The Birth Of A Wooden House

I can’t say whether it’s my amazement at how good this guy is at building this house or the way this film was crafted, but this is currently my favorite all time film.  If you appreciate fine craftsmanship, and are intrigued by timber frame construction, this will appeal to you.  I can’t get over how good this guy is, I mean, he even chamfers the edges of his cuts, and he does it all with hand tools.  From felling the trees in January in Latvia when the moisture levels are lowest (which will result in lighter, stronger lumber), to insulating with pine shavings, and finishing with the Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban, to plastering with a mixture of sand, clay, lime, linen fiber, salt and wheat flour, and heating the house with two different masonry ovens, one of which weighs five tons and will heat the house for two or three days on a single firing, I guess you could say this guy is my hero.

Sorry Steve.