A turf-roofed autonomous eco-house constructed of Douglas Fir post and beams, a reciprocal frame roof structure of thirteen rafters, and 40cm-thick cobwood walls (no cement). It is self-designed and was built by its current two occupants, drawing on Celtic, Mandan and other Native American designs.

It is powered by wood stove, photovoltaic panels and wind turbine, and has water piped from the nearby mountain in West Wales. There is an external compost toilet. Windows are recycled/double glazed - the whole house cost £3,000 to build in 1998.

This alternative house was built on land owned by the founders of a sustainable community at Brithdir Mawr, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK. The hectare of land or so is now owned by the Roundhouse Trust, of which Tony Wrench and Faith Jane Faith are the trustees. They attempt to live a low carbon sustainable lifestyle, coppicing woods nearby and growing vegetables. The local planning authority has attempted to have them pull the house down for eight years, but they have recently adopted a Low Impact Development Policy, under which they are still in the process of applying for planning permission (as of Feb 2008).

This is a meaningful example of an attempt to live as part of nature, not separate from it, and therefore has things to teach us about how simple it could be for us to build our own sustainable shelter, and how difficult it actually is within the current British system.