22 / FRAME BUILDER - VOL7 NO2
SACRED STRUCTURES:
HOW TIMBER SHAPES THE 
ARCHITECTURE OF WORSHIP
F
ew building materials 
possess the profound 
ability to inspire a sense of 
reverence and evoke feelings the 
way that wood can. Timber has 
been written into the narrative 
of human experience, cultural 
heritage, and architectural 
innovation. As such, it naturally 
creates a bridge to both past and 
future.
Since the dawn of humanity 
and the earliest days of religious 
worship, there has been a deep 
connection to trees. Many cultures 
believe that trees are spirits 
themselves. As early as the 4th 
century BC, druids in Europe were 
known to worship in oak groves, 
which they considered sacred.
In ancestry and among some 
people today, trees are a powerful 
manifestation of 
the earth itself, but 
also serve a very 
real and practical 
purpose as a source 
of wood, an ancient 
building material still widely 
used. In recent years, wood has 
risen to the forefront of building 
material innovation as architects 
and developers have begun to 
Mike Banta
THE OFFICIAL NFBA MAGAZINE
Photos by R. Garrity Powers 

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