Boat Building Barn, Llyn Peninsula, Wales  / Felin Uchaf, 2012

A build project for a open-span timber barn for traditional Celtic boat building, and cob roundhouse, in rural Wales. Hosted by social enterprise charity Felin Uchaf, the wider project was conceived to restore local skills and traditions and empower communities in an increasingly neglected and economically deprived area of the UK.

Learning from skilled craftsmen teaching a range of low-tech, traditional building methods, I assisted with the construction of the cruck-framed timber barn using Snowdonian green oak, and wattle and daub roundhouse. As the construction industry's carbon output becomes evermore problematic, low-tech approaches to building with local resources where viable can offer potential alternative design paths with a profound impact.