The building, called The Oracle, will be completed over the next few months.
It looks like something straight out of Middle Earth in the Hobbit movies.
But an eccentric straw, mud and wood building like the one pictured here will be completed on Swansea University’s campus over the next few months.
The Oracle (Outdoor Research and Community Learning Environment) building is currently being constructed from the most ecologically low impact, locally sourced materials available. It will consist of three cob (a mixture of mud and straw) courtyard walls built around dry stone stem walls, with recycled car tyre tiles on two of the walls and a “round pole” turf roof on the other.
Based at the university’s Botanical Gardens, it will be rendered using natural plasters and paints.
The construction is an initiative led by the university’s Biodiversity Working Group in collaboration with university spin-out company the Down to Earth Project, based in Murton, Gower, which is led by Swansea University graduates, husband and wife team Mark and Jen McKenna.
The construction of the Oracle building will involve students from the University’s College of Engineering, staff volunteers, university contractors Leadbitter, and volunteers from the local community on training programmes.
Work got under way on the building in December last year and will now continue over the next few months. Cob is an ancient earth- building material which uses a combination of mud, straw, sand and water.
Virtually all the materials used in the cob building process are biodegradable or can be recycled, making it one of the most environmentally friendly ways of building.
University vice-chancellor Professor Richard B Davies said: “I am delighted the University has joined forces with Down to Earth on this project, whose two founders are Swansea University alumni.
“The building is providing research opportunities for our engineering students.
“It will also be a doorway to the natural world for our visiting school children, university staff, students, and visiting businesses and community members in three ways: as a setting for lectures, workshops and group discussions, as an opportunity for hands-on engagement with natural elements as part of the campus nature trail and as a setting for relaxation.
“As each building is unique in design, I am really looking forward to seeing it take shape and develop a personality of its own.”
Read WalesOnline on your phone - download the Apple WalesOnline App here and the Android WalesOnline App here - and find out how to get the Western Mail, South Wales Echo and the Wales on Sunday as e-editions here