and the vision to

create a building to inspire a

community.

To rejuvenate a forgotten part

of the city centre; to reflect

its industrial heritage with

warehouse-inspired design.

So Brickworks was conceived.

A six-storey warehouse-style

brick building with a nine-

Amidst the increasing homogeny

of many city centres, Cardiff’s

culture of independent

businesses doing things a

little differently is cause for

celebration. As befits other

cool cities, there is a desire

to seek out the opportunities

to shake things up. To arrest

the monotony.

Why shouldn’t this appetite for

something with more soul extend

to housing? What if there

were an opportunity to create

something more interesting?

sixth floor is for the shared

enjoyment of all residents and

their guests.

40 parking spaces are provided

in the undercroft car park

together with significant cycle

storey addition comprising

100, one, two and three bed

apartments offering a wide

range of accommodation styles

including duplex layouts,

balconies and roof terraces.

A large roof terrace on the

parking and there are four

commercial premises on the

ground floor helping to deliver

a dynamic street-scene and

hopefully a platform for the

next generation of independent

disruptors.

With more parkland per head than any other UK city, the Welsh capital is a green city

offering great quality of life. It’s also one of the UK’s fastest growing cities -

these days there’s a tangible sense of trajectory and momentum in Cardiff.

Retaining more graduates and creatives than ever before, Cardiff is also nurturing

a growing tech start-up community, and is home to a robust TV and media sector as

well as several major financial services firms.

Central Cardiff features most big city brands but it’s the thriving

independent businesses and Victorian arcades that give the city character.

Individuals make a community, and it’s entrepreneurial Cardiffians like

those featured here who are following their passions and supporting

one another in making central Cardiff a better and more interesting

place to live.

Few things represent indie – or Cardiff cool -

like Spillers Records, which having been going

since 1894, prides itself on being the world’s

oldest record shop.

Owner Ashli Todd, whose dad bought the business

in the late 1970s, has worked here since

childhood and took over the business in 2010.

“It’s a responsibility and a motivator knowing

how fondly people think of Spillers,” says

Ashli. “The big buzz for me has always been

seeing somebody’s reaction to what they are

hearing in the shop, or getting to know a

customer well enough to recommend bands that

sometimes go on to become their favourite

artists. That is a privilege.”

To thousands of local music fans Spillers

represents a rite of passage, a gateway to

teenage musical discoveries in the pre-internet

age. Today it remains a mecca for music lovers

and vinyl junkies alike, located in the bustling

Morgan Quarter where it rubs shoulder with many

of the city’s other best independent shops.

“There’s definitely a feeling of being in it

together in Cardiff, and a willingness to

collaborate,” says Ashli. “Exciting things are

happening here.”

Paul Hayman, who founded Uncommon Ground

in nearby Royal Arcade with his brother

Ian certainly wouldn’t disagree. “These

are exciting times,” he echoes. “This end

of town can only improve with all the new

developments around the station. The way

Cardiff is growing is just fantastic.”

A speciality coffee house and roastery,

Uncommon Ground offers high-end coffee and

light bites that are a little different.

Very few places in Cardiff buy in green

beans and roast their own but it’s not

just this that sets Uncommon Ground apart,

believes Paul.

“As well as high quality coffees, we pride

ourselves on the speed of service and the

fact that we offer a different experience,”

he says. “Cardiff may be a saturated market

in terms of chains but there’s plenty of

room for independents offering a better

product.”

The darkened interior with vintage-

furnishing and relaxed vibe certainly

offers refuge from the bustle beyond its

doors, and stands in welcome contrast to

their national chain brethren.

Cardiff is well known for its

nightlife and culture, and

an unusual addition to both

categories was Wales’s first

theatre pub at Porter’s bar.

“We wanted to explode onto the

scene and do things with high

production values,” says Bizzy

Day, co-founder of The Other

Room Theatre.

It’s fair to say that TOR,

which Bizzy describes as

“probably Cardiff’s worst kept

secret”, has done just that,

leading to it been being named

Fringe Theatre of the Year

2016 at The Stage Awards for

its uncompromising and quality

output.

TOR themes its seasonal

programmes under an overarching

film noir-ish feel that

lends itself very well to

the aesthetic of Porter’s, a

popular independent bar owned

by two former – they would

laugh and tell you ‘failed’ –

actors.

“The plays we programme tend to

explore the grittier and darker

side of human nature, but it’s

always tempered with hope,”

says Bizzy.

Small but perfectly formed

(“If we put any more than five

people on our stage it gets

a bit overwhelming for the

audience!”), TOR, like Cardiff,

punches above its weight.

“This city is exciting,” says

Bizzy. “People who live in

Cardiff are so spoilt – there

is so much going on. I love

this city, and it constantly

surprises me. Cardiff remakes

itself. It’s doing that right

now in fact, and that’s really

exciting.”

“Cardiff as a city is really on

the up and is set to change a

lot in the coming years. It’s

a really nice size city centre

to walk around. Everything’s

very compact,” says Owen Morgan

co-founder of Bar 44 and new

restaurant Asador 44.

It’s 15 years since brothers

Owen and Tom first introduced

modern Spanish tapas, seldom

seen outside of London, to

their native Cowbridge. In

2015 they opened on Westgate

Street in Cardiff city centre,

in an area that has grown

into a cluster of vibrant

independents.

“Our passion for Spain, its

food and the conviviality of

the tapas scene has always

been the biggest inspiration

for us,” says Owen, who is

self-trained and for the first

ten years was the outfit’s

head chef, having gone to top

Spanish restaurants in London

to work for free to perfect

specialist skills.

