Ty Unnos, or house in a night, is an old Welsh tradition which has parallels in other folk traditions in other areas of the British Isles.
Going back to the seventeenth century, it was believed by some, that if a person could build a house on common land in one night, then the land belonged to them as a freehold. Other variations on this tradition were that the test was to have a fire burning in the hearth by the following morning or that the squatter could then extend the land around by the distance they could throw an axe from the four corners of the house.
Although Ty Unnos had no status in the English Common Law of the time, there is some tradition of legal discussion about the point at which land occupied by squatters without title may be regarded as a legitimate possession. This legendary belief may bear some relation to genuine folk customs and actual practices by squatters encroaching on common or wasteland. The tradition may have provided squatters with a sense that their actions enjoyed some legitimacy conferred by an older code of laws more in tune with values of social justice.
 
Localities in Wales have houses which may be identified as a one night house in local folklore e.g. Ty Hyll or The Ugly House in Snowdonia. These may in fact be properties that were originally built by squatters using locally available materials. Many of these legends seem to be passed on in ignorance of the broader tradition of the one night house and may feature picturesque details based on variants of the traditions noted above. These legends generally take the form of a prominent member of local society proposing a wager with a landless family, that if they could raise a house in a night and a day they could keep the property. Some versions of these legends may emphasise that the family may cheat and win out over the complacent authority figure by building a very small hut or by simply building a hearth and chimney.
Ty Unnos for 21st Century
Innovative methods of timber construction are common in Scandinavia, where there is an abundance of high quality timber. There are numerous timber prefabricated construction systems available that utilise Scandinavian and Baltic softwoods. Most are prefabricated structural panels. The panels are mechanically manoeuvred and fixed together on-site to form a structural shell with insulation, services and exterior cladding applied to the external wall surfaces.
 
These innovative timber systems are beginning to impact on the UK market due to increasing government drivers towards off site construction. However, all these systems use only imported softwoods rather than locally sourced timber.
CCW and Wood Knowledge Wales have sponsored Coed Cymru, The Welsh School of Architecture and University of Wales Bangor to develop a system of high performance affordable housing based on the properties of home-grown timber.
Although spruce is proposed, the system could use various grades and species of timber.
The process is an adaptable manufacturing process ideal for intermediate labour market or small enterprise.
The Ty Unnos system is a highly adaptable, additive, modular system that can create a range of house types and sizes based on four standard modules.
The system is based on a simplified, standardised kit of parts based on a 600mm basic layout grid.
The system uses locally sourced timber in standard, readily available lengths to create a simple housing system suitable for self or assisted build.
For further information please contact David Jenkins at Coed Cymru, 01686 650777
(OR see Staff Page for email addresses and officers' telephone numbers).
Coed Cymru, The Old Sawmill,
Tregynon, Newtown,
Powys SY16 3PL
Tel 01686 650 777
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