ABSTRACT
Using two examples, this paper argues for the benefits in properly examining the supposed ‘normal’ or ‘standard’ constructions in order to better understand certain aspects of innovation or even make extraordinary discoveries. The systematic examination of numerous roof trusses over single-nave churches in German-speaking Switzerland in the first example give us a vivid picture of the construction methods in various regions over a span of 250 years. Based on these constructions, one can see which systems or approaches in constructing roofs were carried forward and which were not. In the case of the late-medieval log buildings in central Switzerland it is shown that within a rather run-down residential building lies the potential of great discoveries. Through systematic surveys and with the help of dendrochronology, over 30 log buildings have been discovered and documented dating back as far as 1300.
