The Hearth and the Home: How fire shaped architecture Part 1 Dissertation 2025 William Wilson University of Wales Trinity Saint David Swansea | UK The hearth has often been equated with the home, acting as the embodiment of family life for centuries. While there is a rich symbolic history of fire which has been deeply studied, fire in context to architecture has often been overlooked, perhaps due to its decreased visible presence in the 20th century. Owing to this, the work sets out to understand the relationship between fire and architecture, examined largely through the lens of British examples.The dissertation explores the dynamic of architecture and fire through a historical context. This work is divided into three major chapters, organised as a chronological demonstration of the development process. Whilst these chapters primarily investigate the architectural form of the fire, they also provide insight into the broader culture aspects of the time, analysing fire’s role in culture, politics, religion, etc. Due to the nature of this dissertation’s exploration, both of the evolution of architecture over time and its insight into broader cultural matters, the work provides a unique and original examination of fire and architecture and produces evidence evaluating and determining their connection. Tutor(s) Ian Standen