History of Construction Framing: Timber to Platform

Introduction to Construction Framing

Framing is a fundamental element of construction. It can therefore be helpful to understand the history of framing and how it has evolved in terms of materials, uses, and techniques. The frame can be considered the skeleton of a building. Its "rough carpentry" concept is "the basic building skill of new construction and almost every remodeling addition project" ("Framing"). The history of framing in construction does not extend far into the ancient world, and most framing techniques are relatively modern. Ancient methods of construction often included bricks, stones, and concrete assembled in a frame-free manner. Framing, from the perspective of construction, almost always refers to the use of timber.

Ancient and Medieval Timber Framing

Although not used in most monumental architecture, timber framing was not uncommon in Roman and Greek building. Reserved mainly for roof elements, timber framing came into relatively common use in beam-and-post roofing somewhere between 500 BCE and 100 BCE (Blue Ridge Timberwrights). Because wood deteriorates more rapidly than the stones, bricks, and concrete that formed the bulk of ancient buildings, it is impossible to know for certain whether smaller edifices also used timber framing. Turan posits that "the use of timber for construction starts from the very early days of tool-making," and that even complex framing systems might be very old indeed (187).

Timber framing became much more common in the medieval era in both Europe and Asia. Stone foundations would provide the footing for wooden frames, and the frames were joined both to each other and to the foundation. "During the ninth and tenth centuries, Europeans developed excellent building skills with characteristics we recognize today as timber framing" (Blue Ridge Timberwrights). Similarly, Japanese temples were being constructed with timber frames in the 7th to 9th centuries. As the Blue Ridge Timberwrights point out, the decorative elements of wooden frames differed between European and Asian buildings, but their joinery elements were "strikingly similar."

Timber framing began a sort of revolution in medieval England, where landmark cathedrals that still stand bear timber-frame construction. Even lesser-known cathedrals and commercial buildings bore the stamp of expert carpentry fused with architectural knowledge. This testifies to the evolution in construction techniques and materials, built to last through multiple centuries if not millennia. According to the Original Barn Company, "of all the buildings in Britain that have survived from pre-Reformation times, 90 per cent are timber framed." Some early English cathedrals from the 11th and 12th centuries used timber frames and they still stand, as do multiple market towns that were "built predominantly of timber frame" (Original Barn Company).

The oldest examples of timber-framed buildings in Western Europe are found in England, but central Europe also boasted fine specimens of timber-framed dwellings. During the Renaissance era, timber framing flourished throughout not just Western but also Eastern Europe. Examples of timber-framed construction in edifices throughout the world have sustained the test of time, testifying to the tremendous importance that framing holds in building construction.

Timber Framing in Colonial America

After the 17th century, New World builders borrowed timber-framing techniques from their European counterparts. "In 1607 English settlers in Virginia used the area's abundant timber to build an assortment of buildings within the walls of Jamestown" (Blue Ridge Timberwrights). Colonial Jamestown and Williamsburg were built with mainly timber-frame construction. Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, is a timber-framed house (Blue Ridge Timberwrights). It was in the New World that framing genuinely took off as a force in modern construction. Given the greater abundance of virgin forests in the American colonies, builders had ample reason to take advantage of wood in construction.

Wood framing would become the preferred method of building for its economy of labor and materials. Lumber was not the only material used in framing — concrete and brick could also be used — however, "lumber is by far the most popular construction framing material because it's readily available, easy to work with, and comparatively less expensive than other framing materials" ("Framing"). As Turan puts it, the "process of formation, or the evolution of timber construction, has been gradual and, overall, a progressive change and development towards an economy of materials and labor" (175–176).

Changes to the social structure also fueled the growth of timber framing in both the United States and Europe. Personal homes were more apt to have timber frames due to their efficiency and economy. Private timber-framed dwellings sprouted up throughout England and the New World. "Timber frames still stand in older Atlantic coast cities and towns like Philadelphia, New York and Charleston and throughout New England" (Blue Ridge Timberwrights).

Conclusion: The Legacy of Framing

In spite of the various limitations and contingencies framing poses, framing offers a wealth of building possibilities that cannot be obtained using masonry. The skeleton of a building, a frame provides structure and integrity. As Turan observes, this represents "a significant achievement of the human intellect and an important step towards rationalization of design decisions" (176). From ancient timber roofing in Greece and Rome to the platform-framed homes of modern America, framing has proven to be one of construction's most enduring and adaptable innovations.