Environmental and architectural aspects of wooden construction: a comparative analysis of selected issues of single-family housing in Poland and Portugal

In the second half of the 20th century, it seemed that wooden architecture would be replaced by other, increasingly used, technologies. Wood was primarily used in hybrid systems, rather than as the dominant construction and finishing material. However, the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries reversed this trend. There is now a growing interest in wooden structures and finishes. Wood is becoming a “fashionable” material. This shift is influenced by new technologies that provide innovative construction possibilities, as well as by new methods of protecting wood. Wood is a renewable, ecological material with a small built-in carbon footprint, making it easy to recycle and suitable for a circular economy. The aim of the study is to compare the features of wooden single-family houses in Poland and Portugal. The methods necessary for this purpose were employed: critical analysis, observation without intervention and case studies to compare contemporary architectural trends. The results of research on current trends in shaping wooden single-family architecture allowed for drawing conclusions regarding formal, functional and pro-environmental solutions.