Natural Timber Frame Homes: Building with Wood, Stone, Clay and Straw

By: Wayne J. Bingham and Jerod Pfeffer

In the rush to acquire bigger and better homes and to pay off increasingly larger mortgages, many of us have been left feeling dissatisfied. Why is this so? There is compelling evidence that what we really desire is not bigger homes, not more space, but better space.

Natural Timber Frame Homes lays the philosophical groundwork for how locally available materials result in more durable and beautiful homes. It asks us to consider the source of our wood, stone, clay, and straw and suggests that this awareness contributes to our perception of character in a finished house. Building naturally also gives us the feedback necessary to be conscientious environmental and economic stewards and allows us to play a meaningful role in the creation of our dwelling.

This book puts the theory of natural building into practice by providing the tools to evaluate your area for potential building materials. Photographs and drawings pull the theory together into workable timber frame construction details with floor plans that are adaptable to your specific needs, including your climate and landscape.

Beauty and character of traditional timber frame homes are a result of natural material being crafted by the hands of the builder. By injecting ourselves into the process of home construction, we have the potential to live more connected to the natural world and influence the future of the earth for the better.