The renaissance of wood in architecture began already in the early 1990s following the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. A lively interest in sustainable materials made wood particularly attractive and it became an important feature in the developing global ecology. Wood as a building material stands for a healthy interior environment, free of harmful toxic substances, with naturally balanced humidity and comfortable regulated temperatures. This volume documents in full technical detail 25 timber buildings in three main areas: residential buildings, holiday homes, and living and working. The individual projects cover a large spectrum of sizes, budgets, and types of construction, and they also show wood in combination with such materials as stone, concrete, and steel. The examples documented are from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, USA, Canada, China, Australia, and Brazil, and the architects include such renowned names as Mario Botta, Kengo Kuma and Baumschlager + Eberle.
