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In a splendid modern take on a local tradition, Austrian architecture firm, Maaars Architektur, turned a classic alpine “massive wood block” dwelling into a work of inhabitable prefab art. A concrete foundation holds two massive wood fins with all fixtures and fasteners built-in. This house took just 9 days to construct atop the concrete base.

The recent fad of using wood cladding, louvers, and filigree as sun shading for buildings has left architects scrambling for a substitute material that’s beautiful, structurally stable, durable, and sustainable - - - oh, and reasonably priced. Two manufacturers, Kliptech & Richlite have brought to market resin-impregnated paper building products that can not only be used for a resilient building skin, but have also been used as countertops, cutting boards, and skateboard ramps. The two products vary in their aesthetic quality, environmental claims, and price. We’ve also recently covered ShetkaStone which is similar in composition, but has a more terrazo like appearance. If you’re looking for an alternative to teak, redwood, cedar or Parklex, read on…. Both products exhibit superior durability and are available in thicknesses from ¼” to +1″. These “resin paperboards” can be worked by standard wood workers’ tools, but because they produce very fine particulate dust, respiratory protection is highly recommended.