IV. Glossary
2. Theoretical Part
2.3. History of Applications
From the beginning to the 19th – early 20th Century
Wood as a building material is recognized from the very beginning of humankind. Starting with the neolithic huts such could be seen in the figures no. 1-5 – 1-10, constructed simply for weather protection continuing thru the civil engineering, light and heavy loads structures till more complex and complicated mechanical engineering applications in wooden ship trunk or airplane fuselage.
Fig. 1-3. Fig. 1-4.
Fig.1-3.: Toyo Ito´s Odate Jukai Dome
(Source – Internet – see the list of figures)
Fig.1-4.: Shigeru Ban´s Imai Atsushi Memorial Gymnasium (Source – Internet – see the list of figures)
Wood is one of the material that was presented in all of the architectural periods differences are in application, form and precision of detail manufacturing. Generally wooden constructions did not change a lot, in principle they only improve technology of assembling which makes them be more precise and more free in shape and form modeling. The next pages showing architectural phases, depicting some of the many key designs in wood selected by author.
Neolithic Architecture
Fig 1-5.: Agricultural evidences in Cùl a' Bhaile, suggested reconstuction of neolithic house.
Fig 1-6.: Neolithic house - suggested reconstruction – Knockadoon (Source – Internet – see the list of figures)
Fig. 1-9.a – 1.-10.b.: Neolithic Houses found in Banpo, Yellow River Valley region - China – 2000 B.C. Shows circular and rectangular shapes both plan (a) and 3D section (b). Building material was locally available including wood, thatch, earth, etc. ( Source: Fazio, 2008: 82 )
Fig. 1-5. Fig. 1-6.
Fig. 1-8. Fig. 1-7.a
Fig 1-6.b
Fig. 1-9.a Fig. 1-10.a Fig. 1-9.b Fig. 1-10.b
Fig 1-7. Reconstruction of Neolithic house by Margaret Gowen, Tankardstown Early Irish settlers.
(Source – Internet – see the list of figures)
Fig 1-8.: Reconstruction one of the Yang – Shao Houses, Pan – Po – Ts´un (Banpo), ( Source : Fletcher, 1996: 104 ).
England/ Ireland
China
Ancient Near East and Mediterranean
In this era wood was usually used as a roof or floor reinforcing material of casual houses.
• Ancient Mesopotamia
• Ancient Egyptian architecture Classical architecture
Greek architecture
In the Greek architecture, wood was used primarily in the construction of roofs of temples or public houses as a main supporting beams as shown in the figure on right and later the relief of beam wooden structure was engraved in the rock as the beams were replaced by stone material.
Roman architecture
Fig. 1-12.: Original Wooden Beams of Greek Temples – later reflected on stone facades as a triglycerides as in Fig. 1-11.
Roman Empire used wood material mostly as roofing for temples and later churches, but basically wood was used
in light non long-term constructions like temporary army bridges and weapons as well from pikes till complex catapults like selected examples on right .
Fig. 1-13. Onager 350 AD
( Source – Internet – see the list of figures ) Fig. 1-14. Bridge over the river Rhine for Caesar´s legions, after Alberti with length 600m.
( Source: HERZOG, NATTER,
SCHWEITZER, VOLZ, WINTER 2004: 24 ) Fig. 1-15. Basilica of St. Paul outside the city walls of Rome, Italy, 4th Century AD.
( Source: HERZOG, NATTER,
SCHWEITZER, VOLZ, WINTER 2004: 24 )
Fig. 1-11.
Fig. 1-13.
Fig. 1-14. Fig. 1-15.
Fig. 1-11.: Triglyceride nomenclature ( Source: Harris, 1993: 860 )
Fig. 1-12.
Fig. 1-12.: Traditional wooden roof of Greek Temple – roof construction.
( Source – Internet – see the list of figures )
Islamic architecture
Architecture of Africa
In Africa there were a lot of nomadic tribes and as they travel a quiet often from place to place their architecture was more tend like and just for short period of time.
They were using wooden sticks made from local wood and other materials available in current space.
• Southern Asia
• Persian architecture
Fig. 1-16.a.: Top of the tower (detail) ( Source – Internet – see the list of figures ) Fig. 1-16.b.: Tower walls (detail) ( Source – Internet – see the list of figures )
Fig. 1-16.c.: Great Mosque of Djenné, Mali Djenné, Mali – 1906 – 07. - There is an ongoing controversy talking about design contribution of French people. ( Source: Fazio, 2008: 281 )
Fig. 1-17.: Tecna tent, Morocco, linen, 5 x 8 m, wooden posts, detail of apex and perspective drawing.
