As one of the oldest building materials in the world, timber never ceases to exert a fascination. No other material today enjoys such a high reputation in terms of its environmental friendliness and sustainability. With the creation of so much exciting timber architecture in recent times, one would think all argued well for the future; but timber still plays a modest role in the overall volume of building – even in central Europe, which is so rich in this raw material.
The timber construction sector has anything but a clear profile. There are many individual, pioneering spirits developing all kinds of “systems”. There is also a vast amount of material on this topic; but it is necessary to sift out what is relevant and up-to-date. Even in the universities, competent teaching that is equal to the complexity of the subject is rare. All too often, a deeper knowledge of timber and its use is limited to technical aspects and is accessible mainly in engineering faculties. (Prof. Hermann Kaufmann – Austrian architect).