Building with wood as an ecologically viable material is a tradition with a long history. In the most typical method, elements are connected by using wood joints which do not require the assistance of adhesives or metal connectors. By looking at several hundred examples from Japan, China and 18 European countries, this book describes in great detail the history of timber architecture in terms of its technical, aesthetic and ecological dimensions. This thorough study is a mine of information to specialists in this field; it opens up to the craftsman of today what has become an almost forgotten world and provides a fascinating account for the general reader. The new introduction to the third edition reviews developments since the first publication of this book in 1997.

Following his seminal book Wood and Wood Joints, an essential reference on solid timber constructions for more than two decades, now in its third edition, Klaus Zwerger presents a study of the cultural history, construction and typology of a special building type: cereal drying racks. These structures were used to dry harvested crops in agrarian cultures all over the world and evolved over the centuries into buildings of great beauty that are as sophisticated and individual as they are functionally efficient. On countless expeditions, the author tracked down the remaining buildings, documenting and analyzing them in the context of their cultural and building history through detailed descriptions, line drawings and photographs, rendered in duotone, by the author.

There is a long tradition of using wood as a distinct and ecologically sound building material. Wooden architecture conveys for today's world the breadth of knowledge held in Western and Eastern cultures about the creative use of this unique material. The typical technique of building with wood, joinery, requires that elements are connected only by the skillful interlocking of the constructive parts. In this book, the history of wooden architecture is described in detail using hundreds of examples from Japan, China and Europe. From a holistic understanding, a picture emerges that is informative for architects, and designers, reopens an almost lost world to builders, and will enthrall laypeople. Also available in a German edition (ISBN 978-3-0356-2617-9) A new introduction highlights the continuing importance of traditional techniques, particularly in the age of digital manufacturing processes. For the first time, all photos are printed in duotone "A book for aesthetes ..." (Baumeister)

Das Bauen mit Holz als einem gestalterisch eigenstandigen und oekologisch sinnvollen Werkstoff hat eine lange Tradition. In Jahrtausenden entstandene Holzarchitektur vermittelt der heutigen Zeit das vielfaltige Wissen westlicher und oestlicher Kulturen uber den schoepferischen Umgang mit diesem unverwechselbaren Material. Bei der typischen Technik des Bauens mit Holz, der reinen Holzverbindung, werden die Elemente ohne materialfremde Hilfe, ohne Leim oder Metall, nur durch das gekonnt entworfene Ineinander der konstruktiven Teile verbunden. Zur hoechsten Blute gelangte die Kunst der Holzverbindung in Japan, das viele Anregungen und Ideen aus China ubernahm und weiter entwickelte. Aber auch in europaischen Landern haben sich einflussreiche Formen entwickelt. Deshalb wird hier die Geschichte der Holzarchitektur in ihren technischen, asthetischen und oekologischen Dimensionen detailgenau anhand von vielen hundert Beispielen aus Japan, China und neunzehn europaischen Landern beschrieben. Die Schoenheit der Holzbauten und ihrer Details vermittelt sich in brillanten Duotonabbildungen. In anschaulichen dreidimensionalen Zeichnungen offenbart sich das geheime Innenleben der Holzverbindungen. Auch auf englisch erhaltlich (ISBN 978-3-0356-2480-9) Eine neue Einleitung arbeitet die fortdauernde Bedeutung dieser traditionellen Techniken gerade im Zeitalter digitaler Fertigungsprozesse heraus. Erstmals samtliche Fotos im Duotondruck "Ein Buch fur AEstheten ..." (Baumeister)

Building with wood as an ecologically viable material is a tradition with a long history. In the most typical method, elements are connected by using wood joints which do not require the assistance of adhesives or metal connectors. By looking at several hundred examples from Japan, China and 18 European countries, this book describes in great detail the history of timber architecture in terms of its technical, aesthetic and ecological dimensions. This thorough study is a mine of information to specialists in this field; it opens up to the craftsman of today what has become an almost forgotten world and provides a fascinating account for the general reader. The new introduction to the third edition reviews developments since the first publication of this book in 1997.