( Source: HERZOG, NATTER, SCHWEITZER, VOLZ, WINTER 2004: 26 )
Fig. 1-18.: Sidamo house, Hagara Salam, Ethiopia
( Source: HERZOG, NATTER, SCHWEITZER, VOLZ, WINTER 2004: 26 )
Fig. 1-16.a Fig. 1-16.b Fig. 1-16.c
Fig. 1-17.
Fig. 1-18.
Architecture was mainly made from mud and sun dried bricks, wood was used in vernacular as well as sacred architecture as a sticks embedded in the walls used for decoration like figure. 1-16.a shows and as scaffolding for annual repairs like depicted in the figure. 1-16.c.
Also presence of wood could be seen in interior decorations.
Indian architecture
Typical Indian architecture used mostly stone although some examples were build fully in wood applying remarkable Indian stone carving abilities into the wood like Royal Palace complex located in at Padmanabhapuram.
Fig. 1-19.: Royal Palace complex located in at Padmanabhapuram Fort, ( Source – Internet – see the list of figures ) Fig. 1-20.: detail of a brilliant wood carved dormer, ( Source – Internet – see the list of figures )
Fig. 1-21.: Chergaon Temple, Chamba, in Himalaya, Himachal Pradesh, India, ( Source: Fletcher, 1996: 778 ).
• Buddhist architecture
• Southeast Asia
• Architecture of the Khmer Empire
Indonesian architecture
Eastern Asia
Wood was a primary building material in Far Asia countries, it was easy to carve, adjustable for almost all the regions and its flexibility allows to build architecture that sustains the earthquakes.
Fig. 1-19. Fig. 1-20. Fig. 1-21.
Fig. 1-22.a Fig. 1-22.b
Fig. 1-22.: a transverse section.
( Source: HERZOG, NATTER, SCHWEITZER, VOLZ, WINTER 2004: 26 ) Fig. 1-22.b.: longitudinal section.
( Source: HERZOG, NATTER, SCHWEITZER, VOLZ, WINTER 2004: 26 )
Traditional Indonesian Architecture applied wooden piles base to prevent possible heavy rains erosion or even floods. .An example provided on right shows a Grain store in the lake of Tobaz, Samosir –
Sumatra.
Chinese architecture
• Korean Architecture
Fig. 1-23.: cross section of Temple of Heaven in Beijing ,China, 1420, Ming Dynasty, diameter 30 m, height 38 m.
( Source: HERZOG, NATTER, SCHWEITZER, VOLZ, WINTER 2004: 27 )
Fig. 1-23.
Fig. 1-24.a Fig. 1-24.b Fig. 1-24.c
Fig. 1-24.a.: Plan and longitudinal section of the main hall, Nanchan Monastery, Shanxi province, 782.
( Source: Fazio, 2008: 84 )
Fig. 1-24.b.: Front elevation and transverse section of the main hall Nanchan Monastery, Shanxi province, 782;
Bracket sets serves as an interlocking point for supports and allow roof to protrude from its contour.
( Source: Fazio, 2008: 84 )
Fig. 1-24.c.: Typical Chinese house (diagram), a modular unit called ''jian'' can be seen. This unit was used for wooden constructions. As could be seen, house was divided to several pavilions, usually for different function.
( Source: Fazio, 2008: 84 )
Wooden temples as the one shown in the picture no.
1-23 or 1-24 a - c;
was fully made from wood using unique carving style and constructional options creating complex wooden system carrying the roof. Such system was lately
transferred in Japanese and Korean Architecture as well
Japanese architecture
Fig. 1-25.a.: Horyu-ji Pagoda, Kyoto, Japan, 1178.
( Source – Internet – see the list of figures )
Fig. 1-25.b.: silhouette and
Construction, showing the heart pillar and basement rock which assists the structure to sustain an earthquake . ( Source – Internet – see the list of figures )
Fig. 1-25.c.: section.
( Source – Internet – see the list of figures )
Fig. 1-25.a Fig. 1-25.b Fig. 1-25.c
Fig. 1-26.a Fig. 1-26.b
Fig. 1-26.a Horyuji temple complex, 670-714. ( 奈良市 , Nara-shi), capital city of Nara Prefecture, Kansai region, Japan, ( Source : Fazio, 2008: 94 )
Fig. 1-26.b Areal view of the complex shows Horyu-ji Pagoda on left from the Golden Hall, asymmetrically composed ( Source: Fazio, 2008: 94 )
Horyu-ji Pagoda
Golden Hall
Pre-Columbian
Mesoamerican architecture Incan architecture
Ancient architecture of North America
Fig. 1-27. ''minka'' ( usually refers to wooden folk houses) a traditional house in Japan, approximately 19th century.
