This project proposal aims at reviving traditional architecture for houses with timber frames and masonry infills (TFM), for new houses using improved construction details based on recent technological developments which make use of traditional materials. Moreover, the knowledge acquired in recent state-of-the-art research studies will be used as a starting point for this research project. An experimental program will be developed, such as to variate the few most important parameters (timber connection types, timber dimensions, strength of the mortar, etc), to introduce new details to improve the system with local and eco-friendly materials (different combinations of infill materials, earth, straw, clay, etc.) and also to conduct out of plane tests and check their influence in the global seismic behaviour.
A complete design project example will be made, so it can be used and promoted by city-halls in rural areas (and not only), in order to start to influence the people (not engineers) to build safer and healthier, even though they will build their house by themselves.
