Development of Wooden (Log) Buildings
Building with wood began earlier than with stone. Archaeologists mention at least ten thousand years ago. The first construction materials were reeds, bones, leather, and branches/twigs, which were used as a frame—a kind of load-bearing structure. Later, larger round timber was used in construction. These were vertical sawn tree trunks, with their ends embedded into the ground. It was probably then that logs started being used as legs/supports, beams, and so on.
Around 8,000 BCE, residential wooden construction became widespread in the Mediterranean regions. At that time, lush forests still grew, and Greece, Turkey, and Palestine were not barren steppes. One of the earliest wooden cities was named Jericho (mentioned in the Old Testament). In ancient Greece, wooden buildings were constructed not only for living but also for most temples and other public structures.
Later, forested areas began to thin, and building materials became scarce. At that time, the construction of wooden buildings with infill emerged – first built in ancient Egypt. The Greeks began constructing with stone, and the Romans with concrete.
Gradually, wooden construction spread northward. The main centers became forested regions: the Alps, the Carpathians, the forests of Bavaria, England, and other forest-rich northern areas – present-day Scandinavia and Russia.
In Central Europe, log buildings were constructed for a long time. For example, in Poland, a log village was discovered that is nearly 2,500 years old! However, by the end of the Middle Ages, forest resources began to dwindle. In Germany and Austria, construction shifted toward half-timbered structures. In Poland, for a certain period, building with wood was even prohibited. Much of the timber was reserved exclusively for shipbuilding and fortifications.
Unlike elsewhere, in Scandinavia—specifically Norway—by the mid-12th century, a distinctive wooden architecture emerged, of which twelve churches have survived to this day.
In China, wooden construction also existed, but in this densely populated country, timber resources rapidly diminished. In contrast, in neighboring Japan, using Chinese traditions, wooden architecture advanced significantly. Houses were built to withstand frequent earthquakes. Wooden columns were firmly anchored into rocks, and the first-floor level was raised high above the ground. As a result, we can still see temples in Japan built at the end of the first millennium. The Todan-ji Temple is considered the largest wooden building in the world.
Wooden construction was also actively used by American colonists. The first buildings were built on stilts. There was a high demand for “log” structures, like those we see today, with horizontally stacked logs.
In Lithuania, wooden architecture prevailed until the beginning of the 19th century. The wall structures were made of hewn logs stacked on top of each other and joined with various types of corner joints. The main tool for building log structures, houses, and saunas was the broad axe – the skliutas. This is a carpenter’s axe with wide blades, slightly twisted for easier hewing of the sides of the logs.
By the end of the 20th century, wooden log construction regained its former prominence. Modern technologies allow for the correction of the main negative properties of wood – rot and flammability. Differences also appeared in exterior and design, which cannot be called limited. But most importantly, wood remains – an ecological material.
