“The structure of this beautiful cordwood & cob roundhouse was built in just 9 days with an amazing crew from Shift Bristol permaculture school. Inspired by traditional Celtic British dwellings, it is a rich and earthy place to sit by the fire and re-connect to our elemental nature.
The roundhouse was designed as a cave-like, intimate meeting space for the retreat center, EarthHeart in the Forest of Dean, UK. It is has low walls made from cut logs mortared together with an earthen cob mixture. These sit on a stone stem wall with a gravel trench below.
The roof is constructed from local round timbers using the ‘reciprocal’ technique where each beam rests on the one placed before. Above the central opening is a secondary, smaller reciprocal roof designed to ventilate smoke from the central fire. A green roof tops off the building concealing the building from view and allowing it to merge gently with the forested landscape around.}”
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