This Swiss Builder uses NO INSULATION...

> I live in Europe and I can't understand why houses in the US are built with wood and drywall. It surely must be cheaper to use bricks/concrete and then renovate it fully every 20 years, or am I wrong here? I would think that renovations are much easier to do, regardless of the time interval between them, with wood and drywall. Drywall can be torn apart with by someone with just their hands; wood may need some cutting, but once in shorter pieces, can often just be yanked. Even a large house can probably be gutted/internally-exposed in a day or two. With any kind of masonry you have to swing a sledge hammer with a lot of force or bring in jack hammers. Once set, concrete will resist a lot of force against it, which is why it's generally used for slabs and foundations. It also depends on what you mean by renovate: often changes are in internal layout, so if one uses good design techniques for the shell: * link And floor trusses to reduce/eliminate internal load-bearing walls: * link It give completely flexibility on what can be done inside the box. Wood is also fairly cheap and plentiful in North America. As for drywall: what are the alternatives for internal walls? Lath and plaster? * link Some growth in popularity for wood in Europe; some Swiss examples: * link * ▶ this video

There is also CLT without glue, see my other comment. Check ▶ this video . "passive designs without active mechanical assistance" - do you mean passive (highly insulated, air tight) designs without mechanical ventilation?

Good question. There is also CLT without glue. Check ▶ this video where Matt Risinger is visiting a Swiss factory where they use wooden (berch?) nails and dowel pins in stead of glue. And by using more layers they also need no insulation. Gives R=24...

For those not familiar with these techniques, an American builder visiting DE and CH and learning about them: * ▶ this video * link * link

▶ this video That's literally what it is. You can do it in all sorts of interesting different ways, but the idea is, where with other techniques you'd use e.g. insulation, gypsum wallboard, oriented strand board sheathing or plywood, instead you just... put more wood on it.

This Swiss company makes all-wood houses: meaning no insulation, they just make the solid wood walls thick enough to pass insulation codes without requiring foam or fiberglass. Also no metal fasteners. ▶ this video