Timber framing

Half-timbered buildings in Dornstetten, Germany

Timber framing (German: Holzfachwerk) is a way to build buildings. Timbers are the structure of the building and fit together like a skeleton. Sometimes the timbers can be seen from the outside. This is called half-timbered. The spaces between the timbers are filled with brick, plaster, wattle or daub. These spaces are often for decoration. Germany is famous for half-timbered buildings. There are also such buildings across Europe and in North America and Japan. The building method is over a thousand years old and has many styles.

Rue du Gros-Horloge in Rouen, France, a city with half-timbered buildings