Design‑Led, Off‑Grid living
without Compromise.
Built for One Planet.
Design‑Led, Off‑Grid living
without Compromise.
Built for One Planet.
Big Wood Cabin, featured on Grand Designs in October 2025,
Big Wood Cabin, featured on Grand Designs in October 2025,
An off-grid eco home set in the heart of the Welsh Pembrokeshire woodlands. Designed and built by the award-winning Freshwest Design duo, Marcus Beck and Simon Macro, the cabin realises Marcus’s childhood dream of creating a family home in the same woods where he once played and built dens. While the project reflects the pair’s design expertise, it was envisioned as a place for Marcus and his family — shaped by their shared commitment to sustainability, craftsmanship, and living in harmony with nature. Constructed on a modest budget, it treads lightly on the land, with every timber – from floorboards to joists – felled, milled, and crafted by hand from the surrounding woodland. The result is a striking example of regenerative architecture that works with nature, not against it: a home that belongs to its place, frames uninterrupted views of the forest, and invites the outdoors in.
An off-grid eco home set in the heart of the Welsh Pembrokeshire woodlands. Designed and built by the award-winning Freshwest Design duo, Marcus Beck and Simon Macro, the cabin realises Marcus’s childhood dream of creating a family home in the same woods where he once played and built dens. While the project reflects the pair’s design expertise, it was envisioned as a place for Marcus and his family — shaped by their shared commitment to sustainability, craftsmanship, and living in harmony with nature. Constructed on a modest budget, it treads lightly on the land, with every timber – from floorboards to joists – felled, milled, and crafted by hand from the surrounding woodland. The result is a striking example of regenerative architecture that works with nature, not against it: a home that belongs to its place, frames uninterrupted views of the forest, and invites the outdoors in.
As seen on
As seen on
Gallery
PHOTOGRAPHER:
PHOTOGRAPHER:
Jonathan Birch
Jonathan Birch
Our approach to building
(01)
Built Like a Work of Art
We built Big Wood Cabin as we would a piece of furniture or sculpture: hands-on, intuitive, and shaped by a deep connection to materials and place.
(01)
Built Like a Work of Art
We built Big Wood Cabin as we would a piece of furniture or sculpture: hands-on, intuitive, and shaped by a deep connection to materials and place.
(01)
Built Like a Work of Art
We built Big Wood Cabin as we would a piece of furniture or sculpture: hands-on, intuitive, and shaped by a deep connection to materials and place.
(02)
Unified Craft
We don’t separate architect, builder, and maker—we bring it all together. Like the master builders of the past, we design and construct as one, solving challenges on site and shaping every detail by hand.
(02)
Unified Craft
We don’t separate architect, builder, and maker—we bring it all together. Like the master builders of the past, we design and construct as one, solving challenges on site and shaping every detail by hand.
(02)
Unified Craft
We don’t separate architect, builder, and maker—we bring it all together. Like the master builders of the past, we design and construct as one, solving challenges on site and shaping every detail by hand.
(03)
Harmony of Design and Sustainability
From the building’s structure and foundations to the smallest interior detail, everything is woven together—craft, design, and sustainability in harmony. Solar power and passive insulation work hand in hand with a custom kitchen, hand-made furniture, and pieces of our exhibition design work that have featured in galleries worldwide.
(03)
Harmony of Design and Sustainability
From the building’s structure and foundations to the smallest interior detail, everything is woven together—craft, design, and sustainability in harmony. Solar power and passive insulation work hand in hand with a custom kitchen, hand-made furniture, and pieces of our exhibition design work that have featured in galleries worldwide.
(03)
Harmony of Design and Sustainability
From the building’s structure and foundations to the smallest interior detail, everything is woven together—craft, design, and sustainability in harmony. Solar power and passive insulation work hand in hand with a custom kitchen, hand-made furniture, and pieces of our exhibition design work that have featured in galleries worldwide.
(04)
Principles in Practice
As carefully crafted within as without, the cabin embodies the same principles that guide our studio work: material honesty, environmental care, and a playful belief that buildings should feel alive, grounded and uplift those who live within them.
(04)
Principles in Practice
As carefully crafted within as without, the cabin embodies the same principles that guide our studio work: material honesty, environmental care, and a playful belief that buildings should feel alive, grounded and uplift those who live within them.
(04)
Principles in Practice
As carefully crafted within as without, the cabin embodies the same principles that guide our studio work: material honesty, environmental care, and a playful belief that buildings should feel alive, grounded and uplift those who live within them.
The ‘One Planet’ idea
The ‘One Planet’ idea
Our home is part of Wales’ One Planet Development planning policy — a forward-thinking scheme that allows people to build in woodland or open countryside if they can show they’re living in a genuinely low-impact way. That might include growing food, generating renewable energy, and managing resources directly from the land.
A One Planet lifestyle means living within the limits of just one Earth: reducing our carbon footprint while giving back to the ecosystems we depend on. Our home was handcrafted with local, natural materials, generates its own energy, heats water with a wood-boiler, and treats sewage naturally — all without compromising on comfort or style.
Buildings don’t have to harm nature. By raising our house on stilts, creating ponds and glades, and including wildlife-friendly features, we’ve protected and enhanced our woodland, welcoming everything from fungi and dormice to bats and birds.
For us, this way of living is more than a choice — it’s a hopeful example of how we might build and live differently, with respect for nature, a sense of place, and space for what really matters.
Our home is part of Wales’ One Planet Development planning policy — a forward-thinking scheme that allows people to build in woodland or open countryside if they can show they’re living in a genuinely low-impact way. That might include growing food, generating renewable energy, and managing resources directly from the land.
A One Planet lifestyle means living within the limits of just one Earth: reducing our carbon footprint while giving back to the ecosystems we depend on. Our home was handcrafted with local, natural materials, generates its own energy, heats water with a wood-boiler, and treats sewage naturally — all without compromising on comfort or style.
Buildings don’t have to harm nature. By raising our house on stilts, creating ponds and glades, and including wildlife-friendly features, we’ve protected and enhanced our woodland, welcoming everything from fungi and dormice to bats and birds.
For us, this way of living is more than a choice — it’s a hopeful example of how we might build and live differently, with respect for nature, a sense of place, and space for what really matters.
Our home is part of Wales’ One Planet Development planning policy — a forward-thinking scheme that allows people to build in woodland or open countryside if they can show they’re living in a genuinely low-impact way. That might include growing food, generating renewable energy, and managing resources directly from the land.
A One Planet lifestyle means living within the limits of just one Earth: reducing our carbon footprint while giving back to the ecosystems we depend on. Our home was handcrafted with local, natural materials, generates its own energy, heats water with a wood-boiler, and treats sewage naturally — all without compromising on comfort or style.
Buildings don’t have to harm nature. By raising our house on stilts, creating ponds and glades, and including wildlife-friendly features, we’ve protected and enhanced our woodland, welcoming everything from fungi and dormice to bats and birds.
For us, this way of living is more than a choice — it’s a hopeful example of how we might build and live differently, with respect for nature, a sense of place, and space for what really matters.
