Location: Melbourne, South Derbyshire
Timeframe: Built in 2018
Our Involvement: Design
Floor area: 50m2
Construction Method: Loadbearing Strawbale
Whistlewood Common is a community owned, land-based project in the National Forest in South Derbyshire. The 10 acre site, which was previously intensively farmed, is now being regenerated to increase wildlife habitats and biodiversity. The fantastic project works to promote resilience in our food, land and energy systems, with community at the forefront.
Their octagonal roundhouse is made from roundwood timber with loadbearing straw bale walls. It was designed by Straw Works and built by Dales Contracts, with much community effort throughout.
Designed with the use of local and re-used materials in mind, it has locally sourced larch poles, a cedar shingle roof and a wine bottle glass floor (the local community were enlisted to get through as many bottles of wine as possible for this!).
The roundhouse was completed in 2018 and has been a huge success; it acts as a hub for the many events and workshops the community hosts.
Images sourced from whistlewoodcommon.org. See their brilliant week-by-week blog about the build here.