African Forest Shelters – Bristol Zoo Project
SePt 2025
Set within the new African Forest exhibit at Bristol Zoo Project, these timber shelters were designed and built by Roundwood Design to offer visitors a welcoming, natural space that blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. Each structure was crafted from locally sourced UK larch, chosen for its strength, durability, and rich character that weathers gracefully over time.
We built two twin-pitch shelters with distinctive cruck-frame silhouettes and two single-pitch lean-to shelters, all topped with hand-laid cedar shingles that bring warmth and texture to the finished forms. Using our signature roundwood framing approach, every element was shaped and fitted by hand, celebrating the natural curve and individuality of each piece of timber. The shelters provide shaded rest points along the new visitor pathways, built with minimal ground disturbance to protect root zones and surrounding habitats.
With their sculptural form and use of honest materials, these structures embody Bristol Zoo Project’s vision of connection between people, nature, and conservation.
