The decline of timber construction practices in North-Holland, The Netherlands

Abstract

In our contemporary quest to live and build more sustainably, the lessons that one can learn from the understanding of vernacular architecture, as well as the use of (engineered) timber in construction are often praised. Like in many other European countries throughout history, timber once was the most important construction material in the Netherlands. Especially in the north western part of the Netherlands (modern day North-Holland), timber buildings thrived. However, building practices and material use changed and traditions were lost. This thesis offers a concise overview of the role of timber as a construction material in our building practices in both Amsterdam and the rural landscape of North-Holland during the period between the roughly stated years of 1450 and 2000. Through the analysis of case studies, aided by a literature review, it is shown how different large historical events and subsequent societal and administrative changes in the researched period contributed to changing construction practices and material use.