Situated in the heart of the Brecon Beacons, this linear Greenfield site in the village of Trallong has a southerly aspect and fine views towards Pen Y Fan. Two years was spent researching and developing the design through site visits, models and prototypes, a period which was used to procure local materials, research local construction methods and to develop our Welsh vernacular adaptation.

The sensitive location on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park called for meaningful engagement with the vernacular. Welsh buildings, added to over time as needs changed, informed the project, which reinterprets familiar forms and materials rather than replicating them. This is paired with a forward-looking approach to environmental sustainability. Internally, the plan is modernist, organised along two axes with services housed in a deep north wall. A double-height central void creates a natural stack, distributing heat from the stove and solar gains to the upper floors. The house demonstrates a low-carbon approach, achieving an emission rate of just 6 kgCO₂ per year.

Powys, in the Brecon Beacons, is shaped by a vernacular of robust stone building and the enduring Welsh longhouse tradition. Local farmsteads, with their thick sandstone walls and sweeping slate roofs, are grounded in the land, their linear forms historically accommodating both people and animals under one roof. Ty Pren takes direct reference from this heritage: its elongated form recalls the longhouse typology, while slate is brought down onto the external walls, echoing the weathered grey stone of neighbouring buildings. In doing so, the house embeds itself within the landscape and architectural language of rural Powys.

Ty Pren, meaning ‘House of Wood’, is driven by a timber-led design strategy. Larch for the solar façades was felled from the client’s land two miles away and milled on site. The untreated cladding has a predicted life of 25 years, with eight replacement trees planted; removed boards will be burnt to heat the house. Recycled Welsh slates wrap the roof and north wall, while the east, south and west elevations use a filigree larch skin. SIPs and high-performance windows create an airtight envelope, with sheep’s wool insulation achieving a U-value of 0.15 W/m²K. Locally sourced oak, birch-faced plywood, and lime-based finishes complete the interior with low-toxicity, low-carbon materials.