I would guess that 15% moisture content would be enough to cause trouble. In Indiana, things generally will settle at a moisture content at around 12 to 15% or so because humidity levels remain very high all year. If exposed to the hot and the cold I foresee issues.

Where it is normally employed these problems don't exist. In my travels I have realized just how harsh the weather in my home state is. Central Europe seems like a paradise when compared to the Midwestern US.

In Fachwerk, the infilling tradition I am familiar with, the bricks are keyed into channels in the post. Also the frame is designed for infilling, the posts not being any larger that 4 or 5 inches wide will not shrink much and so won't cause large gaps.

About reinventing the wheel, well it should be noted that the wheel has been reinvented many times over the past several thousand years. It has been advanced and made better. A few notable examples being the invention of the spoked wheel, and the pneumatic tire, and the wheel bearing.

In other words, there is absolutely no reason why we can't improve on old ideas. We need to adapt them to modern conditions, or else just watch them fade away entirely. The Swiss probably wouldn't use the Bohlenwand at all today if someone hadn't figured out a while back how to insulate it.

Now we can't do that haphazardly. Our innovations need to be well thought out and carefully managed. That's why we talk about them here, and I certainly value your input. But I just wanted to step up and say, there's nothing wrong with wanting an infill system that also performs well by modern standards of living. If you want people to actually spend their money on them, then that is a necessity.

Of course there are a few issues that need to be worked out, after all I just thought of the idea two days ago.

As for the boards moving up in down in the channels and causing plaster problems, I thought of a simple solution to that. After they are in place where they need to be, secure them with a single nail on either end. That way they can still expand and contract without creating a huge gap at the top of the wall or destroying the plaster or cracking. If supporting plaster these boards should probably be no bigger than 1x6, with 1x4 probably best (any smaller would be too wobbly). For the inside where the wood is exposed, the Swiss solved that problem. A trim board is attached at the top to the frame but not to the planks, hiding any gap that may form.

Don, I know what you mean. Traditional infills haven't seen much exposure in the US. Although many people I have shown pictures to have expressed some interest in the concept -the visual affect cannot be matched.


But back to the topic of my Shop.

My current plan, I think, is to go with a traditional Bohlenwand technique.
Part of the intention of my design is to replicate the style of building that is to be found where my Family comes from, Wattenwil Switzerland. So with that in mind I am considering doing a Bohlenwand with exterior let in braces, complete with richly carved timbers inside and out.
But I am tempted to try out my concept to see how well it actually works. Decisions decisions...

I like the way the all wood houses are decorated. That's a major plus for me. The major disadvantage of course as that a purely traditional infill has just about no insulation value whatsoever. But by using lots of big wood on interior walls the houses built this way are still quite cozy in the winter. The Kachelofen I think helps too.