We moved into the round house in April 2021. Somehow we managed to self build within a year, in between “lockdowns” before the cost of building skyrocketed and economic sanctions were put in place on Russia ( our cladding is beautiful & sustainably harvested Siberian larch ) robust enough for the wet mountain enviornment we live in.
Tim worked on it full time his Dad generously travelled back and forth every second week to help out, we had friends and neighbours pitch in from time to time and I did what I could without getting in the way.
At the beginning of the build, we estimated around one year to complete as a self build project with one full time carpenter. Despite the uncertainty and challenges globally that impacted the building industry at this time in New Zealand, we remained on target.
With two full time carpenters working on this, and in a steady global economy, it likely could be completed in half the time.
Building round, we have challenged the rigid conformity of rectilinear building, doing so affordably. We are not dependant on council infrastructure for wastewater. Instead opting to integrate a fully consented “living system” for toilet and greywater waste, that are simple, incorporated into our routines with benefits extending far beyond the time and effort required to maintain them.
Two years on having taken a leap of faith and to quote Ianto Evans, author of Hand sculpted Home, “design more as Nature does” we are a step closer to exploring this concept, and that they don’t have to be rectilinear to keep us sheltered and comfortable.
