Construction Systems: Wood

2016 – 2026

Professor:

Ignacio Cardona

Institutions:

Harvard Graduate School of Design

Wentworth Institute of Technology

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Developed for lectures, workshops, and student consultations in the Master in Architecture I program at Harvard GSD and in the Comprehensive Studio at Wentworth Institute of Technology, this teaching material provides a practical introduction to wood as a construction system. Beginning with its historical development in the United States, the lecture introduces fundamental terminology and construction principles, with particular attention to the similarities and differences between balloon and platform framing.

A typical wood-framed American house is used to explain the construction sequence, connecting structural principles with assemblies and architectural details. Exercises allow students to apply these principles through practical problems. Together with parallel lectures on steel and concrete, the material also establishes a comparative framework for understanding how different construction systems organize materials, structure, assembly, and architectural form.