The simplicity of roundhouse building really appeals to children. It’s easy to explain and demonstrate. Once they get it, their imaginations takeover. They want to be a part of the process. They get involved. They take ownership.

Once the wooden skeleton of the Roundhouse is erected they instantly become self-supporting. The frames are made from larch, roof poles are Douglas fir – boards for the roof and fascia are western red cedar. All of the timber is locally hewn from sustainably-managed woodland.

We show the kids how to make cob for the walls – a mix of clay, sand and straw. They even get to jump up and down on it to compress it. Something they love to do. And, most importantly, every step along the way they are learning.

When the building is finished the process of imagination really starts.

Roundhouses are individual things which evolve with an organisation and take on a life of their own. Every school uses them differently. They soon become a living, breathing outdoor classroom. A place kids instinctively gravitate towards which makes them really feel that learning can, and should, be fun.