Large monitor which is rising above the ridge makes a typical characteristics of minka that could be seen in Yamanashi Prefecture west of Tokyo. ( Sources: Fazio, 2008: 98 )
Fig. 1-28. Yoshimura House, close to Osaka. 1620.
( Sources: Fazio, 2008: 98 )
Russian and Scandinavian Wooden Churches
Russian and Scandinavian architecture from 1100 till 1700 includes remarkable wooden architecture of churches which are very valuable even nowadays, many churches became an open-air museums.
Fig. 1-29.a.: Church of the Rising of Lazarus. Muromansky monastery, Kizhi, 1291. reputedly the oldest wooden church surviving in Russia it has three different roof pitches and two different forms of wall construction.
(Fazio, 2008: 147 ) ( Source: Fazio, 2008: 147 )
Fig. 1-29.b.: Church of Transfiguration in Kizhi, detail of tower´s single work to promote the rain water draining.
( Source: Fazio, 2008: 150 )
Fig. 1-29.a
Fig. 1-30.a Fig. 1-30.b
Fig. 1-29.b
Fig. 1-30.a.: Borgund Stave Church, Borgund, Lærdal, Norway, 1125 - 40.
( Source: Fazio, 2008: 87 )
Fig. 1-30.b.: Construction of a stave church.
( Source: Fazio, 2008: 187 )
Europe to 1600 Tudor period (1485–1603) Tudor house style is a remarkable example of half-timbered architecture presented in the figures of this page. It mixes timber frame filled with wattle and daub - lately bricks.
• Medieval architecture
• Pre-Romanesque
• Romanesque
Fig. 1-31 Fig. 1-32
Fig. 1-33.
Fig. 1-34.
Fig. 1-35.
Fig. 1-34.: Reconstruction of an early medieval longhouse – Bremerhaven Germany.
( Source: Fazio, 2008: 241 )
Fig. 1-35.: Brace heavy timber frame ( half - timbered construction commonly used during medieval age.
( Source: Fazio, 2008: 241 )
Fig. 1-33.: An example of medieval manor house.
( Source: Fazio, 2008: 241 )
Fig. 1-31.: Timber house in Beauvais ( Source: Fletcher, 1996: 450 ).
Fig. 1-32.: Timber house in Caen ( Source: Fletcher, 1996: 450 ).
Gothic
Wood was used as a timber roof constructions of churches and cathedrals as well as scaffolding for vaults and cranes. Examples of the roof types are shown at the figure 1- 36
&1 -37
Renaissance architecture
Since Filippo Brunelleschi (1377 – April 15, 1446) created a double skin cupola applied in Florence Dome it reduced need of wood on scaffolding which was primarily used during the construction of domes and arches before. An examples of wooden dome and vault scaffolding could be seen in the both figures below
Fig. 1-39.: Rotating scaffolding for the dome of the Pantheon in Rome during renovation, Italy, 1756.
Source: HERZOG, NATTER, SCHWEITZER, VOLZ, WINTER 2004: 29.
Fig. 1-36. Fig. 1-37.
Fig. 1-38.: Wooden scaffolding of barrel vault.
( Source – Internet – see the list of figures )
Fig. 1-36 & Fig. 1-37.: Types of wooden Gothic roofs.
( Source of both figures: Fletcher, 1996: 457 ).
European and colonial architecture
Fig. 1-40. An example of colonial architecture house ( Source – Internet – see the list of figures )
• Baroque architecture
• Return to Classicism
• Revivalism and Orientalism
• Beaux-Arts architecture
• Art Nouveau Modern architecture
Since the industrial revolution brought a new set of construction systems and expand possibilities of civil engineers, wooden architecture as well gets a new dimensions famous example of wooden
structure applied in architecture is surely Joseph Paxton´s Crystal Palace.
Expressionist architecture Wooden Organic Architecture Late 19th Century and whole 20th wooden material was used in many different variation, but maybe one of the most impressive application that gives wood its expressive value is presented in the wooden organic architecture which tries to connect architecture art and nature, such ideas might be observed in the works of
famous Hungarian architect Imre Makovecz.
• Art Deco
• International Style
• Contemporary architecture
• Critical regionalism
• Postmodern architecture
• Deconstructivist architecture
Fig. 1-43. Imre Makovecz Catholic Church in Pakd, Hungary, 1987-91 ( Source – Internet – see the list of figures )
Fig. 1-41.Joseph Paxton, Crystal Palace,London, England, 1851 perspective view.
( Source – Internet – see the list of figures ) Fig. 1-42. central vault construction.
( Source: HERZOG, NATTER, SCHWEITZER, VOLZ, WINTER 2004: 27. )
Fig. 1-40.
Fig. 1-41.
Fig. 1-43.
Fig. 1-42.
Fig. 1-41.