In this video Jacob Neeman shows us an account of the building of his house in Latvia. What do you need to build a wooden house? Jacob starts at the beginning, with the forest. From a permaculture perspective this is very interesting; he is clearly engaging with the local ecosystem and uses mainly natural and local resources, with “Lime, sand and concrete mixture [used] only in small amounts”. Every step of the process is done by hand which is impressive especially when you see the finished product!
The house is made following a traditional Latvian design. “In the walls, timber frame and roof construction”, Jacob says in the video description, “I used only wood joints and wooden pegs to hold the main construction together – no nails, screws or steel plates”. He also chars the exterior wood frame pieces using a technique adapted from the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban (焼杉板). This all-natural technique has been used in Norway where, Jacob says, there are wooden stave churches which have been standing for more than 500 years. In Japan, the pagoda of the Horyuji Temple in Nara built using Shou Sugi Ban is widely considered the “oldest wooden building in the world” (see for example 1,2), the current version of which was probably completed in the year 711 AD (2). So Jacob’s house stands a pretty good chance of being resilient!
As a showcase of the techniques and styles used in the construction this video is very inspirational and there is easily enough information provided to explore further if you wish to do any of these things yourself. If you are into carpentry there is plenty of eye candy for you, but there are also some beautiful shots – from the snow-clad Latvian forests and collecting moss in the local swamp to close-ups of the charred wood-grain and of the feline helpers – which make the video enjoyable as well as informative.
References
1. UNESCO, 2016. ‘Horyuji Temple’. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/660
2. Web Japan, 2001. ‘100 Years Older Than Supposed? World Heritage Pagoda’. https://web-japan.org/trends00/honbun/tj010330.html
Excellent !
Very Interesting !
Oh to have the talent, the time, and the resources. What a way to work with timber.
That was the best half an hour I’ve had for a long time … Simply beautiful ❤️ thank you
Care, craftsmanship, and chopping in sandals. Dangerously beautiful.
Beautiful family , Magnificent skills , stunning result.
My utmost respect and awe for what these dedicated people have achieved, I take my hat off to them all, may they live long and happy lives within its walls, such love and dedication to such a beautiful build!
That large overhang of the eaves means longevity of the house.
Stunning home!
So glad I saw this video before I bought a single family home. I have a new dream.
Speechless.
A dream come to fruition!
As home builders ourselves, but from a kit. I marvel at your enginuety. I love the hole concept. You have created a beautiful home using what was available. May you live long and happy lives in your beautiful home.
Lorraine.
May you and your family live in this gorgeous, wholesome, healthy, beautiful house for long and may this creation last for centuries to come. Thank you Jacob, for sharing your art and heart with us.
I was totally blown away by this video.
What beautiful work you did Jacob – impeccable carpentry!
Wauv, simply amazing – such a good job Jacob :-) :-) :-)
Beautiful. How long did it take?
An amazing accomplishment and a home likely to remain in the family for many years to come.
A structure that will live long after the builder has moved on to a better place.
Congratulations. Be very proud.