Twente is mainly a rural area with a number of urban centres. The Saxon heritage of Twente is reflected in the design of more traditional farms and residential houses. Twente has the only remaining "lös hoes" in the Netherlands (literally ‘loose house’), a type of construction design that was previously common throughout the east of the Netherlands and the north of Germany. A "lös hoes" consisted mostly of one room in which both humans and livestock lived together. The roofs, which are relatively large in comparison to contemporary houses, making up approximately 2/3 of the entire height, were mostly thatched and supported by a frame of thick beams. The TwentseWelle museum in Enschede has reconstructed a "lös hoes" on their premises. Many contemporary houses are designed with Twents Saxon elements, such as thatched roofs, wooden planks to decorate the gables, and "gewelteekns" (gable signs), which are wooden planks shaped with several stylised symbols, such as a tree of life, cross, anchor and heart, a sun wheel, and two rampant horses. These "gewelteekns" are mounted vertically onto the ridge of the house at the front and the back gable. The symbols are believed to either invoke prosperity or ward off misfortune.