We would like to discuss here the implications of the discovery of an early Neolithic round house at Les Ouchettes (Plassay, Charente-Maritime). It is the first example of such a house discovered to date for this period in central-western France and, more generally, on the Atlantic coast of France. The opposition between round and quadrangular house plans is an important cultural element. The circular form presumed for Mesolithic dwellings seems to be much more due to present beliefs concerning hunter-gatherer communities than based on archaeological data. This short article does not enable us to define the characteristics of indigenous dwellings, thus unfortunately restricting our demonstration. Circular and quadrangular house plans are both attested at a very early date in Neolithic settlements near the north Mediterranean coast, whereas only quadrangular plans are attested for the houses of the LBK cultures. We have to confess that the former are much less well documented than the latter. The circular construction at Les Ouchettes, associated with artefacts indicating quite strong southern characteristics, could be part of the diversity of house plans connected with the different early Neolithic groups producing impressed ceramics found near the north-western coast of the Mediterranean. We cannot fail also to discuss the possibility of a relationship between this type of domestic architecture and the funerary architecture with round chambers contained within a circular mound so frequently found in this region.