“Everyday you live or die by

your product. You have to keep

striving to better yourself

everyday,” says Owen. “We don’t

ever ram it down their throats

but we’re always keen to talk

to customers about our produce

and our passion for our dishes

and why they’re special to us.”

Opening on Westgate Street was

a brave move that has paid off

and “kicked our business on”,

says Owen. “We experienced

60–70% growth from year one to

year two, which gave us the

confidence to do something very

different just 30 metres away.”

‘Something very different’ is

Asador 44, one of the most

exciting restaurant openings

in Cardiff of recent years,

bringing northern Spanish

charcoal-based cooking to the

Welsh capital.

Cardiff’s Victorian arcades are synonymous with

independent retail. If shopping for the home or

gifts in Cardiff pretty and cool Home By Kirsty

in Castle Arcade is a must.

The Kirsty in question, designer-maker Kirsty

Patrick, who is originally from Oxfordshire, and

who studied in Carmarthen before “failing to

make it back across the bridge” some 11 years

ago. After five years of saving and planning,

she finally realised her dream of opening a shop

in 2014.

“Being in the city centre and in the arcades

among other independent businesses has been

really important,” she says. “When you first

start you need the support of other businesses

so that really helped.”

When you step into the shop, Kirsty’s background

in visual merchandising is immediately

apparent. Her covetable products are beautifully

presented, including her own handmade lighting

range, which she has been making since 2007.

“It’s good that the independents in Cardiff are

sticking together and have a ‘We can do it’

attitude,” she says.

Her own can-do attitude has seen her launch the

Get Lost In CDF map featuring the city centre’s

indie businesses “to get people out there and

exploring the city”.

shared values and a passion for

food. When a pitch came up in

Cardiff Market in 2016, they

decided to go into business

together.

As part of Owen’s desire to

make cheese more appealing to

a younger audience, Cheese

Pantry does street food pop-

ups and collaborations, such as

a series of popular cheese and

beer nights at Small Bar.

Owen, who moved to Cardiff just

four years ago, says: “I’ll

always remember my friend’s

mum, who lived here, telling

me: ‘Cardiff is small enough to

be intimate, large enough to be

mischievous.’”

“The market is full of

characters, and they’re so

lovely and welcoming. There’s a

buzz in the place. The banter

between them all is amazing -

it’s all about the chat,” says

Owen Wyn Davies, co-founder of

Cheese Pantry, which opened in

late 2016 in Cardiff Market

and whose customers include

prestigious James Sommerin’s

restaurant and local pizza

heroes Dusty Knuckle.

Symbolic of a rise in demand

for quality food – “Provenance

and quality is key. We know the

producers and how our cheeses

are made” - Cheese Pantry began

after Owen formed a friendship

with Mel Boothman and Jo Makein

of Penylan Pantry based on

Not far away another set of

siblings are providing a new and

exciting co-working and cultural

space in a disused factory. Mums

Julia Harris and Sarah Valentin

have been working together

for ten years but started The

Sustainable Studio in mid-2016

after three months slog to make

it a vibrant and comfortable

co-working space with studios

and workshops for 15 makers and

businesses, and community use.

“We’ve worked with young people

when they were 11 and we’re

now seeing them at university

studying topics we introduced

them to. It’s a privilege to

be a part of others’ journeys,”

says Sarah, who works with

students from Cardiff Met,

University of South Wales, and

nearby Cardiff And Vale College.

Having run a successful crowd

funder in 2017, The Sustainable

Studio transformed the factory’s

top floor into one of the

hottest creative spaces in town,

and was used as gallery space

for Diffusion, the international

photography festival.

The sisters are as passionate

about their hometown as they

are about community involvement

and helping others fulfil their

potential.

“Cardiff is finding its

identity. We are putting

ourselves out there, and that’s

really exciting. There’s

increasingly a sense of self-

belief,” says Julia. “We all

say that Cardiff’s like a

village. Its size and intimacy

can be a real strength – it

is accessible, it is flat for

cycling, and we have beautiful

parks in the heart of the city.”

Portabella is an independent

local property company about to

embark on its most ambitious

project to date, and looking

to regenerate a forgotten part

of town with a new residential

development that reflects the

influences of the area and

complements the remnants of

Cardiff’s industrial heritage.

Drawing inspiration from

London’s East End revival,

we wanted the opportunity to

create a new micro-community

reflecting Cardiff’s vibrancy.

In homage to this different

way of doing things we wanted

to make a short film showing

the story of some of our

city’s most interesting folks

shaking things up; going about

their independent business and

championing one another.

Alongside local company Fizzi

events, we asked Cardiff’s own

On Par Productions to come

up with an idea for a film

celebrating indie businesses.

The film’s called ‘This Is

Us’ and you can find a link

on the Brickworks website

brickworkscardiff.co.uk

Think industrial-warehouse communal areas,

exposed brick walls and concrete floors;

commercial units on the ground floor housing

independent businesses and a sixth floor

communal roof terrace.

A hop, skip or jump to Cardiff central train

station and an opportunity to live in Cardiff

city centre’s most exciting regeneration area.

This is a magazine put together to showcase Cardiff’s indie people doing interesting

things. It’s also a little preview of Cardiff’s emerging South Central district and

Brickworks, the new place there to live.

We’re not ready to talk about the apartments just yet and they’re probably not for you

anyway but you could head over to the website brickworkscardiff.co.uk and register.

You know, just in case.

design: blindspotdesign.co.uk